The Almost Winter Classic had 65 people register in under 12 hours! Stay tuned for updates and the potential to expand past 8 teams.
What a week for CSHL's Adult Ball Hockey Leagues. An undefeated team goes winless. There's a new team on top of the B Division. Before we dive into the action, a song from Gonzo...
CSHL’s Game of the Week featured a high-scoring matchup between the second-place Huntersville Hooligans and the last-place Waymer Wieners.
Let’s hear some Words from Worters^™ on this matchup:
Last week we introduced "Game Score" to the CSHL where we look at a comprehensive statistic of player performance. In our latest thrilling matchup, the Huntersville Hooligans narrowly secured victory against the Waymer Wieners, with a final score of 5-4. The game was marked by an abundance of goals, with both teams actively participating in offense. Leading the charge was Dennis Dunworth and Connor Malmstrom of the Hooligans, each netting 2 goals. Jim Bateman of the Wieners had an outstanding performance, potting 2 goals of his own late in the game to bring it back to a one score game.
Four of the top five in Gamescore this week come in the Hooligans quartet of Zach McKenna, Connor Malmstrom, Dennis Dunworth, and Andy Zachowicz. Each recorded multi-point games to help the Hooligans 'edge the Wieners'.
It speaks to Zach McKenna's dominance that he led the GOTW in Gamescore without scoring a single goal. The CSHL newcomer has a knack for shooting, evident in his 9 shot attempts (4 of which landed on net). Zach McKenna's play so far this season has put him in the MVP conversation and is clearly backed by his Game Score this week of 21.5.
One standout aspect of the game was the balanced contribution from different players on both teams. This emphasized the competitiveness of the game, with multiple players contributing to both offense and defense.
One thing I'd like to note to the readers. While analytics provide valuable insights, certain defensive skills such as player positioning, ability to disrupt plays, mark opponents, ect. are challenging to measure and quantify given the current system of data collection (AKA me laying in bed sifting through footage and hand tracking everything). That said, shout out to the D, their defensive value isn't entirely represented in Gamescore.
The Mullet’s reign comes to an end as some key absences from Jack, Helsinki & Becht caused this team to play over a period with zero subs. The Mullets got off to a quick lead on a goal from Jeremy but Cale locked in and held them scoreless the last 22:40 of the game. Fridge Raiders super sub Nathan “Hands” Hans was all over this scoresheet, absolutely dominating the Mullet Men’s tired legs.
David Gonzalves didn’t help his team out covering the ball early and the Fridge Raiders took advantage. Keenan Steckler made his first CSHL appearance of the season, filling in for the Mullets. Sean Byrnes had a great game using his physical presence and forcing multiple turnovers on the forecheck, he finished with a goal & assist.
The Bombers offense flowed a bit better this week with the return of Greco & Cookie but it wasn’t enough to get past Eric LeVigne’s Fridge Raiders. Prusia & Bobby Arkus replacement Ethan Pinto had a goal & assist each in this one along with another LeVigne goal. Eric seems to have his scoring touch back after a surprisingly slow start to the season, winning CSHL INSIDER A Division Player/GM of the Week. His combination of two goals and elite utilization of the A-League waiting list (Hans & Pinto combined for 6 points) made this an easy selection. The Bombers shot themselves in the foot with four penalties in this one, they did score a shorthanded goal with a minute left as Greco shook Bayne out of his shoes on a transition rush.
Bad turnovers hurt the Mullet Men in this one as the Hoolies (Editor’s note: Hoolies is an ELITE nickname), finally with a full roster, outworked the worn down Mullets in the third period. We’ve been waiting all season to see these guys with a full roster and it’s scary. They are absolutely loaded and put up 4 goals in this one without anything from the M&M line of McKenna and Malmstrom. The Mullets used all of the second period to make this a game, scoring 3 seconds into it..
..and with 5 seconds left.
Congratulations Pat Byrnes on earning CSHL Insider’s second ever DAWG of the Week Award as he took one off the dog and still put the rebound past PMart. Hoolies captain James Forbes scored in the middle of the third and the CSHL’s second-place team locked down on defense to walk away with the win.
