les bonites. Those teams, whose alumni included Steve Konowalchuck and Sergei Gonchar, may as well have skated in Siberia as far as the Post was concerned. Check out the four goalies who saw action for the Skipjacks in the 1991-’92 season: Don Beaupre, Jim Hrivnak, Byron Dafoe, Olie Kolzig.

In the print edition of yesterday’s Washington Times, Corey Masisak delivered terrific detail about the feats of Matheiu Perreault, Francois Bouchard, and Steckel. Earlier this year he profiled Kings’ rookie Anze Kopitar, the first NHLer produced by Slovenia. I’m hoping he stays on the beat of the off-the-beaten path of hockey player development.

Hockey players take such varied and soul-challenging routes chasing their big league dreams. Brutal busrides through blizzards over years on $25 a day per diems. Only hockey has the billet family. Players’ development journeys are instant and iconic (Ovechkin), circuitous and anonymous (Steckel), and against-all-odds defying (Cheechoo). They are anything but routine and as such the stuff of terrific story telling.

I’m acutely aware that most Caps’ fans who tuned in to last night’s win in Atlanta had no idea who Dave Steckel was or how he got there. That’s not their fault. But that’s part of the reason why we’re here.

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Posted at 1:00 am. Filed under American Hockey League, Dave Steckel, DraftGeek, Entry Draft, Hershey Bears, Media, Morning cup-a-joe, Prospects, Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Capitals, Washington Post Express, Washington Times.
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11 Comments

  1. maruk wrote:

    I missed the game last night, but I’ve always wanted to see more of Steckel.

    Anyone think his skill set is similar to Gordon’s? I don’t have an opinion on this, I’d be curious to hear what everyone else thinks.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 7:39 am | Permalink
  2. Meza wrote:

    Great story, I saw Steckel play earlier this year in Hershey. He is very good on defensive responsibilities and a excellent forechecker. Last night he made a statement that he wants to be in the bigs. If he continues to play like he did last night against Buffalo he may solidify his chances for next year. If you put him with Boyd Gordon you have 2/3 of a great checking line.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 8:35 am | Permalink
  3. b.oor4 wrote:

    Steckel should have been up with the Caps a long time ago. He’s a penalty killing phenom and you can bet that had he been on the PK for the Caps instead of Sutherby, they wouldn’t be in the lower third of the league in that department. Also, he’s a great faceoff man. He’s the type of player every team needs to be successful.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 9:18 am | Permalink
  4. Vogs wrote:

    Nice work John. And I meant to say the same about the scouting piece, too. Steckel and Gordon were in fact 2/3 of a great checking line for Hershey’s Calder Cup team last spring. Both are good in the circle, and you’ve got a righty (Gordon) and a lefty (Steckel). I’m a big Steckel fan and think he belongs in the NHL.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 11:12 am | Permalink
  5. CapsChick wrote:

    Last night was by far the best game I’ve seen by Steckel in all his call-ups. Anyone else think this upcoming training camp is going to get a bit interesting? Lots of young guys showing up the veterans and making a case, one by one, for a Caps sweater. This team is going to be fun to watch very soon, I can feel it.

    On a semi-related note, I’m heading up to Hershey for Sunday’s regular season finale against the Baby Pens - my first AHL game since I was a baby. I’m totally pumped. Anyone else going? Anything I should keep an eye on?

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 11:57 am | Permalink
  6. sk84fun wrote:

    After watching Steckel last season and during the Calder Cup playoffs, I thought he was going to be on the NHL roster this season. A slow start at camp and an early injury set him back, but he has been a key player for the Bears this season…faceoffs, penalty kill (4 SHGs), leadership, etc. His skating has improved and adds to success with his defensive smarts, determination, and wingspan, I expect him to succeed in the NHL and had hoped to see more of him in a Caps jersey this season.

    Fun AHL stats: He has scored the first goal for the Bears 6 times this season and drawn an early penalty with a quick rush to the net off the opening faceoff several times.

    I was disappointed when they recalled him a few weeks ago and then did not give him a jersey. So I was glad to see the coaching staff give him ice time last night; it was the right move to have him out at the end of the game on the 6-3 kill.

    Nice coverage and thanks for the heads up about the Wash Times article.

    Caps Chick - I’ll probably be there on Sunday.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 1:03 pm | Permalink
  7. usiel wrote:

    Steckel’s play does make it easier if they need to trade Sutherby this off season if need be.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 1:13 pm | Permalink
  8. CapitalGuy wrote:

    The shift chart does not lie:
    http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20062007/SC021196.HTM Six-on-3 PK? Mo+Gordo+Steck= W !

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 2:28 pm | Permalink
  9. TJ wrote:

    Any link for the Times story.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 2:50 pm | Permalink
  10. OrderedChaos wrote:

    Here’s the link to Corey Masisak’s Caps Prospects blurb in Wednesday’s Times:
    http://www.washingtontimes.com/sports/20070403-115426-5927r.htm

    Note that the print edition contained a longer articleâ€â€the online version for some reason is abbreviated to just a few brief paragraphs.

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 5:07 pm | Permalink
  11. CapsChick wrote:

    sk84fun, where are you sitting?

    Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 11:19 pm | Permalink

One Trackback/Pingback

  1. On Frozen Blog | Late-Summer Intrigue Among the Forward Flanks on Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 5:49 am

    [...] Steckel earned a richly deserved callup by the Caps late last season after piling up career offensive numbers for the Hershey Bears, and in that first game in Atlanta on April 4, sharing a sheet of ice with the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Ovechkin, Steckel stood out as the best player on the ice in all three zones. This is what I wrote about his performance for OFB the following morning: “The Dave Steckel I watched in Atlanta last night looked identical to the one I followed up in New Hampshire and Maine last month  a force in two ends of the rink, but with one key distinction: he occasionally left the ice in his Bears’ sweater for line changes. But last night for Coach Hanlon, I’m not sure I saw him leave the ice in the third period. [...]

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