The Growler: Issue 5

2023•24 E-MAG

ISSUE 5

goalie edition LET’S CELLY 5 YEARS OF GROWLERS NATION marek benda luke cavalLin Dryden mckay player profile HEALTHY recipe KIDS CORNER

NLGROWLERS.COM

CONTENTS • MAREK BENDA • RECIPE • LUKE CAVALIlN • DRYDEN MCKAY • player profile • SERIES BREAKDOWN • KIDS CORNER

MAREK BENDA

The Growlers Goalie Guru Goalie Coach Benda Brings Expertise, Positivity To Growlers Netminders Since the Newfoundland Growlers joined the ECHL ahead of the 2018-19 season, strong goaltending has been a core element of the club’s identity and remains the backbone of the organization’s success to this day.

None of the Growlers early accomplishments in the ECHL would have been possible without world-class goaltending in each and every season.

Every year, even as new goaltenders are introduced into the pipeline, many of them are quick to find themselves among the league leaders in many statistical categories.

The names and resumes speak for themselves. “My dream is that when people hear Newfoundland, Michael Garteig. Parker Gahagen. Keith Petruzzelli. they think that’s where all the good goalies in Canada Luke Cavallin. Dryden McKay. are born,” Benda said with a smile.

That’s just a few of the incredible goaltenders who have tended the crease in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and have made a significant impact, both in the ECHL as a member of the Growlers and beyond.

“For me, I want to take what I’ve learned from my time working with the pros and bring that to the young kids here in Newfoundland and Labrador. That’s always been my main thing. Everyone will benefit from it.”

So what’s the secret? How is it possible that the Growlers Benda brings a wealth of goaltending experience and extract so much potential from their goaltenders year in expertise to the Growlers organization, but he is best and year out? known for the warm kindness and infectious positive energy he exudes every day he is at the rink.

Is there a secret weapon?

And the goaltenders themselves agree.

Believe it or not, the answer to that question is yes. He is the energetic and lovable Goaltending Coach of the “I feel very lucky to have him here with the Growlers,” Newfoundland Growlers and his name is Marek Benda. said Growlers goaltender and 2022 Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay. Benda, 34 years young, is Newfoundland and Labrador’s resident goaltending expert. When he’s not “He never has any bad days, that’s the first thing people on the ice at the Mary Brown’s Centre moulding young say about him. He’s probably the most positive person pro goaltending prospects on behalf of the Toronto I’ve ever been around in hockey. He puts a smile on Maple Leafs, he is hard at work with one of his dozens your face but he also helps you get better on the ice. of private hockey students trying to achieve his goal of He keeps everybody positive and it goes a long way.” turning Newfoundland and Labrador into a hotbed for goaltending, both in the ECHL and nationwide.

“Marek has been awesome for me,” echoes second- “‘What do I need to do before practice? What are my year pro Luke Cavallin. routines? What do I do after I win or lose a game?

All of those new habits, this is what we are trying to “He has been such a huge support factor. My mentality establish with them. My role is to get them to buy in and is I’m always trying to get better every day and he is start understanding their game and that there’s more always there to try to help that. He is helping me try to than just relying on your instincts. Once they have figure out my own game. We’re a team and we work established these new routines and habits off and on together really well. He has been a huge factor in any the ice, they are ready to move on to the Toronto Marlies success I have had.” where they will take the next step in their development.”

Benda’s role within the Growlers organization is a unique one. On one hand, he is tasked with preparing the goaltenders for game action against the ECHL’s best shooters on a nightly basis, but in the bigger picture, Benda is helping these young goaltenders lay the groundwork that will make them successful in the future as they advance through their professional careers.

Benda’s journey to becoming Newfoundland and Labrador’s goalie whisperer began in his native Czechia, where he fell in love with the game thanks to Dominik Hasek and the enthusiasm generated by the Czech national team winning the gold medal Men’ at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan in the first-ever Olympic tournament to feature professional players.

“My job is to help them answer questions,” Benda said.

He followed in his idol’s footsteps and began playing hockey as a goaltender near his home in Chodova Plana. Even though his squad may have been among the weaker teams in his area, Benda didn’t care. He was just happy enough to play the game he loved, which in turn proved quite beneficial to his future as a goaltending prospect.

