The Trenton Titans begin their quest for the Cup! With an impressive inaugural regular season in the history books, the sixth-seeded Trenton Titans begin their first quest for the Kelly Cup. The first stop on the road to victory is a Northern Conference Quarterfinals best-of-five series against the third-seeded Richmond Renegades. The Titans bring their top players into the playoffs, many of whom where returned just in time to make the 20-player playoff roster. The Titans offense is stocked with their top guns from the start of the season: Cail MacLean, Mark Murphy, Scott Bertoli, Jed Whitchurch, Mike Hall, and Mike Mader. Rounding out the attack are the relative new-comers: David Hoogsteen, Stu Bodtker, Jerry Keefe, and Benoit Morin. Despite their contributions during the season, there wasn't room on the roster for forwards Sasha Cucuz, Keith Dupee, Jeff Trembecky, or Bob Thornton. On the Trenton defense: Vince Williams, Eric Brule, Kam White, Dave Risk, Chris Feil, Ryan Brown, and Sergei Skrobot. Defensemen Mike Marostega and Scott Kelsey didn't make the final cut for the players. In the net, the Titans have perhaps the best goalie tandem the East Coast Hockey League has to offer: Bujar Amidovski and Taras Lendzyk.

The Titans had mixed success against the Renegades during the regular season. The first meeting between the clubs was at Sovereign Bank Arena on October 16th. The Titans were shutout 2-0 for their first home loss. Trenton avenged the loss on November 6th at SBA, defeating the Renegades 4-1. Defenseman Likit Andersson scored twice while Bujar Amidovski posted 32 saves. Trenton repeated the outcome for the third meeting, this time at Richmond Coliseum on November 20th. Mike Mader recorded a pair of goals while Amidovski made 22 saves for the win. The Renegades evened the season series on the Titans' next visit to the Coliseum with a 4-0 Maxime Gingras shutout on November 26th. Richmond's next clash with the Titans came on January 12th at the Coliseum. The Renegades took advantage of Titans' netminder Marty Phillips for a 7-5 victory despite being outplayed for most of the game. On February 12th, Trenton returned to Richmond and rallied from behind for a 3-2 shootout victory to even the series at 3-3. In their last meeting, on February 23rd at SBA, the Renegades prevailed 4-1 to win the season series.

The Richmond Renegades have the advantage of playoff experience on their side. Coach Mark Kaufman led the team to a Northern Conference Championship and double overtime in Game Seven of the Kelly Cup Finals last season before they fell to the Mississippi Sea Wolves. About half of the players on this year's playoff roster were in last year's playoff run. By contrast, the Titans are an expansion team with a Head Coach and players with scattered ECHL playoff experience. As for the player matchups: while Richmond goaltender Maxime Gingras has been somewhat of a riddle to the Titans' offense in their previous meetings, the Renegades have seen their luck run dry when up against their former netminder Taras Lendzyk, who has excelled at Richmond Coliseum this season. Bujar Amidovski clearly wins a match-up with Richmond backup Tom Noble to give Trenton the goaltending edge. On offense, the Renegades have ample fire power led by Andrew Shier, Joe Bianchi, and Peter Vandermeer. When you factor in games played, the Trenton Titans offense holds their own against Richmond. One key missing piece from the Renegades offense is Ryan Kraft, who did not return from his AHL call-up in time to make this year's playoff roster. Kraft tallied 10 goals and 10 assists in 18 games to lead the Renegades in last year's playoffs and had 67 points (32 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games this season. With Kraft out of the equation, I put the teams dead-even on offense. Joe Vandermeer, Kevin Knopp, and Darren Wetherill lead a stingy Renegade defense, but the edge goes to the Titans as long as injuries don't leave them short of defensemen. With the Titans' best brawlers (Jesse Boulerice and Todd Fedoruk) unavailable, Mike Mader and Kam White will need to give Trenton a boost against Richmond's Peter Vandermeer and Trevor Senn. The Renegades win the toughness edge. Overall, I give the Trenton Titans an ever-so-slight edge over the Richmond Renegades with fan support being a key factor in motivating the teams.

