By: Benjamin Kennedy | Follow me on Twitter / X @marinershockey1
The William B Troubh Ice Arena in Portland, Maine, has been a buzz this week as training camp kicked off for the ECHL Maine Mariners. Any passersby strolling down Park Avenue this week were treated to those familiar sounds of pucks banging against the boards and skates cutting through fresh ice. Hockey season is back, and the Mariners are hard at work.
Over the week of practices, I chatted with some players and the coaching staff. One thing is abundantly clear: the compete level in camp is high! When asked about this, Head Coach Terrance Wallin stated, “Early in camp, I noticed our pace and I noticed our hunt and compete. So those are three things that we’ve been focused on here as we’ve built this roster…early on we are meeting those criteria.”
Forward Carter Johnson echoed his coach’s sentiment when asked about his thoughts on the team. “Fast group, a lot of compete, a lot of eager young guys, which is nice. Coming in as more of a veteran guy myself, I look to these guys for a lot of compete and we are finding that. So that’s nice. There’s a lot of skill. I’m really excited about this group this year. Seems to be a great group of guys, but also really good players.”
Forward Evan Vierling joined the Mariners recently after being assigned from the Providence Bruins. When asked how practices were going, he said, “It’s a really tight group so far. The compete has been really high in practice. And obviously, we’re really excited to get going here tomorrow in our first exhibition game.”
By nature, ECHL teams face a myriad of changes from season to season and, often, week to week. The Mariners were no strangers to this trend, losing key players to the Florida Everblades, leading scorer forward Alex Kile and former captain defenseman Conner Doherty. Coach Wallin stated that the changeover was intentional when asked about all the roster changes for this season. “A lot of changeover, but a lot of it was intentional. We built this roster specific to how we want to play and we think right now it’s matching that.” He went on to state that there is an expectation for the Providence Bruins to send more players to Maine, most likely defensemen.
There is no shortage of goaltenders on the Mariners training camp roster; the number is now four. Brad Arvanitis returns to the Mariners after posting a stellar season a year ago where he racked up 20 wins, a 2.71 goals against average, and a .920 save percentage. Dante Giannuzzi was signed earlier this summer from the ECHL Utah Grizzlies. Most recently, the Providence Bruins assigned Nolan Maier and former University of Notre Dame goalie Ryan Bischel to Maine. Coach Wallin referenced the Jeremy Swayman situation as part of the reason for the goalie influx but also noted that having four netminders in camp can be healthy for competition. He did not provide insights into who may be starting in the net on October 18th. This picture should become clear with two exhibition games scheduled for this weekend.
Other camp notes: Newly signed defenseman Renat Dadadzhanov has not reported to camp. The latest update is that he is being held up with travel issues, and the hope is that he will arrive in Portland soon. Given his size—6’3″, 216 lbs—and his style of play, Dadadzhanov will be a welcomed addition to this blue line.
While the team waits for Dadadzhanov’s arrival, the Mariners add defenseman Dalton Gally to the training camp roster on a professional tryout. The 6’5″ left-shot defenseman last played for the ECHL Allen Americans, appearing in eleven games for the club last season. His presence provides blue-line depth to the roster and gives the coaching staff more options heading into the weekend exhibition games.
When the 2024-25 Maine Mariners take to the ice on October 18th, they will look vastly different from a year ago. Yes, change can be difficult. Yes, losing fan-favorite players is hard. But with change comes renewed hope and fresh opportunities. After spending a couple of days at practice, I can say three things for sure: this team is young, they are fast, and they are hungry!
The preseason schedule kicks off this evening, Friday, October 11th, versus the Worcester Railers at the Sidney J. Watson Arena at Bowdoin College. Doors open at 6 pm with a puck drop at 7 pm. Admission is free.
Leave a Reply