Ex-UMaine players share special bond

Several years ago, former University of Maine winger Paul Giacalone said there was a special bond between hockey players who wore Black Bear colors.

He said because Orono is so isolated from the rest of eastern college hockey, the players develop a kinship not found at many other schools.

That kinship comes to the forefront at hockey alumni weekends, which are held every two years.

This past weekend’s alumni gathering may have been the best ever attendance-wise as several ex-players who hadn’t been able to attend previous gatherings made a special effort to return.

They had hoped to offer their best wishes to coach Shawn Walsh in his battle with kidney cancer.

He had been hospitalized for 15 days due to side effects from his stem cell transplantation so he wasn’t able to attend but he left a lasting impression when he addressed the group on the intercom at a private party.

“His spirits were good. He sounded like Shawn. He’d rip one guy [good-naturedly], then he’d rip another one. He brought up some old stuff. He sounded good. We felt good about that,” said former winger Steve Tepper, the ticket manager for the AHL’s Worcester Icecats and a competitive fisherman.

Here is a brief look at the comings and goings of several Bears over the weekend:

. Eight of them rented an RV so they could attend Trevor Roenick’s wedding in Erie, Pa., on Saturday before driving to Orono on Sunday.

“Jason Vitorino drove the whole way down there so we could enjoy ourselves in the back,” said Jeff Libby, who suffered a career-ending eye injury a few years ago in an AHL game and recently graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in business finance.

. In the Time Flies Category, Marc Son, who played on the first four Maine teams beginning in 1977-78, will have his son Dustin attending Maine in the fall.

Dustin Son will be a freshman.

“I’ve had a wonderful time. I love coming back. The pro players who return are great with the kids,” observed Son.

. Dave Wensley, class of ’88, has been a firefighter in Burnaby, British Columbia for the past seven years and returned for the first time in 10 years.

His former roommate and teammate, New Jersey Devil Bob Corkum, who came one win away from having his name on the Stanley Cup, flew his close friend back for the reunion.

“As soon as I drove into the area, everything came back to me. It hit me like a sledgehammer. It was awesome of Bobby [to fly me back]. We both sat up many a night dreaming about playing in the NHL. To see Bobby come that close to winning it [was great]. He was the best man at my wedding. This has been wonderful. I’m bringing the whole family back next time,” said the father of two.

. Former Bear sniper Jean-Yves Roy just signed a two-year deal with a team in Switzerland.

“That’s the best place I’ve played in Europe so far,” said Roy.

Meanwhile, Eric Fenton, who played in Newcastle, England, this past season after being a hard-nosed disturber for most of four seasons with Milwaukee in the now-defunct IHL, wants to return to this country as a player-assistant coach.

“It was fun for two months but then I really wanted to come back to America,” said Fenton who played on the 1993 championship team and said it didn’t seem that long ago.

“I watched the 42-1-2 tape the other day. It brought back a lot of memories. It was a special time,” said Fenton, a father of one living in Madison, Wisc.

. Goalie Blair Allison will play in Idaho with Cal Ingraham. Former Bears Dan Shermerhorn, Shawn Wansborough and Matt Martin also played for the Steelheads this past season.

. Jack Capuano, senior vice president of Pee Dee Pride in the East Coast Hockey League, has signed recently graduated Dan Kerluke.