Since I have to work late tonight on HS football, I was not at practice this morning, but I've had a few reports from people who were. EVERYONE was impressed by Brent Henley, and his presence helped pick up the intensity. Because only Nick Boucher and Colin Chaulk are the only ones left who remember Henley, everyone else was wondering just how well a 6-7, 255-pound man was going to be able to get around the ice. They were all quite surprised at the great conditioning Henley has. He even knocked Colin around a few times with some solid checks, and by th.
Here's one predition I'm am absolutely positive about. David Starenky is going to be a 25 percent better hockey player by the end of this season because of Henley. I remember what Henley was able to do to help Matt Syroczynski the first time he was here, and he'll do some of the same things with Starenky who is already a pretty darn good player. I told Brent the other night he had a new little brother, and I hear the two have hit it off already. Kaleigh Schrock will also be a more effective player with someone to watch his back.
As for why the Komets didn't have a super heavyweight before this? It's got to be the right type of player, someone who can skate a regular shift and be good in the locker room. The Mirasty experiment last year didn't work because he could no longer do it. They tried to get Jimmy Bonneau over the summer, and they talked to Henley early in the summer, but neither was available. When Henley became available earlier this week, David Franke called him immediately.
The Komets used to have big guys all the time who could play and fight. Guys like Robin Bawa, Steve Fletcher, Chris McRae, Andre Roy, Chad Cabana, Scott Shaunessy, Kevin MacDonald, Kevin Bertram before he got hurt, Kevin Kotyluk, Jim Logan, Michel Massie, Henley himself and Brad MacMillan.
