Matt is wearing the colors of the Amherst Comet High School Hockey team.  I was involved with the group of parents that convinced the Amherst School Board to take hockey on as a varsity sport.  This mark the beginning of a high school tradition and the end of my "Hockey Career".  It was bitersweet. 

 

But, I am proud of those kids.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bees get all the dogs barking.
Canton, OH - The Bees seem to have all their dogs barking together with their victory last night over Da Bears.  With three full offensive and defensive lines, the Bees racked up three goals per period to even their record to 1-1.  The Bees filled out the third line with Matt "Kool" Kulik, recently acquired from the Red Deer Tallywackers. At 6-foot 6-inches and 280 pounds, the new Bees center made wingers Chip Klass and Tom Krucek look like children as he thundered down the middle of the ice, reminescent of the Running of the Bulls annual celebration.

 

"He has some size", said team captain Dee Edwards before the game. "We were surprised to learn that he's also the former Ukranian National Clogging Champion."

Kulik, 22, was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2003 Entry Draft, ninth overall. He has been a leader on the Red Deer Tallywackers and played for the last two Team Ukraine entries at the World Junior Championships. He was named top forward in the World Hockey League last year. He is considered a blue chip prospect but he is keeping his head on straight and taking this opportunity one step at time, despite many already penciling him into the line-up for the 2005 season.

"Joining the Bees is a big opportunity for me.  All I can do is come in and play my game and that's what I am going to try and do -- give everything I've got," said Kulik.

The Bees already have a solid group of centers. There are returnees Ladia Vichnar, Paul Vaicunas, Eric "call me anything but Johnson" Johnson, with rushing defensemen Jim Nenni, Johnboy O'Farrell and Brent Perry  from the 2004 team that went to the Center Ice Finals three straight seasons.

Two years ago when Kulik attended his first Team Ukraine camp, he wore number 42 -- a sign that he was more than likely heading back to Red Deer to once more become a Tallywacker. This year he enters camp wearing No. 49, the former jersey of Spiderman, Eric Firm, who was traded to Da Bears.

"I just came and that was the number that was assigned," said Kulik, shrugging off the significance of him wearing the number he wore in Red Deer.

"Like I said, I came here to do my best. You can't read into anything. It's going to be a tough team to make. I have to leave everything out on the ice." On hearing this, team equipment personnel quickly issued a new pair of suspenders to Kulik.

Kulik played on the Ukraine national junior team the last two years where he also became the Ukraine National Clogging Champion after having only been clogging for six months.