Skip to main content
Syracuse Speaks

Syracuse Speaks

By Alexandra Ackerman

Host Alex Ackerman has been watching the Syracuse Crunch for 20 seasons. Alex was the minor league editor for Raw Charge, a For Hockey Fans Network site that covers the Tampa Bay Lightning, for two years. Prior to that, she was their main Crunch contributor. Alex has also contributed to other minor league hockey blogs.

"To my Syracuse Crunch fans, make sure to subscribe and listen to this! Many of you know this already but for those who don’t, Alex brings a sensational mix of fan appreciation, analysis and perspective of the Crunch and AHL hockey. Make it a habit to listen!" - Brent Axe
Available on
Amazon Music Logo
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Syracuse Speaks: Episode four

Syracuse SpeaksJun 10, 2019

00:00
28:21
Syracuse Speaks #113: One Month to Go

Syracuse Speaks #113: One Month to Go

In this episode, recorded March 23rd, 2024, Alex ponders how the Syracuse Crunch is going to push through to the playoffs without their Captain. She discusses why the loss of Gabriel Dumont to season-ending ACL surgery is a tough challenge for the team to overcome. She also makes sure to point out why the team will overcome the challenge of playing without him. She looks at the playoff picture, previews the upcoming games, and adds her usual witty commentary to it all.

Mar 23, 202427:29
Syracuse Speaks #112: What Happened to the Original Plot?

Syracuse Speaks #112: What Happened to the Original Plot?

In this episode from March 10th, 2024, Alex tries to express how the fan base is feeling after a trade deadline that was mostly bad news for the Syracuse Crunch and the organization's depth chart. She explores the general sentiments of Crunch fans, ponders what this could mean for the playoffs hopes of a team that has excelled this season despite various challenges, and wonders why the Lightning's overall philosophy seems to have changed from just a few short years ago. She also looks at the playoff picture for the North Division and previews Syracuse's upcoming games.

Mar 10, 202426:32
Syracuse Speaks #111: Welcome back, ABB!

Syracuse Speaks #111: Welcome back, ABB!

Alex recorded this episode in the late afternoon on February 25th, 2024, prior to Syracuse's tilt against Utica. For all your pre-gaming needs, she covers the most recent transactions affecting the Crunch (Alex Barre-Boulet, we sure missed you), breaks down the North Division as it stands, and discusses which team is currently a monkey on Syracuse's back. She takes a look at player states before previewing the Crunch's next few weeks of games. She also ponders the upcoming NHL trade deadline and how it may affect Syracuse.

Feb 25, 202428:42
Syracuse Speaks #110: The More Things Change...

Syracuse Speaks #110: The More Things Change...

Hello Crunch fans! Welcome to the AHL All-Star "break" that really isn't a break. Alex reviews the latest games for Syracuse, previews their upcoming schedule, discusses some of the team's upcoming charity initiatives, and ponders how the team is still performing so well given all the changes afoot.

Feb 04, 202429:47
Syracuse Speaks #109: Theme Night Excellence

Syracuse Speaks #109: Theme Night Excellence

AHL teams generally excel in engaging their communities, but the Syracuse Crunch lately has been truly teaching a Master Class in theming. In this episode, Alex discuses the two most recent theme nights put on by Syracuse, their first-ever Wizarding Night and their throwback 90s Night. She expounds on why these nights are so smart for minor league teams to put effort into and talks about her personal enjoyment of such evenings. Alex also recaps Syracuse's most recent efforts on the ice before previewing their upcoming weeks, a period that will see Syracuse right up to the AHL All-Star weekend.

Jan 21, 202430:33
Syracuse Speaks #108: Sorting the Crunch (and Other Topics)

Syracuse Speaks #108: Sorting the Crunch (and Other Topics)

This episode, recorded January 7th, 2024, is very much a tale told in two parts. In the first segment, host Alex Ackerman covers the team's most recent results, the standings in the AHL, the (many) transactions affecting the team, and the trends within the roster. She also takes her usual look at the team's upcoming schedule, including any promotional nights. In the second half, Alex celebrates Syracuse's upcoming Wizarding Night by sorting the Crunch's roster into their wizarding Houses. She discusses the House system, the importance of the traits connected to those Houses within the movie and book franchise, and expounds on the personal and cultural value of the franchise as a whole.

Jan 07, 202444:08
Syracuse Speaks #107: Cuppa Crunch Cheer

Syracuse Speaks #107: Cuppa Crunch Cheer

Alex recorded this episode mid-morning on December 10th, 2023, to get it out before Syracuse's afternoon tilt against Utica. She takes a look at the standings, Syracuse's top 11 point-getters, and previews the team's upcoming schedule. She also discusses why she loves the Teddy Bear Toss, minor league hockey's charitable tradition, and dissects an interesting comment she heard which compared the current Crunch team to a certain previous team.