This is a matchup to watch moving forward as right now these are the two favorites to meet in the championship.
The Wieners get a point! After winning the first game of their season the Wieners lost 8 straight before grabbing the tie in this one. An eight goal game saw 7 different scorers as midriff man Benny led with two himself. With more space on the new rink we’re seeing top passers flourish as Caleb picked up a couple of assists and is in contention for the CSHL Insider Associated Press Defenseman of the Year award. With 1:20 left the Bombers pulled their goalie and Campbell put one past Danny to tie this up.
*Sorry goalies, no stats this week as the CSHL site is updating over the weekend before I had the chance to screenshot them...
The Charlottans have arrived absolutely dominating the shorthanded NorMonsters in this matchup. Missing over half their team, including captain Brandon Brownlow (ankle) & goalie Bergie (married) they got rocked. The Charlottans had 6 different goal scorers in this one and seem to be peaking at the right time. Goalie Carson Philemon was much improved this week and earned the first shutout of his career. Joe Berg seems to have found a new home on defense and their second line of Joey-Beachy-Stecher has really come on strong as their chemistry grows.
Beachy and Joey both had a goal & assist in this one to lead the Charlottans. Per sources, Jeff Kennedy’s wife was not happy with his lack of offensive contribution this season and we may see a motivated Kennedy from here on out.
High Voltage Captain and now goalie Tom Carriero played great for his first game in net in years, however his absence was sorely missed in the offensive end as they were shutout by 1.01 pick Nappy. Shocker, but both Stecklers scored a goal as James Terjesen picked up the apple on both.
Rumor has it we may see a huge shakeup in the Cowbells lineup week that we are excited about. This isn’t the way the Voltage wanted to end their string of ties.
Back to backs are killing the B Division teams and as the Cowbell felt the wrath of the Charlottans in this one. Petrini, Kennedy, Jenny & Joe P had two points each while Matt Stecher had his second goal of the day. Jesus scored the Cowbell’s only goal of the game as it was nice to see them get some offense outside of the Steckler household. Tyler Brown’s return showed some rust as he hasn’t played a lot of hockey these past couple of months. These matchups are ones where they should be able to take advantage of the older Charlottans with young legs but this one was tilted all the way. Congratulations to Carson Philemon on winning CSHL’s B Division Player of the Week, giving up one goal across his two games on the day.
Well, that was fast. Goal-scoring machine Will Sheridan gave the NorMonsters the lead three seconds into this one:
The Voltage evened the score a minute later thanks to Ajay Yasav and then this one kind of fizzled out. With star players missing on both sides, this wasn’t the action-packed matchup we are accustomed to seeing from these teams. Nick Lavella scored in the third to give the Voltage the lead then Sevs took a complete bozo penalty by slashing Sheridan’s stick out of his hands. This led to a NorMonsters goal with under a minute left and just like that High Voltage are back to their game-tying ways.
*Sorry goalies, no stats this week as the CSHL site is updating over the weekend before I had the chance to screenshot them...
NATIONAL BALL HOCKEY LEAGUE
The 2024 NBHL season is around the corner & there will be a shakeup in the Carolina Division this year. The Raleigh Squall, NBHL Tier 3 Champions, seem set on a move up to tier two, while there’s potentially a third Charlotte team on the way. We asked three anonymous sources to rank their current 10 best players in the CSHL player pool.
Anonymous Source #1:
Greco
McKenna
Forbes
Hans
Lozzi
Jack
Marshall
Arkus
Sernus
Caleb
Anonymous Source #2:
McKenna
Greco
Bowman
Jack
Hans
Forbes
Arkus
Sernus
Helinski
Marshall
Anonymous Source #3:
Greco
McKenna
Bowman
Forbes
Ingalls
Marshall
Arkus
Hans
Sernus
LeVigne
Editor’s Note: Jon Hotchner was originally 10th on this list then they remembered Jack exists
Tryout dates for one of the Charlotte-based NBHL teams will be posted soon. If you’re interested send us a message!
We interviewed Queen City Crowns Captain Josh Greco and Charlotte Rise Coach Mike Steckler about this past NBHL season and the future of CSHL in the NBHL.
