NOLLY'S NOTES - BLOG #39
Nick Nollenberger
Sep 1, 2023
Hello, Cuda Country! We’re just 42 days from the season opener on Oct. 13th. Can you believe it?!
I want to start this blog by wishing my wife, Angela, a happy anniversary. Because we had so many events leading into the opening of Tech CU Arena a year ago, we didn’t get a proper honeymoon, so I write this edition of Nolly’s Notes from Oahu, Hawaii. Better late than never, right? A happy wife is a happy life.
GRIP IT AN RIP IT
The San Jose Barracuda will be hosting their 2nd Annual Barracuda Golf Classic at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club Oct. 16. A year ago, the event raised over $10,000 for Home First Services of Santa Clara County. We’re hoping to exceed those numbers this year, as they will once again be our beneficiary, so come play some golf with players, coaches and staff, and support an outstanding cause.
Check-in begins at 9:30a, with the tournament starting at 11:30a. Individual entry and foursomes are available. To sign up, CLICK HERE.
Welcome Scott Boggs
While it wasn’t a player, the Barracuda did make a big addition this month, officially hiring Scott Boggs as head equipment manager. Boggs replaces Mike Murphy, who has taken a job with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. A native of Halifax, NS, Canada, Boggs has over 35 years of experience as an equipment manager, including 16 as the head equipment manager of the NHL’s New York Islanders.
Internationally, he has been a part of multiple events including the IIHF World Championships for Team Canada and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey for Team Europe. On April 15, 2022, he worked his 2,000th professional game when the Islanders faced the Montreal Canadiens.
Welcome to San Jose, Scott!
Miller Time
The Sharks filled out their coaching and scouting staff on Aug. 18, hiring five new members to various roles. Among the group, the most notable are Vezina Trophy winning goaltender Ryan Miller and former All-Star Thomas Vanek. Miller will become an amateur goalie scout, along with helping develop the orgs current netminders. While Vanek will be a Minnesota area pre-draft scout. Miller and Vanek are both former teammates of Sharks’ GM Mike Grier with the Buffalo Sabres.
While we all know Miller finished his career in St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim, his best seasons were with Sabres, where he ascended to become one of the, if not the best, goalies in the world, and cemented himself as the best American born tendy in the sport’s history. For me, Miller’s performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was his crowning acheivment, backstopping Team USA to overtime of the Gold Medal game against Canada. He was incredible in that tournament and nearly shocked the world by leading his nation to a gold medal. I have friend who aren’t even big hockey fans, who bring that Olympics up from time to time. It was the most dominant goaltending exhibition I’d ever seen. Specifics on the exact role for Miller have not been released but we could see him in San Jose from time to time working with the prospects.
Thank you, Johnny!
We close out this edition of Nolly’s Notes by sending a congratulation and thank you to Johnny Schaffer who served as my assistant the last three seasons while attending San Jose State. He recently landed a job with the Tucson Roadrunners where he’ll help in various capacities within their media and broadcasting department. Johnny was a huge help during his time with the Barracuda and we couldn’t be happier for him. It’s a huge step in his career and his aspirations of becoming a broadcaster.
RIP RJ
Longtime Sabres voice Rick Jeanerette passed away last week at the age of 81. I want to send my condolences to his friends and family and to the city of Buffalo. For 51 years, from 1971 to 2022, he was the voice of the Sabres, the longest tenured broadcaster in NHL history. As an aspiring broadcaster myself, it was hard not to be familiar with Jeanerette and his work, despite Buffalo being on the other side of the continent. His enthusiasm and passion will live on forever and serves as an inspiration for anyone wanting to live out their dreams. I think we’d all take a life that we got to do what we love for as long as he did. Although I never met him personally, the stories about him are countless and his legacy will certainly live on forever. RIP, RJ!
His May Day, May Day call has got to be one of the best ever.
That will do it for this week’s edition of Nolly’s Notes. Thanks for reading and so long until next time.