“I grew up in a small village and played on a small But moving across the world to follow your dreams team that was not necessarily very strong,” Benda doesn’t come without its challenges. First and foremost, remembers. he had to learn English.

“That really helped me in giving me opportunities to develop. I had lots of shots. I remember on one of the weekends, I had the opportunity to play with an older group of players because they didn’t have a goalie.

On Saturday, I faced over 100 shots and on the next day, I finished with another 114 saves. My mom told me I wasn’t going to school the next day because I was so tired. My team was weak, but for my personal development it was fantastic. Even though I let in 10 or 12 goals, I was really tested and then I improved and got promoted to a stronger team.”

“I loved my time in Cape Breton,” Benda said with a smile.

Following a successful junior career in his home country, including representing his country internationally at the U16, U17 and U18 levels, Benda followed in his fellow countryman Ondrej Pavelec’s footsteps and made the jump to play Canadian major junior hockey with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who selected Benda 30th overall in the 2007 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Until one night, ironically enough at the Growlers current home (formerly Mile One Centre) against the now-defunct St. John’s Fog Devils, Benda would suffer an injury that would send his career down a whole new path.

“It was definitely culture shock. I was still adjusting to Canadian hockey and I knew no English. My language skills were very low.”

He got the hang of the Canadian style of play quite quickly and found himself among the QMJHL goaltending leaders through the first two months of his rookie season in 2007-08.

“It was right before Christmas here against the Fog Devils,” Benda said.

“I went to play a puck on the blue line. Unfortunately, I didn’t make the right play. When I was returning to the net, the player was shooting into the empty net and I jumped and I dislocated my shoulder. It wasn’t a goal, so that was positive. But it was the start of my troubles for the rest of my career.”

Benda was sidelined for the better part of two months and wasn’t able to elevate his game upon his return, fearful of doing further damage to his injured shoulder.

He went under the knife and had surgery following the season but his struggles would continue.

Lucy, a Sydney, Nova Scotia native whom Benda had met while rehabbing his shoulder injury in Cape Breton, had been offered a scholarship at Memorial University of Newfoundland and was keen to accept. Benda had grown fond of Canada’s east coast during his time with the Screaming Eagles and had visited St. John’s with the club.

Upon further research, Benda discovered that Memorial University was among the most affordable universities in Canada for international students and decided to support his partner and move to Newfoundland and Labrador while also pursuing his own scholarly He was traded to Baie-Comeau in the 2008 offseason pursuits, eventually leading to an International Bachelor but had a hard time finding the same magic he found of Business Administration degree in the Spring of 2018. early in his time in Cape Breton. Benda made just 14 appearances in the 2008-09 season before making the While Benda was comfortable leaving his home country decision to return to Czechia. behind to take the next step in his personal journey, he just couldn’t leave the game of hockey behind.

All hope for a pro career was not lost. Benda regained his form and played parts of four seasons in the best He played one season of senior hockey for the Mount leagues in Czechia. But in his fourth season, at just 22 Pearl Blades in 2013-14 and began to make connections years of age, Benda began questioning his future. and get his name out there in the hockey community in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“In the back of my mind, I asked myself, where am I going with this?,” he said.

It would be those connections that would help Benda “I saw my older teammates making some good money establish his hockey roots in the province and ultimately but for how long? Hockey careers are very limited.” help him land his dream job with the Growlers.

Benda was at a crossroads. Unsure of his future after “I didn’t have income at the time,” Benda recalls of his hockey, Benda turned to his partner (now wife) Lucy to first years in Newfoundland. help find some answers.

“I was a student. I had to pay for everything. I got to the point I was running out of money. As a non-Canadian, I was not allowed to take out a loan. I was in survival mode. What am I going to do? Through the Mount Pearl Blades, I ended up meeting Randy Pearcey and Andrew McKim with Xtreme Hockey and they were looking for someone to help with the goalies. That’s how I started with coaching and private hockey.”