Dec 10, 202338:59
Syracuse Speaks #106: Latest Hockey Happenings in Syracuse

Syracuse Speaks #106: Latest Hockey Happenings in Syracuse

Recorded on November 19th, 2023, this episode takes a gander at all of the current Crunch news. Alex covers the latest games, looks at the top 10 performers on the roster, discusses the standings in the North Division, and peaks at special teams. She also previews the upcoming games, with an emphasis on one of the most special minor league holiday traditions: the Tired Teddy Toss.

Nov 19, 202326:49
Syracuse Speaks #105: Exceptional Special Teams Propel the Crunch

Syracuse Speaks #105: Exceptional Special Teams Propel the Crunch

This episode was recorded on November 5th, 20223, a time when, in any other season since 2016, Crunch fans would have been waiting (im)patiently for The Groulx Effect to take hold. This year, however, Crunch fans have a front-row seat to the changes in team feel, shape, and play that new head coach Joel Bouchard and his staff have brought to Syracuse. Alex covers the biggest changes in team dynamics she has noticed so far since Bouchard took over, most noticeably in the areas of secondary scoring support and special teams. Alex also discusses the one area of concern some Crunch fans have noticed, although she cautions against worrying too much just yet. To end the episode, Alex takes a peak at some transactions affecting the team and Syracuse's upcoming game schedule.

Nov 05, 202338:26
Syracuse Speaks #104: What Legacy Will the 2023-24 Crunch Create?

Syracuse Speaks #104: What Legacy Will the 2023-24 Crunch Create?

In this episode, recorded October 22, 2023, Alex takes a look at a Crunch team currently in first place in the North Division. She recaps their first week of the regular season, discusses some of the line combinations seen so far, and ponders what such a great start may mean for a team expected to experience growing pains. Players discussed include Felix Robert and Mitchell Chaffee. Alex then previews the team's upcoming schedule, including a look at the promotions and theme nights.

Oct 22, 202324:50
Syracuse Speaks #103: Your 2023-24 Syracuse Crunch Takes Shape

Syracuse Speaks #103: Your 2023-24 Syracuse Crunch Takes Shape

In this episode, recorded October 9th, 2023, Alex goes over the flurry of transactions that happened within the Tampa Bay Lightning organization in advance of their roster being due to the NHL at 5 PM. She discusses Gabriel Fortier, Zach Bogosian, Alex Barre-Boulet, and Pyotr Kochetkov from the Carolina organization. She focuses a bit of time on the Kochetkov transaction in particular, discussing the goalie's temporary place in a new organization. She then takes some time peaking back at Syracuse's 1-1 preseason before previewing the team's upcoming few weeks, including their 30th Anniversary opening night festivities.

Oct 09, 202334:52
Syracuse Speaks #102: Mules and Wizards - Going for Unhinged Gold in a 30th Anniversary Season

Syracuse Speaks #102: Mules and Wizards - Going for Unhinged Gold in a 30th Anniversary Season

In this episode, recorded September 21, 2023, Alex dives into her excitement about the Syracuse Crunch's 2023-24 promotional schedule. She covers all of the events, their dates, and why fans should get excited about what the team has planned for their 30th Anniversary season. In summary: "I trust this organization enough to know that whatever they're going to come up with...it's gonna be good." 


Following this segment, Alex discusses the current news coming out of the Tampa Bay Lightning's training camp, with a specific focus on camp participants Gabriel Dumont, Daniel Walcott, and Alex Barre-Boulet.


Thanks for listening!  

Sep 21, 202338:39
Syracuse Speaks #101: The No Title Episode

Syracuse Speaks #101: The No Title Episode

In this episode, recorded on September 10th, 2023, Alex discusses the latest news and notes coming out of Crunch Land. She worries just a little over how young Syracuse seems on paper, but also considers some positives of the team's current as-is roster. She talks through her feelings around the team's Welcome to Town event (TL;DR: they're...mixed), and also discusses the team's newest hire, a mindfulness coach for the front office. To finish the episode, she takes a look at Syracuse's preseason slate, and debates the actual worth of AHL preseason events (hint: it isn't ticket sales).

Sep 10, 202339:28
Syracuse Speaks: Welcome to Episode 100
Aug 06, 202318:48
Syracuse Speaks: Examining the Coaching Change and Free Agency
Jul 04, 202331:37
Syracuse Speaks: Ask Me Anything June 2023 Edition!
Jun 11, 202343:38
Syracuse Speaks: Sneaking a Peak at 2023-24
May 21, 202331:11
Syracuse Speaks: Time to Raise the Bar?
May 14, 202323:03
Syracuse Speaks: Not Surprised, Just Disappointed
Apr 30, 202328:00
Syracuse Speaks: The 2023 North Division Semifinals

Syracuse Speaks: The 2023 North Division Semifinals

In this episode, recorded April 16th, 2023, Alex takes a look a how Syracuse's season ended before taking a glance at their upcoming North Division Semifinals playoff series against the Rochester Americans. Alex analyzes Syracuse's ending record, their scoring potency (hello, Alex Barre-Boulet), and summarizes their goaltenders' performances (with a special appearance from Syracuse's less-than-stellar defense). She also recaps special teams percentages and penalty minutes. She then looks into the future and breaks down the Crunch's upcoming playoff battle with Rochester. 

