It's
time for peeking inside the Great Vine with Jimmy the Great Yacht.
Well, good morning everyone and thank you Sam Sears.
Welcome to Peek and Decide at Grapevine.
My guest today will be our in-house professor Bill Sproel joining us again.
We're going to look at the college football top 25.
We're going to take a peek at all the local high school football teams that have qualified for the MHSA playoffs as well.
Then Bill's going to share a neat story about an E-Bug gold tender, which is the emergency backup gold tender.
as Bill touched on that last week.
We've got Bill got a new story about a former Finlandia gold tender that was or is a E-Bug gold tender in the NHL.
We'll get to that.
We're going to meet our sponsors.
We'll go over to college football and high school football, and we'll get Bill in to discuss a couple of topics, including his interesting story.
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Good
morning, Jimmy.
Always pleased to be with you.
Another exciting weekend to wrap up high school football in the couple country, and all the playoffs is getting underway.
And let's talk about football, Bill.
We're going to look at the NCAA Division I college football top 25.
It's seven of the top 12 teams.
Got beat again.
It's almost who has most money now.
Went through 10 Miami.
Ohio State moves back up to number two after BYU lost.
Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky, and Alabama.
Texas Ole Miss, Texas Tech Week 4, OSU, Tennessee, Florida, Houston, SMU, and Boise State, rounding out your top 25.
Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin.
Quick thoughts on college football, Bill?
Give me about two minutes of what you think, how chaotic or every weekend has become, especially with the NIL and Porto.
It's so hard to predict now, isn't
it?
Well, it sure is.
Yeah, the teams are just, they think they're good.
They run into just some challenging games.
It is an exciting time for them.
for fans, I guess, because you never know.
Anybody could beat anybody else.
One week they beat somebody badly, and then next week they lose.
So down here at the University of Michigan, there's lots of excitement or disappointment in the Wolverines.
They've got a good defense, but they're just struggling to find fans.
And they're main quarterback and paid $10 million or something, and he hasn't come through.
So they put in the freshmen this past weekend.
He had not a lot of success.
So now after the offensive coordinator and then they're not there's some say well the current coach head coach will be gone just after one season so lots of changes I've followed Michigan State too and they just seem to make the wrong play at the wrong time or wrong penalty at the wrong time that did and then they're scrambling so it's quite a college football is sure sure exciting but as you say the NIL and the money and the transfer portal is just changing it completely and
And it is expensive to go to a game now too, so the fan base is...
is changing too, so different times for college football.
Well, Bill, I said before the season started with you, Sean Beligian, Johnny Kane, many guests on my show.
I am Michigan winning six, maybe seven games.
I think even including an NIL and Portal, all the nonsense that's going on with the university, they're still a big ram, but I just, I don't see them, they're not going to make the playoffs, and they still got Ohio State although they're without their quarterback, but I'm not surprised what's going on at Michigan and I can't believe some people
for our surprise and expect it done be any more what they are
i think they had a great great hope to do coach and uh... and and uh... top up or the back but they shouldn't have worked out well they did but it's good rain back they've got to get a bit impressive defense but uh...
You've got to score a few points, too, so...
Yeah.
Well, Bill, high school football season is wrapped up.
Here's the UP teams that will be in the playoffs.
A lot of these maps are set.
A lot of times have not been announced with some just teams can defer to Friday or Saturday or whatnot.
Some games are already in the granite.
Division III, Marquette at Cadillac.
Division V, Howard City, Tri-Con.
He'll be at Kingsford.
The guy will take on Shepard.
Division VI, Calamity at Traverse City, St.
Francis.
Division VII, Lakeview.
at the game.
be hosting north-central that game will be a saturday to lakeland and hubble and uh... north-central game will be saturday and also we can confirm cali met traver city st francis will be saturday although cali met did want to stick out friday night uh... i might have to pass with travel but traver city central traver city st francis and traver city uh... uh... uh... uh... uh... uh... uh... uh... traver city the team that cali met play st francis they all play the same field if traver city central beat traver city west
last weekend, they both would have been on road and Calamity could have played Friday night, but West Beach Central.
So Traverse City, Friday night, we got Traverse City West and Traverse City Central playing in a playoff game.
And Saturday afternoon, Calamity will take on Traverse City, St.