It should come as no surprise that Benda flourished in his new role in coaching thanks in large part to his positive energy and welcoming demeanour. His services were in high demand as his resume grew, earning valuable opportunities to shape the province’s future goaltenders at the AAA midget and provincial levels.

His hard work building a name as the province’s top goaltending coach paid off in 2018 when he took a phone call from former NHLer Ryane Clowe who was just named the Head Coach of Newfoundland’s new ECHL club.

“I think (former Growlers Vice President) Trevor Murphy knew about me and the work I had done,” Benda remembers.

“He and Ryane Clowe had some conversations. One day, I got the phone call from Ryane to see if I would be interested in being a part of this organization. When I knew Ryane was on board, as well as (former Growlers video coach) Paul Dagg, who I knew from Hockey NL, I knew I had some relationships there and I said sure.

Let’s start.”

“I think St. John’s picked Since that fateful phone call, Benda has been an integral me. Newfoundland part of the success of every Growlers goaltender since 2018, including Michael Garteig’s historic run in 2019, chose me to be here,” which culminated in the first professional hockey title in Newfoundland and Labrador hockey history.

Benda said.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Benda has been a beacon of positivity in Newfoundland hockey community, not just to the goaltenders in the Growlers organization, but also to goaltenders across the province who are now closer to achieving their dreams thanks to his expertise and positive approach to the game.

While there’s no doubt a sea of supporters across the province who would be quick to sing Benda’s praises both as a hockey educator and as a kind and welcoming human being, it’s Benda who is thankful for the opportunities he has been given in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“That injury I had here, that’s when my career was at a turning point. Right after I found my wife in Cape Breton, everything after that led me to here in St. John’s. Newfoundland and Labrador has been so good to me. My wife and I, we cannot say a bad thing about Newfoundland. I’m very happy here. And now, I have a Newfoundlander of my own at home, my daughter. The people how they have treated me, even though I am an immigrant, I feel like a fully integrated Newfoundlander. I love the people here.

I feel a big obligation to the goalie community here to help the young goaltenders. I want them to know they can be like Dryden McKay or Luke Cavallin or Michael Garteig. That’s my long-term goal here.”

2 PAD STACK STEAK WRAP PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK TIME: 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

• 12 oz boneless sirloin steak, trimmed of visible fat Place steak on a dinner plate, spoon 1 tbsp vinegar over • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar top and turn several times to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.

• 1 tsp safflower oil Meanwhile, prepare sauce: In a small bowl, whisk • 4 whole-wheat tortillas (each 7 1/2 inches in diameter) together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

• 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce • 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Tilt (about 1 medium carrot, peeled) skillet to coat bottom lightly. Cook steak for 4 minutes • 2 oz thinly sliced red onion (about 1 medium red onion) per side or to desired doneness. Place on a cutting board • 1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced (peeled) and let stand for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

• 1/4 to 1/2 packed cup chopped cilantro leaves Warm tortillas according to package directions. Top each SAUCE tortilla with equal amounts of lettuce, carrots, onion and cucumber. Divide steak among tortillas and sprinkle with • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard cilantro. Spoon sauce over top, dividing evenly.

• 4 tsp raw honey • 1 packet stevia Wrap to serve as a sandwich or serve open-faced.

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (TRY: Simply Organic Crushed Red Pepper Flakes)

Better Every Day Cavallin Shows Incredible Growth and Potential In Second Year of Pro Hockey Newfoundland Growlers goaltender Luke Cavallin has accomplished an awful lot since beginning his professional career with the team last fall.

In his rookie season in 2022-23, under contract with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Cavallin spent the majority of his season honing his craft with the Growlers, appearing in 35 regular season contests posting a sizzling 249-1 record with a 2.56 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.

He spent limited time in the American Hockey League (AHL) during his inaugural season in the pros, only earning the occasional call-up to spend time with the Marlies coaching staff and didn’t appear in any game action.

But Cavallin certainly made the most of his time on the Rock. He was named the ECHL Goalie of the Week in just the third week of the season and finished with arguably the single greatest season of goaltending in Growlers history, culminating with Cavallin breaking Michael Garteig’s single-season wins record with 24 victories.

