#48

Beauty of a logo from the boys (and girl) over in the BHL!

                           

                                                          BHL Team Blog

    This week has been a fantastic week for Biscuits and Breezers! I had the great privilege to work with the Basement Hockey League and quite a lot of the current players! To start off, let me tell you that this is a GREAT league to work with. Fantastic work ethics, great personalities from everyone I talked to, so polite in speaking with me, and all in all just a family atmosphere from everyone involved. How this all started was I got in contact with one of my most frequent clients Johnathan Macklin and we decided that his home-town grown "Beer League" needed more attention and I agreed immensely. This team emerged last year at the Northwestern Classic Tournament in Spokane, and gradually became known as the biggest party team there. But not in a bad way! They were notorious for their locker room parties but beasts out on the ice. Not necessarily winning the most games but putting as much effort out as they possibly could. This year in the tournament they will have an "A" team and a "B" team with 15 skaters each. 

     
        Who wants to know how the BHL started? I knew you did! Back in 2011 a couple of fellow hockey players Andrew Barnett, Giles Charles, Cory Nolan, and Johnathan Macklin were saucing biscuits in Andrew's basement and decided just for fun to start the early stages of the BHL. One thing led to another and Johnathan Macklin drew up a design and slapped it on some jerseys just in time for the Northwestern Classic. This will be the BHL's 3rd season in the tournament. "The BHL is for all players who love the game and even more so love to hang with the boys." This is a direct quote from one of the founders Johnathan Macklin. The BHL played in the Clark Cup in Tri-Cities this summer. Unfortunately, co-founders Andrew, Cory, and Nolan no longer play in the BHL but they still play in the tournament with the Coeur D'Alene Colts reunion team.

        As you all have already been informed I got to talk with some of the players majorly involved with the BHL to get to know the team a little better. The players I had the privilege to talk with were team captain Brett Tobin, key goal tender Tyler Zetting, Assistant captain Matthew McGregor, Taylor Buak, and Calvin Landby, and of course assistant captain Johnathan Macklin.  I only received some player info from Johnathan but here are the materials I have! Tyler Zetting is wearing #31, 6 ft 0 in, 165 lbs and is from Palmdale, California. He catches left and played in the BCHL for the Burnaby Express and the Okotoks Oilers in the AJHL. Also for Western Washington University for the '12-'13 season. A random "fact" that was requested to be put in here about Tyler was that the once drank a full bottle of Tabasco sauce just because someone laughed at him for saying his tacos were hot....I have no comment on this but hey what was requested shall be put in here! I don't want to disappoint anyone! Assistant captain Johnathan Macklin wears #32, 6 ft 1 in, 165 lbs, and is from Spirit Lake, Idaho. He is a forward/defenseman who shoots right, played for the Puget Sound Tomahawks in '07, the Coeur D'Alene Lakers in '08, and due to an injury only played at Eastern Washington University from '10 until '12. A random fact that he wanted in here was that he was a nationally ranked amateur water skier when he was 16. Again something that was requested. Captain Brett Tobin wears #16, 6 ft 3 in, 215 lbs, and is from Twin Lakes, Idaho. He is a defenseman who shoots left and played for the Coeur D'Alene Lakers in the '07-'08 season, Minnesota Northern Lights from '08 until '10 and now plays for the Eastern Washington University hockey team for the '12-'13 season. A random fact for Brett was that he was Valedictorian at Lakeland High School in '08 and is currently getting his masters in Geology. Brett very firmly requested that I say he likes long walks on the beach. Ya not much to say about that...ya. Ok moving on! Assistant captain Mathew McGregor is wearing #22, 6 ft 3 in, 200 lbs, and is from Littleton, Colorado. He is a defenseman who shoots right, played for the Coeur D'Alene Lakers in '07-'08, and captained for them in the '08-'09 season. A random fact about him is that he took a puck to the face in the '08 season and knocked out 4 of his front teeth and still finished the game strong.  Their first line will be made up of Brett Tobin, Ben Cordel, and Missoula Maulers player Dustin Pierce on the forward line with Johnathan Macklin and Matthew McGregor on the blue line.

