Around The Rink

Finalists announced for RBC CJHL Player of the Year

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

This season, more than 3,000 players suited up for Junior A games across Canada, from Nanaimo, B.C., to Woodstock, N.B. But only 10 have been named as finalists for the RBC Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year award.

The finalists were selected by their respective CJHL leagues, with the winner announced during the 2013 RBC Cup in Summerside, P.E.I., and presented with his award at the tournament awards banquet on May 17.

The winner will join a distinguished list of past honourees that includes current and former NHLers Joe Colborne (2008,), Kyle Turris (2007), Jeff Tambellini (2002), Dany Heatley (1999), Mike Comrie (1998), Paul Kariya (1992) and Greg Johnson (1989).

MICHAEL PONTARELLI - CORNWALL COLTS (CENTRAL CANADA HOCKEY LEAGUE)
All Michael Pontarelli did this season was score, score, and score some more. The Cornwall Colts forward led the CCHL in scoring with 107 points, and was not only the lone player in the league to score more than 40 goals, he was the only one to get to 50, finishing with 52. He ran away with the Colts' scoring title, finishing 45 points ahead of Marly Quince, and was rewarded for his offensive exploits with the CCHL's MVP and sportsmanship and ability awards, as well as the first-ever CJHL MVP and Top Forward honours.

In his first season of Junior A hockey, Pontarelli was selected to serve as an alternate captain, a testament to not only his on-ice performance, but his off-ice influence as well. The Laval, Que., native quickly became a fan favourite, with No. 9 jerseys a common sight at Colts games.

Pontarelli, who has long had an NCAA scholarship in his sights, will enter Union College probably next fall, with hopes of earning a degree in economics while continuing his playing career with the Bulldogs.

MIKE DIETRICH - MINNESOTA WILDERNESS (SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE)
The captain of one of the highest-ranked teams in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, Mike Dietrich has had a year to remember, leading the Wilderness to the greatest regular season in SIJHL history - 51 wins in 56 games, the last 41 without a loss in regulation time - and earning the league's scoring title, with 28 goals and 77 points in 46 games, and player of the year award.

On and off the ice, Dietrich is a captain in the truest sense of the word. He lets his play do the talking on the ice, isn't afraid to tackle a problem in the dressing room, and has earned fan favourite status in Cloquet, Minn., not only for his scoring prowess, but for his true compassion for the community, the young kids and fans of hockey.

As Dietrich completes his final season of junior eligibility, he recognizes the need for academic success, and has been taking part-time college courses in recent years in hopes of earning a scholarship that will allow him to get the education he wants while also continuing to play the game he loves.

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CHARLIE FINN - KINGSTON VOYAGEURS (ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE)
Statistically speaking, there wasn't a goaltender that came close to Charlie Finn this season. Finn led the OJHL in goals-against average (2.15), save percentage (.941) and shutouts (eight), and finished fourth in wins (25) and saves (1,348). Not surprisingly, he took home the OJHL Top Goaltender award, to go along with the goaltender of the year honours he earned for posting the league's lowest GAA, and was runner-up for OJHL MVP. Finn also made his international debut this season, wearing the red and white of Canada East at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge.

A 20-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., Finn has learned to lead by example, and is well-respected by his teammates as the ultimate team player, someone who would trade all of his individual accolades (and he has a lot of them) for a chance at a championship.

Finn had an 84 per cent average in high school in both British Columbia and Ontario, and has been accepted into Colgate University beginning this fall. He has aspirations of earning a law degree and one day working for the NHL or NHLPA.

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MITCH GILLAM - CHILLIWACK CHIEFS (BRITISH COLUMBIA HOCKEY LEAGUE)
How important was Mitch Gillam to the success of the Chilliwack Chiefs this season? Named team MVP for the second year in a row, the goaltender was among the busiest in the BCHL, finishing second in minutes played and shots faced, and leading the way in saves, averaging 33 stops per game. Named the Coastal Conference MVP, Gillam had the league's second-best goals-against average and save percentage, and even scored - he was credited with a goal during a Dec. 28 game against Surrey.