He was dominant in his six playoff appearances and posted a 2.36 goals against average and a .925 save percentage as the Growlers lost to the eventual Kelly Cup champions, the Florida Everblades, in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.

“The little habits build up over time. My mindset is just to try to get better every single day and find something to improve on and just continually try to improve my game. You don’t notice it right away. Over a season and over two years you start to see it pay off. I want to say I’ve gotten faster and I see the game better. I This season, the 22-year-old Swindon, Great Britain think everything is improved and that’s what you want. native isn’t around the Mary Brown’s Centre quite as You always want to be moving forward. I’ve just been much, as he has been enjoying even more quality time working on that mindset and trying to get better all the with the Toronto Marlies. time.”

For Cavallin, the key to finding success so early in his young career is simple: trust in the process, live in the moment and make the most of the opportunities presented to you.

“I think it’s more just about continual improvement,” Cavallin said.

Cavallin admits that the Growlers premature playoff exit at the hands of the Everblades last spring continues to sting to this day, but Cavallin has turned that disappointment into fuel, which has no doubt accelerated his development into his sophomore season.

“It was bittersweet last year. I think we had a really good team and I thought we were good enough to win a championship,” Cavallin admits.

“After the season, it felt like not winning the league was a bit of an upset for us as a team. It was tough to swallow.

But also we had a lot of success last year. It was good

and bad about both. It gives you something to work Cavallin’s debut. This game would not take place at the for and something to motivate you over the summer Marlies’ regular home rink, the Coca Cola Coliseum. coming back here. I really enjoyed my first year in the league and had a great time in Newfoundland.”

His debut would take place on the biggest of stages at Scotiabank Arena, the home arena of the Growlers The second-year southpaw reached a significant NHL parent club, the Toronto Maple Leafs. professional milestone just over a month ago when he got the tap on the shoulder and was informed he would “That was really cool to be honest with you,” Cavallin be given his first AHL start on Boxing Day against the said with a smile.

Belleville Senators.

“It felt like I was making an NHL debut with that environment and everything around it. There was a lot of excitement for me towards that game. I had all my family there and that was a really cool experience.

I’m super grateful for that. It was really cool. Playing at Scotiabank Arena was a really great environment. It was a game I’ll never forget. It was really fun.”

“Obviously that’s a big one getting in that first AHL game,” Cavallin said.

Even the seemingly unflappable Cavallin admits there was a little added excitement and nerves for this start, “It was awesome getting that one. It was awesome but believes the frenetic nature of this season, complete getting a game or two in. I’ve been working hard to with numerous call-ups and lots of added travel, had keep improving and get back up there. I still need to get sufficiently prepared him for his big moment. that win. There’s always something to push for. I have to keep working on my game to get to that level.”

“I was definitely super excited,” he said.

As if the pressure of your first American Hockey League start wasn’t enough, the stakes would be raised for

“I had butterflies in my stomach going to bed the night before. It’s a little tougher to sleep but the actual prepping is the same. This year its kind of different how I prep for games because there’s been a lot of movement and a lot of travel.

Everything has been constantly changing. There hasn’t been that stability being in one place. I’ve gotten used to this year kind of prepping last minute and figuring everything out as I go and staying in the moment and focusing on what’s in front of me. That’s the biggest thing for my prepping this year, just taking what’s coming at me.”

“The Growlers have been awesome for my development,” Cavallin said with confidence.

“I appreciate getting to play games here and play in a pro league and work on my game as much as possible. It’s a great environment to succeed here. It’s really helped me a lot.”

While Cavallin no doubt has his sights set on graduating to the American Hockey League on a full-time basis and will likely be doing so in the very near future, that is not to say that he hasn’t enjoyed every moment he has spent in While Cavallin and the Marlies lost the game 4-2, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Cavallin felt comfortable playing at an elevated level, thanks in large part to having been properly “Honestly there’s so many different things to love battle-tested in all situations during his rookie about Newfoundland,” he said excitedly. season with the Growlers.

