Wednesday, March 14, 2007
COMING UP
FRIDAY: Pirates at Lowell, 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY: Pirates at Binghamton, 7:05 p.m.
SUNDAY: Pirates at Worcester, 4 p.m.
If Sean Blanchard had a business card, it would read: "Have Hockey Stick, Will Travel."
Blanchard, a defenseman with nine seasons of pro experience, made his first appearance Sunday for the Portland Pirates.
It was his 13th team since turning pro in 1998.
"I've been around and I've played in a lot of different places, and I've been lucky to play in a lot of different places," he said. "I've met a lot of people and I've seen a lot of interesting things."
Blanchard, on emergency call from the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL, spent the last five seasons playing in Europe.
"I started out in Finland in my first year in Europe," he said. "I was there for about a month. Things didn't work out there and I was stuck in Europe trying to find a place to play."
He ended up with the London Knights of the old British Ice Hockey SuperLeague.
"I went to Britain and ended up liking it there and stayed there for two years," Blanchard said. He lived in the heart of London, about 10 minutes from Buckingham Palace. "It was a nice area and it was interesting for my family."
After that, Blanchard played two seasons for Ritten Renon, in the South Tyrol region of picturesque northern Italy.
"Last year I was planning on coming back (to North America) to play and I got a last-minute call from a team in Switzerland," he said.
Blanchard ended up playing 30 games for Zurich in the Swiss B League.
"I spent most of the year with the A League team, but they had seven or eight imports and only five are allowed to play," he said.
Last fall, Blanchard returned to North America. He spent a week at the Pirates' training camp in Portland before his assignment to the Lynx.
In 55 games with the Lynx, who are contending for a playoff berth, Blanchard had 14 goals and 31 assists.
"(The ECHL) is not exactly where I want to be career-wise but I've enjoyed my time there," Blanchard said. "I get along with the coach and the players have been great."
Blanchard has been an experienced option for the Pirates.
"He's got that depth of experience at a lot of different levels, which enables him to be calm out there on the ice," Pirates Coach Kevin Dineen said.
"We've had some injuries lately and the opportunity is there (for him). He's been a real good player in Augusta. The Lynx have had a strong season and he's been a big part of it, and this is a chance for him to get seen at the next level."
Blanchard, who will turn 29 later this month, hopes to make the most of his temporary assignment to Portland.
"This year has been perhaps a little slower than I would like but I've been given an opportunity now," he said, "and I'm going to run with it as long as I can."
BRIDGEPORT CENTER Eric Boguniecki was named the AHL Player of the Week after scoring four goals and five assists.
Mark Hartigan, who had two goals and five assists to help the Pirates earn five of a possible eight points in four games, also was nominated.
Other nominees included two former Pirates: goalie Dieter Kochan of the Houston Aeros and left wing Curtis Glencross of the Syracuse Crunch.
WITH THREE road games left in the regular season, the Lewiston Maineiacs have clinched home-ice advantage through the first four rounds of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs.
With 100 points, Lewiston clinched first place when it beat the PEI Rocket 4-3 before a sellout crowd of 3,677 fans Sunday night at the Colisee, and the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated Cape Breton.
The first two playoff home games tentatively are scheduled for March 23 and March 24 against Shawinigan or St. John's.
Playoff tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. today at the Colisee.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:
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Reader comments
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Sean has experience, and deserves a chance to show what he can do. He's had a good year so far on a struggling Augusta team, and may be ready to take the next step next season. He is slightly undersized for this level, but that can be addressed in the off-season. I think he deserves another chance, but I doubt he'll get it this year.
But he alone won't be able to solve the woes of the hometown crew...
As for my opinion on our playoff chances, I'm contemplating dropping $50 for my playoff tickets (a perk of being a season ticketholder) now, but I'm most likely going to wait until the deadline (end of the month) before I make my choice.report abuse
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