The Hansons, Killer and Reg going south?

All that gorgeous snatch down in Greenville, SC.

 

One of the original owners of the IceGators was Dave Berryman who grew up around the corner from me in Burlington, Ontario. We played hockey and baseball with and against each other during high school but one thing I do remember: he was a helluva tennis player.

Anyway, colour me surprised when I read about him when the IceGators started up

 

My one and only experience with a live hockey game was when I helped chaparone my kids' youth group at church for a Mississippi Sea Wolves game at Biloxi. Had a blast. They had a pretty successful franchise going until Katrina wiped out their entire 2005-06 season. They drew well and even won the Kelly Cup one year. From what I gather, the new team down there is hanging in, but it's not the same as it was during the Sea Wolves' heyday.

 

Dave and his brother, Tim, actually owned only a very small piece of the Gators, and were brought in initially as consultants and then to run the new club (Dave as President and GM and Tim as Executive VP). They were the real geniuses behind the franchise's early success.

Unfortunately, the majority owners had a clause in their contract allowing them to buy the Berrymans out near the end of the third season, which is exactly what they did, and the franchise never really recovered. Dave tried to come back in years later to help right the ship when the franchise was struggling, but the damage was already done.

And yes JR, I've heard about Dave's prowess on the tennis courts. ;D Color me impressed.

 

Small damn world.

 

I know a guy who was Brophy's defence partner in Long Island in the 60's and the stories he had about the carnage he created on the ice were unreal.

 

He was notorious. He once presented Nashville's Ted McCaskill (father of baseball pitcher Kirk McCaskill) with a live chicken at the end of a championship playoff series, I imagine as a commentary on what he thought of the Dixie Flyers. Ask your friend if he remembers that incident - I think it happened in around 1965.

 

Like most of the I-10 corridor teams, the Sea Wolves were struggling even before Katrina. Heck, they were one of the few teams from that stretch still playing. They've gone to the SPHL to try to reign in travel costs, but I don't think they're drawing very well now. I'm ashamed to admit I haven't been to a Sea Wolves/Surge game since the storm.

I covered the Sea Wolves for three seasons, including the Kelly Cup team coached by Bruce Boudreau. His player/assistant coach on that team, Bob Woods, is a Caps assistant under him now after having won a Calder Cup at Hershey.

 

How are the old folks in South Carolina gonna like these guys?

 

I don't believe a word of that South Carolina shit.

 

I dunno', Reg, I think there are a lot of shiesters in South Carolina.