You guys (Greco & Steck) almost worked together this season as a captain & head coach of the Crowns. Long story short, that didn't happen, how's the relationship between you two?
Greco: Never been better. I have so much respect for Stecks. I wouldn’t describe how things went down before last season as lovely, and I think that forced us to have to work through some ‘stuff’. What that did was make our relationship stronger. I think we were both frustrated at the situation we found ourselves in more than anything else, and we kept communication going which is the key to everything. Once communication goes away in any situation, it becomes irreparable. That’s one of the things I appreciate most about Mike – we communicate all the time, we call to bounce ideas off each other, and we share a common vision about where Charlotte ball hockey is headed, not only hockey-wise, but culture-wise as well. As a testament to where our relationship got within a short amount of time, I asked him after I drafted the Crowns if he’d manage and coach the 2nd team. At one point, this was not a given. And I put him in a situation where winning was extremely difficult, nearly impossible. And he gladly and proudly accepted the role. I’ll always be grateful to him for doing that – he fully embraced the challenge and his commitment to the team provided an environment where every player on his team got better.
Steck: It certainly was a difficult start with a ton of emotions mixed in. I think in the end, we both agreed that the coaching staff can’t ever be undermined by the players. That is cancerous and it opens the door to others seeing this and acting. With that being said, Josh is a “healer” so-to-speak, he looks for ways to rectify situations and get things back on track. As a CEO you MUST do this. As a coach, I’m more emotional, I can’t understand why a player would want to derail a “TEAM” driven goal together. It took some time to ponder, but I now totally understand Josh’s mindset at the time everything was blowing up. And by the way, it was the right mindset as well. As P.T. Barnum would say, “The show must go on….” I think the world of Josh and I’ve told him so on many occasions. What went down was a tough hurdle in our relationship, but I believe things happen for a reason and it’s made our relationship much tighter in the long run. We will talk more now about the future of the CSHL and what the ultimate goals are. We are both on the same page on the “vision” for the CSHL.
What did you learn most this past NBHL season?
Greco: How important it is to have a strong leadership team around me, and that it’s ok to ask for help. I already knew that, but I experienced it in a different way this past season. Guys like Brandon Fritz, Jim Bateman, and Jack Ingalls who were all Alternate Captains helped me run the show when I was overwhelmed or not able to do as much as I wanted. They were HUGE in taking stuff off my plate. Chris Cookingham is another guy who showed up and made his voice heard more and more during practice.
Steck: First, that rink is HUGE. Totally different game than the “Octagon” at Waymer Park. When you’re a spectator, it just doesn’t look it. I purposely played the exhibition game (almost killed me) so I could understand what our Rise players would have to deal with. Time, space, coverage, decision making, shift times; I needed to get a good sense of what we would be asking from our players and the strategies we needed to implement. Next, the competition level was off the charts compared to our CSHL league games. Everybody just gave more and focused a ton more. The pace of play and physicality increased and the amount of time you had to make decisions decreased dramatically. It forced you to do things you normally wouldn’t do. Sometimes you had more time than you thought while other times you got caught holding the ball too long. Endurance was a big factor when playing 3 games on a Sunday. The back-to-back games were brutal even though we had 4 lines. Specifically, it seemed the 3rd game was always the grueling game. We ran out of gas, and it seemed that game was the one we struggled with the most. Guys must prepare themselves better in 2024. You need to be doing cardio at least 3 times a week from March on. Lastly, the “commitment & fight” in the Charlotte Rise roster. We knew we weren’t the most talented out of the four teams, but I wasn’t prepared for the “fight” inside these guys had. They never gave up, never blamed each other, they worked harder as the going got tougher, and they truly finished every game off. It had everything to do with the “leadership” and veterans (cooler way of not saying old) we had on the team. And not just the captains; it was everybody. We had so many vocal leaders and “positive” people on that team. I said it to all of them constantly, “I’ve never, ever, played on a team with zero wins that all are committed to each other and the effort and not giving up or blaming their fellow players.” That comment is true in two ways; the first being ACTUAL. They never gave up and gave everything they had without pointing fingers, but secondly, me personally, I’ve never been on a team that didn’t win a game but I never told them that…ha ha ha ha…. however, I now have but I loved the experience.