       I want to start off with the interviews so let's start with the man that started it all.  I first asked Johnathan "Being one of the 'ringleaders' of the BHL how do you feel about the progression and growth of the league?" Johnny replied with, "So far I can't complain...I'd love nothing more to keep the Basement Boys growing over the years. Honestly back when we were drinking beers in the basement of Andrew's house shooting the puck around I never thought it would actually become even this big. 2013 will be our 3rd year in the classic and I hope to keep it going for years to come." The next question I asked Johnny was, "As the league continues to grow, how do you plan to compensate for the large number of players under your control, judgment, placement etc.?" Macklin responded, "I wouldn't quite call it a 'league' yet but expansion is always good. This year we have made room and will be shooting for 2 teams of 15 man rosters each for the Northwestern Classic. I'd like to also be able to spread out into more adult 'beer league' tourneys across the North West such as the annual Clark Cup we played in last July in Tri-Cities as well as hopefully more to come. I want a place for any aged out junior players in the area to still be able to play some good hockey as well as having that traveling, team bonding experience we all miss so much from our younger days." I then needed an answer to, "How is it managing and playing on the same team? Does it affect relationships between you and the other players? Is it more stressful?" He replied, "It definitely has it's stress factor especially when it comes to collecting the money because our players are so spread out over the North West...as far as the relationship status myself and the rest of the boys is another hurdle we'll have to overcome when it comes time to split this year's group into an A and B squad...I'm sure there will be some players with issues on placement but for now I'm just trying to use my knowledge of each individual player to put together a competitive team that has a shot at winning some games against some stiff competition. Another stressful part of my job is making sure we get the right jerseys ordered, numbers and sizing to match, as well as getting the schedule of the tournament out to each individual player." I asked Johnny, "Personally, do you have goals for yourself dealing with college hockey, BHL, or otherwise?" Johnny said, " Well I'd like to actually get back into school and finish a full season...I was cut short in 2010 with an AC joint separation then in 2011 because of money issues with the school. As for the BHL my goal is to just make a steady hockey club for the boys who aren't quite ready to hang 'em up after their Juniors or college careers are through." One of the last questions I asked Johnathan was, "Would you ever consider letting Europeans play on your teams?" He replied, "I also want it to not only to be just a beer league team but an organization that anyone is welcome to come 'join the party' so to speak and party with us not only on the ice but off the ice as well. We welcome all imports! There's some great players across the Atlantic! As of now we have players coming in from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Alaska, Virginia, and California but would eventually love to spread the Basement Boys mentality even further!"  Running down on the questions list I asked him, " How do you feel about the guys on your teams? Better player relationships on or off the ice? Or equal? " He responded, " I'd have to say I love the guys both on and off the ice. Most of them I also played either Juniors or college with so it gives us that team bonding experience that no other athletes in the world would comprehend whether it be in the basement playing pong, at the local bar singing karaoke, bonfires at the lake, in the locker room, or on the ice....it's a friendship we'll have forever. I still keep in touch with most of the old team mates event though after juniors we spread back out across the country and even other countries. That's part of the reason we do these tourneys so we can still come together as a team like our 'glory days'." The last question I had for Johnny was, "With everything said and done, we will you still remain a basement boy for life until you can't strap the skates on anymore? Boys by your side for life?" He answered the last question with, "That's the plan! BHL4LIFE!!! I couldn't even imagine not being able to lace up and enjoy the greatest game on Earth even if it is beer league or pickup games on the lake! Just the thought of that not skating...I need a moment..." A quote that I also got from Johnathan after the interview that I thought was pretty amazing was, " I have a passion for this sort of thing! I want to market a team someday like a WHL team." Let's get this guy up in the league people! As I found out later, talking with Johnathan, the BHL received their first European player! His name is Ivan Cherni and he comes from Akkerman, Ukraine and will be wearing #91. Thanks Johnathan for the interview and your time!

Here is the roster site for the BHL and the BHL's website: https://sites.google.com/site/bhockeyleague/bhl-tournament-team/tournament-roster

The new slogan for the BHL is "If you can't out skate them, out party them." The older one was "Party as hard as you play."

The BHL also wants to thank The Magic Lantern Movie Theatre in Spokane, Washington as their sponsor and all the support coming from them!

      Now we have come to assistant captain Calvin Landby's interview! The first question I asked Calvin was, "How is it being involved in the BHL? Is it a more close knit family than your college hockey team?" Calvin then replied, " It's in the process of being a close knit family, once we get a solid foundation for a team and program. I believe it feels like playing a regular team." The next question I asked was, "Do you think that this team has the potential to expand into multiple teams instead of just 2?" Landby then responded, " I definitely think so, already after one year of playing tournaments we already have 2 teams which is huge so the more we put the word out about the program the more we should expand." I then asked, "Do you think the BHL could be a legitimate league some day?" Landby replied, "Most definitely. Probably nothing more than an adult league but for sure a well-respected league in the area." After that I asked, "Do you ever think, with the skill you have, you will be named captain for one of the teams?" He responded, "I have been named assistant captain of one of the teams which is an honor only being my 2nd year in the organization but I believe one day I can be captain just have to keep a good dedication to the club." I needed another answer so I asked, "How does it feel being a major part of the BHL?" Calvin then said, "It's great to be a part of the organization and having a say in what goes on in day to day operation." The second to last question I asked was, "Are you BHL4LIFE? Meaning that will you stay with this organization for as long as you can?" Calvin responded for the last time with, "Sure am, it's like saying hockey for life. It's something your passionate about and hope to be a part of for a long time." Thanks Calvin for the interview and your time!

