A Great Day For Hockey

The former Wisconsin Badgers coach, the late Bob Johnson, thought every day was "a great day for hockey."   I'm going to guess this past Wednesday was a great day for most everyone involved in the sports at the youth and high school levels in Eau Claire.

Wednesday was the day Memorial H.S. seniors Jefferson Dahl and David Donnellan found out their post-high school destinations.  Both will be playing in the United States Hockey League next season, but as opponents, not as teammates (as they've done for almost their entire careers).  Dahl's USHL rights were traded to the Green Bay Gamblers, while Donnellan was a first-round draft pick of the Sioux Falls Stampede.  It was amusing to watch their reactions and listen to their answers when I asked them what it would be like to compete against each other at the next level:

BRADO: Say you're going after the puck, and you see number 14 in a Green Bay uniform getting there first, are you going to try to plaster him into the boards?

DAVID: (laughing) I'm going to be playing hockey, and if he's there, I'm gonna have to play the body on him.

BRADO: You've got the puck, you're coming in one-on-one against a Sioux Falls defenseman, and it's your old buddy David Donnellan...do you break out a new move on him, or do you go with one of your old favorites?

JEFFERSON: (laughing) I'll just use my speed to get around him.

Wednesday was also a day former Memorial standout Seth Soley stopped in for an interview.   Soley bypassed his senior season with the Old Abes to join the USHL's Omaha Lancers.   Soley admits it was a tough decision to leave Eau Claire, but now he can see just how much he grew as a player and as a person over the past year.   He was thrilled when his former Memorial teammates won the WIAA state title last March, but he also got to celebrate a USHL championship with the Lancers.  Unfortunately for Soley, a high ankle sprain suffered in late April kept him out of the latter part of the playoffs, but Soley says the injury won't affect his training this summer as he gets ready for his freshman season at Michigan Tech University.

Also on Wednesday, I spoke on the phone with Eau Claire native Jake Dowell.  His first full season in professional hockey came to an end the previous night, when Dowell's Rockford Ice Hogs lost their AHL West Division final series to the Chicago Wolves.   Dowell suffered a mid-season broken bone in his foot, which was a factor in his being sent from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks back to Rockford.   Now that he's gotten a taste of the NHL, he says his goal is to do everything he can to earn a more permanent spot on the Blackhawks' roster.

One person I did not speak with on Wednesday was former Eau Claire North H.S. standout Derrick LaPoint, now a freshman at the University of North Dakota.  Knowing Derrick, I imagine at least part of his day consisted of going to class, studying, and working out.  LaPoint saw a lot of ice time with the Fighting Sioux, and is the type of player who'll only get better with experience.

It's easy to root for all of these guys...not just because they're from Eau Claire, but because they're all quality individuals who handle their respective levels of success and fame with a lot of humility and class.

There are, of course,  other hockey players from Eau Claire working very hard to achieve their ice dreams.   However, those dreams would not even be possible were it not for all those involved in youth hockey and high school hockey in Eau Claire.   Jake Dowell, Derrick LaPoint, Seth Soley, Jefferson Dahl, and David Donnellan each have a very unique hockey skill set...but they all recognize that it took a lot of work by others to help get them to where they are in their hockey careers.

I will echo their thoughts.   To all the parents and coaches who put in long hours over the years, I say thank you.   It was well worth the effort.      

-BOB BRADOVICH