Bob Frick : part two : the Scout & Coach.

This is the second part of a interview with Bob Frick.
He is the father of Matt Frick who plays in the Central Hockey League.


Bob how long did you Scout?
I started out scouting with the Compuware Tier II Junior "A" team. I served as the Director of Player Development and played an active role in our pre-draft meetings and sat at the draft table numerous times. With my son, Matt, playing prep school hockey back east and my knowledge of Eastern college hockey, I was a "natural" to become a bird dog for college programs. Colleges have limited resources and the NCAA recruiting rules restrict the number of times a coach can watch a player, so the bird dog fills in the blanks about a players character, any "issues", parent, brothers playing, etc. I was very active until Matt went to college to play (Lake Superior State) in 1997, but to this day may get a call from a coach back east to research a prospect.

I was recruited to scout for USA Hockey in the early stages before the National Development Program was established in Ann Arbor, MI, then migrated into working for junior "A" teams and doing independent scouting. A part of me scouts even today.

What do you look for in a skater and a Goalie?

I watch edges a lot. For a D-man I look to make sure they can pivot from front to back in both directions. I look at their confidence on their skates and how solid they are. For example, Mike York, the Michigan State player who has had a good NHL career played with Matt as an underage Mite. He was a year younger than the players he was playing with, but impossible to ride off the puck. He's the same way today. Also, at the end of our first practice we had a shootout. Mike tried four or five different moves, which was "special" for seven year old. BTW, the goalie he was shooting at was special too. At the start of the practice the head coach (I was one of the two assistants) asked me to warm up one of the goalies. I started by sliding pucks to the corners of the net. Remember, he's only eight years old. He immediately butterflied post to post!!!! His name was Brent Johnson, his dad was NHL goalie Bob Johnson and his grandfather the great Sid Abel. he's now backup tender for Washington. I don't do much goalie scouting, referring that to goalie guru's.

What three traits do you look for in a player?

Obviously, first is skills - skating, shot, etc.
Second is character - does he mix it up, does he shy away from contact, can you read his body language when the games on the line, I.e. is he standing up, ready to go and determine the outcome of the game?
Last is leadership qualities. When Matt was 12 and playing for what would become the Pee Wee National Championship Little Ceasars AAA team, a visiting coach went to one of Matt's practices at Melvindale Arena. He didn't know any player except Matt. He watched players file in, watched them interact at video games, watched "free time" on the ice before practice started, and watched the entire practice. At the end of the practice he told me, with one 100% accuracy, the team leaders, the players with "the heart of a hunter" and the kids that could cause problems. It amazed me as much then as it does today.

Would you have picked someone with natural talent or someone who has to work harder to play well?

Good question, and it all depends on the needs of the team I'm assembling. usually, your first picks are for your skill players, the gifted scorer, the playmakers, the offensive D-man, etc. As the depth chart is filled out, you look for the role players who will ultimately be the "glue" that holds a line or the team together. You can't have three undersized, super skilled center on the same line cuz nobody will go into the corner and get the puck.
Over the years, the most enjoyable players for me to coach have been the players who refuse to lose. As a coach, nothing can be more frustrating to lose a close game and know that one or more of your players didn't come to play. A cute example was what I did with a very talented Pee wee AA team that I coached and Brian played on. We had a strong nucleus of players with AAA, a great goalie, and were looking forward to a big season. In one of our first exhibition games, I knew we were in trouble in the locker room. my No. 1 D-man only had one skate, another player forgot his sticks, and the buzz was about everything except hockey. Not surprisingly, we got waxed. Later that weekend I was at a practice with Matt when I noticed a flyer looking for games with Midget A teams. The team was the Falcon's women's team!!! Perfect!!! The Falcon's also were a AAA club, so when I put out the announcement that we were playing the Falcons in an exhibition game, it didn't raise any eyebrows. However, when the players started showing up and looked at locker room assignments, they were shocked to see we were playing a girls team. Obviously, questions were flying.......can we check, can we take slap shots, should we be "nice"? They the "ladies" started filing in..... jeans & sweatshirt, tattoos, missing teeth, these weren't "typical" women. We had to work hard for a one goal win with our goalie being the difference. In the locker room afterwards I asked, "why do you think we played this team?" 'Ol one skate, our flaky defenseman immediately blurted out "you gotta come to play every night, no matter who you're playin' "...it carried over for the entire season.

