This part of the season has always been my favorite. Why? Well, for a number of reasons. Springtime, for one, and since I have played in many different cities, the seasons change a little quicker in those places. Or they are less harsh... March Madness. Yes, I follow it. Not the regular season, but the tournament for sure. I am in the team pool and I am tied for the lead, with three teams out of four left. C'mon Ohio St.!
The Masters is around the corner, which really gets you in the mood for warmer weather. And, of course, another pool for that tournament. One interesting note worth mentioning. My neighbor here on Cousins Island, Larry Pugh, is a member at Augusta National( if you don't know, it's where they play the Masters) and since members are required to work the tournament in some capacity, he is there every year. I always keep an eye out for him on TV...
How could you forget the Frozen Four, the mens hockey tournament for the NCAA, that has become sort of a tradition here in Maine. My Black Bears are back again, playing Micigan St. I won the bet with Motzko and Hartigan, last weekend, as they went to St. Cloud. Then they beat UMass, where Bruce Crowder's son attends. So, now it is between me and Drew Miller, for lunch. He comes from a long line of Miller's at the home of the Spartans, and they all are from Lansing. What a story it would be for Maine to win it this year, after a less than stellar finish of the regular season. Best of luck to Coach Whitehead and the rest of the team. Keep your eye on twp in particular. Ben Bishop is from St. Louis, who is hosting the tournament , and Ted Purcell, the fresman sensation from Newfoundland, who is highly sought after by NHL teams right now...
I was lucky enough to be part of the Final Four in '88, but my favorite memory was in '93, watching my brother Jason and their tremendous team win the whole thing. I watched both games on TV, unfortunately, but was on the edge of my seat for both. My parents were there with him, and I'm sure it was the proudest moment of our family's hockey adventure. I am proud to say that Jason has the only championship at that high of a level, and he can cherish that forever. I am still chasing the dream...
But the best part of this time of year is playoffs or if you are like our team, fighting to get in. I really believe that when a team battles for a spot and gets in, they can ride a wave through the playoffs. It also doesn't hurt to be in a position where you can rest some guys down the stretch for the playoffs. A few of the teams I have been on in the past have been on the bubble until the last couple games of the year, and it has gone both ways. When you secure a spot in the playoffs, it is a great feeling of accomplishment for everyone. A real group effort.
We are still in it after everything that has gone on. I would love to map out the scenarios for you but they are endless. We still control a little of our destiny and of course need some help. But, when there is hope, and something to play for, that is your motivation. Having played a long time, I can tell you our guys are not leaving anything on the ice. We battled back against Lowell on Friday to get two points and played our hearts out Saturday night and then 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon! I can't say enough about my teammates desire. I'm sure Kevin is proud of their effort as well. So, another 4 games in 5 nights, possible 8 points. Big one against Lowell that could be a 4 point swing, or as it is known , " a four point game". What that means is two we get, and two they don't get. As my old teammate "Broadway" Bernie Nichols would say, "Weino, whatever way you slice it, it is only two points." And he is right, technically speaking. A four point swing, none the less. So, with all that on your plate, a sports fan cannot be board the next couple of weeks. And if you are a cycling fan like me, the spring classics are upon us. But, that is another subject, for another time... Enjoy the "madness"! Weino

After a windy couple of nights knocked out our internet, I'm back on line. I was in charge for the of days around the house and finding free time has been tough. I know what my wife has done the last 15 or so years and she enjoys the little breaks from time to time. I'm glad I can give her those these days, with our schedule arranged a little different than in past years. she was able to go to join the rest of her family for her father's 70th celebration...
Yesterday, I was part of career day at my daughter's class. As I walked in, her face turned about as pink as the warmup suit she had on! After a brief summary of what I do and some backround, it was question and answer time. Not alot of tough questions but it was interesting to hear what they had to ask. I take for granted that some people really don't know about our game. The equipment, the rules, the players in the NHL, the cities. Having hockey as my life for as long as I have, it becomes second nature. I always enjoy talking about it. At the end, each student received a mini stick from the Pirates and Mrs. Jagolinzer got the signed stick from the team for her room...
After some tense moments, the Black Bears were granted a birth in the NCAA tournament. They face St. Cloud St of Minnesota. Two of our guys, Joe Motzko and Mark Hartigan, attended there, and of course we have a wager on the game. Lunch of the winners choice...
Speaking of NCAA, who could forget basketball. The customary pool was filled by each player. After the latest games, Mark Hartigan and yours truly lead the scores, and I have the most teams left. Could it be my coaching backround that helped in the selection?...
Finally, Bruce Crowder played for the Bruins and the Mariners, two teams I grew up watching. Then, I played for Bruce at Maine when he took an assistant job after retiring. After all these years, it has been a pleasure working along side him as a coach and a player this year. He would never let you know and for that matter, you may never guess that his 50th birthday is right around the corner. Both his wife, Lucy, and he have found the fountain of youth somewhere. I just wish he could have told me where it was before I started playing again. So, to my old friend, Happy 50th, Bruce. I think the best present we could give him Sunday is an eight point weekend, besides the Harley he wants... Weino