With a 10-4-1 Titans' team effort, it's impossible to select just one player as the Titanic's Titan of the Month for March (and regular season April)! We can start with last month's winner, Taras Lendzyk, who performed even better in March with 5-1-0 record, 1.33 goals against average, .955 save percentage, and a shutout. Even more amazing was that Lendzyk's hot streak came with five of the six games on the road. The performance earned Taras the ECHL's Vortex Hockey Goalie of the Month Award for March/April. Nearly joining him in the ECHL award circle was defenseman Vince Williams. His +17 rating for March/April was tie for the best in the ECHL, but he missed the Vic Hockey Plus Performer of the Month award by virtue of a games played tie-breaker. On offense, we have David Hoogsteen who tallied 9 goals and 12 assists in 15 games after joining the Titans at the start of March. The Titans' original go-to-guy on offense, Cail MacLean, notched 10 goals and 8 assists in 11 games down the stretch. And what about rookie Adam Edinger's explosive Titans' (and professional hockey) debut with a hat trick? Goaltender Bujar Amidovski was certainly no slouch either with a 4-1-1 record after returning from the Philadelphia Phantoms. Scott Bertoli extended his assist streak to 15 consecutive games through April 1st, tallying 19 points in his final 12 games down the stretch. The point is that it took an entire team's effort to produce the Titans' breakthrough month. Another telltale sign of the team factor is that seven different players registered game-winning goals for Trenton in March/April: Hoogsteen (2), MacLean (2), Edinger, Williams (2), Bertoli, Bob Thornton, and Jerry Keefe. So, the Titanic's Titan of the Month for March (and regular season April): Amidovski, Belanger, Bertoli, Bodtker, Boulerice, Brown, Brule, Cucuz, Dupee, Edinger, Fedoruk, Feil, Hall, Hoogsteen, Keefe, Lendzyk, MacLean, Mader, Mallett, Marostega, Risk, Skrobot, Tamburro, Thornton, Trembecky, Whitchurch, White, and Williams. Each player made his contribution to an awesome finish to the Trenton Titans' first regular season in the East Coast Hockey League!

How better to rebound from the franchise's worst month then with their best month! The Trenton Titans sent a wake up call to the rest of the ECHL with a 10-4-1 finish to their inaugural season. After a dismal performance in February, the Titans began March with three straight victories. Trenton rallied from a 2-0 deficit against the visiting Toledo Storm to force a shootout in which they blasted Toledo 3-0 for the 3-2 victory. Two nights later in Wheeling, Cail MacLean and Scott Bertoli each scored twice as the Titans squeaked out a 4-3 win over the Nailers. The next night, in Johnstown, Taras Lendyk's 33 saves and Cail MacLean's game-winning power play goal dismissed the Chiefs 2-1.

The South Carolina Stingrays humbled the visiting Titans, scoring twice in the third period to hand Trenton a 4-3 loss. Alabama might not be Home to the Titans, but it was certainly Sweet when Trenton obliterated the Birmingham Bulls 9-1 two nights later. Cail MacLean notched a hat trick while Jed Whitchurch scored twice, ending a string of six one-goal decisions. The Titans returned to the realm of one-goal games the next night when they couldn't erase a three-goal first period Charlotte Checkers lead before falling 3-2 to the home team. A full week later, the Titans resumed their schedule at Sovereign Bank Arena with a disappointing 4-3 shootout loss against the Peoria Rivermen.

The Titans rebounded from the Peoria loss the following night with a solid 5-2 victory over the visiting Roanoke Express. Two nights later, Bujar Amidovski stopped 30 of 31 shots to hand the visiting Johnstown Chiefs a 3-1 defeat. With two uplifting home victories, the Titans took the momentum on the road to Toledo. Bowling Green State University's Adam Edinger made his professional hockey debut with a hat trick to lead the Titans to a 10-1 thrashing of the Storm. David Hoogsteen set many team records en route to a 7-point performance (2 goals, 5 assists). The Trenton offense continued to pound the Storm the next night with a 8-3 victory. David Hoogsteen continued his Toledo tirade with a hat trick (10 points in 2 nights). The Trenton road win streak grew to three games with a relatively mellow 2-0 victory at Dayton the next night. Taras Lendzyk stopped all 31 shots he faced for his first Titans' shutout. Trenton finished out the month of March back at home where they lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to the Hampton Roads Admirals, snapping the five game winning streak.

