OK, since everybody seems to have had their say on the Worlton trade, how about a new topic? We were talking about this in the newsroom yesterday while commenting on the death of Paul Tantardini. Who is the most-hated opposing player in Komets' history? Whose the guy past and present that you love to hate? Who can't you stand now or in the past but you'd love to see in a Komets' sweater? While we're at it, who do you think was like that to opponents while playing for the Komets?
I'm sure a lot of you will say Jim Duhart, but I think Jim is great for hockey, the UHL and the Komets. I love the way Jim has FUN during a game. Isn't that what we're all there for anyway? Hockey desperately needs more guys like that. It desperately needs more personalities. Jim doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, but you definitely know he's having a good time out there. God bless you, Jim.
Tell me what you think.
Comments
somebody help me, he played for the muskegon lumberjacks and moved with them to the cleveland lumberjacks. Its on the tip of my memory i just can't remember. But boy did i hate him.
Mark Major
Jock Callnder
I mean Jock Callander
Hugo Proulx...especially for his cheapshots on Bobby Stewart & Troy Neumeier in the '03 Cup Finals
Don Biggs from the Cyclones
ROBIN BOUCHARD...whiniest pansy ever
Jim Duhart...I don't care if he's 'good for hockey', I can't stand the greasy-headed creep. He's a circus sideshow.
(Who was the player from K-zoo a couple years back that got booed everytime he touched the puck in games toward the end of the season? I think it was because he'd cheapshotted Bertram in a previous game. He's not my most hated, just trying to remember the name.)
His name was Ted Laviolette and the situation was blown out of proportion because he was black. No one will actually admit to that though.
I love Duhart as well.
How about in the IHL, guys like Toporowski, Conn, Prokopec, etc that played on the Ice. Jock Callandar was a good one for Cleveland/Muskegon. K-zoo used to have Enrico Ciccone, people hated that guy. Andy Bezeau when he played for the Vipers was a pretty big deal.
There were others I'm sure
Anybody remember Willie Trognitz? He was banned from the IHL back in the 80's. Or how about Archie Henderson of the Columbus Owls? Ouch! I guess I'm showing my age!
How about ole Scotty Gruhl. We all hated him until he became a Komet. There are 2 guys in the league this year that I can't stand. One of them I'd love to see him play here and the other I could care less about. First is Tyler Willis from Kalamazoo. The player I could care less about is Olivia Proulx with the Ice Hogs.
While he may not rank very high with everyone else, and he is certainly not the most hated opposing player in Komets history, I'm going to say Chaz Johnson of Rockford. He's so full of himself, it makes me sick.
I think I have something against Rockford, because I'm also not a fan of Billy Tibbetts, who, I just realized, isn't with Rockford anymore. Anyway, there was just something about Tibbs that got under my skin in a bad way. Not to mention the guy couldn't come up with a good comeback to save his life. His best comeback to Galbraith was "You're ugly! No one likes you!" while Lance was yelling all sorts of stuff at him.
On a sidenote, and maybe somebody already mentioned this and I'm just slow on the uptake, but on theuhl.com, Vanderbreggen isn't with Roanoke anymore. Maybe he finally decided to take that "job opportunity outside of hockey."
Willis from K-Zoo!
Showing my age, Mike "Cono" Penasse (sp?) used to be hated by all other teams when he was a Komet...yet he was never a fan favorite here.
My only Tantardini story concerns Rory Cava's first game for the K's against Toledo. He was about 6'5" and towered over both teams. Tantardini jumped him along the boards at the blue line, and Cava wrapped him up with his left hand and wailed on him until the linesmen finally separated the two. The Coliseum exploded in applause.
God bless you, Tantardini. No one should go out like you did.
It was hard not to hate those guys from Muskegon in the IHL...Scott Gruhl,Dave Mikyaluk(no idea how to spell his name),Josk Strap, and Perry Gonchar. They were good and mean. Carl Mokosak when he played for Indy after he played for us...he was a real a--! Anybody from Toledo in the hayday of that rivalry. Brad Wingfield in the uhl days has been one you just hate. The Komet players I believe would have been hard to play against would be Robbie Laird, Steve Salvucci, Kevin Kaminski, Mike Butters (just cause he laughed at you the entire time he was whippin you), Danny Stewart, and Colin Chaulk. There are many more for both categories but those are just some of the ones I could come up with off the top of my head.
i was in toledo a couple of days ago and tantardini was a legend in that town, everyone was talking about the tragedy, he was as nasty a player as i have ever seen and he could score as well, he would score 25 goals a year, ah,, the good ole toledo goaldigger and komet wars, i miss those days, it seems the only time i stand up at the games anymore is to go get a cold one, it sure isnt because the excitement of the game.
BOB Mneice with the komets, he would never fight you but he get even buy shooting a puck close to your head,also gave the best snow shower to the goalies i ever seen,
joe nathie also played with toledo, kevin shamerhorn,alvin white, and another big guy with k-zoo,they always had 500 min + pim.
Mike Thompson - Elmira
Brant Blackned - Muskegeon
Robin Bouchard - Muskegeon
Luch Nasato - Richmond
Tyler Willis - K-zoo
I for one would have loved to have Duhart come here to play. Then again I guess the fact that he refused is the source of alot of the vitriol thrown his way. Anyway, one that sticks out to me back in the day is Dick from I believe it was Peoria. I remember the crowd always chanting "You suck(his last name)." I don't much care for Johnson from Missouri(I think). He went out of his way to engage the fans behind the penalty box a few weeks back. Went so far as to squirt water over the glass onto them.