No matter how busy he was on the ice, Gillam always found time to make off-ice contributions in the community, participating in the team's Read with the Chiefs program and Salvation Army Christmas Kettles initiative, and he was a regular at community events, representing the team.

The Peterborough, Ont., native will head south of the border to pursue a post-secondary education in the fall; he will attend Cornell University, play for the Big Red and enroll in the architecture program in urban and regional planning.

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BENJAMIN LALIBERTE - PANTHÈRES DE SAINT-JÉRÔME (LIGUE DE HOCKEY JUNIOR AAA DU QUÉBEC)
You won't find his name anywhere near the top of the Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec scoring list, but it's arguable that few players had the impact on his team that Benjamin Laliberté had with the Panthères de Saint-Jérôme. A former first-round pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft (12th overall by Gatineau in 2009), Laliberté played provided veteran leadership, and 81 points, to a Panthères team that finished with the LHJAAAQ's best regular season record.

But his impact was felt in more ways than just his on-ice play. A dedicated student with an 87% average at CEGEP Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Laliberté is quick to provide academic assistance to his teammates, often serving as a tutor after practice.

Although he no longer has NCAA eligibility due to his time in the QMJHL, Laliberté continues to pursue a post-secondary education in Canada, and hopes to combine hockey and academics for the foreseeable future.

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CAM MACLISE - BROOKS BANDITS (ALBERTA JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE)
Cam Maclise had so much fun in 2011-12, winning Brooks' MVP and Top Forward awards, finishing second in league scoring and helping the Bandits to an AJHL championship, that he decided to do it again this season. Maclise again won the two team awards, again finished top three in AJHL scoring and again won the league title, and this time added the AJHL MVP award to his trophy case, captaining Brooks to league records for wins and points in a season and the No. 1 ranking in Canada for most of the season.

The Bandits' undisputed leader on the ice, Maclise has taken the same role in the community, participating in the team's Reading with the Bandits program and skating with teams during local minor hockey association practices, all while holding down a part-time job from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday to Friday.

Maclise's lost his NCAA eligibility after spending the 2009-10 season with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, but intends to pursue a post-secondary education in engineering or business while continuing his playing career in CIS.

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MITCHELL MAYNARD - SUMMERSIDE WESTERN CAPITALS (MARITIME HOCKEY LEAGUE)
Picked up by the Summerside Western Capitals for his leadership and big-game experience, Mitchell Maynard provided unexpected offence for the RBC Cup host team, finishing second in Summerside scoring, and fifth in the MHL, with 80 points; prior to this year, his highest point in three previous junior seasons was 31. Maynard, who won a Memorial Cup as a member of the host Shawinigan Cataractes last year, was rewarded for his big season with the MHL Player of the Year award.

The Halifax, N.S., native is a fantastic ambassador for the Western Capitals program; this season alone, Maynard has raised money for breast cancer research and under-privileged families, given his time to Summerside minor hockey and schools, and attended birthday parties for young fans.

Despite all of his hockey and volunteer efforts, Maynard has also found time to focus on education. He enrolled this year in the engineering program at the University of P.E.I., and will look to continue in that field, as well as continue his career, at a CIS school in the fall.

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GUILLAUME NAUD - DAUPHIN KINGS (MANITOBA JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE)
The winner of the MJHL MVP award, Guillaume Naud was a member of one of the highest scoring trios in Junior A hockey, combining with Dauphin Kings teammates Jesse Synatynski and Jon Gaudet for 271 points, helping the Kings to a 20-game winning streak to close out the regular season, clinching the MJHL's best record. Playing his first season in Manitoba after one year with the OJHL's Wellington Dukes, Naud was the league's top set-up man, racking up an MJHL-high 56 assists.

