PUCKS
 
OK, I've got to contribute my story.
 
At UNH, the visiting radio stations work from the balcony behind the home
net (while the home station gets a center ice vantage point - nice, huh).
There is no big net hanging to stop shots from going onto the balcony like
in most rinks.  So, as we go on the air before warmups have ended, we have
to keep our eyes on every shot while doing the pregame.
 
Last year (I wasn't doing radio then), during the game, a player took a
shot that was deflected and headed for the balcony - where Merrimack play-
by-play man Dan Roche made a one-handed catch of the puck *while describing
the play*.  I heard the tape later, and it was a classic - "And so-and-so
winds up and lets one go, and it's deflected out of play right up here
where I make the catch!"  I was watching the play from the center ice
press box, but I didn't know at the time that Dan was calling the action
that closely. :-)  Needless to say, even the partisan UNH crowd gave him a
big round of applause.
 
PRO PLAYERS
 
As I had mentioned to the person who asked for a list of collegians now in
the NHL, this is so hard to do, it hasn't been worth it for me to try.  It
literally changes every day.  Off the top of my head, I can think of
dozens that Brian left out, and I know the HE yearbook will list many
more from HE alone.  But if someone wants to attempt such a list, I'll
be happy to take a look at it and see if any corrections are necessary.
I won't start a rash of messages by listing several of the stars who I
can think of right now.
 
FISH
 
Chris Craig talked again about the fish tradition at Snively.  It's kind
of amusing what they do when the fish tosser isn't there.  They have
"exhibition fish" - during an exhibition game, when UNH scored its first
goal, someone tossed a box of Mrs Paul's fish sticks on the ice.  And,
this year when Merrimack was at UNH during UNH's Christmas break, the
fish tosser was not there, but someone threw a can of tuna fish on the ice.
 
It is a tradition that is usually harmless.  Usually.  I believe it was
last season, when UNH hosted Yale, that the fish tosser, uh, missed.  You
see, the fish has to be thrown from the bleachers, over the visitors' bench,
and onto the ice.  This time, the fish landed right on the head of one of
the Yale coaches - and I think NESN caught this, too!  I'll bet he's
laughing about it now, though. :-)
 
 
- mike