Amidst a brutal schedule, this week is time to rest some aching bodies and recharge for next weekends three and three. Don't forget the "Evening with the Pirates" Tuesday night! Good fun for a great cause...
Have you seen the new commercials the NHL has put out this spring? The one with the pranks is the best. As I watched a game the other night, and viewed this scene, it brought back some memories that I thought might lighten up the week during this tumultuous stretch we face the next month. The NHL has really stepped it up in the marketing department and it is about time. With commercials featuring the new group of rising stars in the league, they have a hit especially with the players, poking fun at some age old traditions.
Ovechkin ordering the menu and sending it to another room, pretending to be Sidney Crosby is perfect. I first saw this one way back in my first couple of seasons. It was different back then, since there were no charter flights, every team would spend the night in the city they were playing that night, and, well there was a chance to "bond" after every game. It usually involved meeting up with some of the opponent, and almost always full attendance of your own team. In some ways, this period of the game made for tighter teams, and I think the teams of today lack the cohesiveness that road trips created in a group. Regardless, the night would end late, and the bus came early as would the flight. The old 5 am knock at the door, with a big breakfast on the cart was the last thing you wanted. But, every so often, you would hear the unsuspecting recipient of an early morning room service call, then a very loud "WHAT!", and an even louder door slam as the victim would not only have awakened for nothing, but was stuck with a nice, large breakfast bill. Jeremy Roenick and I were on the receiving end of a hot breakfast in Atlanta one early morning, but the sting wasn't as bad when you had only arrived the night before on a charter, and really had no reason to get up early, since we only had practice that day. J.R. simply told the guy we didn't order it, not in those exact words, and shut the door on the poor waiter and went back to bed.
The days of commercial flying always presented opportunity for some horsing around. Imagine 20 or so immature young males with 3 or 4 hours to kill. Not good. Many flights were strictly for "sleeping off" the night before and left some unguarded victims asleep. Typically, the oldest trick in the book was hiding someones shoes on the plane so at worst he spent the deplaning time searching and cursing. Sometimes, the culprit would keep the shoes, so the guy would have to walk through the airport with no shoes, and then when he got to the baggage carousel he would see them going around with the bags.

As you know, I have been on many teams, and have been part of every event each team has put on for a charitable cause. There have been many different themes and fund raisers. Maybe the biggest was in Philly, the annual Wives Carnival that has been done for years. My wife, Tracy, was very involved and was co- chair for several years. It has become the largest one day grossing event in pro sports! And for one day of our season, the players are asked to do different activities and sign autographs for the thousands in attendance. Over one million dollars annually is generated from the Carnival.
With the Evening with Pirates coming up, many people, including the players are getting primed for the big fund raiser to benefit the Portland Pirates Foundation and Maine Children's Cancer Program. This event is only made possible by the many generous charitable donations of those in attendance. And, as always, many thanks go out to all who take part and organize.
What I would like to tell you about is the work the players do during the season. One of the most important roles of athletes are to act as role models around the community. Not because they are important, but because many athletes are public figures and people like meeting and talking to them. Of course, in the major markets, where the big league teams are located, the players are much more in thwe public eye and for that reason recognizable. TV and media outlets make everything about players as grand and as public as can be. In Portland, we are lucky to have two teams that are very high level professional teams. The intimate size of the city certainly helps the prominence of each team here. And for this reason, most everyone in the area know the Pirates and the Sea Dogs.
Now, back to what I was getting at before. People love sports and of course, fans have favorite players. I have been pleasantly surprised at the increasingly large fan base in Portland. the fans know their players and are very supportive. Our players have been very active in the community in various capacities this season, and I'm sure in past seasons as well. Before I returned as a player, I watched as our guys made visits to the hospitals, local schools, buisnesses around town, fan club and season ticket holders events, local youth hockey clinics and many radio and TV appearances. Let me tell you, as a first year pro, these appearances were definitely fun and, well, made you feel somewhat like a celebrity. And, despite the many lame complaints, the guys are very enthusiastic and receptive and get a warm feeling after each appearance. It is amazing how excited kids get and how many of their little faces light up when a player walks in with his jersey on and the children associate each guy with the Pirates. And even in the grimmest times, in a cancer ward or with other sick patients, the interaction with people can be very rewarding. When I have walked away from a day like this, I can't help but feel that the people I have talked to have touched me much more than I them.
Tracy and I have attended some childrens and adult wards of sick patients, and I can tell the last thing some of the people want to do is have visitors during their treatments, but on the flipside, some of the patients are begging for visitors and leaving to move on to another room can create a feeling of guilt. A few people we have met along the way have remained friends and kept in contact with us. And a few have passed on. But, in each case, I can tell you the little effort we made to accomodate their wishes left a lasting impression in our minds. The most vivid of those came during a summer when Tracy and I were living in New Jersey. I, a member of the Devils, attended a place called Camp Sunshine, filled with youngsters afflicted by cancer. Some terminal, some on the road to recovery. All, though, longing for attention. The tireless counselors and nurses that worked there had many great stories about each camper for us. I played a game of street hockey with an ethnic mix of children, but in ten minutes or so, the whole lot of them joined in the game. Kids with missing limbs from their sickness, some in wheel chairs and many with limited energy participated in the day. And by the end, I had bodies hanging all over me filled with laughter. I left Camp Sunshine with mixed emotions, wondering what was to become of many of the kids there. As we learned later, some happy endings and some sad. The craziest thing about the whole day, as we were driving home, the Devils had been trying to contact me all day to inform me that I had been traded to the Whalers! A small footnote to our days events...
In the end, this is what it is all about. Maybe, out of the dozen patients or school kids, or players on a youth team, you may reach out to one and make a connection and then you realize hockey may not be the most important thing in the world...
So, I felt that I should let you know a different side of our players, one that is far from the brutes you see on the ice. A group of compassionate young guys, who spend some of their days making a difference in the community.One thing that I learned from my parents is that giving back really feels great!
Weino