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Post by Rayven on Mar 2, 2009 22:31:00 GMT -5
Nice article on Rechlicz [url=http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_11750922 LINK
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Post by Rayven on Mar 5, 2009 16:21:29 GMT -5
Joel Rechlicz was recalled to the Islanders today. SOURCE
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Post by enforcer05 on Mar 8, 2009 11:49:20 GMT -5
Rechlicz becomes the 398th player to play in the NHL REST
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Post by Rayven on Mar 8, 2009 21:56:59 GMT -5
I typed this up at hockeyfights.com and don't feel like re-configuring it so heres the reprint
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:19:46 GMT -5
Reprinting my talks with the Wrecker from early this season:
"Talked to Joel Rechlicz today at Islanders prospect camp and he easily was the nicest guy there. He stopped and signed autographs and hung around and chatted with us for a while. I asked him who was the tougher fighter, Bonvie or Mirasty and he said
"Oh man, Mirasty hands down. He's a little guy but he has a head of stone."
He then went on to say that Bonvie has aged a lot and Mirasty is a lot faster.
I asked him about his chances for playing for the big club and he said its bascially up to him to prove himself. He said it's going to be either himself "or Fritzie" [Mitch Fritz]"
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:21:02 GMT -5
Joel Mic'd up from training camp
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:22:46 GMT -5
Heres another update. I sat down with the Wrecker once again and got answers to all of your questions....1. I asked him if he ever came to this website. He said yes but not as often as other guys. He said Trevor Gillies got him into it and that Gillies is on here all the time.
2. About going with Mitch Fritz he said he hopes that he and Fritzie are on seperate teams [most likely a yes] and although there is a no fight policy in training camp, he said if it comes down to it, he will have no problems dropping them with him. He said numerous times that its a job and let the best man win. If he loses out on the job, then Fritz was the better man and he would have no hard feelings.
3. The toughest guy he ever fought....he thought about it for a bit and he said Mirasty for the same reason mentioned in my initial post.
4. About Kevin Cormier, he said that Cormier was the man in the Q hands down and although he fed him his lunch those few times, today Joel has worked his ass off to be where he is now and he said that today it would be a different fight. Wrecker said he felt that he himself, was at least #7 in the Q at the time. The outcome may not be different but Joel said Cormier would definitely think of him in a differnt light afterwards.
5. About getting offers to stay in the Carolina system....He said he was offered a deal right after Gillies resigned and when there was talk about not bringing back Brookbank. At this point other teams became interested including Boston. He said he has the same agent as Gillies and he got a call from the Islanders after seeing his fight against Boulerice.[thank phantomsfan & islesenforcers.com for that!] Apparently the Islanders had no inital intrest in bringing Brennan back. The Islanders had called and offered him a 3 year deal, which was the best offer. He also knew that he had a better shot at making that Islanders than sitting behind Brookbank and Gillies in Carolina so he jumped at it. He said that Carolina offered him a one way deal and the Isles offered him a two way deal.
6. I had asked him about this fight:
and asked him what they were saying to each other while they were tied up. He said Bonvie was just growling like a dog and he kept saying "Cmon old man lets fight, not dance." You can see Rechlicz laughing in the video as well and I asked him about that and he said Gillies was in the background yelling out instructions like "C'mon Wrecker, bend your knees!" and "Stopp hugging and throw with your left." Stuff like that, and he was cracking up. A little more about this fight...Apparently Bissonette had just run a player and Wrecker went over to him and said "We're going right now!" Bissonette told him that he couldn't fight. At the next faceoff, Rechlicz asked him again and he declined. Bonvie skated over and said he would go instead. Rechlicz said, "Thank you Mr. Bonvie" and they went. Next whistle Gillies went over to Bissonette and tells him he doesn't care whether he wants to fight or not, he's going to drop them with him. Rechlicz said that he actually called Bonvie "Mr. Bonvie" because although he's an older guy he has so much respect for what he's done in the past and he thought that he would let him know he respected him by doing that.