With a 9-3-1, March 2000 was clearly the best month of the season for the Trenton Titans. Trenton began their abbreviated two game April schedule with a 4-3 loss to the Wheeling Nailers that was strikingly similar to the loss to the Admirals the night before. In both games, the Titans widely outshot the visitors but failed to take charge of the game. The Titans were determined not to have another losing month when they headed to Johnstown to end the season where it began. Feuled by a pair of Dave Risk goals, the Titans ended their inaugural regular season with a 6-4 victory over the Johnstown Chiefs. The 10-4-1 March of the Titans (and April, of course) landed them a sixth seed in the Northern Conference and sent a clear message that Trenton is fired up for their franchise's first ECHL playoff run!

Stephen Valiquette has made the most of his opportunities this season! When the Trenton Titans acquired towering netminder Stephen Valiquette at the start of the 1999/2000 season, there was great confidence that he would be a worthy backup for Bujar Amidovski. Valiquette's professional hockey debut came in the 1996/1997 season with 3 appearances with the ECHL's Dayton Bombers (1-0-0 4.03 .882). The following season, he returned to the Ontario Hockey League to play junior hockey. Valiquette spent most of the 1998/1999 season with the ECHL's Hampton Roads Admirals, posting a 18-7-3 record with a 2.94 goals against average and an impressive .916 save percentage. He made one appearance with the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters (0-1-0 3.05 .885).

In his first 7 games with Trenton, Valiquette posted a lackluster 2-4-1 record with a 3.29 goals against average and a .895 save percentage. It was widely noted by the media, Coach Cassidy, the scouts, and even Valiquette himself that he didn't seem fully motivated. Meanwhile, Bujar Amidovski shined in net for the Titans as expected. On November 22nd, Valiquette got the first of a series of breaks that would put his career on the fast track. With a season ending injury to New York Islanders goaltender Wade Flaherty, hot prospect Roberto Luongo was recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Lowell Lock Monsters. Despite his relatively disappointing performance in Trenton, Valiquette got the call to fill Luongo's roster spot with Lowell.

Valiquette exhibited new-found motivation in the AHL. He compiled an improved 9-5-0 record with a 2.98 goals against average and a .903 save percentage with the Lowell Lock Monsters. With a few brief trips back to Trenton, he improved slightly to 5-6-2 for the Titans with a 3.12 goals against average and a .902 save percentage. He left Trenton for the last time on January 8th. On February 29th, Valiquette got his second big break: the New York Islanders decided that in order to get more game time for starter Kevin Weekes and prospect Roberto Luongo, they would return Luongo to Lowell. Valiquette was their surprise choice for the promotion to the NHL as Weekes' backup.

Valiquette wasn't expected to see much, if any, game time in the NHL despite the fact that the Islanders were miles away from playofff contention already. However, on March 9th, just over a week after joining the Islanders' roster, Valiquette was called upon in Phoenix to relieve Kevin Weekes after the starter allowed 4 goals on 16 shots against the Coyotes. In one period of work, Valiquette allowed 1 goal on 5 shots as the Islanders fell 5-0 to the Coyotes. It wasn't spectacular, but Stephen Valiquette had made his National Hockey League debut. He will forever hold a place in the Trenton Titans record books as the first Titan to rise to the NHL. He also holds a spot in the NHL record books as the tallest goaltender ever to play in the league at 6'5" tall.

Stephen Valiquette's NHL experience didn't stop with one mediocre relief appearance. On March 16th in Atlanta, Valiquette made 37 saves on 39 Thrasher shots for a 4-2 victory in his first NHL start. Valiquette got his second NHL start on April 6th in Ottawa, stopping 45 of 46 Senators' shots to lead the underdog Islanders to a surprise 2-1 victory when they were outshot 46-13. It was New York's first win against the Senators in 18 games dating back to 1/6/1996. With a flawless relief appearance on April 7th (11-for-11), Valiquette's NHL stats improved to 2-0-0 with an incredible 1.87 goals against average and .949 save percentage in 2 starts and 4 relief appearances.