Francis.
I'll make the long road trip, Bill, and we will cover that game Saturday, 12-3 pregame on Womple Radio.
The following weekend, if Lake Lyndon does win this Saturday, as expected, Jake Kahn and we'll jump back on board.
He'll do the Lake Lyndon game next Saturday.
So fun time at football, Bill.
I got to get the rest off.
I just couldn't have you back in the broadcasting booth for at least one game.
This is Paul Jimmy.
I know the audience will be excited to hear you on board again.
The football playoffs are fun, and I've said for years.
I love the high school sport in general.
Even that has lost a lot of us luster with NIL going on in high school sports.
But the high school football playoff system compared to hockey and basketball and other team sports, I love the format because not everyone gets in and you, you are seated, not seated per region and district, but still there's, I love how it is where you got to earn your way in and once you get in there's really, you might get one or two easy outs in that first round, but they got a pretty good template there, don't they?
Well, they sure do.
I see that the couple bowl was last weekend too.
uh... again so uh... exciting for the two high school high schools in the country
well bill hockey not far away high school hockey uh... uh... trial started uh... monday yesterday uh... you had any story about the emergency backup gold tender near uh... tidbits last week you're gonna share a story today about a philandia gold tender that was or is a e-bug as well correct go ahead bill
uh... uh... uh... uh... we talked about uh... this new part of the uh... collective bargain agreement
with the NHL last week we said some of the things in it but this year they designated that the teams have to have to have an emergency backup goalie as they call them e-bugs and so we did they're digging around to follow it up there's an article in hockey news last week that identified who the e-bugs were for the different teams and
In the past, some local goalie would fill in for either team, for either team.
They'd be in the home rink and they'd fill in.
We talked about last week, the Zamboni driver filled in for goalie went down.
Well, this year, they have to add that emergency backup goalie or the bug has to be practiced with the team.
There's a bunch of rules as to they cannot have played in an NHL game under contract before.
They'd have to have played less than 80 games in the pros.
Kind of interesting.
They all wear number 00.
And many of the e-bugs have other roles with the team.
They could be assistant equipment manager or video coach or something else.
And most of the e-bugs are former D3 or some D1 goalies, some Indian college club goalies that have played.
But one of the good stories I found was one of the e-bugs is a former Finlandia goalie.
His name?
Daniel Spencer, and he is the e-bug for the Philadelphia Flyers.
For the past three seasons, he's been kind of a local e-bug for the Flyers.
He was that local guy that would fill in if something happened.
He could end up playing for either team, but now he's the permanent e-bug.
with this new agreement.
Now, Daniel was at Finlandia from 2015-2019.
He was a goalie on the hockey team, and he also was a golfer for the Finlandia golf team.
He graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in business administration, specialized in sports management and administration.
He was originally from Gloucester to New Jersey, and he actually played his junior hockey out in Oregon, for Eugene Oregon.
in the northern Pacific Junior Hockey League.
That led to Fulda after he, year after he played there, and that he ended up at Finlandia.
And then after he graduated from Finlandia, he returned to Gloucester City, and he worked for a couple companies.
He is kind of a golf pro and caddy at the golf course in Gloucester City, and he was also the assistant hockey coach at his old high school in Gloucester City.
Well, this year he's now the full-time e-bug for the Flyers, so kind of an interesting connection from e-bugs to Finlandia.
Also, in the Hockey News article, they listed some of the other e-bugs.
The Florida Panthers, they had their goalie as he was with Greenback when they won the national championship a couple years ago.
He's a big guy.
He's 6'7", Nola, Nora, Altman.
There was a
story last week that the Florida Panthers have hired the regular backup is
The big goalie is in Florida Panthers.
The Detroit Red Wings have an e-bug that played at St.
Lawrence University last season.
I was checking to see if he actually played against Tech last year, but no he didn't.
He was on the bench.
He was a reserve goalie in that game.
San Jose, they've got a player that played at the University of Minnesota last year.
And Seattle Kraken, they've got their e-bug is Dolan Gilbert.
He was the third goalie for the Michigan State Park last year.
But it's kind of a fun story when you get into the e-bugs and who they are and what they have to do.
So they get to practice, they get to go on the road trip, and you get to see how many e-bugs actually play this year, but probably not very many because all NHL team chapter travel with two goalies, they're a regular goalie plus a backup.
