Interesting note: I'm in the masthead as the Ottawa Sports Bureau Chief. Awesome. Here is an excerpt from the story:
Winchester was told that his second NHL game would have to wait at least a little while, as Senators Head Coach and General Manager Bryan Murray said that he wouldn't be playing Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. To soften the blow, however, Murray-whose penchant for signing undrafted free agents out of college has brought NHL regulars Chris Kunitz, Dustin Penner, and Curtis Glencross into the league-had nothing but positive things to say about the rookie.Thanks again to sports editor Paul Kasabian at the Maroon-News. It was a lot of fun, and a great way to deal with Sens losses by getting what might be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"I think this kid's going to be quite good for us," Murray said. "He's a young guy, he's not a youngster, but he's a guy coming out of college that will need some work at the pro level, just strength-wise. He's smart, he's got great hockey sense, and hands, and I think next year he'll definitely be a player on our hockey team."
Although Winchester isn't eligible to play in the playoffs for the Senators or their American Hockey League-affiliate team in Binghamton, he says he's just going to make his case as best as he can. In many ways, his play in these few games will go a long way in determining whether or not Winchester is given an NHL contract for the 2008-09 season. The taste of pro hockey he's been given has further proven to Winchester that the NHL is where he wants to be.
"I just love showing up to the rink and gelling with these guys," Winchester noted. "They have fun; even the older guys are just like kids, it's so cool to be of a part of. Colgate was amazing, but this is a dream. To have an opportunity to be a part of something like this is pretty cool."
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