NORTHERN CONFERENCE Even though Northern teams don't have a snowballs chance in the Bayou of winnin' the Kelly Cup, Bubba's gonna tell ya who is gonna make it to the Finals anyway. Bubba smells a big upset in the first round between the Peoria Rivermen and Dayton Bombers. Watch Dayton goalie Alex Westlund stand on his head while the Bomber offense gets as hot as Mrs. Bubba's chili and sends the Rivermen swimmin' back to Peoria. The Johnstown Chiefs will be lucky to survive the first round with their scalps (nevermind any games) facing the Roanoke goalies Daniel Berthiaume and Dave Gagnon. Bubba thinks (yes, he does) that Johnstown will get an Express ticket to the golf course courtesy of Roanoke. In another big upset, expect those Titans from Jersey to rattle the Renegades with a lot of team offense and stellar goaltending behind Bujar Amidovski and Taras Lendzyk. That is, of course, if them Yankees can find the right turnpike exit to get to Richmond and don't get confused by all them Vandermeers skating around down there. Bubba expects the Hampton Roads Admirals to hit Huntington with a Blizzard of goals while Jan Lasak seals up the crease for a quick burial at sea. In the Semi-Finals, Bubba's guessin' that the Express will bomb the daylights out of Dayton while the Titans capsize the Admirals. Bubba's southern instinct tells him that Roanoke will tame Trenton in the Northern Conference Finals, but his blacksheep Yankee cousins are yappin' that it'll be the Titans that cross the Mason-Dixon Line for a shot at the Cup.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE The Southern Conference playoffs begin with those wimpy wildcard series. The Kingfish and Stingrays will run up the score, but Bubba's pickin' Baton Rouge to outwhoop South Carolina more. Bubba's gotta stick close to home again when he picks the New Orleans Brass for a Big Easy win over the Augusta Lynx. In the other wildcard series, Bubba's gonna watch the Pensacola Ice Pilots fly over the Mississippi and send the Sea Wolves up the river with nothin' but recollections of the Kelly Cup that used to be theirs. In the Conference Quarterfinals, Bubba says that with old man Nick Vitucci in gggoal, the Gggreenville Grrrowl are gggonna maul the Mobile Mysticks. He's a thinkin' the Kingfish are gonna be more like crawfish when they go up against those hotter than jalapeno Florida Everblades. Bubba will enjoy watchin' the Louisiana 'Gators drag the Pensacola Ice Pilots into the swamps after pelting them will a whole bunch of goals. Sad for New Orleans, Bubba knows the Pee Dee Pride are in a different class and are fixin' to polish off the Brass. In the Semi-Finals, it's gonna be the Florida Everblades that are grrrowling when Greenville banishes them Gator-wannabes back to the swamps. The Bayou's Gators will chew some Pee Dee hide to advance to the Southern Conference Finals at the expense of the Pride. Bubba's figurin' that the Greenville Grrrowl will be all bark and no bite when Louisiana is in the fight. You have to wait 'til next month for Bubba to say what his IceGators are gonna do to the Titans.

If you are reading this, you will probably agree with me when I say that hockey is one of the most entertaining sports on the planet! Nobody who has watched their team win a Stanley Cup Championship, or a Kelly Cup Championship, or even a hard-fought regular season game against a key rival can tell me that hockey isn't great to watch. What we often like to forget is the serious side of hockey. The life-threatening side of hockey. I won't waste time giving a detailed analysis of the recent incidents in the NHL: Marty McSorley's barbaric whack at Donald Brashear's head or Scott Niedermayer's chop to the head of Peter Worrell. I'm sure you have all heard the details and realize how dangerous such attacks can be. We all know about the incident that will haunt former Titan Jesse Boulerice throughout his career. Similar incidents creep up in all levels of hockey, including one in the ECHL last month between the Toledo Storm and Wheeling Nailers. The players must show a degree of professionalism and discipline to prevent these incidents, or be banned permanently. Traditional hockey has room for fighting, not criminal assaults.

