On the latest THN On The 'E' Podcast, Jacob and Justin name their major Eastern Conference storylines heading into training camp.
Weeks ahead of training camp and fans and media alike are beginning to read the tale-of-the-tape of the 2023-24 ECHL season.
Sports, like any good form of entertainment, is at its best when storyline-driven, and the major movers are shakers across the league has its fair share of characters.
In the latest installment of the THN on the 'E' Podcast, Jacob Stoller and Justin A. Cohn ran through the eastern conference, outlining their major storylines to keep an eye on as before, and after puckdrop later this month.
The Feel-Good Thunder
Adirondack, under head coach Pete MacArthur, was one of the feel-good stories in the league in 2022-23.
The Thunder squeaked into the playoffs in the last week of the season before bowing out in the five games to the Growlers in the first round. And while their run to the Kelly Cup was short, they're positioned to be a potential breakout player in 23-24.
The 'E' guys applauded the re-signings of Patrick Grasso and veteran Shawn Weller, as well as the addition of defenseman Ryan Wheeler, an ex-Heartlander and Cyclone with a blue-collar attitude.
"They've set the standard at one level and I think they're looking to make the jump and get past that first round this year," says Cohn on Adirondack's potential.
Mystery of the Growlers
Stoller referred to the Newfoundland Growlers as "the great mystery of the ECHL," and that's proving to be the case only days away from the start of training camp.
With only a handful of players officially under contract and a vacancy in their coaching position as of press time, the optics are bizarre surrounding one of the most successful teams in the league in recent years.
Regardless, sources close to the team tell THN that all systems are a-go ahead of training camp. Recent history has shown that the Leafs - NHL affiliate for the Dogs - invest in their feeder systems, so we should expect a strong crop of veteran and upcoming players from Toronto in short order.
"When they play they've been great," admits Cohn. "It's just an interesting thing to watch. I have a belief that they will be the strong team they have been their entire existence in the ECHL."
The Powerhouse South
The South Division, simply put, was stacked in 2022-23. Florida, the reigning two-time Kelly Cup champions, is a playoff powerhouse, while Greenville, South Carolina, and Jacksonville all flourished in the regular season.
"We said last year we felt the South had overtaken the Central as the division, and I'm not seeing a whole lot to make me think differently," says Cohn.
For one, Southern teams have bulked up on tough guys, packing, quite literally, a stronger punch than some of their Northern or Central contemporaries.
The guys speculated that Jacksonville, as Cohn surmised, is in "the conversation of being the real power from the division."
Lodermeier, Harris, and Brodzinski are all major threats that could propel the Icemen to the top of the division, and indeed the league.
Follow THN on the 'E' wherever you get your podcasts and on thehockeynews.com/podcasts/
