Last Updated: Thursday, October 9, 2008 9:15 AM CDT
Daggers ready for action
Rhinelander junior hockey team opens season Saturday
By Kevin Damask - DAILY NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
For Igor Myaskovskiy, a man who has been consumed with hockey for most of his life, the game is surprisingly similar to a chess match. More strategy than physicality. More technique than brawn. More intellectuality than brute strength. And Myaskovskiy, who’s just started his first season as head coach of the Daggers, Rhinelander’s contribution to the newly-formed Wisconsin Junior Hockey League, is trying to teach his team that strategy and skill can translate to victory on the ice.
Myaskovskiy, 46, adapted this style while playing and coaching in his native Russia.
“In the past 10 years there have been more European players playing hockey,” Myaskovskiy said “I think good hockey is a mix of Canadian, American and European styles of play. But we our more of a European-oriented team right now because we work hard on team work. That’s the biggest issue for us right now.”
Myaskovskiy shouldn’t have to fret too much about team chemistry. The Daggers have only been together for a short-time, but according to a few of their players, they have already formed a tight bond.
“Everyone’s pretty close, there’s no enemies. We are all like brothers out there playing,” defenseman John Graham said. “We have molded pretty good together and we should have a good team this year.”
After about a month of practice, the Daggers will get to see how good they are this Saturday. Rhinelander hosts the Eau Claire Saw Blades at Rhinelander Ice Arena. Face-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Graham said the Daggers are still learning Myaskovskiy’s style, which emphasizes flawless puck movement and crisp passing.
“Our goal is to play flow hockey,” Graham said. “(Coach) calls it a ‘wave.’ Just go one after the other and keep passing to create open ice and find the open man and try to put it in the net.”
Graham –– who came to the Daggers from Columbus, Ohio –– was a little surprised with a few of Myaskovskiy’s drills during the opening rigid days of practice.
“In the first practice we were pushing and jumping over tires, so that was kind of unusual,” Graham said. “But we know it’s for a purpose because everyone is getting a thousand times better. A few of the drills we know, but some we don’t –– but we are getting the hang of it.”
Myaskovskiy wants to have a well-conditioned team. His players will probably be called upon to play extended shifts, due to a lack of team depth. Rhinelander currently has 10 position players and three goalies. The Daggers are looking to add experienced hockey players to their roster and are still holding open tryouts.
Myaskovskiy also needs sound skaters to increase team speed and agility. He wants his players to pass the puck to where a teammate is skating to and not to where they already are.
“We have to think a few steps ahead and use creativity and smarts,” Myaskovskiy said. “In the last 10 years, the game of hockey has changed a lot, it’s going back to old time hockey. You have to play smart and together as a team, because back in Russia in the old days, if you didn’t play like that, you didn’t survive.”
Myaskovskiy, who resides in Three Lakes, has experience coaching hockey for the Russian National Team. Stan, his 19-year-old son, is a Daggers assistant coach. While the Myaskovskiys would enjoy seeing Rhinelander become successful in its first season, right now there’s more vital aspects to concentrate on.
“We want to develop our younger players for next year,” Stan Myaskovskiy said.
The Daggers accept players between the ages 16-20. The Myaskovskiys believe the Daggers will help rejuvenate hockey in Rhinelander.
“We know Rhinelander is a hockey town and a good hockey area,” Stan Myaskovskiy said. “We’re just trying to bring hockey back to the community and kind of make Rhinelander more of a hockey town again.”
Meet the Daggers
The Daggers will hold a “Meet the Team” night on Friday. Two of Rhinelander’s most notable players are Graham and goalie Jay Arnold.
Graham, who was born in the hockey mecca of Edmonton, Alberta, began skating on a backyard pond at age 3. He continued playing the sport after moving to Central Ohio six years ago.
“I just love the sport, it’s fast moving, fast paced, you got one second to think. It’s aggressive, but it also acquires a lot of thinking and intelligence on where you want the puck to go and where it should be,” Graham said. “I guess I like defense because it all starts from the defense. You have an important part to play, because you have to defend the goalie.”
On the ice, Graham, 19, loves to battle another player for the puck.
“The biggest adrenaline rush for me is battling in the corner for the puck. The game is on the line and it depends on you to get it out of the zone,” Graham said. “That adrenaline rush just carries you to where you wouldn’t believe how much power you have; just riding down the boards, trying to get the puck from the guy and pass it down to a wing in hopes that we score.”
Graham is hoping to have success this season, in order to generate interest from scouts. He may return to the Daggers next season, in order to gain the interest of college recruiters.
Unlike Graham, Arnold, 17, hails from a place not know for its hockey –– Palm City, Fla.
“I’ve only been playing goalie for hockey since I was 14,” Arnold said. “It’s kind of hard to do it in Florida. If you want to get good, you have to get out.”
Arnold played roller hockey, but wasn’t drawn to the ice until watching the Tampa Bay Lightning make a run for the Stanley Cup in 2003.
While some players wilt under pressure, Arnold embraces it.
“Everything kind of depends on me,” Arnold said. “Not in a conceded way, but I kind of like the pressure.”
Arnold tries to pattern his game after the NHL’s top goalies. He would like to improve his quickness and handwork.
He’s a long way from professional hockey, but he’s already developed a few long-term goals.
“I want to get a college scholarship in either (NCAA) Division I or play in Division III and try to go play pro hockey over in Europe,” Arnold said. “I don’t want to think about (what could happen) if it doesn’t work out.”
The WJHL features six teams from across the state. For more information on the Daggers or the WJHL, go to www.wisconsinjuniorhockeyleague.com.
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Elizabeth wrote on Oct 13, 2008 2:15 PM: