Alumni Game Roster

UAA's excellent young SID, Dallas Baldwin updated me yesterday with the specific rosters for Saturday's Alumni Game.  So, I thought I'd share it here and give a little preview of the old guys ...

#6 - Jeremy Smith

Last UAA Season - 08-09

Played 17 games in his career at UAA.  My favorite 17 game player ever.  Jeremy was intensity personified.  It'll be fun to see scoot around out there on Saturday.

#9 - Chris Pont

Last UAA Season - 99-00

Scored 22 goals over 4 seasons playing center.  I remember Chris as one of the series of quality forwards the Seawolves have pulled from BC.  He was 3rd in goals on the 2000 team.

#11 - Steve Ludwig

Last UAA Season - 00-01

Played in 80 games at UAA.  Didn't tally a goal here during that career.  Steve was a classic 4 year role player for Dean Talafous.

#12 - Rob Conn

Last UAA Season - 90-91

Rob was a beast in front of the net during his UAA career.  He went on to skate in 30 NHL games and if I'm remembering things correctly was the 1st UAA alum to skate in "The Show".  I remember watching his 1st game with Chicago.  He jumped the boards for his 1st shift and went straight to the front of the opponents net screening the goaltender, a teammate fired the puck and scored using that screen.  He didn't get any point credit for the goal, but he contributed to one on his very 1st shift.  He played 28 games with the Sabres in 95-96 and notched 2 goals.

#13 - Daron Underwood

Last UAA Season - 05-06

Daron had an impressive rookie season on defense at UAA.  He hit everything that moved.  I remember him being a walk-on and I think he was so excited to be playing that he made the best of it.  I used to call him THUnderwood on USCHO.

#14 - Merit Waldrop

Last UAA Season - 07-08

Merit is the all-time best 23 career-goal scorer to play at UAA.  He could puck handle in a phone booth.  Nobody tracks such things but I'd put money on Merit holding the record for doinking it off posts and crossbars in UAA history.

#16 - Todd Bethard

Last UAA Season - 96-97

In 4 years on the blueline Todd put up a real nice 22 goals.  10 of those came during a super-soph year.  Todd was a classic puck moving blueliner.  Smooth skater, always had his head up and was dependable in his own end.

#18 - Matt Jolly

Last UAA Season - 05-06

Matt got in 8 games in his single season at UAA.  I remember lots of Jolly brothers from my days hanging around youth and high school hockey rinks watching my nephew.

#20 - Mike Scott

Last UAA Season - 01-02

38 goals in 4 seasons at UAA surprised me.  I would have thought it was higher.  Mike was a similar player to Rob Conn.  Always managed to get himself in front of the net and was effective there.  Mike played 32 games with Providence in the AHL and had an extensive ECHL career including becoming a fan favorite with the Aces for whom he scored 93 goals in 4 seasons.  He was my daughter's favorite player all four years he was at UAA.  She was 10 when he left.

#21 - Brian Kraft

Last UAA Season - 91-92

Krafty went to NMU for his first year of college hockey and was a teammate of Dave Shyiak.  And gee ... he didn't quite see eye-to-eye with Coach Rick Comely (stunning eh?), so he transferred to UAA.  In his 1st year at UAA he only scored 20 goals (27 in his 2 year career ...).  Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mr. Comely.  Brian was a NEVERSAYDIE hockey player.  All-around good guy, coached my nephew one year ... in Bantams I think.  I remember his career here ended mid-season because of some overage year he played in juniors.

#22 - Jim Dahl

Last UAA Season - 04-05

Jim was a 4 year role playing forward at UAA.  He was always banging someone in the corners.  He netted 6 goals in the 100 games he played.  Another example of one of the many UAA players to make Anchorage his home following his career here.

#23 - Mark Filipenko

Last UAA Season - 99-00

Mark was an undersized puck moving defenseman during the Talafous era, which of course means he was never really given the chance to move the puck.  He always had a quality hip-check waiting for an opponent who thought he'd go wide and had a real heavy shot from the point.  Which of course means that he'd get benched if he used it too much.  In 101 career games he notched 4 goals.

#24 - Gregg Zaprozan

Last UAA Season - 01-02

Gregg was one of our speedsters.  One of the few players we've had from Ontario over the years.  He notched 26 goals in 4 years blowing around WCHA opponents with his speed playing mostly on a line with Mike Scott and fellow waterbug Steve Cygan.  Those guys always seemed to be a threat to score.

Non-Alumni

#8 - Scott Warner

Scott doesn't actually get to play for the Seawolves until the beginning of next season following his transfer.  This will be a nice chance to see him move around in something other than practice.  He should see LOTS of ice time with all the old guys.

#10 - Brian Bethard

Colorado College Alum.  Brother of Todd Bethard.  His last season with CC was 92-93.  Played Junior hockey with UAA alums Kevin Brown, Trent Pankewicz and Jim Tobin as well as brother Brian.  One notable player from that Powell River junior roster was Brad Bombardir.

#15 - Chris Newans

Chris never played college hockey.  But he has to have one of the all-time most interesting hockey careers playing for (by my count) 21 different teams from 1991 - 2009, including a season in the Quebec Fighting League.  He played in the ECHL, SuHL, SHL, WCHL, IHL, UHL and QSMHL as well as a season of Roller Hockey in Anaheim.

#19 - Ken Selby

If Brush doesn't put Ken on his #1 line for this game then my head will explode.  That's all I'm going to say.  Dare I predict a hat-trick this Saturday for Ken.  Sure ... get a hatty Ken.

#26 - Tyler Currier

At least with Selbs, Warner and Tyler in the Alumni lineup there will be some energy counteracting all those creaky old bones.

#30 - Jon Olthuis

Bet he'd like nothing better than to stone every attempt from his teammates.  How sweet would it be for him to shut them out?  Oh wait a minute ... that wouldn't be sweet at all.  OMG ... I'm seriously conflicted now.

Coaches:

Brush Christiansen - Regg Simon

So ... I must ask this even though they probably don't want me to.  But where is Derek Donald?  Was he perhaps the "last cut" or what?  And Regg?  Um ... come on.  You're only 33...  Chris Newans is 40 ... Robbie Conn is 41 ... Brian Kraft is almost 43?  Maybe Regg didn't want to give Kevin Clark a chance to check him?  Tch Tch Tch ... Regg has got some 'splaining to do if you ask me.

In any case, this looks to be a fun event.  I'll be dragging my 48 year old butt down there to see the kids put up some ugly number on the old guys.  Referees for the game are Dennis Sorenson and Merit Waldrop Sr.