A native Francophone, Naud hasn't let the language barrier get in his way of being a part of the community. He regularly took part in French classes at Dauphin schools, as well as collecting food and clothing for various local drives and participating on Rotary Club floats during Pumpkinfest and Christmas parades.

Naud has been taking English classes in Dauphin, and has aspirations of attending an English university, studying civil engineering and continuing his playing career at the CIS level.

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TAIT SEGUIN - NORTH BAY TRAPPERS (NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE)
The youngest of the 10 nominees, Tait Seguin burst onto the junior hockey scene in 2012-13, leading all NOJHL rookies in goals, assists and points and finishing fifth in scoring on a very strong North Bay team with 41 points in 46 games. His performance earned him a spot on the NOJHL First All-Star Team, and he was the runner-up for the league's rookie of the year award.

Off the ice, Seguin has proved to be a role model for his teammates, despite not turning 18 until March 21. All season, he was consistently one of the first Trappers on the ice and one of the last off of it, and has never hesitated to get involved in community activities.

Seguin was honoured as the NOJHL Scholastic Player of the Year after graduating high school a year early and finishing all of his courses with at least a 90% mark. He hopes to use his hockey abilities to gain a college scholarship, and has his sights set on a strong engineering program.

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ALEX WAKALUK - MELVILLE MILLIONAIRES (SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE)
Perhaps best known entering this season as the son of former NHL netminder Darcy Wakaluk, Alex Wakaluk made a name for himself in 2012-13. The Melville goaltender took home SJHL MVP honours after finishing in the top three in almost every major statistical category, including goals-against average (third, 2.32), save percentage (second, .930), wins (first, 28), shutouts (second, five) and saves (second, 1,385), all while playing the second-most minutes of any SJHL goaltender.

The Millionaires are revered in Melville, and Wakaluk has embraced being a role model in the community, making frequent visits to schools in the city and working with goaltenders in the local minor hockey association, sharing his knowledge to help develop the next generation of puck-stoppers.

Wakaluk will continue his career, both academic and athletic, next season south of the border, attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He will patrol the crease for the Minutemen while pursuing a degree in engineering.

Story by Hockey Canada

Bringing the Spirit Back

Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 10:38AM

by Brandon Sudeyko (@intheoradio)

After what could have been a completely disappointing season for Saginaw, turned into a magical second half. Shades of the season prior too. The OHL trade deadline comes up and the Spirit deal their captain Vincent Trocheck, not many thought that the Spirit could be competitive. Turns out everyone forgot that Jake Paterson was in between the pipes and that the team under Greg Gilbert just doesn’t quit. The Spirit battled hard and was able to stave off the Windsor Spitfires to hold onto the 8^th seed and make another post season berth.

The Spirit were swept by the London Knights in the first round, not really surprising, but given that Saginaw was able to push for 6 games last season, there was some hope that they could make the series longer. With their first round exit, it gave the Spirit hockey operations time to focus on the upcoming OHL draft. Saginaw was stocked with 4 picks in the first 44 picks, almost assuring that the team will have a really great 97 corps to step into the OHL this season, similar to Kingston with the 96’s.
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Adding Stephens in with the aforementioned 7 forwards is a very dynamic top 8 that has pretty good depth heading into this season. Looking at the defence corps and you have Dalton Young and Steven Strong hopefully returning for an OA season, if not the Spirit will at least get 1 of the 2 OHL veterans back to help teach the 97’s as well as help them mature and grow their own game. Brandon Prophet will of course be returning to be a 3-4 defeneman depending on if both veteran blueliners come back. From there Saginaw has a lot of choice on the back end. There is Marseilis Subban, Ramon Lopez, Grant Weiberman and Jacob Ringuette, the first two D-men splitting half the season. Here is a quick glance at what each signed defencemen from this year’s OHL draft can bring to the team…

Balance of article here

Long rumoured, with a thousand variations, it appears to be coming to fruition in the OJHL at least. If the NHL is in the business of entertainment then Junior A hockey is in the business of survival. Junior A teams require a business model that is operable and allows them to keep their heads above water. A better model also may lead to parity and less distance between the haves and the have-nots. It is a real concern, you read two weeks ago, when involved in a coaching change, an owner said, not making the second round of the playoffs just doesn’t pay the bills. It is business!