Give it a listen today! 

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.


Apr 16, 202340:46
Syracuse Speaks: Puzzling Performances and Playoff Problems

Syracuse Speaks: Puzzling Performances and Playoff Problems

In this episode, recorded March 26th, 2023, Alex takes an extended look at the playoff bracket in the AHL's North Division, with a specific emphasis on how Syracuse's position could improve or get worse. She discusses how puzzled she is by the Tampa Bay Lightning's actions this season, especially when compared to their stated philosophy, with a specific discussion around trading away draft picks and defensive depth (with a focus on the recall of Darren Raddysh). She then brings the remainder of the season into focus, with a glance at how the schedules of Syracuse, Utica, and Rochester all shake out. Players discussed during this segment include captain Gabriel Dumont, forwards Alex Barre-Boulet, Felix Robert, and Lucas Edmonds, and defensemen Philippe Myers and Declan Carlile.

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Mar 26, 202332:43
Syracuse Speaks: The Three Biggest Weeks of the Season

Syracuse Speaks: The Three Biggest Weeks of the Season

In this episode, recorded March 12th, 2023, Alex looks at where the team is with just over a month left in the regular AHL season. She discusses current and potential player movement between Syracuse and the Tampa Bay Lightning, including the continued recall of defenseman Darren Raddysh and potential movement regarding Philippe Myers if and when Raddysh hits his waiver threshold with Tampa. With an eye on a current injury to Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, Alex also ponders whether Tampa would recall Alex Barre-Boulet if a forward was needed, or if perhaps they'd lean towards a player like Gage Goncalves or Simon Ryfors. Next, Alex checks out the AHL's playoff race as it stands at 3:30 PM on March 12. She dissects the closeness of the North Division's teams in points, and predicts that a lot of jostling will occur in the coming weeks as teams charge through the final sprint. Alex closes the podcast with a look at the upcoming schedules of Syracuse, Utica, and Rochester, and the important differences in divisional play between the three teams.

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Mar 12, 202334:18
Syracuse Speaks: Bringing a Focus on Humanity Back into the Game of Hockey

Syracuse Speaks: Bringing a Focus on Humanity Back into the Game of Hockey

In this episode, recorded February 26th, 2023, Alex welcomes Raw Charge contributor Lee Wright back to the podcast. To begin the episode, the two discuss Lee's recent trip to watch the Orlando Solar Bears in person. Lee discusses his observations from the game, including how prospects/call-up fodder Jaydon Dureau and Tyson Feist performed. The two banter a bit about the differences between the AHL and the ECHL, and the challenges that are unique to teams like the Solar Bears. Other topics discussed include the in-game experience that Syracuse offers, the team's community involvement and initiatives, as well as the Crunch's social media and engagement strategies. Other players discussed include the penalty kill,  Gemel Smith, Gabriel Dumont, Trevor Carrick, P.C. Labrie, and newcomer Daniel Walker. To end the episode, Lee offers his opinion on Syracuse's eclectic March schedule, and how that might actually help the Crunch as the playoffs approach. Alex and Lee also take a brief look at the upcoming NHL trade deadline and how it might affect the team.

Feb 26, 202301:02:31
Syracuse Speaks: Howard Dolgon for AHL Hall of Fame?

Syracuse Speaks: Howard Dolgon for AHL Hall of Fame?

In this episode, recorded February 5th, 2023, Alex welcomes AHL content creator Patrick Williams back to the podcast. At the time of recording, Patrick was fresh off a visit to Syracuse and on the road to the AHL All-Star weekend in Laval. Given this unique opportunity to get a fresh perspective of the team's performance, Alex and Patrick start off with dissecting Syracuse's performance in two games vs. the Charlotte Checkers. The two then turn to talking about the current focus in the league, the AHL All-Star weekend. They discuss Syracuse's three All-stars - forward and captain Gabriel Dumont, forward Alex Barre-Boulet, and defenseman Darren Raddysh - and the shift in the event from a prospect-focus to a more well-rounded focus when it comes to picking players who attend. Alex brings the focus to the AHL Hall of Fame, which inducts people during the event, and quizzes Patrick on who he thinks might be selected from Syracuse's history some day. Although Alex was thinking along the lines of Mike Angelidis or Mike McKenna, Patrick surprises her with a convincing argument for team owner Howard Dolgon. The two end the podcast with a look at Hall of Fame inductee David Andrews, a man who "created a league that works for everybody" during his tenure as President of the AHL. 

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Feb 05, 202342:08
Syracuse Speaks: Searching for Equilibrium
Jan 22, 202343:05
Syracuse Speaks: A Time to Flourish
Jan 08, 202348:17
Syracuse Speaks: Truly a Week of Assists

Syracuse Speaks: Truly a Week of Assists

In this episode, recorded December 18th, 2022, Alex reflects on the team's Week of Assists, a period which began with the team's Teddy Bear Toss on December 10th and culminated this past weekend with their Hockey Fights Cancer game. She discusses all of the team's charity initiatives, and why it was so apropos that Daniel Walcott's record-setting, franchise-leading 335th game in a Crunch sweater happened during that period. In discussing Walcott's achievement in particular, she pays respect to the Tampa Bay Lightning and how that organization has handled Walcott's career with Syracuse, especially in regards to how player turnover usually works in the AHL.

