Jeff Panzer

[dagies]

Did anyone else kind of look at Jeff as the Sioux's version of Kirby Puckett?  I mean the kind of guy who just loved to play the game, and always had a smile on his face?

I just watched the end of the BC loss last year and I noticed a couple things.

First, in a mad scramble at the net with the Sioux down a goal, there was a stoppage of play because, well, every member of every team was prone on the ice looking for the puck.  Panzer was down next to Clemmenson who had his hat knocked off.  Panzer gets up, and rubs Clemmenson's head, sort of giving him his props.

Then in the OT period, everybody else is all stressed out and very serious looking.  And Jeff is smiling all the time.  Seemed like the whole period.

I also remember seeing him in the Final Five Championship game.  I think the Sioux were down 1 goal and came out for the face-off. Panzer got over on the right wing and he was the first guy in position.  He just shuffled his skates real quickly back and forth.  His whole body language said he couldn't wait to take off, and instead of being all tight and stressed, he was loose and anxious to get rolling.

I suppose it didn't hurt that he was a GF boy, either.  Kind of added to his mystique.  I miss him on the team.

[PHE]

Last year I took my sons to a Sioux game in Mankato and our seats were against the glass right next to the Sioux bench.

[jk]

According to Justin Duberman on the radio last weekend (I think), Panzer's nickname at Worcester is "7-11" ... because his mouth never closes.  

I also read that Goehring's nickname at Syracuse is "Harry Potter."

The shame of all those chances not being converted in the title game is that Jeff didn't end up with about five assists on the game.  He was setting  guys up all night long.

[dagies]

PHE that's great stuff.  

I'm glad I had a chance to watch Panzer, Roche and Goehring a few times a year in person.

[Heidisioux]

Jeffie is great.

[Doc Nodak]

In the summer of 2000, I helped put the kids to bed one night and went out for a bike ride. I was pedalling down a path, feeling pretty good about myself when I heard the sound of someone rapidly coming up behind me. I pulled over slightly to the right and turned my head in time to see a young man on roller blades zoooooming by and off toward the horizon--Jeff Panzer! For one moment, I felt like a Gopher defenseman.

[dagies]

Doc, I thought you left the world!

Another good one.  A guy on roller blades blows by a guy on a bike.  Not bad.

[SiouxFanInBoston]

I already posted something in a different thread about Jeff giving me a classy nod when he saw my Sioux jersey at the end of one of his first games with the Worcester Ice Cats in Worcester, MA, after the Frozen Four last year.