So he's kind of the last resort if something happens that all two goalies got injured in the game and they had to put somebody in.
But a good link with Daniel Spencer from Finland University.
This year's permanent e-bug for the Philadelphia Flyers.
So we'll all be watching to see if then you get to play sometime this
year.
Well Bill, a question for you.
Well first off, Cooper Black you mentioned.
He got called up, he lost his debut last week against the Penguins.
I broadcast the last high school game he played and when he's at Alpima, Alpina, excuse me, when Cory Markham's Powerful Clubs, I think he got the hook after his second period.
He's left on an island.
There's a neat story, but back to the e-bug now.
You know Bill, when you say every team has an e-bug, it's...
Okay,
now, if when a team goes on the road, does their e-bug go with them, or do they use the e-bug with the home team?
No, the e-bug
has to travel with them.
The home team goes with them.
It's kind of the e-bug.
So the days of the local goalie filling in the old Zamboni driver, filling in the class moment, those days they're gone.
So the e-bugs travels with the team and they practice with the team and kind of interest.
They all wear number zero and
zero.
And you mentioned these current e-bugs who are basically part of the team, a rostered player.
That's not their main role.
They're assigned to do other stuff, locker room assistant, equipment assistant, and many other duties because you might see one or two e-bugs get in once or twice.
a year period with every NHL team combined.
So basically once they have them, they're making it profitable for them to basically make it a full-time job with other responsibilities with the club, correct?
Yeah, so many of them have kind of a video coach or hockey operations analyst, assistant equipment manager, strength and conditioning coach, a number of those other roles.
Many of them have that type of role in addition to their e-bug responsibilities.
So it's kind of an interesting role that the new collective bargaining agreement
as brought out this year.
Well, Bill, a related story, switching gears, something we talked about, MLB pending lockout.
The commissioner said the other day that although he loves having the two small market teams in the World Series, he still wants nothing, he still wants a hard salary cap.
He said he's going to definitely tell the owners that's what we need.
What are your thoughts there, Bill?
And the commissioner has one thing on his mind, and man, this doesn't look good.
He's dug in with this, isn't
he?
I think it's the players who vote.
I don't want the salary cap, but the commissioner and the owners would kind of like to have the salary cap.
Baseball is the only major pro sport that doesn't have a salary cap.
Major baseball has kind of a number, but then they have a luxury tax on top of it, so it's really not a salary cap.
I think we're going to have a player strike or shut down
this year
after the World Series,
or we'll hear
more about it.
in November and that's the contract ends in December.
I think we're going to end up with either a strike or a shutdown.
And that just kind of freezes all of the free agent signing and all the trade and everything.
And that's why we've seen no movement yet.
The free agent period usually starts after the series.
But in my opinion, it's going to happen for sure.
How long will it happen?
Will a strike turn into a lockout?
And even what they do to salary cap, years ago when they first put in a football, Jerry Jones made a living in other of your older owners.
There's a hundred ways around the salary cap with other, let's just say, payments or endorsements, but it's sad, Bill, because the only people who are going to suffer from this are the fans, and I'm fearful if they do this again, you're going to have a hard time getting a lot of these fans to come back, especially with the climate where we are in 2026, 2027, the inflation.
You're not going to pay much more where you're paying, but the only thing that's going to hurt more than anyone is going to be the fans, because the owners and players have money.
They want to skip the beat without a year.
They're that wealthy.
But it's going to be sad, though, if the fans are going to be left out the limbo again.
It really
is.
I think viewership on TV has kind of fallen off a bit, too.
The interest is
not quite the same.
So depending on a big TV contract, it might not be there.
So baseball is going to, this winter, it's going to be a tough one for the monies in these negotiations.
Well, Bill, as usual, great story, great insight.
We'll get a game plan going forward.
I'll reach out to you later today.
Sounds
good.
Sounds good.
Always fun to find some obscure things to share with your audience in the Copper Country.
All right, Bill.
Good one, enjoy the weather down in the beautiful Brighton area.
We're getting some cool weather here and the leaves are almost gone.
We know what's next, don't we?
I'm afraid everybody's getting their snow blower in trouble and ready to go.
I got my ready to go.
It's in the yard.