The Crowns and Rise had disappointing seasons to each of their separate standards.
Greco: As the defending Tier 3 champions, you guys blew two leads to the Raleigh Squall in the Carolina Division finals. A couple of months removed from that, how does it feel?
Greco: I don’t see it like that. Every game against the Squall last season was a great challenge for us. In the playoffs, we just wanted to start fast and get a lead, and we accomplished that. When a team like the Squall has as much fire power as they do, it was always going to be a challenge to hold them to a goal or 2. Unfortunately they scored in timely situations and we couldn’t pull back even with them either game.
Editor's Note: I don’t believe for a SECOND that Greco isn’t disappointed in the Crowns season
Steck: The Rise had high expectations internally but went 0-7-2. What's the feeling within the current coaching staff on how you take the next step?
Steck: Talent Pool: You must understand the Rise were limited in who we could choose from. Take any sport, in any draft; and give away the first 18 picks to another team from a talent pool. You get my point? So, we are looking forward to utilizing and trying different talent combinations to build a stronger team.
Playing Together: It was our inaugural season. We had four guys who played on the Championship Crowns team the year before, but the rest of our team never played together in something this competitive or a rink this big. The Crowns, Squall, and Surge, all had one year of playing together and knew what to expect and knew each other’s tendencies in the rink. The Rise players have learned a ton and now know exactly what to expect. Many have told me they look forward to advancing their talents this year.
Improving Our Systematic Play: Our coaching staff were FIRM believers in systems play and getting the most out of our players that they didn’t think they had. Regardless of stick skills, ANYBODY can be a great defensive zone coverage player. You basically must work your ass off, communicate vocally, stick hard on your man, and never chase to help somebody out leaving your player open. We knew this was the first tactical system we had to teach this team so we wouldn’t get blown out. The first two games were rough but slowly the guys adapted and learned. We also incorporated a “trap” system preparing for the playoff week. We look forward to incorporating more systems this year, so everybody is on the same page going over the boards on changes.
Scoring & Board Play: You can’t win many games averaging 1.2 goals per game unless you are the best goalie in the world in net. And the last time I checked he’s retired and in the NHL Hall of Fame. We must find more scorers and incorporate them in the right line combinations that can get them the ball in the right places. It takes a full unit of five players to work together and get to the open spaces on the rink. Having more talented goal scorers will help us with that. Secondly, the new rink in Waymer Park will help tremendously with our board play. It was so apparent when playing in Raleigh that all our players were NOT utilizing the boards because we had fencing in the old “Octagon”. Fencing is unpredictable and not trustworthy; hence our players have developed bad habits of not using it. That carried over in Raleigh and it took at least 3-4 games until guys started to use the boards to their advantage.
Steck: Two-part question, how did you select your coaching staff and how did you guys feel you worked together for this past season. How/Who do you think are good coaching candidates for the next season if we go to three teams?
Steck: Clearly, when this all started, and I was named the Head Coach, I was already following a legend in Jeff Kennedy who had a ton of experience playing in ball hockey and coaching the Queen City Crowns to a National Championship in the team’s inaugural season. It was a magical year to watch and following that success story was going to be hard to top. I wanted to pick a staff that consistently played in the CSHL organization and had some extensive experience in ball hockey in the past. Yes, I had a pro hockey career playing and coaching but ball hockey is a totally different game. It really is.
Colin Barrier was an easy choice. He had been playing in the CSHL for a long time. He plays in a ton of the pickup games as well, so he knew what talent we had available and where it was. Most importantly, he kept score for the CSHL League play, and he watches from the best seat in the house close to the action. He hears what players are saying on the bench, he sees which ones have attitudes, which ones communicate on the rink surface, which ones are only concerned about points, and which ones are total TEAM players. Even before the NBHL was a thought, I saw the advantage he had, and I quickly volunteered to be a score keeper as well because it would give me an advantage analyzing players and watching their tendencies. Especially on face offs. I knew he was a whiz with stats as well. I’m a huge proponent of watching film from my pro days, so having a coach that can break down statistical information I wanted to utilize (turnovers, completed pass ratios, etc..) would be extremely important to our success. He was an easy pick and accepted my invitation after a short 30-minute discussion.