Alex then answers some listener questions through an AMA segment. Players discussed include Darren Raddysh, Andy Delmore, Matt Taormina, Jack Finley, Gabriel Dumont, and P.C. Labrie. Schedule-wise, Alex also covers the current AHL standandings, briefly recaps the team's past few games, and looks into their future schedule.

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Dec 18, 202244:41
Syracuse Speaks: Daniel Walcott Has What the Lightning Value

Syracuse Speaks: Daniel Walcott Has What the Lightning Value

In this episode, recorded December 11th, 2022, Alex welcomes friend of the site and AHL content creator for theahl.com, NHL.com, and The Hockey News Patrick Williams back to the pod. After the usual pleasantries, the two get down to business. They first start with a general conversation around goaltending and defense in the league, especially with the high scores Syracuse and other AHL teams have put up this season. They address the ever-shifting goaltending situation in Syracuse, one that has changed again with a new injury to Max Lagace. Zooming in, they move their discussion to defenseman Darren Raddysh, who now leads the AHL in points, and what has made his season so different from his previous ones. They also take a look at what Patrick thinks is going on with forward Alex Barre-Boulet and where his immediate future may take him. They talk about flying teddy bears and AHL community impacts, and, in that same vein, take a look at what players like Daniel Walcott means to teams like Syracuse. Walcott is poised to break the record for games played in a Crunch uniform this Friday, when he will surpass Brad Moran with 335 games played.

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Dec 11, 202240:31
Syracuse Speaks: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Nov 27, 202236:12
Syracuse Speaks: The Thing About Ben Groulx

Syracuse Speaks: The Thing About Ben Groulx

In this episode, recorded November 13th, 2022, Alex puts "The Thing" about Syracuse head coach Ben Groulx to the test. Although she does start off with a brief recap of the Crunch's trampling of poor ECHL goalie Isaac Poulter, who was in net for the Utica Comets this past Saturday when Syracuse won 8-3, she quickly transitions to an interesting look back at Syracuse's recent-ish October/November starts. Many have been discussing how Crunch teams under Coach Groulx have historically started out slow and then gained steam as the season continues, but how true has it really been? Alex complied the team's records from the past six or so seasons (skipping 2020-21, of course, because...reasons), starting with where they were around this time in November each season and ending with where they were by April. Alex covers final season records, standings, and points, and any playoff success (if applicable). Her findings say a lot about The Thing With Ben Groulx, and just may help fans feel a little better about the Crunch's current 4-6-1-2 record. Alex then takes her usual look at Syracuse's upcoming schedule, including all of the home cookin' the team is going to find around Thanksgiving, and any special game day events in the team's future.

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Nov 13, 202227:15
Syracuse Speaks: Welcome to the 2022-23 Season

Syracuse Speaks: Welcome to the 2022-23 Season

Oct 23, 202224:47
Syracuse Speaks: 2022-23 Crunch Season Preview

Syracuse Speaks: 2022-23 Crunch Season Preview

In this episode, recorded October 7th, 2022, Alex records her season preview for the 2022-23 season. She starts by taking a look back at the 2021-22 season (in short: huge potential-splat-what?!-YAS!). She recaps the team's record, playoff performance, top scorers, and breaks down their special teams performance in comparison to the North Division and the league as a whole. She then takes a look at the offseason moves for the team, summarizing the biggest additions to and subtractions from the team. She takes a look at Gabriel Dumont (try to contain your surprise), Lucas Edmonds, Trevor Carrick, Max Lagace, Alex Green, Remi Elie, Anthony Richard, and Fredrik Claesson. Next, Alex moves onto the team's season schedule, summarizing the big story lines she expects to develop throughout the year. Finally, she makes some predictions (despite being horrible at making predictions).

Oct 08, 202231:20
Syracuse Speaks: All Together On This (with Jim Sarosy)

Syracuse Speaks: All Together On This (with Jim Sarosy)

In this episode, recorded September 23rd, 2022, Alex welcomes Crunch Chief Operating Officer Jim Sarosy back to the podcast for a positive, fun episode. (She promises!) Jim starts off with a bang, giving Syracuse Speaks listeners an exclusive preview of the some of the work that has been going on at the The Upstate Medical University Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial. Jim then gives a sneak peak at some of the plans for the organization that are going to be coming to fruition over the next few weeks, from player appearances to season ticket holder events. The two then discuss how the evolution of player development in the AHL has influenced the way the War Memorial looks. Jim covers some of the changes over the years, and discusses the pride behind those shifts and why they are so important to the organization. Jim then takes a dive into how the organization makes decisions on season ticket holder packages, and spends some time breaking down the data from the survey the team sent out to their season ticket holders this past summer. The two then take a look at the Lightning-Crunch affiliation, which is going into its 10th year this season. 