Original Logo and slogan (Credit to BHL)

   

         Well now we move onto Taylor Buak's interview. Taylor is currently the first female player for the BHL and I thought it would be a great opportunity to have an interview with female player striving a male dominate league. Here we go! The first question I asked Taylor was, "How is it being the only female player in a male dominate league?" She answered me back with, "Well, I've been playing hockey ever since I was 3, and up until I was 15, I played with all boys. So I have to say I'm kind of used to it, but it will be fun." I then asked Taylor, "What is your approach for this season? Any goals for yourself?" She replied, "Just to have fun! My defense partner is my boyfriend so I'm looking forward to that. But other than that I just want to have fun and kick some butt." The next question I needed an answer to was, " How do you think this season will go for yourself?" Buak responded, "My goal is just to improve my overall game and score some goals during the season! I think the season will go pretty well, I'm really looking forward to playing in this league!" I then asked, "Where do you expect to see yourself in the next 5 years? With ice hockey? Personally?" She said, "Well I will probably just be playing for a local league or something. Nothing big. I played hockey competitively when I was in high school, but had to stop because I broke my tailbone...so my body can't really handle what it used to. I just love to play. It's who I am...It's what I do." Then I needed an answer to, "If a team or league was interested in you no matter what level what would you want to tell them at this very moment?" Buak then responded by saying, "YES!" The last question I asked Taylor was, "Is the BHL just a stepping stone for you to something bigger? Do you think this will be your only season with the BHL?" The last answer in the interview I got from Taylor was, "Well I've never played with them before, so I really don't know what to expect. I'm just looking forward to the experience, new friends, memories, and fun! And I doubt it will be my only season with them, I've already made lots of new friends!" Thanks Taylor for the interview and your time! 

Some of the "Basement Boys" in November 2012 (Credit of BHL)

     The next interview I have for you all is with team captain Brett Tobin. The first question I asked Brett was, "How does it feel to be the captain of one of the teams this year?" Brett replies, "Oh it's an honor to be named captain on one of Johnny's teams in the classic. Johnny has done a great job putting together solid teams in years past so I'm mostly just happy I could be on the teams and to be apart of the classic this year." I then asked Tobin, "How are you going to lead your team to make sure you guys have an extreme chance of coming out on top?" Tobin so graciously answered, "Well I think a big part of my contribution to this team so far has been some recruiting, specifically Tyler Zetting who plays with me on the Western Washington University Vikings and I think he will be the key to our success, but also I see myself  playing two way hockey for this team. I'm the kind of guy who will get in front of a shot or two but also can put the biscuit in the basket when it needs to happen. I do my best to lead both with inspiring words in the locker room and with my on ice play, trying to lead by example." I asked Brett, "What are you going to do differently than the teams last year to improve your chances of winning?" Brett then answered with, "Ah it's hard to say exactly what will set us ahead of the rest, sure we've got a rock solid tendy and have been working to recruit a couple new guys that will give us some depth on this team, but I think the big difference is our eyes are on winning this thing, not on the distractions at the beer garden...well at least not until Sunday when we're celebrating." The next question I had for Brett was, "What do you think is your biggest strength as a captain?" Tobin responded, "Um it's tough to say exactly I played in Minnesota for 4 years where I was coached by a couple excellent coaches so I pride myself on my hockey smarts but I also really hate losing and that usually gives me a little extra drive to bury one more geno or come away with the puck from a corner battle." I then asked him, "Ah in five years it's hard to say exactly where I'll be, I like to live life by the seat of my pants. Right now I'm going to school for my master's degree in geology and would love to get some sort of badass job as a field geologist in a geothermal energy project but we'll see. One thing for sure I'm likely to be returning to the classic for years to come!" I asked Tobin, "Would you ever consider a career in coaching?" Brett answered, "I actually have already coached a little bit. While in Minnesota I was the assistant coach for Eagan's U16 team and then was the head coach the following year for the peewee team, I definitely see myself doing that again in the future whether it's just for my sons team or in the show only time will tell." The next question I needed an answer to was, "How far do you think you will go in hockey outside of college?" Tobin told me, "Well hockey has always been a huge part of my life. In fact I didn't think I was going to play this year but one trip to the rink later an I haven't missed a practice. As for post college I will always play men's league if I can and try to give back in other ways like coaching. I truly do hope to coach my son's team, it's one of my worst nightmares that my son will want to play basketball." The second to last question I asked Brett was, "Are you going to play hockey till the last day?" He responded, "Oh yeah, until somebody tells me I'm not allowed on the ice I'll be lacing 'em up!" One of the last questions I asked was, "How far do you personally want to go with the BHL?" He said, "Ah Johnny and I have been friends for a long time so I can see myself with BHL for a while, probably as long as it goes." The second to last question I asked was, "How are you going to prepare the new comers for this year's tournament?" The captain replied," Well these guys have been scouted for a while to make sure they're the type that can play under the pressure that the classic brings and Johnny, I, and the others involved in finding guys think we have the right group this year. As long as everyone buys into the BHL philosophy, win 1st, party 2nd these guys will blend right in with the rest of the boys." The last question I asked Brett was, "With everything that is going on with your geology career, coaching, and playing career how do you handle all the stress that comes along with that?" Tobin responded the last time with, "Well there are definitely times that everything seems to be going full throttle at which point I have to just look for the light at the end of the tunnel and sort of just react to what is being thrown at me and hope I'm good enough to get everything done well. For the most part I have I have hockey to balance work and the rest of my life. Hockey helps by giving me a nice treat that I can go do if I've finished the rest of my responsibilities ya know."  Thanks Brett for the interview and your time!

