(This thread may have gone off-topic, since Manon Rheaume never played
college hockey, but since it's started and folks have expressed an interest...)
 
Last year, the Lightning signed Manon Rheaume and assigned her to the IHL
Atlanta Knights.  She trained and practiced with the team as 3rd goalie (2nd
when J.C. Bergeron was with TB if Mike Greenlay was unavail. for call-up),
but only traveled with the team when she was the official backup (supposedly).
She got into 6 minutes against Salt Lake ("coincidentally", the first game of
the IHL-Prime Network TV contract), and one full game at the end of season,
also "coincidentally" after the playoff assignments had already been
set in concrete.
 
This year, in order to actually get her into some games, the Lightning
assigned her to Knoxville (ECHL), where she is expected to play 25-30 games.
 
Her performance in camp and in pre-season last year was much better than
what she did this year.  (Last year, 10,000 fans cheered her every move
against Hull-less St. Louis; this year, she was booed off the ice by 19,000
against a Bruins team minus most of its stars.)  (I was at both of these
games, as well as catching her in training camp scimmages over the last 2
seasons, and I did not see the same "potential" this season that was in
evidence last season - I'm not judging a career by witnessing 4 outings, but
she'd better pick up if she expects to make it to Year 3.)
 
BTW, an alumni status from the Tampa Bay Region
 
Maine - Bob Beers had a spotty training camp, but came along towards the end
        and is getting back to last year's unexpectedly good form.
Minn  - Tim Bergland was sent to Atlanta - he was a borderline keeper, but
        he had a 2-way contract, so the club saved a few bucks by sending him
        down rather than someone else.
 
MichSt- Danton Cole was left unprotected in Waiver Draft (suprise # 1), but
        was not taken (surprise # 2).  He is a hard worker, contributes a
        few points, and is a fan favorit.
RPI   - Darren Puppa has started off the season so fantastically that he
        is being considered for sainthood.  (Yeah, we know it'll drop off -
        who can maintain a 1.99 GA for the season, but we're enjoying it
        while we can.)  Fans enjoy chanting his name.
BU    - Peter Ahola and Nicholas Vachon sent to Atlanta.  Ahola subsequently
        traded to Calgary.
 
Enjoy - part of me wishes I was up there with y'all when they start dropping
the first pucks of the season (then I look at the palm trees in my back yard,
and the feeling kinda subsides a little).
 
 
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 |    Andrew T. Kuligowski                 email:                    |
 |    Dunedin,  FL                         [log in to unmask]    |
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