Feb. 3 MANCHESTER (On Steeg, Reichie, and other things...)

MAJOR BLOGS - www.majorblogs.net - MANCHESTER, N.H. -- There's never enough time or space, except on the net, where it's unlimited...had Providence Bruins duty tonight here in Manchester and was greeted with some stunning news...that Peebs leading scorer Kris Versteeg (aka the Most Improved Player in the AHL) had been dealt during the afternoon to the Blackhawks for the highly regarded winger Brandon Bochenski (Bochenski will report to Boston, Versteeg, to the Hawks' farmies in Norfolk).

Took a period and a half, but KimMueller, the keen-eyed, sharp-minded PR maven of the Monarchs spotted Versteeg sitting way up near the rafters of the Verizon Wireless Arena....So, we (Kevin Provencher of the Union Leader, and New Bedford's doc5hole) make the trek (coulda useda sherpa) to get his thoughts...

  "It was really shocking," 'Steeg admitted. "I really loved it in Providence, and I had a great time, on and off the ice. I'm going to miss it a lot."

 What I'm going to miss is the mystery. Anything could happen when 'Steeg touched the puck. Like the behind the back and through the legs goal he scored against Portland. Best goal I've ever seen...in the AHL, at least.

"He's one of the most skilled players we've ever had in Providence," said Peebs coach Scott Gordon. "What he can do with just a little space....He doesn't waste a day. Every day he's trying to get better."

 I came to the rink with the idea of getting some reaction to the promotion of Peebs co-captain Jeremy Reich (pronounced Reach), who is no goal-scorer, and a welterweight as a fighter, but a heavyweight in the all important heart department.

 Gordon made a telling remark...."I think if you ask every guy in the locker room how excited they were for him because of how much he brings to our team. His attitude. His professionalism. How much he sticks up for guys. To a man, I think if it came to sacrificing their opportunity (to get to the NHL) to get Reicher his opportunity. They would."

I got the same vibe from Reich's Peeb linemate, the gritty Nate Thompson, who is cut from the same clothbolt.

"It's great," he said. "He's a guy who brings his A game every night, and he's going to do the same up there. I'm glad he's up there. More than anybody else, I'm glad he's up there."

 I polished off my post-game work by visiting with Manchester rookie John Zeiler, who was a teammate of the Peebs T.J. Trevelyan.

 Got his take on T.J., who couldn't stick with the club coming out of training camp, was banished to the Coast League, before getting another chance. And all he's done with that is pot 16 goals, including the Peeb's lone tally tonight.

 "We were linemates the entire four years at St. Lawrence," said Zeiler , who's got 11 goals himself. "They didn't break us up once. T.J.'s a kid who finds the net. Around the net...anywhere. The kid's a shooter. For four years he amazed me. He just scored and scored and scored." 

 I love nights like this.