Welcome to the former Knickerbocker Arena, where the River Rats face the Norfolk Admirals in their first home game since Jan. 16.
More important, it is the first time playing on its own ice since the crash of Albany's team bus on the Mass Pike in the early morning hours of Feb. 19.
Team officials are hoping for a crowd topping 4,000, which I suppose would be a decent Sunday afternoon crowd under normal circumstances. This being far from a normal home game, the number should be twice as much. The team deserves that.
Prior to the game, the Rats organization is honoring members of the Lee (Mass.) Fire Department and Berkshire Medical Center, who were instrumental in the response to and care of the team following the accident. The Massachusetts State Police politely declined the invitation, stating a policy of not accepting gratuities, so the Albany PD is filling in on their behalf.
Albany mayor Jerry Jennings will present a representative from each of the three groups with a key to the city. Albany county executive Mike Breslin will give each group a framed proclamation on behalf of the county, and Rats alternate captains Mike Angelidis and Dwight Helminen and newly minted captain Pat Dwyer will hand each group an autographed goalie stick from the team. (Dwyer is wearing the 'C' in place of the promoted Tim Conboy).
As the Rats came out for warmups, they were greeted by loud cheers and applause from the early crowd. Albany winger Jakub Petruzalek is the only one of his team skating without a helmet. Must've just done his hair (yeah, I'm jealous).
Albany radio color analyst John Hennessy has the headset on and will be working alongside play-by-play man Owen Newkirk tonight. They are expected to be joined by injured Rats defenseman Casey Borer in his radio debut. Norfolk broadcaster Pete Michaud was kind enough to let the trio borrow his spare headset for the occasion.
Today will be the 10th game for Norfolk winger Wade Brookbank since being assigned to the team in the trade that brought he and Josef Melichar to Tampa Bay from the Carolina Hurricanes. Brookbank played 25 games for Albany in 2007-08, the last coming on Dec. 27, 2007. He hasn't been back in the building since.
Another familiar face is Admirals backup goalie Craig Kowalski, who was in Carolina's organization and attended Rats training camp in 2006-07, but was beat out for a job by rookie Justin Peters. He and Peters chatted as they stretched on opposite sides of the red line at center ice.
To the game. Daniel Manzato gets the start in goal for Albany, his first since beating Philadelphia on Jan. 31. He'll be opposed by Riku Helenius.
Rats line combinations from warmups: Dwight Helminen (A)-Nick Dodge-Jakub Petruzalek; Pat Dwyer (C)-Brandon Sutter-Jerome Samson; Aaron Clarke-Mike Angelidis (A)-Ryan Weston; Brad Herauf-Harrison Reed-Ryan Cruthers.
Defense pairings: Bryan Rodney-Brett Carson; Ryan McGinnis-Mark Flood; Benn Olson-Noah Babin.
Scratches: Yannick Tifu, Stefan Chaput, Bobby Hughes, Joe Jensen, Nicolas Blancahrd, Jonathan Paiement, Casey Borer, Trevor Gillies.
Norfolk's line combinations: Brent Henley-Pete Zingoni-Jay Rosehill; Justin Keller-Zenon Konopka (C)-Brandon Bochenski (A); Radek Smolenak-Paul Szczechura-Brandon Segal (A); Juraj Simek-Blair Jones-Grant Potulny.
Defense pairings: Ty Wishart-Daryl Boyle; Vladimir Mihalik-Kevin Quick; Wade Brookbank-Mike Lundin.
Scratches: Bracken Kearns, Chris Lawrence, Scott Jackson, Steve Downie, Andy Rogers.
Downie was suspended indefinitely by the AHL today for physical abuse of an official in Norfolk's game last night in Hershey. Surprise, surprise.