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Thanks for listening!

Sep 23, 202229:01
Syracuse Speaks: Prepping for the Season with Geo FitzGerald!

Syracuse Speaks: Prepping for the Season with Geo FitzGerald!

In this episode, recorded September 11th, 2022, Alex welcomes Raw Charge contributor Geo FitzGerald to the podcast. Raw Charge is a SB Nation blog that covers the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, and Geo has been writing for them for many years, specializing in the organization's prospects and players. With training camps approaching rapidly, Alex engages Geo in an in-depth conversation about how the 2022-23 Crunch is shaping up. Players discussed include Max Lagace, Trevor Carrick, Sean Day, Ryan Jones, Nick Perbix, Jack Thompson, Haydn Fleury, Gabriel Dumont, P.C. Labrie, Daniel Walcott, Gabriel Fortier, Gage Goncalves, Lucas Edmonds, and Ilya Usau.

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Thanks for listening!

Sep 11, 202253:44
Syracuse Speaks: An Innovative Mentality in the AHL

Syracuse Speaks: An Innovative Mentality in the AHL

In this episode, recorded August 21th, 2022, Alex and AHL content creator Patrick Williams reunite for a wide-ranging, entertaining, and engaging conversation as the AHL and the Crunch look towards their 2022-23 season. Making up for the podcast's summer break earlier this month, the two chat for over an hour, beginning with discussing the league's off season and why "NHL Free Agency" should be renamed to the more appropriate "AHL Free Agency." Patrick discusses his impressions of Syracuse's North Division rivals and how their off season has shaped up, and then the two dive into the Crunch's relatively quiet summer. While they look at the bigger picture of the team's roster, they also discuss the return of Max Lagace and the signing of newcomer Trevor Carrick. Patrick shares an in-depth review of Carrick in particular, information Crunch fans will find fascinating and exciting.

The two then turn their attention to the AHL playoffs and the return of last season's playoff structure. They debate the ins and outs of the format, and ponder what changes might be better for the league and its players (improbable as those changes may be).  Their conversation then zooms out so that they can take the league in as a whole, with discussions of how player treatment (with a specific comparison to minor league baseball), divisional makeup, and geography have changed over the years.

It's a packed show for August to get everyone hyped for the new season. Give it a listen today!

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Thanks for listening!

Aug 21, 202201:00:33
Syracuse Speaks: The 2022-23 AHL Schedule is Here!

Syracuse Speaks: The 2022-23 AHL Schedule is Here!

In this episode, recorded July 24th, 2022, Alex starts off by recapping Syracuse's roster situation. She describes the veterans left on the team, including captain Gabriel Dumont, forwards Daniel Walcott and P.C. Labrie, defenseman Darren Raddysh, and goalie Max Lagace. She echos concerns among the fan base about the lack of veterans on the team, as Charles Hudon, Remi Elie, and Fredrik Claesson, three veterans who played huge roles with the Crunch last season, were not brought back by the Tampa Bay Lightning. She then discusses the signing of overager draftee Lucas Edmonds, a player who is looking to start the season in Syracuse.

Alex then gets onto the big story of the past week: The release of the AHL schedule. After discussing the league's shift to all of the teams playing 72 games, and summarizing the return of the five-team playoff slate for the North Division (and why she dislikes this decision), Alex turns her sights to Syracuse's portion of the schedule. She theorizes about the reasons the Crunch has been consistently starting their season on the road the past few seasons, and takes a look at how the shift to 72 games has changed the team's opponents and overall game slate. She discusses what has stayed the same about the schedule, as well, and how she feels about those familiar patterns (Hi, Rochester...Hi Rochester...Hi Utica...Hi Utica...Hi Utica...Hi Rochester...Hi Utica...Hi Utica...). 

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Thanks for listening!

Jul 24, 202220:47
Syracuse Speaks #75: "Felix" Felicis

Syracuse Speaks #75: "Felix" Felicis

In this episode, recorded July 13th, 2022, Alex discusses the 2022 NHL Draft and the start of NHL free agency, the latter of which unfortunately didn't give her much to work with from a Syracuse perspective. However, Alex attempts to take a fair, unbiased, unemotional look at what the Tampa Bay Lightning did for the Crunch over the past few weeks or so, first by discussing the largest signing of the Crunch's July, one that didn't even happen during free agency: The re-signing of goalie Max Lagace. She then covers two players drafted by the Lightning, Lucas Edmonds and Nick Malik, who could be signed soon and then immediately start their professional careers this fall. In the second half of the episode, Alex takes a look at what the Lightning did for themselves for free agency (hello and welcome back Vladislav Namestnikov) and what they did for Syracuse in free agency (hi...uh...Felix Robert). She compares this summer to last summer, which is honestly like comparing apples to oranges, and ponders the differences in the two time periods. She also puts out her wishlist for the near future.