With my last pick I always picked a player with "the heart of a hunter" or the preverbal late bloomer who can develop to go to the next level

Tell me about people that you scouted that went on to be professional.
Wow.....it's a pretty long list. I started my scouting career when my oldest son, Brian went to the Octoberfest as an eight year old Squirt Major with the Compuware AAA team. I had never been to a AAA tournament before, never been to a kids event in Canada (Kitchner) so it was all new for me. I know that Canada was the primary feeder of players to the NHL, so I said, if I'm going to be here, I might as well see how well I can pick future pros. The first team I watched was the Toronto Marlies. They had this big lug of a D-man who scored four or five goals and totally dominated the game. His head was down, he was a coast-to-coast one man band. I scouted him again at the holday tournament in Ottawa and his head was up and he had four or five assists. His name - Eric Lindros. (not a bad start, eh?). Brian played against Eric for several years.
Michael Peca was on several of those Toronto teams. I was with the Compuware Junior program when we had three 16 year old centers that became NHL players; Lindros, who refused to report to The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds when drafted in the OHL draft, Pat Peake, a local player who's career was ended by a shattered heal while playing for the Washington Caps, and Brian Rolston, another local player who grew up in the AAA ranks with Brian. Rolston played two years at lake State, scored the winning goal in the NCAA Championship game, and then joined the new Jersey Devils and won a Stanley Cup all in the same year!!!

I also watched/scouted Matt's opponents at the 1993 World Tournament in Quebec. They played Quebec in the finals and I watched Matt go one-one-one with Briere and face J. C. Giguerre!!!

I scouted Todd Marchant when he was with the Niagara Scenics and had an input to Clarkson, where he went before starting his NHL career.

From years and years of scouting, I have no better than a 50% batting average of predicting a players success. At age twelve you can see the skills, at age 15-16 you can see their capacity to handle the physical aspects, but so much is in their desire to sacrifice to max out their talents. A prime example is Brian Rafalski, who is Brian's age. he was never the top defenseman on youth teams, blossomed in college (Wisconsin) and still drew no NHL interest because of his size (5'7"???). He played several years in Europe until "discovered" by NJ Devils GM Lou Lammeriallo (sp?). He was at a game to watch another player and returned to the US beaming about his "discovery". Whe he told his scouts of his find, they chuckled and said, "Lou, we've been telling you about him for years". he has gone on to be Scott Stevens partner for years and now is with his home town team, the Detroit Red Wings.

You told me that you watch a game 2 ways. Can you give me the details of the differences?

I watch the game as a scout, sometimes taking notes, where I focus on a particular player or two. If on a scouting assignment, I might not even know the final score of the game. I watch the player in warm-ups, on the bench, in the penalty box, and see the game situations where he is used.
Then, I can watch the game as a parent or fan. I can focus on Matt, watch the other teams strategy and report to a coach, or just sit back and enjoy the game. At Red Wing games, I am the ultimate fan, watching both teams and hoping for a competitive and exciting game.
Winning a specific game never has been that important to me as a parent or a coach. Winning the right game is vital! I have pissed off parents of my team when I was coaching for applauding a good play by an opponent. Ultimately, I am a fan of good, hard, clean hockey.



