Found At The Rink

Early Season Scouting Report
Team: Dirty Thirty
City: Grand Forks, ND
League: Whitey Cup

Notes:
The offseason proved to be significant for the restructuring of this up and coming team. Coming off an inaugural season as the so called “Fist Pump Nation” the team has been all but dismembered and redesigned. Those in the know seem to be excited with what they are hearing about this soon to be dynasty. The upcoming season could prove to be needed chemistry building time, but, if this clock ticks- look out- this team has the potential to come out firing on all cylinders.

A QUICK LOOK:The Top half of the roster-

M. Bydal – More commonly known as “Beads”. A shortening of his last name or a reference to the sweat rolling off his exhausted and overworked body…? Either way, look for Beads to go and go hard. They say you can’t teach heart and fortunately for this kid he brought his with. Talent alone wouldn’t get him in the rink but if we’re banking on effort he’ll get points on credit.

Boogs- An unknown until last year, Boogs came into the league along with the Fist Pump Nation. A solid all around skater- don’t look for Boogs to break any scoring records but a solid two way game and a knack for scoring the big time goals. Boogs is sure to make an impact.

N. Brewinski – Called Brew by teammates, more so for his drink of choice than his similar last name. Brew is making a surprise return to the game after a more than six year hiatus. When asked about his sudden comeback Brew stated, “…there were things in my life that needed working out before I could get my heart back where it belonged. I’ve reached that point now and after a long time away from the game I’m ready to put the clubs away and see if I’ve still got the slippery feet I once had…” At this point the acquisition of Brewinski appears to be a huge risk and somewhat of a reckless move by the Dirty Thirty front office. General Manager and team Secretary M. Bydal was asked about this surprise addition; his response, “we looked at a lot of different options in the offseason on ways to shore up our blue line. When push came to shove we took what we could get. We’re excited to have Brew in the locker room before and after games and we’ll have to make an assessment as to how much we can use him during actual game times.” Look for this player to be the surprise player of the league or an early departure candidate depending on his first few appearances.

Freddie- For this team to be successful Freddie is going to have to be the glue that holds them together. A player whose value can’t be measured in simply goals and assists Freddie brings an intrinsic value to the locker room and bench that can’t be calculated. Coming from the original group of Fist Pumpers Freddie more than proved his worth to this organization in his initial season. Fans and Critics alike may question Freddies value on the roster but rest assured that what you can’t see or hear on the stat sheet the team will see and hear in the locker room.

B. Horner- Another returning roster spot from the FPN. The biggest question mark behind this Brett Hull like shot is his work schedule. We’re not talking work ethic we’re questioning his work schedule. Critics of the team last year questioned if Horner could be an impact player in the future or if he would continue to put his business before his love for the game. This year is sure to tell us where Horners intentions are. Should Horner be on the game day roster look for any shot off his stick to be legit contender for a mark on the scoreboard.

THINGS TO WATCH:

1. Similar to when the Jets moved to Phoenix or Minnesota abandoning the frozen ponds fans aren’t sure what to make of the new the look on this old bag. As much as the FPN had the feel of something that was destined to last it just wasn’t in the cards. The first two weeks could show tell tale signs for whats to come. Getting a W early on is must for this team to regain it’s fan base and prove the move to a new look wasn’t a move away from it’s desire for excellence.

2. Leadership. The Dirty Thirty have all the pieces to be a contender this season with the final unknown being leadership. All guesses lead to former FPNer’s Freddie and Beads as being guidance for this group of misfits. It’s yet to be seen if the style of leadership these two hacks possess is the right mix for the squad. All said and done this team can only go as far as their leadership takes them.

3. The amount of unknown factors that are going to face this squad is unknown. All odds point towards a series of growing pains and hangovers to start off the season but if the team is able to fight through the upcoming battles and obstacles look for them to be a legit contender coming down the stretch.