(Related to her wishlist for the near future is that the alternative title for this podcast episode is: THE CRUNCH COULD HAVE HAD CHASE PRISKIE?!)

Give it a listen today!

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Thanks for listening!

Jul 14, 202232:34
Syracuse Speaks: Summer Calm in TampaCuse Land

Syracuse Speaks: Summer Calm in TampaCuse Land

In this episode, recorded June 26th, 2022, Alex does a rundown of all pertaintant AHL, Crunch, and Tampa Bay Lightning news going into NHL free agency on July 13th. She starts by congratulating the AHL and their front office on a successful Calder Cup playoffs, the league's first since 2019. She also sends her congratulations to Chicago, the league's new champion, and to Richard Panik, who won the Cup with the Wolves and who used to play for Syracuse.

She then moves onto the "no news is good news" segment regarding Syracuse head coach Ben Groulx and the "will he or won't he" drama that has marked the first part of the Crunch's off season. She acknowledges the Lightning's current Stanley Cup final round against Colorado, and mentions how rare it is that Tampa signs players for Syracuse while still playing in the playoffs. Sign they have, however, and Alex discusses Gabriel Dumont's two-year AHL contract, the signing of defenseman Tyson Feist to an AHL contract, and the one-year, two-way contracts of defenseman Sean Day and forward Simon Ryfors. She also briefly addresses the departure of Otto Somppi from the organization.

Alex then takes a look at the remaining restricted free agents and potential free agents left in the organization, including Anthony Richard, Alex Green, and Fredrik Claesson.

Give it a listen today!

Syracuse Speaks is hosted on Anchor, but is distributed to many of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, 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.

Thanks for listening!

Jun 26, 202221:55
Syracuse Speaks: "There's a Reason Syracuse Has Kept Tampa for Ten Years"

Syracuse Speaks: "There's a Reason Syracuse Has Kept Tampa for Ten Years"

In this episode, recorded June 12th, 2022, Alex welcomes friend to Field Pass Hockey Patrick Williams back to the podcast. The two start out discussing the longer playoff run the AHL is currently experiencing, and what the future might bring for the league and its teams in terms of scheduling. They dissect the upcoming 72-game season for the league, the first season every team in the league will play the same amount of games since 2015, and give credit to the league and its owners for getting that deal done: "To do that especially coming out of the pandemic, the finical hit they took over the past few years, that made it a much bigger deal." 

They then take a look at the Crunch's first round exit against Laval. Patrick ponders what went wrong with the Crunch's game, pinpointing the lackluster performances of Alex Barre-Boulet and Charles Hudon, and also wondering about the health of goalie Max Lagace. Ultimately, though, Patrick leans towards Syracuse just running out of gas after an intense season marked by injury, COVID-caused pauses, and a tight slate of games in the final half of the season. They then can't resist playing a little bit of the "What If" game, not only with 2022 Calder Cup playoffs, but also with the 2017 Calder Cup finals (Alex just had to).

 The two then move onto the recent signing of team captain Gabriel Dumont and what it meant for the forward to sign an AHL-only pact with the organization. Patrick breaks down the kind of thinking that goes into a player making the decision to move from an NHL-focused/NHL-contracted career to an AHL-only focus. To end the episode, Alex and Patrick take a peek at next season for the Crunch. They briefly discuss head coach Ben Groulx's situation and how strange it is that he's still with Syracuse, with Patrick predicting Groulx's departure this summer: "He's worked for it." They end with discussing the team's potential roster for 2022-23, focusing specifically on the unrestricted free agents and the goaltending.

Jun 12, 202201:00:14
Syracuse Speaks: Looking Towards 2022-23

Syracuse Speaks: Looking Towards 2022-23

In this episode, recorded May 29th, 2022, Alex looks towards the 2022-23 Syracuse Crunch season. But first, she acknowledges the philosophical struggle around creating podcast episodes about hockey and sports as the nation she lives in experiences painful events. She takes a moment to acknowledge the past few weeks of violence in the United States, but also explains that she feels discussing what people are passionate about is also important. She emphasizes the positive mental health strategy of taking breaks from the coverage of everything, and expresses the hope that this podcast episode will help people do that.

Alex starts out her conversation around this summer right at the top with Coach Ben Groulx. Groulx, who has been with Syracuse since 2016, has made no secret of his desire to coach in the NHL. Speculation in that area has been heating up lately, so Alex takes a look at the current coaching vacancies in that league and discusses her best guest for where Groulx might end up if it goes that way (she sees you, Steve Yzerman). She also takes a very brief look at some coaches who have recently been let go by other AHL teams who could step into Groulx's rather large shoes if he is hired elsewhere.

Alex then goes on to look briefly at the Tampa Bay Lightning's roster situation before looking at Syracuse's, starting with the team's rather talented crop of unrestricted free agents. Not surprisingly, Alex's largest concern is UFA Gabriel Dumont, who captained Syracuse all season, but she also discusses forward Anthony Richard and defenseman Fredrik Claesson. Alex then addresses the goaltending, including veteran Max Lagace potentially moving on, and ponders what the Lightning might do (which is potentially different from what she hopes they do).

