Bond strength already a part of Condors' team chemistry
| Saturday, Oct 03 2009 11:03 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Oct 03 2009 11:03 PM
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Alex Horvath / The Californian After an intersquad scrimmage Austin Goldsberry, 10, get his sweat shirt signed by Condor player Alexandre Monahan during open house and second day of training camp at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
Alex Horvath / The Californian Logan MacMillan tries to skate by defender Pierre-Luc Lessard during an intersquad scrimmage at the Condors open house and second day of training camp at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
Alex Horvath / The Californian Orlando Alamano covers the puck during an intersquad scrimmage at the Condors open house and second day of training camp at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
Alex Horvath / The Californian After an intersquad scrimmage Joshua Jones, 5, and Cameron Hanson, 7, skate with Condor player Travis Granbois during open house and second day of training camp at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
Alex Horvath / The Californian After an intersquad scrimmage Zane Short, 5, get his jersey signed by Condor player J. P. Legasseur during open house and second day of training camp at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
Mathieu Aubin picked up the puck at center ice, skated backward toward the goaltender and, beleive it or not, rifled a backhander into the top corner of the net.
The unorthodox move on a shootout at the end of an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday afternoon was Aubin's way of introducing himself to several hundred fans who lined the glass during the Condors annual open house at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
"I wanted to do something less usual," said Aubin, a fourth-year pro from Sorel, Ouebec, "My move is just a shot in a real shootout but I wanted to do a little special move that Quebec NHL'er Martin St. Louis used in the real NHL so I did. I never tried it before. It just worked. I got lucky, I guess.
"This was for the fans to get to know us and use to know the fans. They came here for a good time so the players just wanted to do a couple different moves to make it fun and show we have fun playing hockey."
Fun aside, Aubin, who won an ECHL championship while playing with Cincinnati in 2007-08, said camp was a time for team cohesiveness as much as anything else.
"For me, it's (about) getting my legs going and knowing my teammates," he said. "I know a couple of guys from Quebec but that's it. It's more for team building. Go on the ice with your teammates and get to know them. We're in the hotel so the whole team is always together. I think that's good for team spirit and chemistry."
Aubin said team bonding can't be overstated, especially for a team such as the Condors where almost all the players are strangers.
"It's almost a new team, just two players coming back and all the rest are new players," Aubin said. "We just need to get that chemistry going, be together as much as we can. We're on the ice 3-4 hours together. The rest of the day we can be together, just have fun and enjoy the sun of California and get to know each other."
Team building is one of the reasons Condors coach Marty Raymond is housing all of the players in a hotel and not placing them in apartments until later. He wants them together, hanging out and getting to know one another.
"Every system is this and that but the key to winning championships and having a good team is players coming together," said Raymond, acknowledging that never happened last season. "If they do you're going to win. The less coaching I do with a better club is best. When I over coach because there's just too many problem guys, then we have a problem.
"So far these kids have been phenomenal. They listen they're consistent. They're professional and it's a big difference."
As for the scrimmage, Sasha Pokulok, Aubin and Andrew Ianiero scored goals for the maroon team while Travis Granbois had the lone goal for the black squad. Ianiero and Bobby Bolt, who scored in the shootout, received the largest ovation from the crowd during the shootout. They are the only returning players.
Raymond's overall assessment thus far: "We're big and we have some speed. We have to play big. I really like the fact we have guys who drive to the net. Guys are willing to pay the price and score goals. That's a good trait on a young team."