HOCKEY RESUME: R. C. (BOB) FRICK
COACHING:

1984/86/88 AHAUS ASSOCIATE/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED LEVEL CLINICS

1981-84 HEAD COACH - BIRMINGHAM & BLOOMFIELD HILLS HOUSE TEAMS

1984-85 HEAD COACH - BIRMINGHAM BEARS SQUIRT AA (STATE CHAMPIONS)

1985-86 HEAD COACH - COMPUWARE MITE AAA (MNHL)

1986-87 HEAD COACH - BIRMINGHAM BENGALS PEE WEE AA

1986-87 ASSISTANT COACH - GPD MITE AAA (MNHL)

1987-89 HEAD COACH - MICHIGAN TRAVELERS SQUIRT MAJOR AAA (MNHL)

1988-89 ASS’T COACH - WARREN BLUES BANTAM AA (NATIONAL CHAMPIONS)

1989-91 ASS’T COACH - WARREN BLUES MIDGET AA (STATE CHAMPIONS)

ADMINISTRATION, PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, & SCOUTING:

1982 - PRESENT PRESIDENT - BLOOMFIELD HILLS HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (BHHA)

1984-85 VICE PRESIDENT - BIRMINGHAM HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

1985-88 TRAVEL HOCKEY DIRECTOR - BIRMINGHAM HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

1985-90 DIRECTOR - MICHIGAN TRAVELERS HOCKEY CLUB (MNHL)

1988-93 DIRECTOR - PLAYER DEVELOPMENT - COMPUWARE TIER II JR “A” (NAHL)

1992 -93 CO-MANAGER - LITTLE CAESARS BANTAM MAJOR AAA (MNHL)

1993-95 COLLEGE LIAISON - MICHIGAN NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE (MNHL)

1994-1997 REGION SCOUT - USA HOCKEY PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

1995-1997 DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT - SAGINAW GEARS & GAYLORD GRIZZLIES, TIER II JUNIOR “A” (NAHL)

1997-1998 SCOUT - WATERLOO BLACKHAWKS JUNIOR “A” CLUB (USHL)

1990-PRESENT INDEPENDENT SCOUT - ”BIRD DOG” - NUMEROUS COLLEGE programs

Bob Frick : part one the player

Bob Frick is the father of Scorpions defenseman Matt Frick.
He has years of experience coaching & scouting for different teams & leagues.
He has been my online teacher. I want to thank him for increasing my hockey knowledge.
I thank him for the time he has spent on his computer to help me with my hockey education & and the interview for my blog.

Bob what postion did you play? What league?
I was a D-man or a center. I played HS & prep school in the early 60's in Massachusetts. I have the "M" states that produce US hockey players covered. My dad, who played at West Point, and mom are both from Minnesota. I grew up in Massachusetts, and my two boys in Michigan.

How long did you play? Why did you stop ?
I started skating when I was three, and played well into my fifties. I was stopped by a lateral muscle pull in my stomach caused when I was leaving the ice after a shift, skating slowly, and my inside edge caught a rut. Just the right angle at the wrong time.

What were your strengths as a player?
I was not a gifted skater, not a very hard shooter, but loved to mix it up. Most games I was assigned to play against the other teams top line and my job was to frustrate them and shut them down. I took it very personally, and obviously, there's always a "faster gun" so I was not happy when we lost and I couldn't contain a bigger/faster/better player.

What were your biggest challenges as a player?
The biggest challenge in my game was the same as it was in real life - funneling my energy into something positive instead of losing my cool, getting in trouble (penalty box), and hurting my team. Managing my aggressive personality was as much a challenge in sports as it was in business or on the bench as a coach. Overcoming mono in my senior year of high school was a challenge I never overcame.

What are the biggest changes you have seen in hockey?
Probably the biggest change is the evolution of the defenseman into an integral part of the offense. When I started playing, the D-man stayed at home, got the puck up to the forwards and coasted to the offensive blue line. First came Bobby Orr, then the European style of making the D-man the fourth man in a rush or the trailor on the play.

Equipment obviously has changed dramatically. I remember when we first got our hands on curved sticks. We spent practice shooting at the clock on the wall, at the end of the rink, fifty rows up. We were down 2-0 in our first game using them. After one period, they were replaced by straight sticks and the novelty wore off.