It's ready, Bill.
Just got to put the tarp on her and we're good to go.
Good luck.
Have a good weekend.
Good to have you back in the broadcast booth on Saturday, Jimmy.
Okay, Bill.
We'll talk to you later on today, okay?
Sounds good.
Bye.
The good professor, the good professor, Brill Sprold joining us.
We'll be back Thursday.
God willing, right here on Peakin' the Side at Grapevine.
We're gonna send it back to Sam in the morning.
Thanks, Sam.
This is Michigan Tech's Huskies.
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Now from the John McKenna Student Ice Arena, here's the radio play-by-play voice of the hockey Huskies, Dirk Hembroff.
Oh, here we go.
10 o'clock on a Tuesday.
One of my favorite times of the week.
It's the Michigan Tech Huskies Hockey Radio Show here at the John McGinnis student.
Nice in the Bob Olson Media Center.
Head coach Bill McCultis with us.
Huskies coming off a split down at Ferris State University.
They went on Friday night.
Lose on Saturday night in a really tight game.
Two to one was the final.
Huskies just could not buy that tying goal at the end there.
Great effort all the way around.
Both teams played hard.
Just a very difficult building to play in.
It always has
this minute always will be.
And great showing of Michigan Tech fans down there this weekend, though, Coach.
And, you know, it's disappointing to not get that win on Saturday night, but still, as we were talking before the show started here, everybody's playing hard.
We had good fan support down there.
And it's just a great traveling hockey program.
Yeah, it was great to have so many of our fans follow us, obviously, happy with the result on Friday.
You know, we came out and had a good start, got the first goal, and we probably had about a six minute period where we kind of got off our game, and I don't want to say fell asleep, but a little bit uncharacteristic.
Had a tough call go against us, didn't kill it off, and then we had a
basically a neutral zone where our F1 missed his assignment, F2 missed his assignment, our second D didn't squeeze, and our weak side forward missed his assignment.
So we kind of hung Bart out to dry on that one.
Super happy with our effort, the last two periods out shooting them 10, 4, and 15, 5, and kind of threw the kitchen sink at him, but it was one of those games where we couldn't outscore our mistake.
Hey, you say
the defenseman didn't squeeze.
What does that mean?
Put that into layman's turn.
Yeah, we like our D in our structure to skate forward and kill plays.
And we kind of backed in, sagged in, give Ferris State credit.
They made a play to that player.
And then we fell asleep on the backside.
And that's a goal in any league in the world.
They executed it.
But it was not earned.
It's just, it was a tough game all the way around as far as getting any kind of flow to.
There was times, as you said, we dominated the play, and then times we struggled back in our zone, but there was a lot of neutral zone play where either team could really get good possession of the puck.
Well, they're in a 1-1-3.
They're above us.
They're trying to prevent us from any kind of rush offense or odd-numbered rushes.
We had some chances, hit the post late with the goalie pulled.
We had some good looks.
We just weren't able to find ways to get it by their goalie.
I thought he he ended up, you know, we just couldn't find that that equalizer as hard as we were pushing.
And I think if we would have got that, the floodgates could have could have opened and we would have would have been fine.
But, you know, that's going to happen.
But I liked our effort.
We got a
Work a little bit on the offensive side of the puck here.
We're doing some really good things in practice.
It just didn't translate to scoring.
You're going to have nights like that.
But I liked our character, our work ethic and compete.
And we'll be better for it.
It's a tough game to play.
It was a pinball type atmosphere.
They're just slapping pucks.
Uh, out and trying to, you know, whether they ice it or not.
And there's a hard fought game, uh, and there's so much parody and college hockey right now.
Anybody can beat anybody.
You can look at Coney, a pack loses to army.
Michigan State goes out to New Hampshire.
and splits on the road.
It's hard to win every night in college hockey.
It's especially hard to win every night on the road.
But we're going to continue to build, continue to grow, and that's a message.
I know one of the sticking points from this weekend coach was the power play, trying to get that power play going.
What are you seeing there right now?
Yeah.
First in college hockey and zone entries and possession.
I think second college hockey and possession where we have to get better is I think we have a combination of things.
Maybe some guys are gripping their sticks too, too, too tight.
But for the most part, we got to generate more shots and be unselfish and pound pucks and get people and pucks at the net and then reset it and continue to hit that.
