Sam Ftorek and Ichabod Crane

I think it's very cool that they have signed Sam Ftorek to the new Cyclones. His stats show that he is a quality veteran to bring in to lead the youth that comprises the league. That is clearly the most important thing. The fact that he is the son of a Stingers legend is a huge bonus. As much as I admire the legends of the Cyclones' glory years, I think this incarnation needed to start fresh. Heck, maybe even a new name should have been considered.

But, I am also a nostalgic history buff. The Coliseum was built for the Stingers - our only major league hockey team. Many of us have first-hand memories of the club; all of us know who they were. Robbie Ftorek has represented the Stingers legacy well through his tremendous career in the NHL as a player and coach. To me, bringing in his well-qualified son to lead the young players while paying homage to the history is a great decision.

Having the team owned by a large corporation is wierd to watch, since we don't really have a central figure to focus on as the "face of the club." It seems somewhat like a headless horseman. But clearly somebody in there is doing some good things.

I'd love to see a figurehead in place doing things well; but I will easily settle for a monolithic group with no face, as long as they are still doing things well.