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.

Thanks for listening!

May 29, 202231:10
Syracuse Speaks: Looking Towards Game 5 with Jim Sarosy

Syracuse Speaks: Looking Towards Game 5 with Jim Sarosy

In this episode, recorded May 15th, 2022, Alex and Syracuse Crunch Chief Operating Officer Jim Sarosy chat about all things Crunch.  The two start with a lookback at how far the team has come since the AHL shut down in March of 2020 and the team had a season without fans in 2020-21. Although there's still challenges in the league - the two spefically highlight how strange it's been to have a lack of interaction between the organization, fans, players, and sponsors - they also celebrate the return of fans to the arena and the necessary escapism hockey allows. Jim runs through all of the logistics, changes, and challenges the team has faced over the past year, but never allows the amazing reality of the present day to fade too much: "We're here on May 15th. We made it to this date so far...the fact that we came from there to here...is what I'm most proud of. We're still doing what we set out to do."

Later on in the episode, Alex and Jim spend some time conversing about one of the big splashes the organization was able to achieve in 2021-22: Their many theme jerseys worn throughout the season. Alex specifically makes sure to highlight her favorite, the team's Al the Ice Gorilla throwback jerseys. The design was based off of the team's former mascot, and Jim gives fans of that design some really good news for the 2022-23 season. The two then discuss the Laval series, fan attendance, and the how two former Crunch players on the Rocket - Danick Martel and Cedric Paquette - have done such a great job against Syracuse. Jim acknowledges the challenges of selling tickets for Tuesday's game 5 with such a short turnaround, but expresses confidence that the Syracuse faithful will show up, be loud, and support their team.

Alex ends the episode with a short look at Game 5 and some of the big headlines going into the contest, including the injury Syracuse goalie Max Lagace suffered during game 4 and how the Tampa Bay Lightning could end up shorting the Crunch a player or two sooner rather than later.

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.

Thanks for listening!

May 15, 202229:36
Syracuse Speaks Bonus Episode: Staring Down the Barrel of Elimination

Syracuse Speaks Bonus Episode: Staring Down the Barrel of Elimination

May 13, 202220:18
Syracuse Speaks: Playoff Time!

Syracuse Speaks: Playoff Time!

May 01, 202217:44
Syracuse Speaks: Playoff Bound! (Probably. More than likely. Let's assume)

Syracuse Speaks: Playoff Bound! (Probably. More than likely. Let's assume)

In this episode, recorded April 23rd, Alex begins by discussing the Crunch's Calder Cup playoff picture (all she has to go on are the clinching scenarios, but those are certainly promising). She discusses how special this season has become for the fans, and enthuses about how much things have changed for Syracuse over the past few weeks. Alex covers the ever-shifting landscape of the AHL's North Division, and takes a look at the schedules of three teams around Syracuse in the standings: Laval, Belleville, and Toronto, who ironically are going to be playing each several times during the final week of the season. Alex makes a bold prediction that Syracuse's playoff seeding will come down to their last game of the season, a home contest against Laval.

Alex then runs down some stats for the team. She covers the usual suspects like Gabriel Dumont, Alex Barre-Boulet, Charles Hudon, and Max Lagace, but also looks how Syracuse's players are doing against the rest of the league. She takes a look at how the special teams are going, a stat bolstered by recent power play success: the Crunch had four power play goals in two games over the weekend thanks to Dumont, Hudon, Riley Nash, and Anthony Richard. She ends with a look at how defensive prospect Nick Perbix is fitting in with the team and how he has contributed to the Crunch's recent success.

Give it a listen today!

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.

Thanks for listening!

Apr 24, 202227:36
Syracuse Speaks: Peaking at the Right Time
Apr 10, 202230:51
Syracuse Speaks: Post-Deadline Rush

Syracuse Speaks: Post-Deadline Rush

In this episode, recorded March 27th, 2022, Alex and guest Patrick Williams settle in to break down the Crunch's most recent successes on and off the ice. They start by addressing the nostalgic return of Syracuse's famed old mascot, Al the Ice Gorilla ("You can't spell 'Goal!' without 'Al!'"), and theorize why hockey fans grow so attached to certain eras or characters. They also talk through AHL identities and why the fan bases in certain cities - like Syracuse - really need their team to have their own identity, while the fans of other AHL teams - like Toronto - seem to need their NHL club's identity to thrive.

They then move into the present day, discussing the moves made by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline to boost Syracuse's playoff hopes. Those moves included Tampa trading the infamous "future considerations" for Riley Nash, a player who has already brought more offense to the Crunch. With a month left in the AHL's regular season, they look at the remaining opponents on Syracuse's schedule and pinpoint the most needed victories to keep the team in playoff contention. Although the Crunch will most likely need help from other teams to ensure a spot in the postseason, Alex and Patrick also discuss what Syracuse can do to help keep its fate in its own hands as much as possible, with a focus on the play of team captain Gabriel Dumont, forward Alex Barre-Boulet, and defenseman Sean Day.