Tell me about players you have met or played with?
I really haven't met too many famous people. I met Bobby Orr on summer in *North Bay. We had a line from *NB play at Clarkson and Bobby Orr is a year younger than those guys so they knew him. He was shy, quiet, and very poised.
My hero growing up was Bobby Hull and I met him one September at Clarkson when Hull, Stan Makita, and Kenny Wharam came thru to see one of the *NB guys. I also watched the Black Hawks practice at Boston Garden and watched as Hull turned a pane of glass to dust with his shot.

Carey Price : The Goaltender of future.

Carey Price is a name not many have heard of yet. But if he continues to play as has started his career everyone
will know his name. Carey is just 20 years old. Born August 18 , 1987 in Vancouver Canada. He is 6 foot 2 inches tall
and weighs 215.

He is proud of his heritage & where he came from. His mother , Lynda Price is the chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation in B.C. His father, Jerry Price was drafted by the Flyers in 1978 but never played in the NHL. One of his cousins is Shane Doan of the
Phoenix Coyotes.

He is being compared to Patrick Roy. He is mature for his age and is mentally tough as Patrick was. His puckhandling skills
are being compared to Martin Brodeur & Marty Turco. His overall skills to that of Ken Dryden. Now that is some pretty lofty company to be compared to.

He played for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. In his first professional game , April 13 , 2007 , he not
only won the game he only allowed one goal. He stopped 27 of 28 SOG . He was awarded first star of the game.
His teamates call him the real deal & a phenom.

He was the MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs. In his first play off finals game he not only won the game but recorded
a amazing shut out. He stopped all 46 SOG !

He lead team Canada to a Gold Medal in the Juniors World Cup. And was named MVP for the Tournament.

He is the only Goaltender in history to win CHL Goaltender of the Year , The Jack A. Butterfield Trophy : The Calder Cup
MVP , Juniors World Cup MVP in one year.

If he doesn't win the starting role in net he will most likely return to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs to season his skills & wait
to see if the Habs will start him in the 2008-09 season.

JF Picard : Febuary 20, 2007 interview

This includes material not used in print before. I think it tells a lot about the men who play hockey
and of this man's feelings for the game he loved.

Jean-Francois Picard He is from St. Remi PQ Quebec. He is 6 foot tall & weighs 215.
He played defense for the Austin Ice Bats.
He has played for several different leagues starting from 1997-98 with Victoriaville Tigers in the QJAHL , WCHL , CHL , UHL , LNAH , QSCHL , SPHL and then back to the CHL again.
He had played 47 games for , 7 G , 9 A for 16 points as I write this.

He was very gracious to call me the morning after a game.
He has a very warm & rich voice with a slight French accent.

Do you like playing in the Central Hockey League?
Picard : The CHL I think it one of the better leagues as far as double "A" leagues.

How does the CHL compare to the Quebec League you played in?
Picard: I was only been there a few months. It's totally different. There it was about the show & mostly the fighting. They have a few goal scorers but like I said it's mostly about the show. If you don't fight you don't get recgonized. The guys who make the most money are the fighters. For me it wasn't the best experience. For me it was so I could stay close to my family. It's a total different game you can't compare.:

How much more physical is the Quebec league compared to the CHL ?
Picard : The CHL isn't even close as far as physical. The guys are way more bigger . bigger ,stronger. It's not as mental a league.

How do you rate your skating skills?
Picard: (laughing) I am a decent skater. Not the fastest. I am decent skater for a guy who is 6 foot 215 pounds . I skate pretty good out there.

How do you rate your puck handling skills?
Picard : I mean , I am not like one of those banging through 5 guys. I am more like get the puck out of the Zone . Make a good first pass. On a scale of one to ten I rate myself a 6. But like I said , that's not my job. My job is to get the puck out of the zone, finish my check , run the power play a little bit , shoot the puck.

What do you think your strengths are?
Picard : My shot would be my strength. My shot for sure. I am kinda like an overall Defense man. I can put some points on the score board ,finish my check , take care of my own zone.

