Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Workout welcomes 'Rays back to the ice

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Wednesday, September 27, 2000

Workout welcomes 'Rays back to the ice
Hockey team gathers for informal practice after ice returns to Memorial Coliseum
By Matt Young
Caller-Times
Corpus Christi IceRays living in South Texas during the offseason don't get much of a chance to practice their trade. Forget fish out of water. An offseason in Corpus Christi has hockey players living without ice.
   So when the ice was put back down in Memorial Coliseum last week, it didn't take the IceRays long to sneak in for an informal practice Tuesday.
   By league rules, Western Professional Hockey League teams aren't allowed to practice until Sunday. However, there's no rule stopping a bunch of players getting together on their own to play some hockey.
   "Some of the players asked when the ice would be down, so when we heard it was in, we wanted to come out here and skate around a little," forward Dustin McArthur said. "It was good to get out and stretch your legs out on the ice."
   The two-hour session was more about fun than actual hockey. The 18 players that showed up split into two teams and played a pickup game with no hitting allowed. Because teams can't officially practice until Sunday, coach Taylor Hall wasn't allowed to attend the informal practice.
   Hall's absence translated into a less than intense session, players said.
   "This was more about just getting out on the ice again and having some fun," McArthur said.
   It was also about getting back in shape before the real practices begin.
   "You can do all the conditioning you want, but it doesn't mean anything unless you do it out on the ice," forward Kurt Wickenheiser said. "Everything's totally different on the ice, so you've got to get yourself in shape on the ice. That's why we're out here, and that's why we'll keep coming out here."
   The IceRays are in a hurry to get ready, since they don't get to practice until Sunday. They follow up with their first exhibition game just days later, Oct. 4 against the Wichita Thunder. The IceRays begin the regular season Oct. 12 against Fort Worth.
   "It's a pretty quick turnaround, so we're trying not to waste any time getting ready," Wickenheiser said. "We've all got to get in shape and get everyone working together."
   Although the IceRays' roster figures to have several changes from last season, McArthur and Wickenheiser both will be around to let the newcomers know how last season ended. The IceRays were knocked out of the second round of the playoffs after blowing leads in the final two games of their best-of-five series.
   "I don't like losing, period," Wickenheiser said. "So, the way last season ended still sticks with me a little, and that's what I'm trying to help these guys learn. We didn't like the way last season ended, so let's get together and do something about it."
   Having 18 players show up voluntarily for an informal practice could go a long way to eliminating playoff collapses in the future, they said.
   "There's a lot of guys in town already, so we had a good number show up," Wickenheiser said. "Hopefully, this shows the kind of dedication we're going to have this season."
   Staff writer Matt Young can be reached at 886-3702 or by e-mail at youngm@caller.com

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