Trivia

[mccartystillsuxs]

What former Saginaw Spirit was born in Japan?

[teamspirit08]

ryan o'marra

[spiritfan8]

Who was the first US born player to play for the Spirit?

[MidlandSpiritFan]

Aug 15, 2008 16:42:51 GMT -5 spiritfan8 said:

Who was the first US born player to play for the Spirit?

The easy answer is Taylor Raszka after the trade that sent Chris Thorburn to Plymouth during the inaugural season. I believe Mike Brown was on the roster at the start of that 1st season so the question is did he play in a game before the aforementioned Raszka for Thorburn trade? That's what I do not remember for certain.

[kivpit]

Aug 16, 2008 5:18:21 GMT -5 MidlandSpiritFan said:

Aug 15, 2008 16:42:51 GMT -5 spiritfan8 said:

Who was the first US born player to play for the Spirit?

The easy answer is Taylor Raszka after the trade that sent Chris Thorburn to Plymouth during the inaugural season. I believe Mike Brown was on the roster at the start of that 1st season so the question is did he play in a game before the aforementioned Raszka for Thorburn trade? That's what I do not remember for certain.

Yes he did. Brown and Kellerman pretty much alternated every other game...

[mccartystillsuxs]

Ok this one is a tough one. Who is the first player to play for a Saginaw JR. team to play in the NHL? Hint it's not C.T.

[kivpit]

Aug 16, 2008 13:28:03 GMT -5 mccartystillsuxs said:

Ok this one is a tough one. Who is the first player to play for a Saginaw JR. team to play in the NHL? Hint it's not C.T.

Geoff Platt, 1 day before Thorburn

[mccartystillsuxs]

Nope this players first nhl team was Nashville

[bpfox]

I believe you are talking about Mark Mowers who played for the Saginaw JR Gears. He broke in with Nashville the 1999-2000 season. He also played for Detroit, Boston and last season managed to play 17 games with the Anaheim Ducks.

[mccartystillsuxs]

good job BP

[MidlandSpiritFan]

Aug 16, 2008 10:36:07 GMT -5 kivpit said:

Aug 16, 2008 5:18:21 GMT -5 MidlandSpiritFan said:

The easy answer is Taylor Raszka after the trade that sent Chris Thorburn to Plymouth during the inaugural season. I believe Mike Brown was on the roster at the start of that 1st season so the question is did he play in a game before the aforementioned Raszka for Thorburn trade? That's what I do not remember for certain.

Yes he did. Brown and Kellerman pretty much alternated every other game...

So the correct answer to sf8's question is Mike Brown??

[bpfox]

Aug 16, 2008 23:38:46 GMT -5 MidlandSpiritFan said:

Aug 16, 2008 10:36:07 GMT -5 kivpit said:

Yes he did. Brown and Kellerman pretty much alternated every other game...

So the correct answer to sf8's question is Mike Brown??

Yes and No. The Spirit opened it's first season with three players from the Old North Bay team who were American Born Players;

Mike Brown , Baldwinsville NY
Phil Kozak, Toledo OH
Greg Goodnough, Mansfield, NY

Your guess is as good as mine as to which one of these three hit the ice first. ;D

[IGive1]

Mike Thompson is an American and I think Frank Burgio is American as well.

As far as first on the ice, if Mike Brown started in goal that game, since starting goalies are the first on the ice for warm up, he technically would be the first American. I don't know if he started that game or not, I think not since Kellerman was the veteran.

[bpfox]

Aug 17, 2008 11:27:27 GMT -5 IGive1 said:

Mike Thompson is an American and I think Frank Burgio is American as well.

As far as first on the ice, if Mike Brown started in goal that game, since starting goalies are the first on the ice for warm up, he technically would be the first American. I don't know if he started that game or not, I think not since Kellerman was the veteran.

Upon further review it would seem that we are both correct and both wrong. I missed Burgio who hales from Rochester NY, however my information on Mike Thompson lists his hometown as Chesterville, Ontario.

That said, neither Mike Brown or Greg Goodnough played in the first Spirit game so it comes down to either Phil Kozak or Frank Burgio who both played in the first Spirit game. I can't say as I remember the defensive parings for that first game. Perhaps one could argue that since Burgio was the older player, he may have been on the ice first.

[igive2]

Here's a link to the gamesheet of the first Spirit game on September 21, 2002 vs. Sarnia

www.ontariohockeyleague.com/stats/official-game-report.php?game_id=4615