“If I wasn’t playing hockey, it would be pretty unlikely that I would be living in Newfoundland. So that’s been a cool life experience to live here by the ocean and go on all the hikes and everything. There are so many things to see here and it’s an awesome lifestyle. It’s definitely really laid back and peaceful. It’s really good being here and it’s an awesome environment. My favourite thing so far is I’ve really gotten into oysters. I’m excited to get back and get into those again.”

“Honestly, it’s hard to say. You don’t really know what’s going to happen,” Cavallin said when asked about his goals for the remainder of the season.

“It’s a tough question because you don’t know where you’re going to be or what opportunities you’re going to get or if you’re going to play or not. So for me, it just goes back to working on my game and trying to get better, rather than the external success. It’s just intrinsic factors that will be motivating me through the rest Cavallin’s potential remains sky high as he sets about of the season. Whatever comes, I’ll just try to be as finishing off his second full season in the professional prepared as possible. It’s hard to plan because I don’t ranks. While it remains unclear whether he will spend know what’s going to happen.” more time with the Growlers or the Marlies between now and the end of the season, Cavallin is content to stick with the process and continue enjoying life in the moment.

“We pay tribute to the goalies of yesterday and celebrate those who follow.”

- Vintage Goalie Brand -

kids corner

Born to Be a

Goaltender

Dryden McKay Chronicles His Journey to the Growlers Crease It may have been predetermined by the cosmos that Newfoundland Growlers netminder Dryden McKay was going to be a professional hockey goaltender.

McKay was born in a hockey family in Downers Grove, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. His father Ross was a professional goaltender himself through the late eighties and early nineties and won a Calder Cup in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Indians in 1991.

When Ross and his wife Chris gave birth to their son on November 25, 1997, it’s almost as if they knew their little Dryden was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“You know those things that couples will send out to let people know when they have a baby and whether it’s a boy or a girl?, McKay quipped during a recent interview.

“My parents sent one out when I was born and it was a cartoon drawing of a doctor holding a baby with a Jason goalie mask on and the caption just said ‘It’s a goalie’. With the name my parents chose, naming me after Ken Dryden, and my dad being a professional goalie turned pro goalie coach, I kind of always knew I would be a goalie.”

Dryden fell in love with the game almost immediately “I don’t think I was a full time goalie until maybe peewee. and fondly recalls his formative days at home with his I was out playing forward. My dad wanted me to learn family sharing the sights and sounds of the sport. the game from a different point of view and I’m better for it. I’m a better skater. I’m a better athlete thanks to seeing the game from the other side.”

“There was always hockey on the TV,” McKay remembers.

McKay admits he enjoyed the days in which he was scoring goals instead of stopping them, but when he graduated to contact hockey and began struggling with stickhandling and keeping his head up, he knew it was time to hop in the crease and take over the family “I was always watching old tapes with Patrick Roy and business.

Marty Brodeur. There are videos of me as a toddler before I could walk. My dad would be shooting pucks Following a solid junior career as a goaltender in the at me and I’d just be throwing them right back. I loved it. United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Green He and my mom used to shoot on me in the basement Bay Gamblers and Madison Capitols from 2016 to 2018, all the time.”

Dryden made the jump to the NCAA and began what would be a historic college career with Minnesota State While young McKay would soon evolve into one of the in the 2018-19 season. most dominant college goaltenders of all time during his time with Minnesota State from 2018-19 to 2021-22, McKay played four full seasons with Minnesota State his youth hockey career didn’t begin in the crease. and finished his collegiate career with some eyepopping numbers: a wins-losses record of 113-20-4 “My dad made me play out for those young years,” with a jaw-dropping 1.34 goals against average and McKay said. a .932 save percentage. His 34 shutouts remains the

most ever recorded by a goaltender in NCAA history, we knew that if we just did what we had been practicing eight more than former Buffalo Sabre and Vezina throughout the week that we would win. They did a Trophy winner Ryan Miller in second place. great job preparing us. Personally, I knew we weren’t going to give up a ton of grade-A chances. As long as More importantly than the numbers or the accolades, I stopped the ones that I’m supposed to stop, I knew it was during his time in the NCAA that McKay began we were going to have a good chance to win with the developing all of the nuances and winning habits to firepower that we had every year.” make him successful at the next level.

