NHL.com Thunder Article

Thought if anyone hadn't seen this , it would be a good read.


3:45 PM EST, 11/06/2005
Former Saskatchewan junior opponents best of friends as Wichita teammates


(CP) - Jason Duda and Travis Clayton don't hate each other anymore.

As Central Hockey League linemates with the No. 1 Wichita Thunder, they are pals, which is hard to believe for anybody who followed the Saskatchewan junior playoffs when Duda's Melfort Mustangs and Clayton's North Battleford North Stars tangled back in 1996.

"We hated each other," Duda recalls of the rivalry between the teams. "They were chippy games with a lot of yapping going on.

"We beat them four games to one. Be sure to mention that because, to this day, we like to rub it in."

Clayton doesn't like to be reminded.

"We weren't the greatest of friends because of that rivalry," he says. "As a matter of fact, we didn't really like each other."

Ironically, it was a good word from Duda that contributed to Clayton landing in Kansas.

"I came to Wichita to play after that and I remember the coach asking me if I knew Clayton and me saying, 'I hate him but he's a good hockey player,"' Duda explains. "He showed up down here eight years ago and we've been linemates ever since.

"We're really good friends."

Clayton says the same.

They're really good players, too.

Duda, 29, a native of Sexsmith, Alta., and Clayton, 28, from Paradise Hill, Sask., lead all CHL point-getters with 51 each.

Clayton pulled even by amassing 14 points in his last five games, and he'll be joining his buddy at the all-star game in Laredo on Wednesday after being added to the roster as a special presidential selection. Guest speaker at the Monday night banquet will be Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn.

Wichita coach Derek Laxdal of St. Boniface, Man., who played for the Leafs in the 1980s, calls Duda and Clayton "one of best 1-2 combinations in any pro hockey league."

They are a big reason why Wichita has a league-best 47 points after 23 wins and only eight losses.

"We've got a really good mix of veterans and young players," says Laxdal. "We've got nine rookies who have bought into our system.

"We're a big family. Army of One is our motto."

Chemistry is vital in putting together a winning lineup, he says, and finding the right players "is half the battle."

Primary ingredients in the brew, of course, are Duda and Clayton, who have skated together in Wichita for the last seven years.

"They've been the cornerstones of this franchise," says Laxdal. "Anybody I put on the right side with them piles up the points.

"The biggest thing at this level is passion for the game, which they've got, because these guys don't make a lot of money."

Duda will verify that fact.

"I'm not here for the money, that's for sure," he says. "But I get to go to work with a smile on my face doing something I love and I'll keep going as long as I can."

Veterans get anywhere from $600 to $1,000 a week for the schedule's 22 weeks. They're on their own the rest of the year. Duda did some caddying last summer. Clayton returned to Saskatchewan to work in the family business operating heavy equipment in an oil field.

"As soon as the season is over most of us grab jobs as quickly as possible," says Duda, who is captain of the Thunder.

Duda married a Kansas woman last year, and Clayton will do the same next summer. It looks as if they've settled in the Sunflower State for good.

"If you'd told me 10 years ago I was going to spend a decade in Kansas I'd have slapped you silly," says Duda. "But why go anywhere else when you're happy where you are?"

Exactly.

Duda, by appearances, could be an accountant. But once in his hockey gear, he's all blue-collar. He's broken both his hands - lost the feeling in his right hand for a year - and most of his fingers, and he's separated a shoulder. He's certainly lived up to the state's motto: "To the stars through difficulty." But most of the hurt was earlier in his career.

"He's a fierce competitor," says Laxdal. "His hand-eye co-ordination is far and above anyone else's in this league.

"He's one of those guys who has a Gretzky-like view of the ice. He thinks out the game so well. Down here, he's one or two steps ahead of most others in this league."

Clayton has been doing a lot of the finishing on the top line lately.

"I've been getting a few bounces here and there," he says. "That helps, and my linemates have been playing awesome.

He has 20 goals and a plus-18 plus-minus rating. Duda is plus-20.

"The biggest reason we're doing so well right now is that from Day One in camp the chemistry on the team has been unbelievable," says Duda. "We go out there and work hard every game and Laxy has a good game plan so we're well prepared for anybody we play. And he's done a great recruiting job."

Clayton also gives Laxdal credit for the team's success.

"He has us totally prepared for every game," says Clayton. "He's so focused on winning, and that trickles down."

His Alberta buddy keeps everybody on their toes, too.

"Jason is very vocal in the room," says Clayton. "Everybody looks up to him."

There's a long ways to go but 23 wins make life entirely bearable heading into an all-star break that sends Duda and Clayton to Laredo.

