Let's start off with the big man, former UAF defenseman Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues. Seems like the rookie (6-5, 226) might just make it the NHL.
All he did Saturday in a 3-2 OT loss to the New York Islanders was score one goal, assist on another, log 23:39 of ice time and go +2. In eight games, dude is 3-2--5, +5, with 19 shots on goal. Yeah, he's gonna be juuust fine.
On the college front, Parayko's old teammates were idle and his old rival, UAA, did something it had not done in more than 20 months -- won a game outside Alaska. UAA's 3-2 win at Alabama-Huntsville was its first win Outside since February of 2014 and made for a three-point WCHA weekend -- UAA and UAH skated to a 3-3 tie Friday.
Connor Wright, a junior walk-on from Anchorage playing his first game of the season and just the eighth of his career, bagged the game-winning goal, so that's cool for that guy and his teammates. Sophomore Olivier Mantha stopped 37 shots, Anthony Conti racked one goal and one helper, Blake Leask added two assists, Matt Anholt registered a point (assist) for the sixth straight game and UAA stretched its unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1). UAA is 4-1-1 overall, 1-0-1 in the WCHA. The Seawolves on Saturday and Sunday afternoons entertain Bowling Green in a WCHA series.
And, hey, check out all the prosperity enjoyed Saturday night by some former Aces while noting the Aces logged a wild 5-4 win over Idaho.
Former Ace Ryan Walters had two goals, two assists, a +3 rating and a game-high six shots on goal in ECHL Utah's 6-5 OT loss to Allen. Allen got two goals and two assists from former UAF blueliner Aaron Gens.
Former Aces wingers Raphael Bussieres and Olivier Archambault flourished for ECHL Quad City in a 5-3 win over Tulsa. Bussieres scored the game-tying and game-winning goals, with Archambault gaining primary assists on both strikes.
ECHL Fort Wayne got big games out of former Aces wingers Peter Sivak and Alex Belzile -- Sivak scored the game-tying goal in the last minute of regulation of a 6-5 OT win vs. Indy, to go with an assist and +2, and Belzile notched the game-winner, added an assist and was +4.
For ECHL Orlando, former Aces forward Brett Findlay furnished two goals, a helper and a +2.
Bussieres, Archambault, Sivak, Belzile and Findlay were all part of the Aces' 2014 Kelly Cup-winning crew. I can still see Sivak in the back of that bus headed to Chicago, and a flight home, hugging the Cup in his lap.
On the college front, props to Minnesota goaltender Eric Schierhorn, the freshman from Anchorage. He stopped 25 shots Saturday in a 4-3 win over Northeastern, one night after he picked up his first college win and shutout with 23 saves in a 3-0 win over Northeastern. Nice. He lost his first three starts for the Gophers -- they gave all of one goal in support in those defeats -- and has improved to 2-3-0, 2.22, .924.
In the Western Hockey League, not that Edmonton center Lane Bauer, 19, of Anchorage, is off to a strong start. He's 7-5--12 in 12 games and owns a four-game point streak (1-3--4). He leads his club in goals and is second in points.
Finally, in the NAHL, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs fell 2-1 to visiting Aston on Saturday, but they are still 11-2-1, so sizzling start. And the Kenai River Brown Bears fell 4-1 to visiting Johnstown to suffer their 11th straight loss and fall to 1-13-0. Fizzling start.
Well, the crew here at Sullivan Arena is taking down the glass and boards -- looks like comedian/actor Kevin Hart performs here Tuesday night -- so time to head outta here.