The following story from the Oakville Beaver falls just short of stating it is official in the OJHL, the Pay To Play model has arrived!

OJHL teams introducing pay-to-play model next season

Oakville Blades likely to charge $3-4 K, GM says

OJHL teams introducing pay-to-play model next season.  The league will soon formally announce that players will have to pay to suit up for teams next season.

Fans won’t be the only ones paying to get into Ontario Junior Hockey League games next season. Players will be, too, after the junior A loop recently removed a bylaw that prevented teams from making players pay to suit up for an OJHL franchise.

A formal announcement of the change in policy has yet to be made by the OJHL, but league officials have confirmed to the Beaver that teams will have the right to choose what fee their players will pay, with no maximum imposed on the amount. Oakville Blades general manager Duncan Harvey said his squad has yet to determine how much it will charge, but suggested it would likely be between $3,000 and $4,000 for the upcoming year — in addition to the $300 players already pay to the Ontario Hockey Association and $750 to the OJHL.

The balance of this very informative article can be found here:

And you probably should read the blog here:

                           
You start with the 2013 OHL Priority Selection which saw 23 players from the ODHA selected; then you add the Telus Cup success of the Ottawa Major Midget 67s (finalist in the Soo) and now you combine that with the OHL Gold Cup success of the ODHA Minor Midgets (Champions) and you have the catalysts for a an exciting end of the month here in the CCHL.

Some of these players are already protected from previous Bantam Draft, some have been been drafted already in the CCHL but there should be a few exciting days leading up to the CCHL draft, scheduled for May 30 at 6 PM in Gloucester. Gloucester always puts on a good show for this. Exciting times for players, parents and friends. And the teams as well.

With the ice not in, it is time for all the boardroom activities, not as exciting but just as crucial as the on ice stuff.

MEETINGS:

• CJHL AGM in Summerside May 23
• Hockey Canada AGM in Summerside May 24-26
• CCHL scheduling meeting in Ottawa May 27
• CCHL AGM in Ottawa June 1
• ODHA AGM in Ottawa June 8

Major Events Prior to CCHL Draft:

• These events usually occur on the same day just prior to draft day
• Submission of Bantam Protects
• Protects in lieu of 1st Round selection
• Submission of 25 (?) Man List (protected players)
• I think some compensating picks/protects for previously protected players who went directly to the OHL (Cornell, Prophet , Abu-Assaly, Moran & Renaud)

CCHL Draft in Gloucester May 30 at 6 PM

Here’s the ODHA players selected this year in the OHL Priority Selection

Recent transactions in the CCHL:

By Cory Butzin | cbutzin1@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on May 14, 2013 at 7:45 AM

The Saginaw Spirit and coach Greg Gilbert have agreed to a 1-year contract extension through 2015-16.File Photo

SAGINAW, MI — In a season and a half at the helm of the Saginaw Spirit Greg Gilbert has led an underachieving team to the second round of the playoffs, won the Matt Leyden Trophy as Coach of the Year in the OHL, led the third youngest team in the OHL to the playoffs and finished as a finalist for the Matt Leyden Trophy again.

That success made it pretty easy for the Spirit and Gilbert to come to terms on a one-year contract extention that keeps Gilbert in Saginaw through the end of the 2015-16 season.

