BILOXI, MS – When Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore a few years ago, it left massive devastation along the Gulf coast, especially in Louisiana and Mississippi. Many businesses that survived the initial onslaught were taken down by the painstakingly slow recovery and subsequent national economic slowdown. Everyone felt the pinch – even hockey fans who a year ago thought they had lost out when the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL announced they would be closing its doors. This week, however, those fans can celebrate because much like the mythical phoenix, hockey will rise again as the Mississippi Surge of the SPHL take over the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Opening night at the MCC is set for Saturday, October 24th following a road game on October 22nd against the Louisiana IceGators. “We’re getting a pretty good chemistry already going here. Guys are loving the town,” Surge coach and general manager Steffon Walby said. “They just know that the professionalism and everything else is double-A professionalism and they’re really excited to just put on a show in front of the fans and be a part of the rivalries.” Like a good deal of the office staff, Walby was with the Sea Wolves and joined the new ownership of the Surge to provide as much of a seamless transition as they could for the fans. Like his counterparts with the IceGators and the Pensacola Ice Flyers, Walby didn’t quite know what to expect from his first SPHL training camp but came away pleasantly surprised. “It’s been exciting. I didn’t know what to expect just with the level of play but I catch myself thinking that the practices are faster and the speed of the game is faster than what I ended with last year (in the ECHL),” he said. “We had a very good exhibition game here against Pensacola and the fans that came out to check our product out, I didn’t hear anything negative. They said it actually was a little bit more physical and that the three-on-three in overtime and then of course the shootout, certainly made it a good season ticket drive if anything.” Walby said that operating an SPHL training camp had several advantages over his experiences running camps in the ECHL. “I had a full camp which in the ECHL you very rarely ever have a full camp of potential players that can make it. The other thing was that I wasn’t wondering what I was going to get from the parent club and I wasn’t having to take something and letting a good player go because of that,” he said. “You really get to choose your own team from the people that you recruited. Of course, there’ll be a couple that show up at the last minute but that happens. I’ve really enjoyed the process.” The two goaltenders who came through Walby’s camp give the coach good confidence. Ryan Senft is no stranger to the SPHL wars, having played in Richmond the last two years before being drafted by the Surge. He was 6-6 before an injury put him on the shelf. John Hallas returns to Biloxi where he appeared in three games over two seasons with the Sea Wolves. The key for success this season, according to Walby, is both net minders avoiding the injury bug. “They are a pretty good one and one-A punch provided they both stay healthy,” Walby said. The group of forwards that Walby has assembled is as potent as any in the SPHL. SPHL fans will recognize Tim Velemirovich from his days in Fayetteville. Velemirovich, who has 53 goals and 107 assists in 108 career SPHL games, teamed with Rob Sich to lead the FireAntz to the President’s Cup title in 2007. Moving down from Winston-Salem is last year’s SPHL Rookie of the Year Mike Richard who put up 29 goals and 72 points a year ago. “He’s (Richard) come in with a thirst for knowledge. He really wants to learn the game of hockey,” Walby said about Richard. “He’s impressive but he needs to figure out and is willing to figure out how he wants to go ahead and play with players around him.” Greg McCauley, who Walby said is “tenacious with an ankle biter’s mentality who stirs it up” brings scoring touch and higher level experience. Rugged speedster Chris Ferazzoli is a scorer who has not only ECHL experience but a championship ring from last season’s EPHL champion Jersey Rockhoppers. Long-time minor leaguer and former NHL draft pick Matt Zultek can put the puck in the net (35 goals in 2003-04 with the ECHL Trenton Titans) or use his over six-foot frame to screen goalies while Chris Greene brings a great deal of CHL experience to the table. Also expected to join the team after pending immigration paperwork is cleared up is Andrew Boudreau, the son of former Sea Wolves and current Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. On the blue line, Steve Weidlich, who Walby selected as his player/assistant coach, carries with him seven years of experience in the CHL and is a proven leader. Shane Wagner, another SPHL “veteran” has played well enough that Walby considers him the number two defenseman on the squad. Daryl Moor, who spent four season with Columbus as well as two seasons in the CHL, adds more league knowledge to the roster as does former Twin City blue liner Ryan Bartle. Jack Wolgemuth brings great mobility and a good left-handed shot to town after being cut by Tulsa in the CHL. So what will Surge fans be able to expect when the team hit’s the ice? Walby said that he really does consider the Surge to be an expansion but he expects his troops to be competitive on the ice and solid members of the Biloxi community off of it. “I want to get the guys to play every night and allow good habits to form. If we can stay away from the bad habits and we have good habits and we’re playing solid hockey, I think winning will be a byproduct. We’re going to be very disciplined in our systems and in our conditioning. I’m really not going to treat it any different other than learning from my mistakes that I have made the last couple of years and moving forward,” he said. “This player down here (single-A) is a different player as far as attitude and as far as willingness to learn and progress. You don’t have to worry about the pressures of getting called up to the American league (AHL). A lot of these kids just want a good place to play, to get involved in the community and to bring a championship to this city.” If Walby and the Surge can deliver all of that, it might just be what Biloxi and the Gulf Coast need. Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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