Give it a listen today!

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.

Thanks for listening!

Mar 27, 202251:28
Syracuse Speaks: Spring Forward

Syracuse Speaks: Spring Forward

In this episode, recorded March 13th, 2022, Alex begins the episode with a look at the current playoff picture for Syracuse with a discourse around the kind of help the Crunch is going to need from their North Division foes. The probability that Syracuse, with 23 games remaining, can make the playoffs under their own power is low,  so the team will need certain teams to start losing. Alex briefly recaps the team's week of games against Utica, Rochester, and Toronto (of note - this recap does not include Syracuse's game against Rochester on the 13th, as the episode was recorded prior to puck drop). She then answers some questions from her listeners about theme jerseys, potential deadline moves that the Lightning might make in support of the Crunch (with a specific look at goaltending after Hugo Alnefelt's injury Saturday night), and what is up with Syracuse's mascot.

Alex ends the podcast with a look at the Crunch's schedule over the next two weeks, a slate that includes a couple of Atlantic division teams as well as two crucial games against Belleville (not as important, but points are points) and Cleveland (high importance).

Give it a listen today!

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.

Mar 13, 202228:38
Syracuse Speaks: Glimmers of Good

Syracuse Speaks: Glimmers of Good

In this episode, recorded February 26th, 2022, Alex shares the good and the frustrating about one of Syracuse's most recent games against the Rochester Americans. The game, played on February 25th, featured a masterful penalty kill, the welcome return of Gemel Smith to the Crunch's home ice and Syracuse's score sheet, and, unfortunately, an overtime loss. With two months remaining in the regular season, Alex takes a deeper look than she has before at the current standings in the North Division and discusses why it would behoove the Crunch to get deeper into the field than just 5th place by the time the season ends.  She takes into consideration the new playoff format and, later on in the podcast, makes a not-so-bold prediction about how the playoff field in the Eastern Conference is going to play out (probably regardless of Syracuse's efforts).

Before ending the podcast with a recap of the Crunch's upcoming schedule, one that is very North Division-heavy, Alex takes a minute to highlight a news story she participated in this past week with local Spectrum News reporter Kevin Hayes. Hayes followed Alex around for the better part of Friday's game to get a first-person perspective on being a season ticket holder for the team and to highlight the team's recent vaccine initiative with SUNY Upstate Medical University. Alex shares her experiences participating in this story and her hopes for the end result. She also takes a look at the continued dominance of Gabriel Dumont, and highlights other performances from players like P.C. Labrie, Remi Elie, and Anthony Richard.

Give it a listen today!

Feb 27, 202227:15
Syracuse Speaks: Halfway There (feat. Patrick Williams!)

Syracuse Speaks: Halfway There (feat. Patrick Williams!)

In this episode, recorded February 13th, 2022, Alex welcomes regular guest Patrick Williams to the podcast. Patrick covers the league for TheAHL.com, and has a regular column over at nhl.com. With Syracuse passing the halfway point of their season this month, the two start off by discussing the Crunch's recent rough patch. The Crunch has gone 3-6-1-0 in their most recent 10 games, and is currently on a three-game skid thanks to an unproductive trip to Laval. Alex and Patrick break down what's going on with the team and discuss what needs to be done to get back into playoff contention. They also discuss the season Syracuse captain Gabriel Dumont is having, who needs to start stepping it up (with a specific look at Alex Barre-Boulet), and analyze the recent trade of former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jimmy Huntington for forward Anthony Richard. They address the challenges of developing young professionals in this league, using Patrick Maroon's career path as a bit of a case study. 

To end the episode, Alex asks Patrick about the slow but inevitable shift back to normalcy in team admittance policies (one Syracuse itself made this past week, with the removal of their COVID-19 vaccination requirement). The two talk about Patrick's most recent interview with AHL President Scott Howson, and ponder the league's most immediate future.

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..

Thanks for listening!

Feb 13, 202238:22
Syracuse Speaks: January Recap

Syracuse Speaks: January Recap

In this episode, recorded January 30th, 2022, Alex starts off by making sure her listeners are aware of the PURE Performance AHL All-Star Fan Vote currently being hosted by Field Pass Hockey. The Crunch has three players nominated: forward Gabriel Fortier, defenseman Sean Day, and goaltender Hugo Alnefelt. She encourages her listeners to support those three players that were a large part of the Crunch's turnaround during the month of January.

Alex then discusses Syracuse's record from the past month, a positive performance that saw the Crunch rise to a .500 points percentage and sneak their way to 5th place in the North Division. Alex highlights the performance of team captain Gabriel Dumont and veteran Charles Hudon. She also discusses Day, forward Alex Barre-Boulet, and rookie Cole Koepke (who is currently on recall to the Tampa Bay Lightning's taxi squad). She ruminates on the Crunch's recent scoring drought, and hopes that Syracuse will pick it up once more as the team heads into a busy February.

Alex ends the podcast with a preview of Syracuse's February, including their 11 games (out of 13) against North Division fo

Jan 31, 202225:04