Joe Petrellese was a guy I got to know coaching the Youth Program teams. He was a great guy, had an awesome sense of humor, and he knew ball hockey. I loved his coaching style in the Youth Program and found out later he played on some Championship Ball Hockey teams that won some things. From a talent perspective, he had played against some great ball hockey players and certainly knew what systems could/would work and which ones may not. I think Joe accepted my offer before I got the sentence fully out.
Tom Ward gave us a ton of insight from a view from the stands. There were several times this year he pointed out essential things going on during games and gave us some great insight on player personnel and line combos as well. He knows the game and these players.
I felt we worked fantastic as a staff. First, you guys know me, and I want to work with guys that have a great sense of humor and like to have fun. Both these guys have incredible “one liners” that had me laughing my ass off at their shenanigans a ton of the time. Early on, it became clear with the talent we had to work with, that Joe was going to have to play defense for us and be a counted-on contributor with a ton of playing time. He contributed a ton to our pregame discussions on personnel and had a ton to contribute to our weekly coaches zoom meetings. Colin did a fantastic job running the defensive core during games for the Rise and I think he gained a ton of confidence having that “pressure” of players looking at you for guidance and of course chewing them out when they made mistakes. I’d be interested in what both coaches thought of my style, personality, and hockey knowledge but you’re the Media Specialist Chris. That’s your job.
Coaching candidates would clearly be Joe, Colin, Tom, and Kennedy in some capacities if they can or want to do it again. They have experience after this year, so I think they all have earned it. Kennedy certainly with a National Championship under his belt as player/coach. Tom Carriero has a ton of ball hockey experience and coached before; I believe. You could also make a case for Player Coaches as well because Josh Greco and Jeff Kennedy made it look easy. You may have some younger players wanting to take a year off and get some experience as a head coach. Lots of things to think about and lots of options out there.
A big difference between CSHL's adult leagues and games at the NBHL level is the physicality. How hard is it for new players to adjust to this?
Steck: That took a few games to get used to for sure combined with the officiating tolerance. They let more things go because of the intensity of the competition and the speed you all are moving at. The formula: more room + higher speeds = more collisions. The disappointing part was the lack of communication between referees and players. If you have more communication early in the season of what will be tolerated and what will be called; players usually adapt and don’t bitch that much about the refs. Communication was almost non-existent and therefore ALL the players and coaches had a bad experience with the officiating this season. Let me be clear, I’m not blaming anything on the officials nor have I ever in my career; just hopeful and looking forward to possible improvements this year that’s all.
Roster makeup is a huge part of any team. The Queen City Crowns had the "first 18 picks" this season, while the Charlotte Rise were made up of the rest.
Greco: Who's one guy you missed that you wish the Crowns had rostered?
Greco: I have no regrets. Those were my least favorite conversations by far and I learned so much from having to do that. But I hated it. I did what I honestly thought was best for the team and put us in the best place to win. Matt Henry’s locker room presence was missed. Quinten Heinly’s score-from-anywhere threat was missed. Keenan Steckler’s hustle and grind and agitating was missed. Not to mention Kevin Helinski’s production. Christ, the guy is blowing almost everyone away in our Fall League this year. But it was never about what those guys could or couldn’t do. It was about putting together the team we thought could win. I learned long ago not to make decisions myself. I consulted the other leaders on the team – we didn’t all agree on everything, and I ultimately made the final decision. I appreciate how those guys took it. Q flicks me off every time he sees me now, but that’s ok I still love the guy.
Steck: Who's a player that wasn't involved in Carolina NBHL the Rise should've had on the team?
Steck: Without hesitation, Zach McKenna! He was our emergency player and played in our first exhibition games in Raleigh, but we had missed the cut-off roster date by a week when we found out about him. One of the most talented players in the CSHL right now. I put the blame on myself because I should of known every player available with a 3 state radius and he slipped through our scouting net.