Sad to see Tantardini go out that way. It was always fun to rag on him back in the day. Ironic that they found him in the Maumee River under the Anthony Wayne Bridge.
Anyways, I could probably come up with 60-70 guys who tortured us in one way or another. Byron Lomow when he played against us with Colorado and Indy, anyone from the Goaldiggers or the Ice, Len Ircandia going into the stands in old 57, Mel Hewitt with the Saginaw Gears, of course Scott Gruhl and Jock Strap, Tony Twist, Kelly Chase, Kerry Clark, Richard Zemlak. Am I showing my age yet? Lots of good memories of hockey back in the stone ages. Love the speed now though, but miss the hitting and the occasional bench clearing brawl. Although how a ref would be able to calculate all those big numbers these days is hard to tell. Go Komets!
Another Toledo pain in the side: Tony Horvath. Played for Fort Wayne, didn't do much, goes to Toledo,... "PAIN IN THE SIDE"
#2 I would agree with Carl,... Jock "strap" Callander. Hated that guy but would have loved to see him in FTW.
most hated opponent: toporowski love to hate past: nathe and tantardini. present: duhart and chaz johnson. hate but love as a k: past.. gruhl steve lyons and ivan prediger. present: big snake and wingfield. the komet that others hated but wished they had: fitchner, fletcher, purinton, bezeau, madigan, horvath, ewasiuk, long, keating on and on and on. currently st pierre and chaulk.
You go Larry! Knew this topic would be right up your alley. How about Chad Grills? Except when he played here he wasn't the same as when he was with flint and he and Nasato were driving everybody crazy. Gruhl has to be the king, though. Classic quote: "The only friends I'll have will be on the last team I played on.'' Another one when he had 290 PIMs with the Komets, "Well, I've always been able to defend myself.'' Classic.
You guys are also forgetting Chinner because he talked so d--- much on the ice. I remember Messier telling me he talked to Chinner more when he was an opponent than he did as a teammate and they had stalls right next to each other.
Don't ever forget Rammer!
Glad everybody's having fun with a topic.
Jim Petty, goalie for the Dayton Gems.
This year in the UHL I'd have to say these are the guys I would most like to see pummeled.....
Quad City: Tom Clayton
Flint: Brent Currie
K-zoo: TYler Willis
Missouri: Duhart & Littlejohn
Muskegon: all of 'em
Richmond: Robbie Nichols
Rockford: Proulx, Ralph, Johnson,
Watson
Danbury: Wingfield, Stewart
(Stewie's in different
threads now...sorry)
i hope th komets honor paul with a moment of silence fri night. friday the 13th seems to be fitting doesnt it? rip paul youre the kind memories were made for!!
What about Trevor Senn, Kevin Kerr, Gary Gulash, Andy Tortarella(Tortaleanie), little speedy midget dude always skating around everybody...I don't know about anybody else, but Lee Cole, played for the Border Cats and another UHL team...anyways....his pregame ritual would be to stand in front of the goalie...wait for him to get there hit him in the shins...hit the goal posts...then go over and hit the boards...all the time even before 2nd and 3rd periods.....I don't know it annoyed me for some reason. He also tried to fight a couple times and got pummeled. Those are my few picks.
Most loved to hate? How about Jeff Worlton.....
Anybody want to take bets as to whom he cheap shots and how long it will take him to do it his first shift against the komets? Everyone here loves to hate
Bouchard. I would take him on my team in a minute. He scores goals and aggitates opponents into stupid penalties. Lance could take a lesson from him.
Just checked back to see all the hate out there. Made me remember a few more foes from the old days. How could we forget Archie Henderson, Daniel Lecours, Dale Yakiwchuk, Mark Toffolo, John Flesch, Stan Drulia, Don Biggs, Tracy Egeland, Jeff Madill, Krivokrasov and the infamous Mad Max hatchet (what a great night ), Al Tuer, Rick Hayward and his mom (there's a whole story behind that from my days as a heckler in Old Sec. 26), LEN BARRIE ( Geez I hated that guy! All talk and no fight). Man I'm getting fired up now. Makes me want to take a trip to the old hockey players home. John Craighead, Michayluk, Ganchar, Paul Jerrard, Larry Bolonchuk, Gord Lane, Gord Malinoski, Bill Riley, Rick Dorman, Darryl Williams, Chris McSorley, Ronnie Stern, Darcy Simon, Archie King, Tony Horacek, Mike Peluso, Jeff Ricciardi. I think I'll stop now before I fight them all in my sleep. Well, it's been nice to have a topic where we have some heat put where it's supposed to go: to the opponents. Great topic Blake.
Ryan Jorde and Lance Galbraith are two guys I hate.
90's IHL
Jock, Len Barrie he always loved to talk during warmups, Daniel Shank (Duhart doesn't have anything on that guy), Toporowski, Larry Depalma and on and on
UHL Robin Bouchard because he kills us every time, Hugo Proulx
Had a hard time adding to the UHL list. I think this discusion comes down to there were a whole lot more character players in the IHL...guys that showed a little personality and allowed you to hate them. Plus, and maybe the biggest thing is that many guys played for years in the league. Familiarity breeds contemt as they say. Now teams change every year, players jump to all the other leagues out there and there really are no real rivalries of the Komets. Used to be Quad City but that lasted about 3 years, then the division alignments changed about every year. There are very few players who stick around long enough to really, really hate them
Jim Duhart always makes me crazy.
Mark Major.
Kerry Toporowski.
Patrick Nadeau.
Chad Grills both here and when he was a General.
Hugo Proulx