Re: NHL.com Thunder Article

Eagle Struck wrote:

Thought if anyone hadn't seen this , it would be a good read. 3:45 PM EST, 11/06/2005 Former Saskatchewan junior opponents best of friends as Wichita teammates (CP) - Jason Duda and Travis Clayton don't hate each other anymore. As Central Hockey League linemates with the No. 1 Wichita Thunder, they are pals, which is hard to believe for anybody who followed the Saskatchewan junior playoffs when Duda's Melfort Mustangs and Clayton's North Battleford North Stars tangled back in 1996. "We hated each other," Duda recalls of the rivalry between the teams. "They were chippy games with a lot of yapping going on. "We beat them four games to one. Be sure to mention that because, to this day, we like to rub it in." Clayton doesn't like to be reminded. "We weren't the greatest of friends because of that rivalry," he says. "As a matter of fact, we didn't really like each other." Ironically, it was a good word from Duda that contributed to Clayton landing in Kansas. "I came to Wichita to play after that and I remember the coach asking me if I knew Clayton and me saying, 'I hate him but he's a good hockey player,"' Duda explains. "He showed up down here eight years ago and we've been linemates ever since. "We're really good friends." Clayton says the same. They're really good players, too. Duda, 29, a native of Sexsmith, Alta., and Clayton, 28, from Paradise Hill, Sask., lead all CHL point-getters with 51 each. Clayton pulled even by amassing 14 points in his last five games, and he'll be joining his buddy at the all-star game in Laredo on Wednesday after being added to the roster as a special presidential selection. Guest speaker at the Monday night banquet will be Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn. Wichita coach Derek Laxdal of St. Boniface, Man., who played for the Leafs in the 1980s, calls Duda and Clayton "one of best 1-2 combinations in any pro hockey league." They are a big reason why Wichita has a league-best 47 points after 23 wins and only eight losses. "We've got a really good mix of veterans and young players," says Laxdal. "We've got nine rookies who have bought into our system. "We're a big family. Army of One is our motto." Chemistry is vital in putting together a winning lineup, he says, and finding the right players "is half the battle." Primary ingredients in the brew, of course, are Duda and Clayton, who have skated together in Wichita for the last seven years. "They've been the cornerstones of this franchise," says Laxdal. "Anybody I put on the right side with them piles up the points. "The biggest thing at this level is passion for the game, which they've got, because these guys don't make a lot of money." Duda will verify that fact. "I'm not here for the money, that's for sure," he says. "But I get to go to work with a smile on my face doing something I love and I'll keep going as long as I can." Veterans get anywhere from $600 to $1,000 a week for the schedule's 22 weeks. They're on their own the rest of the year. Duda did some caddying last summer. Clayton returned to Saskatchewan to work in the family business operating heavy equipment in an oil field. "As soon as the season is over most of us grab jobs as quickly as possible," says Duda, who is captain of the Thunder. Duda married a Kansas woman last year, and Clayton will do the same next summer. It looks as if they've settled in the Sunflower State for good. "If you'd told me 10 years ago I was going to spend a decade in Kansas I'd have slapped you silly," says Duda. "But why go anywhere else when you're happy where you are?" Exactly. Duda, by appearances, could be an accountant. But once in his hockey gear, he's all blue-collar. He's broken both his hands - lost the feeling in his right hand for a year - and most of his fingers, and he's separated a shoulder. He's certainly lived up to the state's motto: "To the stars through difficulty." But most of the hurt was earlier in his career. "He's a fierce competitor," says Laxdal. "His hand-eye co-ordination is far and above anyone else's in this league. "He's one of those guys who has a Gretzky-like view of the ice. He thinks out the game so well. Down here, he's one or two steps ahead of most others in this league." Clayton has been doing a lot of the finishing on the top line lately. "I've been getting a few bounces here and there," he says. "That helps, and my linemates have been playing awesome. He has 20 goals and a plus-18 plus-minus rating. Duda is plus-20. "The biggest reason we're doing so well right now is that from Day One in camp the chemistry on the team has been unbelievable," says Duda. "We go out there and work hard every game and Laxy has a good game plan so we're well prepared for anybody we play. And he's done a great recruiting job." Clayton also gives Laxdal credit for the team's success. "He has us totally prepared for every game," says Clayton. "He's so focused on winning, and that trickles down." His Alberta buddy keeps everybody on their toes, too. "Jason is very vocal in the room," says Clayton. "Everybody looks up to him." There's a long ways to go but 23 wins make life entirely bearable heading into an all-star break that sends Duda and Clayton to Laredo.

In other news, the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor..... (thanks to LJR)

That article was a good read....last year.

OUT

GDOGG

Gdooo6, have you found me yet wanker or does the long drive scare you? I really would love for you to ! or do you want me to visit you in Bel Air ,(you know the house you rent from your mother in law ) when the Eagles visit in Feb. ?

Eagle Struck wrote:

Gdooo6, have you found me yet wanker or does the long drive scare you? I really would love for you to ! or do you want me to visit you in Bel Air ,(you know the house you rent from your mother in law ) when the Eagles visit in Feb. ?

Don't worry, I will be in Colorado in February (not for a Thunder game) to attend an Eagle game. I will make sure and plan a place and time to meet you, then I will look forward to letting everyone know on here that you didn't show.

By the way, you can give it up, everyone on here already knows you are from Wichita....you slipped up on the comment you made on the picture. By the way, I would love to visit you, how about Friday night at the Coliseum, since you will be there.