How do you compare the 3 CHL teams you have played for ?
Picard : Wichita was a team in transition. Laredo was an expansion team. A bunch of hard working guys who finished their checks , grind ,bumping & grinding.Like I said bunch of young guys. I won the Cup tournament while I was there. We had a pretty good team.
As for this year. We have a Coach change , We got a pretty good "D"squad. We have 5 or 6 guys who could score 30 goals this season. We have Murphy , Doyle ,
Smegal. We have a good 3rd line. I would say we are a pretty team & might make a good run at the playoffs.

You have some goal tenders too
Picard : Yes , we do have some good goal tenders . One from the AHL and Miguel
(Miguel Beaudry.) There are no surprises there he is a good goalie.If you look at his stats he put up good numbers in the OHL & has done well in the CHL. My job is to help him so we win some more games.

Do you see your self playing in the AHL ?
Picard : As for me I am 27 . They are looking for guys 21-24. So for I am just enjoying my self in the CHL. I have already won a cup but I would like to win another cup before I hang up my skates.

Thank you for calling me back and letting me ask you questions.
Picard : It was my pleasure Robi.

I spoke to JF later He isn't playing hockey in 2007-08 . He has started a real Estate Business.
He said he would think about playing in the playoffs if there was a need for his talents.

Jason Tessier after the regular season.

Photo courtesy of John Coffin
Jason Tessier RiverKings 06-07 season.



Jason Tessier is from St. Jerome PQ
Born October 28, 1979
He played defense for the Memphis River Kings for the 2006-20007 season. He had 2 g, 22 a (24 t) +1 and 30 PIM in 33 regular season games.
Jason You had a good regular season.
Looking as the team success and my stats the season looked good for me, but personally i am a little dissapointed with my play in the first half, even if i was nominated for the all-star game. I had a bad groin since the 2nd week end and never got better until i was hurt more seriously jan 12th. Then after a 2 months recovery, i felt way better, but my cardio wasnt there at first....

You played well during the playoffs . You played 18 games , had 9 A ,+6 , 24 PIMS.
I think i did a good job defensively during the playoffs against the
other teams big lines. When you play 5-6-7 games against the same team, it's important to be able to shut their best players down offensively. My shooting wasnt really there even if i hit a few post.

How did it feel to get as far as you did in the playoffs ?
I think that we had a good playoff run. The series against Colorado was really close. It was the question of one shift every game, one goal, one bad play or one(or many) bad call by the refs
(game 2, 2 goals disallowed for no reason)
(game 4 overtime goal disallowed cause their player push the net off, no penalty)
(game 6, penalty shot awarded to Tobler for no reason, player wasn't in control of the puck or on a total break away)... but anyway it's all over now, nothing we can do about it.

How much longer will you play in the CHL ?
Well it will depends on(my) contract and if i can get a good situation for the future as well. but i feel like i can play something like 5 more years

Will you stay with Memphis ?
well, too soon to tell right now.
*Jason is now signed with the Austin Icebats of the Central Hockey League



** Jean-Fransois Picard was retiring last I spoke to him. He was starting a real estate business. He said he might considerate playing in the playoffs. it's hard to give up hockey.

Jean-Francois Picard
Austin Icebats 06-07 season.

Des Québécois dans la Ligue Centrale.

Loin de chez-eux et du grand show de la LNH, après avoir fait leur
apprentissage dans la LHJMQ ou dans les rangs universitaires, certains
joueurs poursuivent leurs carrières dans le Sud des États-Unis pour l’amour du hockey.
J'ai la chance d'écrire sur ces joueurs Québecois qui jouent dans
la Ligue Centrale. Des hommes intéligents qui connaissent le jeu qu'ils jouent et qu'ils aiment. Voici trois d’entre eux.

