ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador – It is rare to see fans of the St. John’s IceCaps go home with smiles on their faces after watching the home team suffer a loss at Mile One Centre.
However, followers of the AHL club couldn’t help but feel good for one of their own after the Hamilton Bulldogs topped the IceCaps 4-1 on March 12 in St. John’s. Robert Slaney, a native of nearby Upper Island Cove, led the Bulldogs to victory, scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal in the third period while adding an assist.
He was named the game’s first star and received the Bulldogs’ post-game hardhat and vest as the team’s hardest working player that night. It was a special evening for the 23-year-old left winger, who had hordes of family and friends among the 6,000 fans in attendance.
“I was a little surprised at the number of cheers I got,” Slaney said with a laugh. “I knew my family would have a lot to say, but when I heard the crowd reacting the way they did, it felt pretty good.”
Make no mistake, the capacity crowd at Mile One Centre was firmly behind the
Robert Slaney. Photo by Hamilton Bulldogs.
Slaney only recently joined the Bulldogs, having spent the majority of the 2011-12 season between the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. His rights were sent from the Nashville Predators to the Montreal Canadiens in a late February trade, with the Canadiens then dispatching him to their farm club in Hamilton.
Slaney admits one reason the trade excited him was the opportunity to play in St. John’s this season.
“The day I was traded, I don’t think I waited ten minutes before checking online to see if Hamilton was coming to St. John’s again this year,” said Slaney. “I was hoping I wouldn’t get sent down to the ECHL by the time they came here.”
The March 12 game was not the first time Slaney attracted cheers at Mile One Centre. He made a habit of coming up big when he was a member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and the team would travel to St. John’s to the play Fog Devils, the ill-fated junior team that called Mile One home for three seasons.
Slaney was a bit of a Fog Devil killer during his junior days, often leading his Screaming Eagles to victory when they visited St. John’s. He acknowledges having so many family members and friends in the seats served as motivation whenever his junior team travelled to the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.
However, Slaney says it was much different skating as a professional hockey player in St. John’s than it was when he played as a junior for Cape Breton.
“When I was in junior, those were kind of care-free days. I always wanted to play well, but it was a care-free mind set. Tonight was the first time in a long time that I was nervous before a game,” said Slaney. “The first few shifts I could barely feel my legs beneath me. I knew a lot of people from my hometown were here and I wanted to have a great game in front of them. It was really good to get the first period out of the way and settle down.”
Scoring the winning goal in the March 12 contest was special for another reason as well: it was Slaney’s first career AHL goal. Since turning pro in 2009, Slaney has plied his trade primarily in the ECHL, while also lining up for 63 AHL games over the three seasons.
He is trying to establish himself as a two-way, physical forward with the Bulldogs and hopes the solid performance against the IceCaps convinces the Hamilton coaching staff he can contribute on a regular basis.
“I’ve been three years trying to get that first AHL goal, so it’s been a long time coming. There were a lot of missed open nets and missed opportunities before tonight. It’s good to finally get one, especially in front of friends and family,” said Slaney. “You never want to see guys get injured, but that’s part of the game. We have quite a few injuries here right now and that’s giving me a chance to play a larger role. I have a chance to show the coach what I can do when given an opportunity, so hopefully when those guys come back I’m still in the lineup and not out of the mix.”
The win over St. John’s was especially sweet for the Bulldogs since it was a victory few would have predicted prior to the March 12 contest. The IceCaps are considered Calder Cup contenders and have been near the top of the AHL standings the entire season. Things have not gone as smoothly in Hamilton, where the Dogs have struggled to post wins and have had a revolving door of players due to injuries and call ups to the parent team in Montreal.
But for at least one night, Slaney and his teammates could take pride in outworking and outplaying one of the league’s best teams in its own rink.
“The IceCaps are a very good team. We watched them in the morning skate, and we could see they are so fast and smooth,” said Slaney. “They are one of those teams that look great all the time. You look at them and you feel like the kids in the Mighty Ducks, just saying ‘Oh, my God.’ But we’ve given them a tough time this season and tonight’s win feels really good .”
Contact Darcy.MacRae@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.