TEMPE — Coach Greg Powers and his Arizona State men’s hockey team are in familiar territory. A year ago, the Sun Devils started the season 3-7-1 before rattling off a 10-game win streak to ignite a run to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. Now they are 3-6-1 and searching for that same spark.

Though they are eerily similar starts, it’s for two completely different reasons.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — If there’s one word that interim manager Ray Montgomery has used to describe the Angels in 2025, it’s “resilient.” The overall record may not show it, but it’s a series like the freeway series that proves it.

IRVINE, Calif. — There were moments in the last five years when Ducks prospect Will Francis was unsure if he’d be able to live his dream of playing professional hockey.

The Ducks 2019 sixth-round pick was dealt with news that no one could truly prepare for in the spring of 2020. Francis was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The final horn sounded at Xcel Energy Center, concluding Arizona State’s head-turning first season in the NCHC. After the handshake line, the ice cleared out and remained barren with the exception of graduate forward Artem Shlaine, who was taking a knee on the ice with his head locked into place and eyes fixated on the ice below him.

Junior forward Tucker Ness hung out at ASU’s bench and allowed Shlaine to sit in his thoughts. Once Shlaine was ready to leave the ice, he skated to the bench where Ness was waiting. Ness gave Shlaine a hug, a tap on top of the helmet and then skated off. Shlaine took another moment before getting off the ice to scan the arena one last time.

TEMPE, ARIZ. — When you watch a pitcher’s bullpen, you usually hear two things, the buzz of the ball and the pop of the catcher’s mitt. But when Ryan Johnson steps on the mound, you’ll hear the buzz of the ball, the pop of the catcher’s mitt and him snapping his fingers.

It may not be every pitch, but Johnson snaps his fingers four times after he finishes his delivery on most pitches.

“Buzz, pop, snap, snap, snap, snap”

October 20, 2024
by
Jack Janes,

Arizona State University
Jack Janes is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism graduate student assigned to cover Chandler for AZPreps365.com

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