Post by Kazreema on Feb 18, 2006 11:09:00 GMT
Following a request from Stef, I'm going to put new articles from The Cool Cat on separate threads, so people don't have to plough through it all for the new stuff.
This article was from issue 2, published in autumn 1993. Each edition had a memory from a fan of their fave all time player, titled Those we have loved and lost. Still to come are Jimmy Keyes, Dave Randall, Terry Gudziunas and more...
Those we have loved and lost…
No. 2
By Ian Carratt
In the first issue of ‘The Cool Cat’, Andy Lowe wrote that he was now too old to have heroes. Well I’m not (just ask anyone who’s sat next to me when Perko is playing) and I certainly wasn’t in the middle of the 1987/88 season when Craig Melancon arrived on Lower Parliament Street to turn Panthers’ season around.
My first memories of him are of a short, stocky, curly haired nut-case being thrown out of his debut against Panthers after a temperamental performance in which at one point the even slapped the puck into the crowd in temper. That was the classic game in 1984 which saw Panthers first win over Streatham for three years.
For two more seasons whilst with Streatham, Craig Melancon was to mesmerise Panthers’ fans with stick handling and power skating skills which had seldom been seen in British Hockey (or have been since). He’s still the only player I’ve ever seen with the ability to pick up the puck with his team short-handed and skate two complete figure-of-eights around the ice with the opposition virtually unable to touch him. He was also to frustrate so many fans with the short fuse that so often got the better of him and some nasty stick work that saw him become one of the league’s leading penalty takers.
The beginning of the 1987/88 season saw my hero at Slough with his former Redskins team-mate and Panthers tormentor, Gary Stefan. At the same time Panthers were struggling to find a consistent performer to partner Dave Ducharme up front. Following the decision of Jimmy Keyes not to return we were in desperate need of a player who would graft and grind and add some fire and passion to the team. Enter Craig Melancon, only to find himself with an almost immediate three game suspension. I always considered this to be one of the BIHA’s classics: Panthers being penalised for Melancon’s part in the infamous incident in Medway’s penalty box while he was still playing for Slough!
Craig’s debut came at home against Ayr on 21st November 1987 and he had an immediate impact scoring 3+5 in an 11-4 win wearing the unfamiliar number 15 shirt (Ian Woodward was wearing Craig’s favourite number 20). A string of impressive performances by Craig, particularly at home, helped Panthers finish a comfortable sixth place although they were to go a third successive play-off campaign pointless.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Craig’s short spell with us was his penalty total - just 66 minutes in 28 games, around 2 minutes per game, not bad when compared with the hundreds of minutes for Streatham. Many thought that by calming Craig down, Alex Dampier made him a less effective player. I disagreed, Panthers were in such a position that season that they could ill afford to have their best player sitting out lengthy suspensions.
Despite most of Craig’s best games coming at home, my outstanding memory will be of him slumped against the outside of the dressing room door at Dundee wearing just his sweats and Cooperalls with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He had just turned in one of the best performances I have ever seen for the Panthers, scored 6+4 including an amazing short-handed effort, won the man-of-the-match award and the rest of the team still wouldn’t let him smoke in the dressing room!
Craig Melancon spent just five months with the Panthers but while he was here epitomised all that is best in players such as himself, Jimmy Keyes and Paul Adey - 110% effort, inspiration and at times absolute brilliance. What a hero!
Stats:
GP G A PTS PIMS
28 49 74 123 66
This article was from issue 2, published in autumn 1993. Each edition had a memory from a fan of their fave all time player, titled Those we have loved and lost. Still to come are Jimmy Keyes, Dave Randall, Terry Gudziunas and more...
Those we have loved and lost…
No. 2
By Ian Carratt
In the first issue of ‘The Cool Cat’, Andy Lowe wrote that he was now too old to have heroes. Well I’m not (just ask anyone who’s sat next to me when Perko is playing) and I certainly wasn’t in the middle of the 1987/88 season when Craig Melancon arrived on Lower Parliament Street to turn Panthers’ season around.
My first memories of him are of a short, stocky, curly haired nut-case being thrown out of his debut against Panthers after a temperamental performance in which at one point the even slapped the puck into the crowd in temper. That was the classic game in 1984 which saw Panthers first win over Streatham for three years.
For two more seasons whilst with Streatham, Craig Melancon was to mesmerise Panthers’ fans with stick handling and power skating skills which had seldom been seen in British Hockey (or have been since). He’s still the only player I’ve ever seen with the ability to pick up the puck with his team short-handed and skate two complete figure-of-eights around the ice with the opposition virtually unable to touch him. He was also to frustrate so many fans with the short fuse that so often got the better of him and some nasty stick work that saw him become one of the league’s leading penalty takers.
The beginning of the 1987/88 season saw my hero at Slough with his former Redskins team-mate and Panthers tormentor, Gary Stefan. At the same time Panthers were struggling to find a consistent performer to partner Dave Ducharme up front. Following the decision of Jimmy Keyes not to return we were in desperate need of a player who would graft and grind and add some fire and passion to the team. Enter Craig Melancon, only to find himself with an almost immediate three game suspension. I always considered this to be one of the BIHA’s classics: Panthers being penalised for Melancon’s part in the infamous incident in Medway’s penalty box while he was still playing for Slough!
Craig’s debut came at home against Ayr on 21st November 1987 and he had an immediate impact scoring 3+5 in an 11-4 win wearing the unfamiliar number 15 shirt (Ian Woodward was wearing Craig’s favourite number 20). A string of impressive performances by Craig, particularly at home, helped Panthers finish a comfortable sixth place although they were to go a third successive play-off campaign pointless.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Craig’s short spell with us was his penalty total - just 66 minutes in 28 games, around 2 minutes per game, not bad when compared with the hundreds of minutes for Streatham. Many thought that by calming Craig down, Alex Dampier made him a less effective player. I disagreed, Panthers were in such a position that season that they could ill afford to have their best player sitting out lengthy suspensions.
Despite most of Craig’s best games coming at home, my outstanding memory will be of him slumped against the outside of the dressing room door at Dundee wearing just his sweats and Cooperalls with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He had just turned in one of the best performances I have ever seen for the Panthers, scored 6+4 including an amazing short-handed effort, won the man-of-the-match award and the rest of the team still wouldn’t let him smoke in the dressing room!
Craig Melancon spent just five months with the Panthers but while he was here epitomised all that is best in players such as himself, Jimmy Keyes and Paul Adey - 110% effort, inspiration and at times absolute brilliance. What a hero!
Stats:
GP G A PTS PIMS
28 49 74 123 66