DYER, Ind. – Any sports fans knows that the start of a season can be either the start of something big or a foreshadowing of disaster. In the very least, it usually takes a team a month or so to get all of its pieces working in unison. The Chi-Town Shooters have seen a dramatic improvement over the past month of 
play in the newly formed AAHA. Chi-Town started its inaugural campaign with a 1-3 mark, but new acquisitions and learning the head coach’s system have allowed the team to reap benefits. The team has enjoyed multiple winning streaks, and has seen an increase in scoring. The Shooters have won four consecutive games, including a 12-3 drubbing of Evansville on December 27th. “Our scoring has picked up quite a bit. Our guys have played with a great amount of confidence , and it has shown on the ice,” Head coach Darren Seid said. “We preach to our players about being smart and patient on their end of the rink. We want our guys to not try to be too cute with the puck, or to risk mistakes that might result in scoring chances against us.” Being a new team, Seid and his staff have been working on getting everyone on the same page. The system Seid and his staff employs centers on an up-tempo offense and patience on the defensive side. Over time, the players have begun to understand what the coaches are asking them to do and are beginning to successfully utilize the system. “W e started listening more to our coaching staff and bought into what our coaches are telling us,” forward Brad Townsend said. Seid noted he would like to see improvements in team defense, and believes the addition of Warren Galloway who arrived from Evansville in a trade will help strength the Shooters defensively. “Warren is very good with the puck, both mentally and physically,” Seid said. “His stick handling is solid, and he has a great read on what to do with the puck on his end of the ice.” Like any new organization, the AAHA is going through some growing pains and one particular incident left Seid frustrated and angry. During the final minutes of a game against Evansville, several fights erupted. Seid was suspended because league officials felt that he had precipitated the fights. Seid filed an appeal with the All-American Hockey Association, and coached during what he thought was an appeals process. “I filed the paperwork with the league and never heard back from them,” Seid said. “Since I did not hear anything, I thought I was eligible to coach because my suspension had not been officially upheld.” Unfortunately for the Shooters, the league felt it had spoken clearly and when word came back that Seid had indeed coached the next game, he was again suspended and the team forced to forfeit the game in question. The suspension and subsequent forfeit left Seid furious. “This whole suspension was unjust, but even more so, the league taking a win away from us was crap. I never heard back from our commissioner,” an angry Seid exclaimed. “He then called me and said since I hadn’t heard anything, I should have assumed the suspension was in tact. The whole episode was bs and you can print that!” Despite the many distractions that can befall a startup franchise, the Shooters players are staying focused on the task at hand on the ice. “We are having fun. The organization has treated me and the rest of the players here quite well. A lot of guys would like the chance to play here,” forward Matt Moffat said. Off the ice, the staff and players are enjoying becoming members of the Calumet region community. “The community has really opened its doors to us,” Seid said. “We have several players living with families in the area, and I have no complaints about the way the Shooters have been received in our community.” Seid is constantly trying to come up with ways to increase the attendance at Shooters’ games. One idea that has already been put to use is bringing in local sports celebrities. ESPN 1000 afternoon co-host and former Green Bay Packer John Jurcovic skated for the Shooters on December 27th, notching an assist and drawing a penaltyAlso on Seid’s wish list is to have former Detroit Red Wing and Chicago Blackhawk enforcer Bob Probert in a Shooters uniform for a game. “The crowd would go crazy seeing him drop the gloves,” Seid said. Although he is not completely satisfied with the way his team has played, Seid is confident that with time and his team’s potential, the Shooters have to be considered a threat to win the AAHA title. “When I can go into the locker room after an 8-4 win, and tell my players I am still not happy, it shows how strong of a team we have here,” he said. “Once we play where all portions of our game are satisfactory, we will hit our stride and are capable of doing some amazing things.” Contact the author at scott.reese@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.