“He’s simply a winner,” Saginaw General Manager Jim Paliafito said in a written statement. “Greg Gilbert has won everywhere he has played and coached. The positive results of his two seasons with us in Saginaw have earned him this extension. I am very pleased to have Greg under contract for three more years. I believe he is the man to lead the Saginaw Spirit to an OHL championship.”
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: Balance of Cory’s story can be found here
A 15-year NHL veteran, Gilbert began his career in the OHA/OHL with the Toronto Marlboros before moving on to the NHL where he won two Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and a third with the New York Rangers.

He appeared in 837 career games in the NHL registering 150 goals and 228 assists.

Follow Cory Butzin on Twitter: @CoryButzin or email him at cbutzin1@mlive.com

PRESS RELEASE:
Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced on behalf of the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup Site Selection Committee that the city of London, ON, and the London Knights Hockey Club will host the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

Three OHL member clubs including the Knights, the Barrie Colts, and the Windsor Spitfires were all considered following their formal bid presentations on April 17, 2013, to the Site Selection Committee comprised of five leaders in the sports industry including Toronto Blue Jays President and CEO Paul Beeston, former OHL and NHL Executive and Director of Central Scouting Frank Bonello, NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Jim Gregory, and President of Broadcast, Rogers Media (Sportsnet) Scott Moore.  Ex officio members of the Site Selection Committee include OHL Legal Counsel Gord Kirke, and OHL Commissioner David Branch.

“The quality of a MasterCard Memorial Cup host team is one of the principal criteria for a successful bid,” said OHL Legal Counsel Gord Kirke.  “The Site Selection Committee determined that while all three clubs possess sufficient elements for a suitable host city, it is the projected quality of the London Knights Hockey Club next season that is the decisive factor.”

The Knights project to return more than 22 players next season from their 2012-13 roster that captured the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as regular season champions before winning their second straight Robertson Cup title as OHL Champions.

“The London Knights are honoured to have the privilege of hosting this prestigious event again in 2014, and promise to make it the best ever,” said Knights Governor and Chair of the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup Host Committee Trevor Whiffen.  “The 2014 Memorial Cup will be a ten-day festival in London celebrating the rich history and tradition of the OHL, which will honour all twenty member teams, and the hundreds of OHL Alumni who serve as great ambassadors for our League."

The 96^th edition of the MasterCard Memorial Cup will take place May 16-25, 2014, at Budweiser Gardens and will feature the champions of the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  The 2014 event marks the second time the Knights will host the prestigious national championship following 2005 when the franchise won their first Memorial Cup title on home ice led by MVP Corey Perry in a 4-0 win over the Rimouski Oceanic.

Since the round-robin format was introduced in 1972, OHL teams have won a total of 14 Memorial Cup Championships including the 2005 Knights, followed by back-to-back titles by the Spitfires in 2009 and 2010.

The OHL Champion London Knights will open the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup Friday night May 17 against the host Saskatoon Blades at 8:00 pm Eastern live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

Members of the Knights and the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee will travel to Saskatoon for the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup which takes place May 17-26.

For more information please visit www.mastercardmemorialcup.ca.

It wasn’t without its issues, both on and off the ice. Mac MacLean never made things easy, either in the boardroom or in the game. A definite legend without equal. But the 97 Fred Page Cup in Brockville had some special nuances that have probably been long forgotten.

Archie Mulligan’s Kanata Valley Lasers were the CJHL champs and played like it. The Brockville Braves were the host team and were competitive. The other two combatants were also in the Fred Page Cup this year in Truro; namely the College de Francais Longueil and the Summerside Capitals.

The Braves lost to Longueil in overtime 6-5, and then beat Summerside in double OT 5-4. They lost to Kanata in  their 3rd game. They followed this up with a loss to Longueil in the semi. Kanata completed the sweep by downing the Quebec reps in the championship game.

What’s the big deal you say! The MHL representatives, the Summerside Capitals did not win a game that week. They went 0 & 3 in the round robin portion and thus did not qualify for the playoffs.