Jean-Francois Picard de St. Remi QC
6 pieds, 215 livres
Défenseur pour les Ice Bats de Austin.
Il a joué pour plusieurs ligues en débutant par les Tigres de
Victoriaville quelques matchs ensuite dans le junior A, WCHL, CHL, UHL, LNAH, QSCHL, SPHL
Et de retour dans la Ligue Centrale.
Au moment d'écrire ceci, Il avait joué 47 parties; 7-9 pour 16 points.

Bien qu'Il n'a été que quelques mois a jouer au Québec, il préfère
de loin la Ligue Centrale en référence à son passage dans la LNAH. "Il y'a
quelques bons marqueurs mais tout est en fonction du show. Les joueurs qui font
le plus d'argent sont ceux qui se battent. Ce ne fut pas ma meilleure expérience. Ça me permettait surtout d'être proche de ma famille. Ce sont deux ligues différentes qu'on ne peut pas comparer.''
Pour lui la Ligue Centrale est l'une des meilleures ligues de type double A.

Picard a gagné la Coupe dans la Ligue Centrale avec Laredo. Il aimerait en
ajouter une autre avant d'accrocher définitivement ses patins. Il
s'est trouvé une place là-bas où il joue au meilleur de ses habilités. Il est un rouage important de son équipe.


Pascal Bedard. St-Jerôme, QC.
5 pieds 8 pouces,175 livres.
Défenseur pour les Jackalopes de Odessa.
Au moment d'écrire ceci. Il avait 3 buts 21 passes pour 24 points et 80 minutes de pénalités.

Ce n'est pas un défenseur au physique typique.
Un bon patineur qui manie bien la rondelle.
Le regarder patiner c'est de la poésie sur glace. Ses passes sont précises
et il sort bien la rondelle de la zone. Il n'hésite pas à prêter main forte à son gardien pour balayer le devant du filet.

Les statistiques ne racontent pas tout. Et Pascal Bedard fait beaucoup de
choses sur la glace. Ce fut un pur plaisir à le regarder jouer. Bedard a aussi joué en France dans le passé.



Jason Tessier. St-Jerôme, Qc.
6 pieds 1 pouce, 205 livres.
Défenseur pour les Riverkings de Memphis.
Il a joué de 1997-2000 avec les Huskies de Rouyn-Noranda de la LHJMQ.
Il a aussi joué en Italie et dans plusieurs autres ligues.

Je lui ai demandé comment Il avait aimé son expérience dans la LHJMQ.
Il répond sans hésiter. "C'était une belle expérience." Il a passé 3 ans à
Rouyn-Noranda. ''C'est une adorable ville de hockey." Le temps qu'il a passé
chez les Huskies lui a plu. Il a senti le support des gens de la ville pour
son équipe. ''C'était bon de vivre l'expérience de jouer au hockey et d'être
traité comme des professionnels." ajoute- t-il. Une des personnes qui a le
plus influencé sa carrière, c'est son instructeur, Jean Pronovost à l'époque.

Et que pense t-Il de la Ligue Centrale?
"J'aime ça! J'aime tout!'' Il trouve que les voyages sont longs mais qu'Ils
permettent de visiter de beaux endroits. ''Nous sommes traités comme des
pros." Il raconte que plusieurs d'entre eux ont oublié le rêve de jouer dans
la LNH. "Nous jouons parce que nous aimons ça. Dans la LHJMQ, la plupart
rêvent de jouer dans la LNH. Les joueurs travaillent pour leurs
équipes mais se développent dans le but de jouer dans le grand show.''

En terminant, je pense que les joueurs du Québec auxquelles j'ai parlé ont
les pieds sur terre et prennent plaisir à jouer au hockey. Je leur souhaite
la meilleure des chances dans le reste de leur carrière et dans leur vie.

J'aimerais remercier les River Kings de Memphis, les Ice Bats de Austin et
les Jackalopes de Odessa ainsi que la direction des Oilers de Tulsa pour
leur aide.

Quebec players in the CHL .

Jason Tessier
RiverKings 06-07 season.