Another BHL logo sent to me (Credit to BHL)

         The last interview I have for this fantastic league would be star goaltender Tyler 'Zetts' Zetting. The first thing I asked Tyler was, "How do you plan to make your game increase so you guys have a better chance of winning?" Zetts responded with, "That's a great question! I'm going to put some extra emphasis on pre-game mental preparation so that I can be as focused as possible. I know tournaments like these are loads of fun, but it's easy to get distracted from the games. My usual pre-game meals of hamburgers and mini-donuts might need to change as well. Luckily, I'll be in top physical condition as we'll be fresh off of our season at Western." My next question for Zetts was, "How are you taking a mental approach to this classic?" Tyler answered, "My mental approach is actually a lot different than most goalies. A lot of goaltenders take a serious pre-game approach, keeping to themselves and visualizing their play on the ice. I don't turn down the intensity at all, I can be very intense. However, I'm all about keeping the boys comfortable and loose in the locker room. 5 minutes before we go on the ice for warm-ups, I'll start going through visual preparations of what I want to accomplish out there." Going on the topic of pre-game warm ups I asked, "What is you pre-game routine? Any pre-game rituals? Special foods?" I also found that he sings the National Anthem in its entirety as loud as he can before every game. Anyway, his answer was, "My pre-game routine includes a lot of singing with the boys, a lot of terrible jokes being thrown around, and a lot of talking about the game. I try not to get too wrapped up in rituals, but if we are on a winning streak, I have to wear the same clothes to pre-game workouts until we lose." I then asked him, "Where do you think you will be in the next 5 years in goaltending?" Zetts responded, "No matter what life holds, I can guarantee I will still be playing hockey 5 years from now. After I graduate from Western I might take a shot at playing somewhere else competitively. However, if I get the type of job I'm hoping for after college, I'll still find a good-quality beer league to play for and hopefully I'll be returning member for this team years down the road as well!" The next question I asked was, " What level of competition are you talking about?" Zetts replied, "As far as level of competition, I'd love to play as high-level as I possibly could. It'd be a blast to play for an ECHL team and just live life as a hockey player!" I then asked Tyler, "How are you going to prepare the new comers for this year's tournament?" Zetting answered with, "As a newcomer myself, I'm really excited to meet a new group of guys who love to play hockey and have fun. Obviously, I'll take less of a leadership role vocally, but I plan to lead by example on the ice. The final question was, "Would you ever consider playing in Europe for one/multiple seasons?" He answered me back with, "You never know what can happen! Honestly, though, school is taking my top priority right now, so if my degree gets me my dream job, I'm going to take that and run with it." Thanks Tyler for the interview and your time!

Make sure to like them on Facebook at 'Basement Hockey League' so you can get weekly updates on this fabulous team!

       As you can see by the interviews, history, and the people involved in the BHL, it really is a great league that is going to go very far. Yes, it is just a beer league right now, but it is rapidly growing and expanding every day. I am so happy to be partnered with this league now and I hope that the BHL and Biscuits and Breezers will be able to grow together in the future. I want to say thank you once more to Johnathan Macklin, Calvin Landby, Matthew McGregor, Taylor Buak, Brett Tobin, and Tyler Zetting for the interviews and the time they lent me to accomplish them! If you ever get a chance to see them play individually or at the Northwest Classic in Spokane either in this upcoming March or April, you really should. These are great people playing the greatest sport on Earth at its finest. This kind of enthusiasm and appreciation for the sport of ice hockey is what created the NHL basically. It created and spread around the greatest sport on Earth. Good luck with your individual teams this season and I hope to come watch you guys in the classic this year! Thanks again so much BHL! I'm proud to be a partner of your organization!