But their season did not end there. They were the host team for the RBC in 1997 as they are this year. Read their cinderalla story here in this story, which first  appeared in the May 12, 1997 edition of the Summerside Journal-Pioneer;

Caps first team east of Ontario to claim Canadian Junior ‘A’ Hockey Championship

Upset South Surrey 4-3 in Royal Bank Cup final

Bill Semple – Summerside Journal-Pioneer

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The City of Summerside may have to alter their familiar ‘Summerside – Canada’s Tournament Town’ signs.

How about, ‘Summerside – Home of Canada’s Junior ‘A’ Hockey Champions’?

The Hemphill Pontiac Western Capitals of Summerside confounded the experts Sunday night by becoming the first Tier Two junior hockey club east of Ontario to capture the Royal Bank Cup (formerly the Centennial Cup).

The Caps rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the second period to defeat the highly-touted South Surrey (B.C.) Eagles 4-3, to claim the national championship in front of a sellput crowd (estimated at 2,700) at Cahill Stadium.

Prior to last night, no team from Atlantic Canada, nor Quebec, had ever won the Canadian junior ‘A’ hockey title in the 26-year history of the event. The Capitals, the host team for the five-team 1997 Royal Bank Cup, weren’t expected to win the national title.

Back last fall, even some mainland Maritime Junior Hockey League franchises were questioning Canadian Hockey’s wisdom in selecting Summerside as the host for the event, after the Caps stumbled to a 2-4 (won-lost) record out of the gate.

However, the Caps steadily improved as the season progressed, and at the end of the regular season they were tied in points (77) with the Dartmouth Oland Exports.

The Exports got the nod for first place overall in the MJHL (and home ice advantage in all playoff rounds) due to having one more win in their final statistics. Dartmouth was 36-15-3-2 (win-lost-tied-overtime losses), while the Capitals were 35-14-4-3.

The Caps then dispatched the Riverview River Rats in five games of their best-of-seven opening playoff round, before engaging in two of the most grueling and intense hockey series ever witnessed locally.

The Capitals prevailed over their provincial rivals, the Charlottetown Moosehead A&S Abbies, in seven punishing semifinal games, before going the seven-game limit again to erase Dartmouth.

When the smoke had cleared, the Capitals had played 13 physically and mentally demanding playoff tilts in 16 days.

After going winless at the Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian Junior ‘A’ Hockey Championship in Brockville, Ont. (April 23 to 28), the Capitals weren’t exactly favorites to win the Royal Bank Cup, when it began, Saturday, May 3.

After shocking the Central (Northern Ontario) champions, Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, 5-1 in game one, they lost 7-5 to the Kanata Valley (Ont.) Lasers (Eastern champions); were walloped 8-2 by the Weyburn (Sask.) Red Wings, the Western champs, and lost a confidence-boosting 3-2 decision to the South Surrey Eagles (Pacfic).

Read the balance of this great story here

Bo Horvat scores with 1 second left on the clock to give the Knights the OHL Championship. It was only one of the games that I didn’t enjoy the final dramatic outcome of, last night.

Horvat’s big goal was questionable as they had to review the video. And this came right after they had disallowed a Barrie goal. A very bitter pill to swallow.

We know what that darn last minute, no I mean second, goals by London can do. Just 4 weeks ago in Round 1 of the OHL playoffs, Rob and I made a day trip to London to catch game 2 of the Knights vs Saginaw Spirit Round 1 series. In that game the Knights scored with 1 second left in regulation to tie and then went on to win in the second OT period.

Here’s some of that not so good video of the incidents;

Barrie hits the crossbar

Bo Horvat's Winning Goal

Does anyone really know a Leafs fan? A real Leafs fan is a “until death do us Part” type of supporter. You can’t bad mouth Kessel and Phaneuf and say your blood is blue. You can’t have been one of those Burke / Wilson haters and still be a true Leafer. So for Norm, Rich, Scott and all those fans standing out in the Square, here’s Steve Dangle and his rant after last night’s game.