Thursday 20 September 2012

Back from holidays....eve of season opener

Greetings! 

Sorry the blog has gone dark for the last week, but I needed a recharge (Saskatchewan farming) before the start of what looks to be a very intriguing season for the Calgary Hitmen.

As the Hitmen prepare to open the 2012-13 season they do so with 26 players on their roster (16 forwards, 8 defencemen and 2 goalies).  Of the 26, 15 are returning players.

The challenge for many a broadcaster, public address announcer and fan is how to pronounce the new faces.

Here here it is for the ones that many not sound as they look;

Austin Calladine (I know this one surprised me when I spoke to him at practice today.  It's CAL-a-dean)
Brady Brassart (BRASS-art)
Chris Driedger (DREE-gur)
Kenton Helgesen (HELL-guh-sin)
Brooks Macek (MAY-sick)
Pavlo Padakin (Puh-DACK-in)
Jaynen Rissling (RIZZ-ling)
Jake Virtanen (Ver-TAN-in)

I know over the years some have been pronounced wrong.  Two come to recent memory.  One was Karl Alzner who I was told was AL'S-ner when I first arrived in Calgary then later learned was ALL's-ner.  They second was Jay Bouwmeester of the then Medicine Hat Tigers.  I remember asking him how to say his last name that many told me was BOW-meester.  Jay corrected it to BOW-mister, or if you like BOW-MR.  Many in the NHL still say BOW-meester.  I now always ask the player himself.

Oh and in case you thought I was just being lazy, here is a farm picture I took from my time in Saskatchewan.  I'll have more on the Hitmen-Rebels opener tomorrow.








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