Peter Becht is another guy who won the Championship with the Crowns the year before and opted not to play this past year. I think he is the best shut down defensemen in the CSHL. He can play physically, he blocks shots, he plays great d-zone coverage, and he can shoot hard.
Jake Cuomo came well after the deadline, but he will add a ton of ability to one of the three teams. Stick skills are excellent, good shot, can get to open areas and he can pass. Plus, I love his attitude. I think he will be a sponge learning systematical play.
Patrick Byrnes, this guy can score goals. The Rise needed goal scorers this past season. He would fit in nicely on any team. Surround him with some playmakers and look out.
JY, I’d love to see him commit to one of these teams. I love how he plays and his creativeness. I’ve played on the same team as him, and you just need to feed him; he does the rest!
Father/Son Luff Combo. Both can shoot, both can score. The younger lad has the speed. I hope they come out and try out this year. Ironically, they both came to me 2 days after the deadline.
Connor Malmstrom, boy talk about speed and a general pain-in-the-ass to play against. It gets tiring following him around like he’s the energizer bunny. I can’t wait to see him after we teach him systems. Plus, his youth. Watching Tier 2 in NJ, we need to get some younger players involved in the NBHL.
Hill Hollowell, really hard shot (I’ve blocked it and have welts to show for it), great awareness out there, head tends to always be up, can pass very accurately, and he just makes good decisions with the ball. I’d say he needs to pick up his intensity, faster pace, and throw his size and weight around a little more aggressively.
Fall B Division Players that I feel can be GREAT role players for the right team and line combinations: Brownlow, Severins, Petrini, Rios, Sheridan, May, Kerr, Russell, Carriero, Berg
Young Bucks; who knows, I got my eyes on these guys….Karson Steckler, Joey Petrellese, Cole Heslin, James Terjesen…..
Steck: The Rise went with alternate captains during their inaugural season. Who's wearing the 'C' next year?
Steck: Extremely tough to say right now Chris. My Coaching staff contracts have not been renewed yet by management and we had a winless season. Who knows what is in store for this upcoming season. I wouldn’t put it past this young 57-year-old to get a great diet, get in shape, and show you all how to win face-offs, play defensive zone coverage, and light the lamp occasionally.
Greco: You spent the first season as the Crowns captain, then last season as a Captain/Coach. Do you want to "coach" again or was it too much responsibility?
Greco: Let’s chalk 2023 up to an interesting experience. I embraced the role I had when it became clear what the role was going to be. I would fully embrace having a coach next season who can solely focus on coaching so I can solely focus on playing. I wouldn’t choose to be player/coach again, but if I had to do it, I would. If I did it again, I wouldn’t try to live up to a role I thought I needed to fill. Even if it hadn’t been done before, I would create and delegate more to my leaders’ strengths. I/we eventually got to that point last season, I would just embrace it sooner this time around.
Steck: For you, the Rise are a family affair. Being an ex-pro, how is it coaching two of your sons (Keenan & Jayden), with a third on the way in a couple of years (Karson)?
Steck: Boy, that sounds like a loaded question but here it goes: Optimistic, Interesting, Frustrating, Rewarding, and fun as shit…….and the thing that trumps all of those, PROUD! Nothing better in this world than to see your own flesh and blood adopt the passion for the sport you have always had. Now, do they listen to me? About 50% of the time and NEVER when home chores are involved.
All joking aside, they both have worked extremely hard to get their talents to the point they are at now. It hasn’t been easy for them with dad chirping in their ears to do the things in the rink correctly and be in the right spots consistently. But, as the Rise coach, I felt they really stepped up their games and intensity out there showing extreme hustle and a bunch of the older guys responded to that. I know they did that because they wanted to show they earned their way on the team. No free rides from dad. I tried as much as possible not to show favoritism and I was harder on the two of them than other guys on the team. I also put them in some “tense” situations during the season so they could experience it. Overtime shifts and such.
Greco: You've put so much into CSHL the past few years. How does it feel seeing the progress Charlotte ball hockey is making?
Greco: It’s fricken amazing. I really believe no one is doing it better across the entire country. No one has as many people as we do who care as much as we do about where we are going.
