Syracuse Speaks

On this episode, recorded August 10, 2020, Alexandra takes a figurative spin around the news surrounding the AHL, it's potential return for the 2020-21 season, and what specifically that return might look like in Syracuse. She attempts to bring some certainty to the following questions:

The royalty-free music featured in this episode was by Purple Planet Music and Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

On this episode, recorded July 13, 2020, Alexandra starts off with some housekeeping as she discusses her move to The Sin Bin and what she imagines her coverage will look like going forward. She then dives into what's going on with Syracuse Crunch and its organization:

-She covers what is known about the team's roster for next season, including where the Lightning has their work cut out for them down on the farm (Hint: dear lord, the net is empty again, and that blue line? Omph...)

-She briefly covers potential holes in the Tampa Bay Lightning's roster, and ponders who from Syracuse might fill them

-She discusses the Black Aces, players who have been called up from Syracuse to the  Lightning for their Phase 3 training camp, including 2020 AHL All-Star Alex Barre-Boulet and Crunch captain Luke Witkowski

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify, and Stitcher. The royalty-free music featured in this episode was by Purple Planet Music and Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

In this episode, Alex tries to wrap her head around the world of hockey and the world in general. She discusses what's known, what's still a mystery, and what the future may hold. 

This week, Alex determines that brackets meant to ferret out the best player to ever pull on a jersey in the American Hockey League are bananas. Why? Because generally they end up being based on players' NHL futures, not their AHL past.

Frivolous topic of conversation? Absolutely! Come join in the fun, we all probably need something frivolous right now. 

In this episode, Alex highlights all of the amazing initiatives and programs the Syracuse Crunch has put together during this pause in the AHL's season. She also puts a spotlight on ideas and articles worth considering, media personalities that have been doing some great work lately, and the AHL itself as it works hard to keep fans connected. 

Let's shine a little light in the world! 

This week, Alex starts off by outlining her thinking and her concerns about what the AHL and the NHL should do with the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Hint: It’s rather unpopular, and it doesn’t involve playing hockey. She then goes on to discuss this week’s prompt: “What’s your favorite sports movie?” Her answer might surprise you since it isn’t Miracle (!). It’s a little film from 2002 that tells the story of baseball player Jim Morris.

This week, Alex discusses her virtual tryout contract with the Syracuse Crunch. She praises the Crunch’s efforts to be there for their fans and keep them involved in the sport during this weird, difficult time. She then moves onto her prompt of the week: “Share a time when you didn’t get along with a teammate.” Since she doesn’t actually play for the team - VTO’s aside - she switched it up to something slightly different: “Share how you handle not liking a player.” In answering it, she addresses how the internet has changed the way fans communicate their frustrations, and how mental health can affect one’s view of the world (sports included).

This week, Alex discusses the postponement of the AHL season and what the Syracuse Crunch is doing to help stay present in the minds of the fans. She then takes an elementary  writing prompt and brings it into the podcasting world: Tell about a time a big game was won.

The game she chose? The practically-forgotten game four of the Calder Cup final in 2013.

This week, Alex spends a good chunk of the podcast reviewing Crunch at Your Service, the Syracuse Crunch’s most recent charity fundraising endeavor, which took place on Monday, March 2nd at Turning Stone Resort and Casino. It consisted of Tampa Bay Lightning prospects and organizational players acting goofy, performing tasks, and just generally being “at the service” of Crunch fans and sponsors for tips. Alex takes an in-depth look at what attending the event was like for a fan. She then lays out the team’s March, and raises the salient point that while February may have made Syracuse into a playoff team, March has the potential to make or break the Crunch’s hopes at a post season.

This week, Alex starts off by pondering some more on her current discomfort with the Syracuse Crunch roster. Although no conclusions were gained, she feels closer than ever before to an answer. She then dives into the NHL trade deadline and does some quick math (Basically: Cameron Gaunce + Mitchell Stephens > Anthony Greco). She ends the pod with a summary of Syracuse’s most recent jersey tributes and charitable activities, including a plug of the team’s upcoming Crunch At Your Service event.