Gems this week
Today, Jan. 3: Port Huron Icehawks at Dayton, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 9: Dayton at Flint Generals, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 10: Fort Wayne Komets at Dayton, 5 p.m.
TROTWOOD — It’s a great time to be a hockey fan right now. Between the World Junior Championship, the New Year’s Day NHL outdoor game and the naming of Olympic rosters, puckheads are in their glory.
It’s no different in the Dayton Gems locker room.
Forward Matt Auffrey, who once played on the U.S. National Under-18 squad, has been eagerly following the Americans at the WJC.
“I recognize some of the faces still,” said Auffrey, who turns 24 today, Jan. 3. “It’s cool to see.”
Auffrey correctly predicted his former USA teammate and current Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson would make the Olympic team, which was announced following the Winter Classic at Fenway Park between Boston and Philadelphia on Friday.
The Gems watched the Canadian and U.S. junior teams on their bus while on the road. The talent on display in early-round blowouts impressed goaltender Derek MacIntyre, though he had some natural empathy for certain players. “They both look really good,” he said, shaking his head. “You feel bad for the goalies.”
MacIntyre said he caught a few minutes of the Winter Classic before heading off to Hara Arena for practice. The annual outdoor game is becoming one of the most popular events in the sport.
AJ MacLean received some first-hand feedback on last year’s Classic at Wrigley Field between the Detroit Red Wings, for whom his father Paul is an assistant coach, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
“The atmosphere was unreal,” MacLean said. “My dad loved it. They did all the preparation beforehand so they could just get there and enjoy it.”
The WJC is also on MacLean’s radar. The Antigonish, Nova Scotia native was a big fan even when he played junior with the Halifax Mooseheads. Catching Team Canada usually meant some late nights when the tournament was typically held in Europe.
“The family I lived with had a son who was my age,” said MacLean. “We would pull out the couch with chips and pop and we would stay up until 3 in the morning watching Canada games.”
The ‘kid line’
The Gems have gotten an incredible boost this season from the rookie combo of Mike Vaskivuo, Jonathon Ornelas and Sam Bloom. Ornelas leads the team in scoring with 9 goals and 12 assists in 31 games, while Vaskivuo and Bloom rank third and fourth, respectively.
While the line has been Dayton’s best, there is some bad news. Bloom may be out for an extended period after injuring his right ACL last Wednesday against Fort Wayne.
“We all bring something to the table and it’s worked out for us,” said Ornelas, referring to the line’s collective speed, persistence and ability to put the puck in the net. “We found a good one and all we can hope is Sam isn’t out too long.”
Bloom is expected to have an MRI soon.
Mac attack
Goalies like plenty of work. So MacIntyre has been getting his wish after making his fifth straight start last Wednesday thanks to an AHL call up for Ryan Mior.
Though MacIntyre has only one win in those five games, he’s played well and feels like he’s getting in a rhythm. The towering (6-foot-2) goaltender turned away 40 of 43 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Komets on Wednesday. He wasn’t at fault for at least two of the goals.
“The game slows down,” MacIntyre said of starting a string of games. “Sometimes when you’re not playing a lot, you get in there and make the game harder than it is.”
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