OUT

GDOGG

Any town north of Denver blows.

It was all online litte boy blue, just like your stupid name which leads to everything my man. As for the KC this Friday , I've told you I only come to that dump when I need to, like when the Blimder choke at home during the playoffs. Mery Xmas asshole !

Hey Eagle Struck, Better be careful on the computer! Don't want you getting in trouble with your teachers for spending class time on the message boards!! Maybe you should get started on your class work for awhile!

Thundergirl_21 wrote:

Hey Eagle Struck, Better be careful on the computer! Don't want you getting in trouble with your teachers for spending class time on the message boards!! Maybe you should get started on your class work for awhile!

Good Advice, I think enough's been said anyway until Feb.

Eagle Struck wrote:

It was all online litte boy blue, just like your stupid name which leads to everything my man. As for the KC this Friday , I've told you I only come to that dump when I need to, like when the Blimder choke at home during the playoffs. Mery Xmas asshole !

Hey dumbass...you made a comment "I can't believe the fit all you idiots in the same picture" or something along those lines.

Well, there were two pictures in the paper, one of me and my shirt that you errrrrrrr..... homogdogg loves so much (eagle struck and homogdogg6 are the same person by the way) and the picture with four of us which is the one you were talking about. Well, the one that you commented on was only put in the paper, it was not put online. So, if you read the article online you would have only seen the picture of me, but since you commented on the picture with "all the idiots in the same picture" that means you had to see the paper itself. So, when did the Eagle start delivering to Colorado.....oh wait, it doesn't. You know, the thing that irritates me the most about you is you are a Wichita poster....so quit hiding behind a screen name and be man enough to meet me Friday night....

Since I know that won't happen, we'll squash your little fantasy in February when I attend my first Eagles game and you are no where to be found! Good day tool...

OUT

GDOGG

The loser's I made the comment on are all behind you in the photo-Blunder Fans get it?. As for your fight challenge, is the the best your little mind can come up with? I thought you were smarter than that, instead you want to fight. Not surprising though, everytime I come to KC someone wants to. Nice mentality on the behalf of a few losers like I quoted from the photo. It's getting really old, when you can't use your brain instead of your tough man image. Grow up man , you are not tough and you should be smarter in your actions. You want to go to jail before XMas to prove your a man to people whom don't even care about you,like myself. Your supposed to be a leader on this site? That the joke,grow up and enjoy another Eagles champinship, because that's how it will be when the dust settles. Use your Mind Gdoogg6 that's why it's there.

Eagle Struck wrote:

The loser's I made the comment on are all behind you in the photo-Blunder Fans get it?. As for your fight challenge, is the the best your little mind can come up with? I thought you were smarter than that, instead you want to fight. Not surprising though, everytime I come to KC someone wants to. Nice mentality on the behalf of a few losers like I quoted from the photo. It's getting really old, when you can't use your brain instead of your tough man image. Grow up man , you are not tough and you should be smarter in your actions. You want to go to jail before XMas to prove your a man to people whom don't even care about you,like myself. Your supposed to be a leader on this site? That the joke,grow up and enjoy another Eagles champinship, because that's how it will be when the dust settles. Use your Mind Gdoogg6 that's why it's there.

Who said anything about a fight???

Oh well, back to ignoring this Wichitan with nothing better to do....

OUT

GDOGG

Oh you just want to shake my hand when the Blunder lose again in the playoffs..That's cool I thought you wanted to act tough, my apologies I must have read your post's wrong.

Considering this is about the way that this looks everytime Eagle Stuck has posted today, I'd say that he (?) is one of the 3 hidden users online today.
And he has the nerve to question Gdogg's manhood?
Why stay hidden on a message board Eagle Struck?


In total there are 15 users online :: 3 Registered, 3 Hidden and 9 Guests [ Administrator ] [ Moderator ]
Most users ever online was 49 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:01 pm
Registered Users: Gdogg6, The Chief Spin Doctor, Thundergirl_21

As much as I would love to see you two girls fight, give us all a break. I would rather the two of you sit down over a beer and talk about boys and the other girls in class or compare your times of the month. I know if we tried we can all get along.

Eagle Struck, here is your chance to prove Gdogg wrong. If you tell him what your IP address is then he can go to the website below and it will tell him exactly where you are? After he sees that you are posting from Loveland,CO then this will all be over. You and Gdogg can have a beer in Colorado when he visits in February and you can keep telling him how good Colorado is and how bad you think Wichita is.

http://www.geobytes.com/IpLocator.htm?GetLocation

You can look your IP address up online if you are going to use the excuse that you don't know what it is. Just Google "My IP Address" and it will give you everything you need.

I have bet Gdogg $50 that this thread trickles to an end after you read this.

lol..guess this topic is done!

Actually, TStruck can do an ISP trace as board admin.

Al?

RLR

Here you go , sorry I was busy...216.7.186.93ISP

couldnt anybody you know in colorado just loan you their ISP address?