So we're just a little bit snake bit.
And I think we had, I know Gordo scored like one second after a power.
So the numbers are skewed a little bit there with that early.
So just keep going.
It's early.
Continue to build.
Continue to get better on both sides of the special teams.
That'll be a continued factor for us.
It'll be good to have this week off.
We'll focus on that.
We'll key on that.
I'm not afraid to change things up.
You know, a power play, you know, we want to give guys opportunities and reward them and, you know, collectively just continue to get better.
But I think that shot volume is an area where we can really improve on.
Well, you do have a couple of weeks to kind of, and that brings up the question.
You're going to work on special teams, but what kind of pace do you have these practices at now in the next few days?
Yeah, yesterday, you know, coming back from a long trip, but we really did a lot of offensive sequencing and we did some splits with the forward and D and worked on some skill development there.
Today, we'll get back into it and it'll be a heavy compete day.
Um, you know, we'll, we'll take a day off this week and, and we'll go again on Saturday.
We'll have a, an air squad and, uh, scrimmage in the morning and work on some special teams and 5v6, 6v5 and some three on three.
Um, so, and then just kind of continue to build and get ready for Augustana.
Well, Trembecchi out of the lineup right now, coach.
Obviously there's some, that that's a whole to fill.
And I'm, maybe you're still kind of interchanging some guys in that, in that role.
Yeah, it's still really early.
We're trying to, you know, we're through a lot of
Different line combinations so far trying to see chemistry trying to you know, see what works and Find out what our our best lineup is and that is that's a work in progress and nothing's ever set in stone It's earned right and you know, obviously tram out that probably hurts our power play a little bit You know, he's obviously a big-time shooter, but that's an opportunity for somebody else to step up and take advantage of those minutes,
you know, it's funny
You know, Carson, Bernie, Tom, Leppa.
You didn't have Vamvara Khan there.
I don't think starting with them either night.
Yet we did see times throughout both nights that you put those back together.
Kind of the old, the comfortable pair of jeans, right?
They're always kind of that line that can really kind of help you out.
Yeah, put the band back
together, sort of speak.
Obviously have so much chemistry you can play a minute on the road sometimes as a coach you don't get a matchup You know so You know just trying different things trying to add different elements But I like a lot of things about our our group and our our team and you know, it's
You're going to have some bumps.
Obviously this next, you know, in two weeks is a huge, huge series for our group.
But it's all about getting better, you know.
And, you know, Saturday's night was a game where it seemed like every play mattered, you know.
And some nights, the offense, the creativity, the artistic, the puck bouncing, things just, you know, maybe once in a while you're
and no means of making excuses, but we're pushing so hard and it just wasn't seem to get it across the goal line, right?
But you keep doing things, hockey's a game of habits, you earn your breaks over time, continue to do the right things, play the right way, you'll get rewarded.
A couple of guys, one guy that really kind of, at times, I thought,
up to his game this past week, and I might be wrong in other aspects because coaches see different things, but Tristan Delil, I thought at times along the wall, he really showed his ability to, first of all, stickhand a lot of a phone booth, and just keep possession of the puck.
He seems to be doing a better job of that.
Am I wrong on that?
For sure.
He's a young player.
He's coming in, playing against older, stronger.
Guys, I think he's adapting really well.
He's a smart player.
He's headsy.
He's done a really good job on face-offs.
We're using him on the penalty kill.
He's excelling in that.
I think at some point, too, offensively, he's going to put up numbers here at Michigan Tech.
But really happy with his game.
He's a fun player to coach.
He's got a smile in his eyes every day.
He loves the game.
So really really happy with his progress and the numbers the numbers will follow, you know, so Yeah, it's it's good to good to see him coming along
and then Conor roulette's play to Gordo after Conor stole the puck at the defensive blue line for us and Just muscled his way down to the corner before he was able to deliver in front That was a high-end play.
I thought
for sure.
I think Conor's got an elite stick.
He's
You watch how many plays, I'm amazed that it'll be a foot off the ice or he gets one hand on it and knocks the puck out of the air.
I've seen him numerous times on a one man forward check come up with, you know, with pox.
So he made a tremendous play there.