7. About Trevor Gillies....Trevor is his best friend and he said that he respects the hell out of him. When Gillies broke his hand and Wrecker got signed, Gillies was the first one to make him feel welcomed and took him under his wing and taught him as much as he possibly could.
8. He said he's been working on his skating and has been boxing over the summer. He said he's been doing anything and everything he possibly can to get into shape and make the Islanders this year.
9. He also said that his brother Mark has been invited to Bridgeport's training camp this season although he may start off in Utah. He wanted to make a point to say that any of Mark's fights that you see on the internet today are garbage and that he's been training with Joel and Trevor and that he's a different player now. He's a year older and a lot wiser.
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I just want to say that Wrecker came off as an amazing guy and offered any information I asked for. I was ready to talk to him right by the locker room but he insisted we take a walk away from everyone and sit and chat. He's in tremendous shape and as I said scored a goal in yesterday's scrimmage. He looked even better in todays game, adding a nice assist and barely notching another later in the game. I told him afterwards that he was out there looking like a legit powerforward, breaking to the net and digging pucks out of the corners. He said he's been working that much harder and although he knows his role, he wouldn't mind chipping a few in as well.
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:24:42 GMT -5
Rechlicz in a shootout attempt at the end of scrimmage
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:25:21 GMT -5
Just a few tidbits that I am just remembering...
-I had asked him if he had met Mitch Fritz yet and he had said no, but he's heard some good things about him. He said either way, the two of them would stay close off the ice but while on it, they both had a job to do and they both know that.
-I mentioned that with the Isles being so young, we needed a guy out there protecting our investments [Okposo, Comeau etc] and he totally agreed. I told him that I was sick of having to see Mike Comrie drop the gloves and he said that's my goal, to be that guy who will be there so our top offensive players can stay out there and score goals. There job is to do just that, while mine is to protect them.
-I mentioned the rivalry with the Rangers briefly and he said he couldnt wait to "meet Colton Orr." [Maybe he's not ready for Orr, but mentally he is willing to step up to the challenge]
-I asked him to pretend Miratsy didnt exist, and what fight was his favorite last season and who the toughest guy he fought was. He thought about it and said Boulerice. I had asked him about Yablonski and he said those weren't very good fights. He said the Boulerice fight put him in the position he was in today so it was def his favorite.
Today will be the last day of mini camp and I will try and think up some more questions to ask him. I will def ask him if he's planning on moving to NY and I will try and kepp in touch with him over the summer.
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:26:19 GMT -5
Today was the last day of camp and I didnt have too much more to ask him. He said he's going back home to train. He boxes three times a week and says he has to work on his conditioning because he's taking really short shifts.
I asked him what's next for him and he said he's just waiting for the Isles to let him know what's going on. Whether he comes down to New York or Conneticuit. He said he will probably know once camp starts.
He added totally randomly that Olivier Legault was "one tough kid" and we exchanged emails. I also asked him when ALbany comes to town whether he would go with Gillies. He said "of course, I cant wait for that!" I hope to get him a regular spot on my website once the season starts. Stay tuned guys!
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:27:54 GMT -5
Heres another video of Joel in the last day of prospect camp. It was during a scrimmage. I just want to stress what I've already been saying about this guy. There couldnt be a more "TEAM" guy than Joel. The guy is just so focused on whats going on and is all for his teammates. Kudos to him once again.
PS: The Isles prospects played 4 scrims in 5 days and Wrecker STOOD on the bench for all 4. He did not sit down during any of them. He was always on hte end of the bench cheering on his squad!
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:28:55 GMT -5
I talked to Rechlicz very briefly today and he basically told me the same thing he said about Mitch Fritz. He said that he was glad that Sugden was in camp and that camp would def be a bit more interesting. He said that he was glad Sugar got his problems ironed out with the league and he has a shot. He said "let the best man win" and left it at that.
He comes off really modest. I must add that he is in tremendous shape as well so we shall see what happens.
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:29:31 GMT -5
So I got to talk to Joel again in between the 2nd and 3rd period of tonight's game against Wilkes Barre. It was teh first time I've gotten to talk to him since early in the season; this was mostly due to the fact he was out in Utah.