I wrote an article for a Quebec based magazine called SportsJuniors.
It was about Quebec players in the CHL this season . 2006-2007 .
For those of you who speak / read French they have a blog.


I got a chance to write about Quebec players that are playing in the Central Hockey
League. The Players I had contact with were intelligent men who know the game they play and love. I would like to thank the PR people from The Tulsa Oilers , Memphis River Kings , Austin Ice Bats .
JF Picard who contacted me by phone is a warm & charming person.He loves the game he plays & plays to the best of his ability. I regret that I can't get his accent on the page.
I sit near the ice during the game. I love to watch the players warm up. They range from the very serious to smiling ,laughing guys. At this league level I don't think
they are thinking about playing in the NHL. But they are playing hockey for a living.
Most seem happy to be doing just this.

Pascal Bedard plays for the Odessa Jackalopes of the Central Hockey League.
He is from St. Jerome PQ. Hockey DB list him as a Montreal native.
He played one year in France in 2003-04
Height: 5'08" Weight :175
He has played for Odessa for 3 years.
He had 23 points in 56 games 2004-05 , 35 points in 64 games in 05-06 , 20 points 48 games so far in 06-07
His team made the playoffs in 2006. He played 11 games . He had 4 g ,3 a .
I didn't get to talk to Pascal so I watched as carefully as I could.

He isn't a big guy for a defense man

He seemed to be a very good skater and has good puck handling skills.
He could skate through the crowded zone darting between players like
a Ballerina on skates.

He took the puck from his zone through 4 or 5 of the opposition to pass the puck to his offensive players. He was fast and quickly weaved through the bodies. He returned to the blue line but was ever alert . I had the feeling his goalie was glad he returned to help keep the rush of opponents from swarming the net.

Stats don't always tell the whole story on a good defense man. His team lost 2
of 3 games played in my barn to date. But his over all play was what I would call good.

I enjoyed watching him play.

Jean-Francois Picard He is from St. Remi PQ
He is 6 foot tall , weight 215
He plays defense for the Austin Ice Bats.
He has played for several different leagues starting from 1997-98 with Victoriaville Tigers in the QJAHL , WCHL , CHL , UHL , LNAH , QSCHL , SPHL and then back to
the CHL again
He had played 47 games for , 7 G , 9 A for 16 points as I write this.
He was very gracious to call me the morning after a game.

How does the CHL compare to the Quebec League you played in?
I only been there a few months. It's totally different. There it was about The Show & mostly the fighting. They have a few goal scorers but like I said it's mostly about The Show. If you don't fight you don't get recgonized. The guys who make the most money are the fighters. For me it wasn't the best experience. For me it was so I could stay close to my family. It's a total different game you can't compare.

The CHL I think it one of the better leagues as far as double "A" leagues.
I won the cup tournament when I played in Laredo. I would like to win another before I hang up my skates.

Jason Tessier
Height 6'1" weight 205 . Plays Defense.
He plays for the Memphis Riverkings of the Central Hockey League.
He has 24 points in 33 games. His team is in first place in their division. They have played 49 games 34 W , 12 L, 3 OTL & have 71 points.
Played from 1997-2000 with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies QMJHL
several other leagues in the years to follow. In 2005-06 He played in Italy.
He returned to play in the States this year.
He replied to an email for me and was very nice about replying in open manner.

How did you like playing in the QMJHL?
It was a nice experience. I spent 3 years in Rouyn-Noranda. It a lovely nice hockey town. At the time I was there really feel the town support for the team. It was too
the experience playing hockey and being treated like a professional. One of my
greatest influence was head coach Jean Pronovost. A former NHL player.

How do you like playing in the Central Hockey league?
I love it. All of it. Long travel,but nice places to visit. Nice rinks & we get treated like real pros. The CHL is more for the love of the hockey. We are treated like Pros , but most of us have dropped the dream of playing in the NHL one day. We play because we love the game so much. In the QMJHL , Most of the players only dream about
playing in the show. They do care about their team. But the main goal is to play in the NHL.