As losses pile up, fans of rebuilding teams try to be patient

November 20th, 2013

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success” -American author Napoleon Hill

Patience.

It’s become akin to a four letter word for the fanbases of Pittsburgh, Ottawa, San Diego, Fort Drum, and Philadelphia. The use of the word “patience” with the die-hard fans of these teams generally elicits a very emotional and sometimes fervent response.

We asked the fans of these rebuilding teams to tell us how they feel about their team this season and here is what they had to say:

“As a long suffering Ottawa Knights fan (three and a half years), I am very happy with the plan and I see it coming together over time. It’s taking a while but the key is patience. I just hope GM Armstrong does not take his eyes off the long term goal for some short term success, since I do not consider a one series playoff run to be success.” -James from Ottawa

“There’s still a lot of work to be done but I like what Heroes GM Jason Henley has done with our team so far. Good job Jason, keep it up!” -Stanley from Pittsburgh

 

“It’s already a difficult season but on the bright side it looks like the Killers are gonna win the Connor McDavid sweepstakes haha cheers Fort Drum!” -John from New York

“Part of my confidence in our GM [Paul Kiely] is that I really believe he won’t lose sight of the ultimate goal and that is to build a powerhouse that wins several AFHL Stanley Cups. As much as I wish he’d open up a little and be just a tad more of a showman, I appreciate that he’s all about sticking to the plan, not falling prey to the panic of the day. Hopefully that serves him well when the fans starts to get antsy about fast-forwarding things before it’s time.” -Mike from Philadelphia

“In Year 5 of a fantasy hockey dynasty league, it’s going to be interesting to see if GM Main can get creative at the Trade Deadline and leverage teams with certain needs and roster issues to land some players he might not otherwise be able to nab. Should be able to pry away some top prospects from contending teams in exchange for veterans at the deadline. Looking forward to that time of year.” -George from San Diego

“Some people think the rebuilding in Ottawa should be over now but I think we still need a few more assets. One more good draft is required as well as some key trades at the deadline. On the pro team roster, Jonathan Toews and Seth Jones should be untouchable.” -Scott from Ottawa

“We gotta be patient. There are moments when I expect far more from the Killers, part of how they perform in those moments depend on the luck of what fell into their laps before then. So I’m not rushing. But I know most fans are on board with the rebuild now, people are going to choose a lot of different jumping off points. It will be interesting.” -Mike from Fort Drum

“I like the fact that there’s still no face of our franchise. I think the face of our franchise ought to be the Heroes logo, and the goal of the franchise ought to be to win a Stanley Cup. The whole is supposed to be greater than the sum of its parts.” -Jimmy from Pittsburgh

“You can knock him for the moves he made and the moves he didn’t make, but Stryska hasn’t made an outright poor move. He is continually given high marks for the signings he makes and his choices at the draft. There’s a lot of talent in the prospect system, and that’s largely due to Stryska. Also, his stockpiling of picks is incredibly wise.” -Chris from Fort Drum

“First off, I think Lucas Main has done a very good job since being given the keys to this team. He made some questionable moves in the past but they have been easily forgotten and his good moves overshadow them. It’s sometimes hard to accept that Lucas took over a team that was bad to begin with. Looking at the roster now, it’s got a lot of young promising talent because of his work.” -Carlos from San Diego

“I have no problem with this rebuild. Like any fan, I would like to see more Wins, but it’s going to take some time before we can say the rebuild is over. The parts are there, and there’s more coming. I’m not worried about it at all. And if they get another top pick this year… wonderful.” -Chris from Philadelphia

“The biggest question is how will they look at the end of this year? They have an excellent crop of “supporting” players now, but no real superstars. The system is there. They can win with three lines that are responsible and productive. Trade deadline and entry draft will be two very important times this year. Henley must be prepared and remain patient.” -Brian from Pittsburgh

 

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Quick Hits:

Hamilton beat Toronto with no goalies!! At the beginning of their matchup last week, Toronto GM Jordan Carbone posted some smack talk and basically wrote off the Firestorm because they had no goaltenders for the matchup. Hamilton’s star players stepped up to the challenge and defeated Toronto 7-5. As a result, Toronto is no longer undefeated this season.

After getting their first win of the season, San Diego Gulls defenseman Yannick Weber went out and spent $300,000 at a club on Sunday night. He missed practice on Monday due to a hangover.

The London Mustangs have won two straight matchups. Star forward Claude Giroux’s first goal of the season and the rampant trade rumors have the club buzzing. They’ve got a big test this week against the second place Washington Wolfpack.

The Comox Valley X-Men are playing well this season and slowly but surely they are silencing the naysayers. The emergence of young goaltenders like Ben Scrivens and Anton Khudobin have given the team a chance to be competitive in every matchup. “GM McKenna has really stuck by our side to ensure this team has a strong core of youth,” said goaltender Craig Anderson. “We trained really hard in the offseason and all of the young guys are learning a lot from the veteran leadership in the locker room.”

Frustrated with the poor play of his team, Manhattan coach Tony Furino flipped out in the locker room on Sunday night. According to several sources, Furino was seen shoving defenseman Kimmo Timonen against a wall. A few moments later he tried to hit forward Adam Henrique in the head with a steel chair. The police were called but Furino stormed out of the building before they arrived. Furino will begin seeing his shrink on a daily basis next week.

The Lakehead Ice Holes remain the top team in the league with an overall record of 50-12-10. The defending champions are the only team that is still undefeated this season.

Philadelphia is the only team still seeking their first win of the season.

The Toronto Red Devils lead the league in goals scored with 103.

Vipers forward Alex Ovechkin and Boston forward Alexander Steen are tied for the league lead in goals with 17.

The Toronto Red Devils lead the league in points scored with 255.

Boston forward Alexander Steen is the league leader in points scored with 26. Sidney Crosby (Buffalo) and John Tavares (Oshawa City) trail Steen by 1 point with 25 each.

Red Devils defenseman Erik Karlsson has already scored 20 points this season which is the most among all defensemen in the league.

Boston goaltender Josh Harding is the top ranked goalie in the league right now. He has racked up a total of 12 wins, a 1.25 GAA, .946 SV%, and 2 shutouts.