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| Around the WCHL: December 2002 |
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Edited
by Phillip Brents Teams
included in this report: Idaho
Steelheads
The win, which completed a three-game sweep of the Ice Dogs, was the Steelheads’ 12th consecutive on home ice to start the season. A total of 163,396 fans attended games in the franchise's inaugural season in 1997-98, and attendance has increased every year since then. Last season, more than 200,000 fans came out to cheer on the Steelheads. It is hard to believe that only six years ago, hockey was almost an unknown in Boise, Idaho. There were not too many who understood the game, and fewer still who had ever laid eyes on a zamboni (a what?!). All that would change forever though, when Idaho's first (and only) professional hockey team, the Idaho Steelheads, stepped onto the ice on Oct. 17, 1997. Amidst all of the curiosity, a pulsating undercurrent had been created. Not only because of the team, but also because of the innovative arena the Steelheads would call home. The state-of-the-art Bank of America Centre was located in the heart of downtown Boise, and housed stylish suites and a sports pub that overlooked the arena, a gift shop as well as the five-star Grove Hotel. As construction crews put the finishing touches on the arena and hotel, the anticipation swelled as opening day drew closer. A capacity crowd of 5,017 saw their new hometown heroes christen the brand new arena with a 7-3 win over the defending WCHL champion San Diego Gulls. A new love affair between a city and a team was born. The arena complex is the cornerstone of a revitalized downtown Boise. "Every night during hockey season, thousands of Idaho Steelheads fans gather in the heart of our state’s capitol city. Their energy and enthusiasm for the team and a vibrant downtown has translated into success, both on the ice and in the community,” said Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, a former mayor of Boise. In their sixth season of operation, the Steelheads are averaging more than 4,600 people per game or 92 percent of capacity. The fans have continued to show their support for the team. In return, they have been rewarded with a hockey team that gets better each year. The Steelheads won the Northern Division championship in 2000-01 and 2001-02 and at one point this season carried the top ranking among North American AA-level teams. Hockey is fast becoming a tradition in Boise. Since the Steelheads began, there are new ice rinks in town hosting leagues for players of all ages and abilities, and area high schools and the local university have developed teams as well. Fans now understand hockey, and
yes, they know what a zamboni is. San
Diego Gulls At the ripe “old age” of 26, Garrow earned honors last season as the WCHL’s Rookie of the Year. In 55 games for the now defunct Colorado Gold Kings, Garrow scored 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points. In 11 game appearances for the AHL Utah Grizzlies that same season, he added a goal and three assists. The point total represented a breakout season for the six-foot-one, 210-pound defenseman, whose previous professional experience included four games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and two games with the ECHL’s Dayton Bombers after ending a standout college career with the University of Alberta Golden Bears that included the Mervyn “Red” Dutton trophy, emblematic of Canada West’s best defenseman. When Gulls head coach and general manager Steve Martinson was looking over the player roster of the dead Gold Kings, he had two players in mind for his club: Garrow and center R.J. Enga. Neither has disappointed. It took Garrow 9:48 to record the first hat trick of his pro career (and the second-fastest in franchise history) in just his second game in a San Diego uniform. What was even more memorable was that the hat trick was a natural one as Garrow scored the game’s first three goals – all on power plays. “He’s the whole package,” Martinson said in reference to Garrow, a two-time First Team Canada West All-Star pick who helped the Golden Bears win consecutive University Cup trophies in both 1999 and 2000. “He’s a pretty complete defenseman. Not only is he strong on defense, but weightlifting-wise, he’s probably the strongest player on the team. He was one of the top scorers in the league last year when he was called up (by Utah of the AHL). He scored some goals against us.” Enga called Garrow an impact player on last season’s Gold Kings team as a rookie, adding “He’s got a year behind him now.” Garrow’s reputation in college was as a high-scoring defenseman. In 118 games with the Golden Bears, he totaled 20 goals and 75 assists for 95 points. While he might have been able to sacrifice some of his defensive abilities in the past – particularly with the offensive-minded Gold Kings -- Garrow said he has worked hard to put more effort into defensive abilities with the Gulls. That has not stopped him, however, from continuing to rank among the league’s top-scoring defensemen. “We have a better team here in San Diego. In Colorado we had some talented guys but this team has more talented players. We’ve all had to play better defensively,” Garrow said. “ The results could be paying off. After a season in which the Gulls have experienced their largest turnover in personnel (both in the off-season and, with 30 players having suited up for the team in its first 22 games, during the current season), the right chemistry could finally be in the making. “We’ve got a great
lineup, starting from the back end with a strong D. We’ve got some
guys up front who can put the puck into the net. We’ve got some toughness.
That’s the key to winning a championship,” Garrow said. |
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Among
the 4,015 fans on hand to witness the league-leading Steelheads’ 7-3
win against the Long Beach Ice Dogs on Dec. 16 was Boisean Bob Rice, who
became the WCHL club’s one millionth fan to walk through the turnstiles
at the Bank of America Centre. Rice won numerous prizes, including 2003-04
season tickets, a trip to see the Steelheads play in San Diego, Steelheads
merchandise (including a cowbell) and a lifetime supply of Pepsi at the
arena. 
Mike
Garrow is not the ordinary “rookie.” In terms of talent and
experience, the word “rookie” might even be a misnomer when
applied to the now 27-year-old native of Kenora, Ontario.