Apart from the brutal attacks that plague hockey, there are the fluke accidents that can prove even more devastating. We've heard the horrific accounts of what happened to Bryan Berard's eye and Trent McCleary's throat this season. The media was more than happy to publish lists of other tragic events as they did in the case of the attacks mentioned above. In any given game, any given player may put his life on the line for the love of hockey. I've lost count of the number of hockey players who are seeing their careers cut short by concussions in recent years. While visors and other protective equipment can greatly reduce the risk of injuries, there is always the possibility that the player may be skating onto the ice for his or her final shift.

While many of us recognize the dangers on the ice, we often snicker at the dangers in the stands. Many of us are guilty of laughing when we read or hear the warning about flying pucks. We soemtimes even laugh when we see fans get hit by a puck, as long as they seem lucky enough to be okay afterwards. Twenty-one year old Chad Hildebrand of Altona, Manitoba is not that lucky. At a South East Manitoba League game on February 26th, a puck was shot into the stands, deflected off of another fan's hand and hit Hildebrand in the temple. After being examined at a nearby hospital, he was released. Minutes after arriving home, Hildebrand collapsed unconscious. After a few days in a coma on life support (March 3rd), he died. Please take a moment (or longer) to pause, reflect on the serious side of hockey, and make a commitment to be there if tragedy ever strikes close to home.

Y2K Problem The Birmingham Bulls started the New Year with a 19-9-4 record and a Southwest Division lead that would have earned them a 2nd seed in the Southern Conference playoffs. Now, the Bulls sit at home with the second worst record in their conference. Without reviewing the record books, it's probably safe to say that this was one of the greatest collapses in ECHL history (if not the greatest). From January 1st through February 11th, the Bulls were mediocre with 8-9 record. That was followed by a four game skid that was temporarily broken by a three game win streak. Temporarily, because of an ineligible player that cost them a forfeit in those three games. The Bulls lost their next three games to make it ten-in-a-row. Birmingham went on to finish with a 2-19 record after February 11th and watched their playoff berth slip away as their freefall into the abyss continued. In the end, the six points that they lost due to forfeit wouldn't have helped them in the standings.

Sophomore Jinx? Somebody evidently forgot to tell the Florida Everblades about the Sophomore Jinx. As a result, the second-year franchise went out an re-wrote the ECHL record books with a 53-15-2 performance that established new league records for wins (53), points (108), win percentage (.771), and road wins (25).

Underachiever Eight games left to the regular season and Head Coach Robbie Ftorek has piloted the New Jersey Devils to another reign atop the Eastern Conference. So what does General Manager Lou Lamoriello do? Fires him! It seems that a best-in-conference record no longer grants job security anymore in the NHL. Possible reasons for the 'assassination': a 5-10-2-1 late season skid, first round elimination by the eighth seed in last years' playoffs, and a lot of angry rumbling from current and former players. Does it surprise you that the New Jersey Devils and New York Yankees are under the same ownership? Maybe George was behind this!

Bus Boy Head Coach Bill Stewart of the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts will go to great lengths to see that his team wins. Obscene lengths. When Ukrainian player Vladimir Chernenko lacked the necessary visa to enter the United States, Stewarrt had Chernenko hide in the team bus' luggage bay. Twice: once in October at Port Huron, Michigan and again in December at Buffalo, New York. Stewart lost his General Manager duties and suffered a significant pay cut, but also faces action from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service for his illegal smuggling. But HE doesn't get fired!

Green Ice No, you didn't have one too many green beers on St. Patrick's Day, the IHL's Michigan K-Wings and Detroit Vipers really did play their game on green ice on March 17th. The Kalamazoo Wings began the tradition as a marketing gimmick in 1982 and it has been repeated every year since. The first year was reportedly rather comical due to the antifreeze characteristics of the food coloring that was used (can we say puddles?), but the Wings' crew has since perfected the art of turning the ice green.