He was a healthy scratch tonight and actually it was HIM who saw me from his perch in "healthy scratch land" and he came down to say hi. We chatted a bit and he said the Isles have plans for him and he WONT be going back to Utah.
I asked him about his time in Utah and he said he learned a lot and he worked his ass off to get back to Bridgeport. He wasn't really that happy to go down the the E but he took it as a grain of salt and worked harder to get back.
I asked him about his lack of fights in Utah and his response.
"Dude, I asked guys every single night, and no one wanted to go. I must have asked that Huxley guy at least a million times and always gave me an excuse."
He said that Huxley gave him the excuse that his team had a short bench and Rechlicz had said "So, we've been playing with 14 guys for two weeks now!" Still no go. He said, "I had to start running people goalies to get people to fight me!" [There were times where his coach had him on a leash due to the lack of players they had as well]
I asked him about his brother Marc in Odessa and he said he broke his hand and was on IR [he actually just came off IR and played tonight]
We spoke about the game at hand and how Bissonnette was ducking Fritz, and Rechlicz said "he didn't understand why he would duck Fritz", and hopefully would get him to go in the second half of their home and home.
He spoke about the day he got back to Bridgeport and he was all excited about getting into the game against Norfolk.
"I was all ready and excited, they have Rosehill, Brookbank and Henley. I would fight all three of those guys!" he says. He was told that he should sit in the stands and watch the game and see how the Islanders system works. [He's been working on the Isles forechecking system in Utah]
We talked about the Hartford game and Avery and he pretty much agreed with me that he's a clown. He said the line with Morency and Fritz that he played on was "one of the craziest things ever!"
He asked me if I saw his fight with Clackson and he said that guy will fight anyone!
We basically ended it there, I congragulated him for making it back and hoped to see him soon. I will be back in BPT on Sunday, so hopefully Joel gets in the game.
Again, what a great guy. I love the fact that on the day that BPT received their largest crowd of the season, Rechlicz picked me out of all those people and made his way down to say hello. Rechlicz is a class act and I hope to get to talk to him again real soon. __________________
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Post by Rayven on Mar 12, 2009 21:30:49 GMT -5
So we all saw it, or most of us at least. Colton Orr lines up against Joel Rechlicz on Thursday. It's Wrecker's first NHL game and most of us believe that Orr is going to school him. Well I talked to Joel tonight and asked him about the whole incident and here's his side of the story:
Quote: Rechlicz:"So I line up and I come right out with it." "Colton, let's go" Orr: "Not tonight" Rechlicz: "C'mon let's go, then I give him a little stick to the shins" Orr: "You're going to need a few more fight's in the NHL before I go with you" Rechlicz: "Hey, I gotta start somewhere" Orr: "Yeah, well it's not going to be tonight" From there they exchange stick jabs and a slash or two and the skate away. Orr goes on to rock Joe Callahan, incidentally hurting his shoulder on the play. Rechlicz goes on to throw a hit along the boards. They never see the ice together again.
So I told Joel that I was a little worried about him getting into it with Orr on his first night in the bigs and I said that I know he fights with an open style, and how Orr could easily exploit that.
Rechlicz response: "I know, and as much as I wanted to go I knew I had to be careful with him. I wasn't going to fight him straight up. I was going to do a lot of holding on and trying to keep him close. Look, I'll fight anyone and I'll do anything to stay up here and if I could go with Orr and keep it close, then so be it."
So there you have it. He admits that Orr is out of his league and that he would have liked to get a few heavy's out of the way here in the AHl before he moved onto guys like Orr but the Isles gave him the call and he was going to do whatever it took to stay on the Island.
So you look at this a few ways, Orr turned him down flat out. But Rechlicz knew coming in that he was going to have a hard time with him. He flat out admitted that, but he said he was willing and would do whatever it took. He also said that he's looking for a fight every night. It's the only way he can "practice." He said he would love to fight Riley Cote and I asked him about a guy like Carcillo and he said if he's willing, then let's do it.
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Post by enforcer05 on Mar 12, 2009 21:54:34 GMT -5
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