Look at where we were 2 years ago compared to now – it’s unbelievable! My goal has always been to build community. That doesn’t mean catering to the best players or trying to win all the time. It means providing an experience where people can have fun and develop camaraderie with other league members. What we built and are building is bigger than hockey. It just so happens we all love hockey too. And Chris, you are a big part of that. If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? We have great ball hockey talent here in Charlotte, but if no one knows about it, can it actually grow?! The work you are doing with social media and the website (spoiler alert) is the rocket fuel to this rocket. Thanks to you and your team for what you guys do. It’s pretty cool to watch.
Editor’s Note: Greco I promise I’ll update the website soon
The two Charlotte-based NBHL teams were run as separate organizations last season, is that the plan for the upcoming one?
Greco: Meh, it started off somewhat united until we realized our teams had different practice needs. I’m not sure what will develop this season. What I can tell you is that we are more united than ever. I developed an NBHL-Charlotte leadership group so there is a diverse group of opinion on what’s best for Charlotte-based NBHL teams. As we get into the team-making process and talk about 2024’s outlook, we’ll see what happens. With 3 Charlotte teams, which is looking more and more possible, I don’t see how we all practice together. But we’ll settle into something that works and it’ll be unique from 2022 and 2023 I’m sure.
Steck: My suggestion for how to start is to name the 2 or 3 team coaching staff(s) first. My belief is it all starts with the coaches. We’ve discussed some candidates with the Board. You got to get their passionate buy-in first. It all starts there. If players don’t see the commitment from the coaching staff(s) they aren’t going to believe in the program and give their commitment. It MUST be run like a pro-organization. Once that is in place, the coaches can then pick their staff, adopt their system strategy, mold their player personnel around their strategy, and everything will fall into place. We’re limited on our facilities a little bit but we’re in a much better place than a year ago. I’m looking forward to the OTA’s and seeing the number of players interested in being part of this. It started off rough for the Rise coaching staff early last year, but it was an awesome experience and a ton of fun. Maybe it had to start that way to reap the success the CSHL players got out of the experience. I believe in two things: destiny from the big guy in the sky and covering your own defensive end from the goal mouth out Chris! You know that.
Where do you see the Carolina division going as far as NBHL is concerned, are we heading to tier 2 or expanding in tier 3?
Greco: Tough to say. We are immersed in those discussions right now. The first thing that needs to happen is to align ourselves with long-term goals. What do we want this experience to be for our players? Then make decisions based on that.
Steck: Great question, right now we aren’t controlling the strings to the puppet. That’s in the hands of the RBHL right now. Will they listen to our feedback? Time will tell. Personally, I find it very hard to expand into other Tier’s until you have an 8-team division in Tier 3 that is successful. When we started this the first year, we had more teams. Then teams pulled out and Charlotte was forced to put in an extra team to get to four teams somewhat against their will. So, history shows it’s hard to keep things consistent and engaged. Atlanta had a Tier 2 team and ended up having to sit out because the other teams folded. I certainly don’t want that to happen in the Carolina Division. I think we need to build it to 8 teams before we think about doing something else. That would be my definition of success. I also really don’t see what Tier 2 has to offer our organization. We are growing and need to grow more before going to that. Lastly, once you step over the line and enter Tier 2, there is no going back that I see. You would have to break up a team to revert to Tier 3. Just my 2 cents but I don’t see the point.
Will there be a third CSHL-affiliated NBHL team?
Greco: Yes, it’s looking that way. I’ve learned anything can change, but we have every intention of making 3 Charlotte-based teams. A huge feather in the cap of CSHL.
Steck: Boy I hope so. I’m on the Board to put the spreadsheet of talent together and it is impressive right now. I think 3 teams would work great. 10-11 forwards, 5-6 defensemen, 2 goalies…It will work great with our talent pool right now if 65-70% of the talent pool is committed to that. And yes, those three teams will be competitive for sure. It will make our CSHL organization so much more talented and experienced. It will also attract younger players to our youth program seeing what they can be a part of if they stick with the program.
Hypothetically, let's say we start over and the Rise & Crowns draft from scratch. Who's your 1.01 pick?
Greco: Nice try. At that pick, I’m looking for production and leadership. Gotta be the total package.
