by Jeff Parzych
Day one has just set for the Syracuse Crunch and their 2003-04 training camp. A steady stream of players enter the locker room trying to shake off the rubber legs that customarily follow the torture that Assistant Coach Ross Yates likes to refer to as conditioning drills.
Nearly every player quickly takes a seat in front of their respective stalls, but one person isn’t afforded that opportunity as he is forced to stand and answer questions from the television crews and writers that have surrounded his locker.
Most of his teammates turn their head to grab a brief glance at the commotion being made taking a subtle respite from the pain that encompasses their legs. A few players head for some liquid refreshment, deciding that their need for drink out weighs the throb in their hamstrings.
Brad Both is one of those heading for some Gatorade and has he passes the horde congregating two stalls over he gives what seems to be a look of wonder. You see that person being interviewed is Brandon Sugden, the new sheriff in town, and Both, you may call his deputy.
He is second in line, an insurance policy, so to speak. He was brought in to the Crunch camp just in case the Sugden situation doesn’t go Syracuse’s way and he can’t help but wonder as he looks over at his teammate, that could be me.
“We are both fighting for the same position,” stated Both. “So I guess it is good to see something like that.”
What also aids Both’s cause is the fact that the Sugden situation as taken this long to be resolved and he will miss the first opportunity to display his wares.
“I’m going to get the first crack at it,” said a confident Both. “Show everyone what I can do.”
That opportunity came this past Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre. Both was in the line-up against the Penguins, giving the blood thirsty press in Wilkes-Barre one-half of the reported “goon squad” that Syracuse was supposedly bringing to Wachovia Arena.
Both found himself on a line with a couple of other free-agent invitees in Konrad McKay and Doug Christiansen, but before taking the ice he received some words of wisdom from Head Coach Gary Agnew.
“Before the game he kind of told me he knew what my role was, knew what I could do,” stated Both. “But he actually told me to go out there and play and don’t just be fighting out there because he wanted to see me play.”
That is exactly what Both tried to do. The problem is nobody told Penguin forward Jacques Lariviere. The young winger, despite the fact that Both actually picked his name out of the media guide prior to the contest as a possible opponent, surprised him with the proposition.
“I didn’t know it was coming,” claimed Both. “I actually just turned around and next thing I know he right on me asking me to go and that was that pretty much.”
Soon after that minor scrap and a few more hits Both fought off the nerves that he described as “making him feel like he was skating on air for a while” and set out to heed the head coach’s advice.
In the second period, a period where the Crunch grabbed that elusive momentum for a while, Both had a few very positive shifts. Now don’t get me wrong, Both was only wearing that high number on his back because it is training camp, not because he is an offensive force. Despite that Both’s play was solid, a fact that even had himself taken back a little.
“That surprised me,” said a smiling Both. “I had no hands in all of camp but I kept working hard and things just went my way for some reason.”
If having some success on the offensive end surprised Both, consider him shocked as the clock winded down in the third period. With the Crunch facing a critical defensive zone face-off with less than one minute to go in a one-goal game, Both found himself in an unfamiliar place, on the ice.
“That made me feel great,” stated Both. “I can’t remember the last time I have been out there in the last minute. It has to be two year’s at least.”
After Saturday’s game, reality sets back in. Both knows the odds are long, but with his solid showing on Saturday evening, he remains confident and yet he does have what you may call in the world of minor league hockey, their version of a “golden parachute”.
If things don’t work out here in Syracuse, he already has agreed to join the new Richmond franchise scheduled to begin play in the United League this season. It isn’t exactly a step-up, but it still allows him to play the game and after a long summer of working in the real world, Both is thankful for that.
After all who knows. Maybe Richmond or his play in this camp will be the springboard he needs to make hockey his full year-round occupation.
“That sure would be nice,” stated Both laughing at the possibility. “Nice.”