DANVILLE, IL – Illinois has a lot of hockey. The Blackhawks, the Wolves, the Rockford Ice Hogs, the Quad City Mallards, and the Peoria Rivermen, to name a handful.
At Palmer Arena in the small Illinois city of Danville, the Dashers are an FHL organization with NHL spirit. Pro Hockey News went on the road to visit the first place Dashers last weekend.
An understandably Midwestern looking crowd, the fans are more demonstrative of a Canadian town when it comes to their love for hockey. The intensity in the arena is an interesting contrast to camouflage pants, work boots, and Ducks Unlimited decals dotted around the stands. We spoke to a fan whose son was attending his first game.
“Donnie saw his first hockey fight tonight,” said Tassie Haner. “After seeing that, he told me he wants to play hockey. These guys are hard core; they have a passion for something and they are men who are tough mentally and physically. So I’m going home tonight and researching hockey online.”
Working with the Dashers is hectic and fun,” said Diane Short, Director of Operations. “But most of all it’s entertaining.” This season Diane has introduced some outrageous promotions like an ugly sweater contest and a 70’s night complete with wigs, bell bottoms and platform shoes. “Coach Harrison and Brent Clarke have been very helpful when I have questions or come up with a new idea,” she said. “Every day is unpredictable and never boring.”
The Dashers produce a promotional video series called “All Access” that periodically posts to YouTube. A colorful and well done small budget production, it gives fans an opportunity to see upcoming events, player interviews, game highlights, and more. The following is a link to an episode filmed with Brittany Toolis during our visit: https://youtu.be/gm-9h5ZYWZ4
” The action on the ice certainly kept stride with the fervor in the stands on this particular weekend. For a two game series with the Port Huron Prowlers, Pro Hockey News was right down by the rink to witness some of the most visceral minor league hockey we’ve ever seen. On Saturday Feb. 20, Dasher’s defenseman Oleg Shypitsyn took a high stick to the face and wound up with three teeth missing.
“I remember when I opened my eyes I was on the ice and saw pool of blood,” said Zippy, as he likes to be called. “My first thought was that I didn’t want to get stitches, but maybe I should. When I went to the locker room and looked in the mirror I was freaked out. I had lost three teeth and a part of a fourth. I reminded myself that it’s hockey; sometimes it happens and it’s normal.”
A native of Belarus, Shypitsyn was insistent on staying in the game. Fortunately for Zippy it was first responder night at the arena and there were emergency medical personnel everywhere. He relented and went to the hospital, and after 9 stitches was back playing on Sunday.
After a Dashers’ win on Saturday, the next evening was a colorful night of shooting and fighting. Justin Brausen scored a hat trick among the 7 goals that Danville netted, and things spiraled out of control in the third period. With a game total 146 penalty minutes, 136 of them came in the last 17 minutes of the game along with 4 ejections.
“I had a feeling after Saturday’s game that Sunday was going to be a rough one,” said Brittany Toolis, co-host of All Access. “Port Huron played their very physical game as usual and the Dashers were hanging with them hit for hit. And then the 3rd period happened. It was pandemonium. For a minute the prowlers goalie came out to the blue line and I thought we were going to see a goalie fight. Sunday was the first time I’ve ever seen an ejected player jump back on the ice, skate to the opposing teams bench, and continue to try and fight (which resulted in Schwartz’s ejection as well). There was also a list of suspensions dealt out as a result of the conduct on the ice at Sunday’s game.”
The Dashers prevailed through the mayhem 7-3 to sweep the weekend, keeping them in first place just one point ahead of the Danbury Titans. And just today it was announced that former Danville fan favorite Brian Soskin would be returning to the Dashers from, ironically, Port Huron. This was certainly an unforgettable road trip.
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