Steck: Oh boy Chris, another loaded question that you’re looking to get me in trouble with. So, ok, here it goes………………….” It will be a Charlotte Rise player for sure.” One thing that will never be in doubt is Uncle Stecky’s loyalty buddy. The Rise players played hard for this coaching staff, that must be rewarded.
Who are a couple of players you expect big improvement from during the 2024 season?
Greo: Andy Zachowicz – I’m excited to see what he does with a full season under his belt and with his newfound commitment to his fitness.
Caleb Brownlow – hard to keep improving when you’re a top player already. Caleb’s vision, hockey smarts, and physicality make him so tough to play against, and he keeps getting better. I’m proud of the way he continues to grow and learn.
Chris Napierala – I loved his physical presence. Chris is an absolute gamer and dawg#1 ready to go to battle. He contributes in multiple ways when he’s out there.
Ryan Prusia – it’s hard to remember how young he is. He’s still improving, still growing.
Chris Cookingham – he has so much to his game. He found himself centering L1 before the season finished last year. I’d love him to develop that finishing touch. He can do it.
Benny Thompson – such a physical presence and I like how his game came along last season. He’s only been playing the game a short amount of time, so just by sheer repetition he’s getting better. We’ve seen it already in our local Fall League this season.
Jack Ingalls – I’d like to see him slow down and pick his head up during one of his shifts. Looking forward to that in 2024.
Steck: I really expect the 2023 Charlotte Rise players, all of them, to get better in the new season. It’s hard to just single out certain guys. It was such a steep learning curve for all of us in the inaugural season and none of us had played together in something like this before. It takes time for guys to get used to anticipating where certain players will be on the rink in certain situations. It took a long time for players to get acclimated to such a large playing surface in Raleigh. I can mention a few players that I felt made huge leaps in certain areas, but I don’t think that’s fair to everybody that contributed. The Coaching staff was very vocal and adamant about this statement, “We need EVERYBODY on this team no matter what role you’re given, or you will adopt. We are out-gunned right now so we need to make up for it in our UNITY and playing together as a TEAM and we need your ultimate EFFORT until the horn sounds.” I tell you what Chris, we got exactly what we asked for from everyone of these guys on the Rise this year. It was incredible. Never seen anything like it and I’m so happy and proud to be a part of that inaugural season. It was a special journey in my hockey career. It really was.
On a 1-10, how excited are you for CSHLINSIDER to become NBHLINSIDER during the 2024 NBHL season?
Greco: Let’s G10OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Steck: I can’t wait buddy, I give it a “10”, either as a fan, a coach, a player, or a stat guy; I can’t wait for this next NBHL season. It’s fun to be a part of and I hope more in the CSHL organization get involved.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, October 28th
Come hang with CSHL and our partners at Carolina Beer Temple!
Carolina Beer Temple is closing E. Charles Street between North Trade and Library Lane to throw a Halloween Party with our friends! We are going to have several character cars, like a Tonka Truck, Pokemon Car, Transformers Cars etc. doing a Trunk or Treat! There will also be inflatable Archery from Chuck it Axes and a Hockey Shootout provided by the Charlotte Street Hockey League which will both be free to play and we will have The Matthews Farmers market giving away apples, Troop 139 out selling goodies, Comic Creator Levi Erickson will be out with his Bigfoot Comic titled Big, Pack 46 with Pumpkins, Matthews Help Center with those last minute costumes and much more!!! And the best part is the event is FREE!!!
Then when the sun goes down the fun starts for the adults as we kick off the Historic Downtown Matthews Zombie Crawl!!! Dress in your best Zombie attire and come roam the streets of downtown Matthews with us! We start off at Cellar and Ale and then take a picture of all the Zombies in front of Town Hall! After that we break into groups and hit some of the best bars in Matthews, Carolina Beer Temple, Grace O'Malley's and Stumptwon Station, before finishing at the Matthews Ballroom for the Zombie Prom with DJ and free food provided by Portrait Gallery! Tickets for the Zombie Crawl are only $18 and they are going to go fast!!!
Saturday, December 2nd: The Almost Winter Classic!!!
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