I was really I like to play Isaac may drive into the far post
and he
kind of idle down and he sprinted to get there won the race to get there But he made himself available and then he elevated that puck
So
I think that's a big deal like as you get to college and the National Hockey League these goalies are so big.
They're so good They're so athletic they move side to side so well and to finish you have to elevate
the puck and and that's a tough play come and cross body and you know tremendous finish by him.
One other guy before we let you go
Michael Cheechek obviously is a very important piece of the puzzle he seems to be really earning his ice time out there this year and and we we have him coming up a little bit later on in the show here today and I overheard
Coach Mass talking to him after Friday's game, going into Saturday's game that, you know, we need you to be, we need you to be tougher, a little bit stronger.
And he's like, yes, I totally understand what you mean.
What, what, what does that mean by that, coach?
And just stronger along the wall or just overall just being a tougher hockey
player?
Well, it's old slogan, you know, dance with the girl you brought to the dance, right?
Play to your identity.
And I think for, for Cheech.
He's big, strong.
We want him to play physical, use his size, use his strength, be hard on the forecheck, be hard on 50-50 pox win races and battles.
And that's the thing where, you know, you're...
You're an SUV.
You don't take a Ferrari up the mountain.
You take a Jeep up there or put it in four low.
And I think that's when he can be really effective.
And that's how he needs to play on a nightly basis to do that.
And then he's going to get rewarded.
He's got a tremendous shot.
He's come back in better shape.
He's more comfortable.
But you know, puck management's another area, not just for him, but for our group where I think we could have been a little bit better.
The puck is gold.
How valuable is it?
So like we're asking our guys, you know, it was a million dollars valuable.
Like how hard would you hang on to that?
And that possession and hockey is so critical, you know, whether it's
It's really all sports.
You watch the NFL.
It's all about turnovers and pock management and hockey is the same way.
I thought we had excellent ozone possession time.
We had over six minutes to think about two and a half Saturday night.
But we just didn't kind of find a way.
But over time, you're going to do that.
So it's habits.
And when Mike was playing at his best, and he's effective, and not just for how he's going to play here, but to be a pro, that's how he's going to add value.
Well, like I
said, he's coming up here.
And our listeners will be able to hear him talk about what he did or what he's doing.
did in the offseason to be better this season and it's some interesting stuff.
Coach, thanks a lot.
I know a lot of work to be done here as far as this next couple of weeks to take on an Augustana team that is playing incredible hockey right now, but it's going to be a lot of fun and looking forward to checking out the guys on Saturday morning, too, doing a little inner squad.
Yeah, I just want to give a shout out to our...
our rink guys and administration and all the all the improvements on the suites and and the locker room some of the wall wraps and details look sharp so yeah they pop they pop
nicely um for those who are
up in the suites and have least suites.
You're going to be very impressed with the wraps that are there.
And then down in the locker room,
looks great too.
Yeah, there's some new face lift that was exciting to come home to for sure.
I know our guys are pumped about that.
Yeah, thanks coach for your time.
We appreciate it.
Have a good rest of
the week of practice and we'll talk to you next week.
My pleasure.
Thanks, Dirk.
All right, head coach Bill McCault here on the Michigan Tech Huskies Hockey Radio Show.
We have got Michael Cheechak coming up with our conversation with him right after this on Mix 93 WKMJ.
Our family likes to keep busy.
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Calling all Huskies.
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Hey,
welcome back to the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey radio show on a Tuesday morning Michael G check number 19 is with us and Michael great start to your year I know that was a bit of a bummer on Saturday night that we need to get the sweep against Ferris State But yeah, you and I talked a little bit off the air a couple of times this season and you look like you've really Enhanced your game.
Can you talk a little bit about your thoughts on your game this year?
Sure.
Thanks, Derek.
I appreciate that Just you know, it's a big season for us and we know we have all the tools to you know make some waves this season
And I was really thinking about that during the offseason training and really just trying to keep the mind and body dialed in throughout the offseason and bring my best to camp.
And yeah, it's been a pretty decent start to the year so far.
We're not satisfied whatsoever.
I'm not satisfied personally and our team isn't satisfied.
So I appreciate that and we're just going
to keep working.
So can you tell us a little bit more maybe what you did differently in the offseason this time compared to?
coming
in your first year as a Husker?
Yeah, I wouldn't say I really changed anything too differently.
Honestly, I just think I kind of grew up a bit and just matured and really dialed in like my eating habits as one example.
You know, getting healthy and rich source of foods was a huge part in my training off the ice and on the ice and just feeling good all throughout the day.
So I say that's one thing.
And then, you know, credit goes to my trainers back home.
They do a great job with me.
I've been with them for a couple of years at the rink training facility.
as well as Strive United Therapy is my gym so you know we work together we work hard and yeah it seems to be paying off so far.
You've played both wing and center do you have a favorite and is there one that you feel like you're more most comfortable
with?
I don't have a favorite I definitely played more center but I'm happy flying up the wing as well wherever coach and the team needs me to play I'm happy doing that.
Are there any certain areas of your game that you
feel are definitely better than than last year?
Not so many certain areas I think just coming in with more mature mentality and being a little more heavy and you know physically strong just makes the game slow down a little more.
Still not happy honestly with satisfied with anything that's going on just want to keep pushing and keep you know slowing the game down even more and making more plays and getting pucks in the net.
When you figured out some of the other guys that were coming in this year you talk about how all the tools are in place is that kind of the mind
set to for the rest of the guys, knowing that this is a pretty special group of guys right now.
If everybody buys in, it could be a
really nice season.
Yeah, I think we all kind of have that in the back of our minds that we have everything we need to accomplish what we want to do.
It's the long season, it's hard, and there's some good competition out there.
But we know that if we execute every single night to our style play and our game plan, that we can compete with anyone.
And we're not scared of anyone.
And we'll welcome any team into the Mac.
I have the new rules for
face-offs affected you at all.
And do you have a lot of that on your mind when you go out there every time to take a
draw?
Yeah, it's definitely a big change.
There is minor little things that you have to focus on.
So it is on my mind a bit.
But Richie is working with the centers.
And I'm a really talented in practice.
And yeah, when you go into the face-off, you've got to think about little things.
But at the end of the day, it's just, you know,
who's gonna get the puck and who who wills it more.
Let's go back to Saturday night at Ferris State.
Obviously a difficult place to play in and that are what things look like on paper.
Can you talk a little bit about why you think we weren't able to come up with that win on Saturday night?
Yeah like you said Ferris is a tough place to play.
It's a small rink and you know they they do a good job of supporting their home team.
I think it's just a full 60 minutes for us you know starting off hot.
I thought we started off well but then
You know, it's a long game.
It's a long night.
So I think just for us executing 60 and 60, 60 out and focusing on the little things, you know, just.
Chippin' Pox, bettering the condition of the Poc for your teammates, you know, just doing the little things to set yourself and your teammates up for success is huge.
Michael, your second year as a Husky, who do you hang around with?
Who do
you live with?
Your BFFs, I guess, on the team?
I love everyone on the team, obviously, but I do live with Gordo, Van B, Koski, Burns, and Reader, so we got a full household, spent a lot of time with those guys, but yeah, we're a close
a close group of guys, we've got a fancy football league going, everything, so it's nice coming to the rink every day, it's definitely not a job, it's more fun, so yeah.
And remind everybody what you're studying.
I'm a business management major, so just grinding that out and doing my best I can to keep up in the classroom.
Alright, thanks a lot, congratulations on a great start to the season and good luck the rest of the way.
Thank you very much, I appreciate
it.
Number 19, Michael Cheechek, centerman for the Michigan Tech Huskies, most of the time, sometimes a winger.
Who got much more of your Michigan Tech Husky's hockey radio show coming up right after this here on Mix 93 WKMJ.
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Calling all Huskies.
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I'll go back here on the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey radio show.
Durkheim brought with you on this Tuesday morning.
Scores from over the weekend, other than Michigan Tech splitting with Ferris State.
Augustana, Michigan Tech's next opponent.
They remain undefeated.
And they beat Ohio State in overtime on Friday night.
What a game that was.
3-2 final there.
And then they went 4-3 on Saturday night.
So the Vikings are red hot right now.
Not only in football, but in...
Division 1 hockey as well.
Augustana really off to a great start.
They will play the Huskies in two weeks.
A week from this coming Friday and Saturday here at the John McGinnis Student Ice Arena.
The Mavericks of Minnesota State had a great home and home weekend with the St.
Thomas, the former C-C-H-A member.
Mavericks went on Friday night by a score of three to one.
They come back with a two-nothing shutout on Saturday night to complete the big sweep.
And again, that was a home and home weekend for those two teams.
Tough weekend for the Beavers.
They lost to a very good UMD team.
Both nights, Friday and Saturday night.
Friday night, 4 to 1, I think was the final.
Saturday night, 3-0 was the final there.
Bowling Green Falcons, shutting out, I should say, sweeping the Lake Superior State Lakers.
6-2 on Friday night, and the final on Saturday night was Bowling Green 4, Lake Superior State 2.
And those are the other scores that were going on.
Northern Michigan was idle this past weekend.
They will be in action this weekend, though.
And here are the games going up.
Again, Michigan Tech is not playing this weekend.
They will have a weekend up.
Northern Michigan will be at Augustana to take on the Vikings in Sioux Falls.
Ferris State will be visiting Bemidji State.
And Lake Superior State is at Minnesota State to take on the Mavericks.
That's your CCHA.
matchups for the weekend.
Again, the Huskies' next action will be on November 6th, and that is right here at the John McGinnis student ice ring against Augustana.
So before we talk about Augustana, we've got to tell you that that weekend, the November 7th day, there are three Michigan Tech sports at home.
Football, volleyball, and hockey hosting Augustana,
And that is going to be Marketplace Foods Kids Day.
Now, the Kids Day ticket giveaway that we do every single year for over 20 years is going to be Wednesday, a week from tomorrow.
It'll start at four o'clock at Marketplace Foods.
I know people will get in line way before that, and that's fine.
But we are going to be, or I should say Marketplace Foods, buying the tickets.
They are going to be giving away 400 Michigan Tech hockey.
tickets for the Saturday, November 7th, Michigan Tech hockey game against Augustana.
Also 100 tickets to Michigan Tech football for November 7th and 100 tickets for Michigan Tech volleyball that's taking place on November 7th as well.
These are youth tickets that means for ages 3 to 18 and another little bonus to this mom and dad.
You come on in to get your youth tickets for your kids.
If you bring them right up to the SDC Wednesday, leave Marketplace Foods, go up to the SDC Wednesday, and pick out your seats.
The parents get five bucks off their seats, too.
So that's a great incentive right there to make sure you're at Marketplace Foods, formerly Econo Foods, at four o'clock November 4th.
Okay four o'clock November 4th four o'clock in the afternoon that big ticket giveaway will be going on those tickets are free for you there is going to be a restriction on how many I believe it's going to be five five per family and and what we always do if there are tickets after the first big line goes through if there are tickets available people can come back around and get more tickets if they need them and of course we
Ask that if you do take tickets, that make sure that they get used by youth, okay?
A bunch of other great promotions going on that weekend too, which we'll tell you more about.
But really looking forward to that.
So don't forget, Kids Day, brought to you by Marketplace Foods is going to be November 7th.
The ticket giveaway is the 4th of November.
And also tying into that November 7th.
weekend with the three sports.
Vollwurst is pitching in as well as they will be giving away hot dogs, will be giving away hot dogs, Vollwurst hot dogs to all the kids that are involved there.
400 for hockey, 100 for football, and 100 for volleyball.
big things happening on November 7th plus skate with the Huskies after the game as well and make sure you're there Friday night to November 6th because there are going to be at least I think four for CCJJ hockey teams junior hockey teams playing in between periods so looking forward to that okay so no Michigan Tech hockey this weekend but Michigan Tech volleyball is at home make sure you get to those matches and
Don't forget about the ticket giveaway coming up a week from Wednesday at Marketplace Foods.
That is going to do it for our show here.
Thanks to Head Coach Bill McCall.
Thanks to Michael Cicek for being part of the program here today as well.
And Huskies will practice the rest of this week.
Practice next week and get ready for a big August and a weekend Friday and Saturday, November 6th and 7th.
Good night, everybody, or good day, everybody.
Have a great rest of your Tuesday and go, Huskies.
Michigan Tech's Huskies hockey show on Mix 93 was brought to you in part by Turbo Agency.
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The Huskies hockey show is an exclusive presentation of Michigan Tech Athletics on Mix 93 WKMJ.