McKay’s college career culminated in his senior year in 2021-22 as he posted a 38-5-0 record with a 1.31 goals against average and a .931 save percentage, more than enough to become the first goaltender since the aforementioned Ryan Miller in 2001 to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in all of collegiate hockey.

“We were a machine,” McKay said of his Minnesota State Mavericks teams over the years.

Despite four seasons of growing success, McKay remained a humble teammate and didn’t even consider that he could be in the mix to win one of the most prestigious awards in amateur hockey.

“We had such a good culture. It was always about the “The only time I really thought I had a chance to win it team all the time. At the end of the day, we knew we was when I actually won it,” McKay said with a chuckle. had the team to win a national championship. Every game day, everybody knew we had a good team and

“I never expected them to give it to a goalie. It’s not typically an award that goalies win. I don’t think I ever really expected it. I knew I had a chance just based on how much success the team had. When a team has success, that usually reflects well on the goalie.”

Riding high as one of the most promising goaltending prospects to leave the NCAA in recent memory, McKay signed with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies for the 2022-23 season and was assigned to the Growlers to begin his rookie season in the professional ranks.

“Once the season reached into December and January, it felt like I kind of lost the game a little bit and it was the first time I had felt that way in a long time,” McKay said.

“The biggest thing I’ve had to learn in pro is it’s a really long season compared to college. In college, when you lose games it’s a big deal and it can really effect your playoff positioning with just one loss. But in pro, there are so many more games and so many in-division games. You just have to learn to take the positives from each loss. Learn from the negatives and also have a short memory. Be at your best for the next opportunity.”

McKay hit the ground running and was named the McKay embraced the challenges of his first professional Growlers Opening Night starter. He won his first season and remained focused on the process and feels three starts of the season and was named the ECHL he has emerged as a better goaltender as a result.

Goaltender of the Week for the first week of the new campaign.

But McKay quickly began to learn the differences between college hockey and the professional ranks.

Combining a larger workload with increased travel would be a challenge for any young goaltender, but thanks to Growlers goaltending Coach Marek Benda, McKay persevered and emerged a better goaltender as a result.

“I think it was a good thing for me ultimately,” he said.

“I think I’m continuing to get better. I like where my game is at the moment,” McKay said.

“It brought me back to a place where I could reevaluate my game and maybe change some things because I wasn’t having as much success as I had over the previous couple of years. I think ultimately I came out of it better. I grinded through the rest of the season and got a chance in playoffs and I was ready to go. I thought I played my best hockey of the season in the playoffs. Which made up for that stretch where I felt I wasn’t playing my best. It gave me the confidence to be “I just can’t seem to find a win, but sometimes that’s the a good goalie in this league.” way it goes as a goalie. Sometimes you play great and Back in Newfoundland for his second full season lose and sometimes you play like crap and you win. I with the Growlers in 2023-24, McKay is once again think this year more than last year, we aren’t finding the enjoying his time in the province of Newfoundland and wins as consistently. For me, it’s about making sure I Labrador. While the team may not have as many wins keep my game where it needs to be and continue to as McKay would like, he has remained as positive as get better and push myself and my teammates. I’m ever and feels his best days, and his best hockey, are still playing much better and playing the way I want to play.

I just have to keep pushing through.” head of him.

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DON’T FORGET YOUR PACK OF UNDERWEAR

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2023 | 2024 HOME SCHEDULE

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FEELING AT HOME

IN FEBRUARY

Growlers Welcome Two Newcomers To Town For Six Straight At The MBC

The Newfoundland Growlers return to the rock after seven straight on the road as they welcome a pair of teams to town for the first time ever as the Indy Fuel and Greenville Swamp Rabbits visit the Mary Brown’s Centre.

ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE

Both the Growlers and Fuel have plenty to play for in this triple-header as both sides are in the midst of a hotly contested playoff fight in their respective divisions.

Newfoundland are third in the North Division to start the month while Indy are fourth in the Central, tied on points (44) with the Wheeling Nailers.

Like every other opponent, this will mark Indy’s only The Growlers, in their fifth season of ECHL hockey, will be regular season trip the rock. A lack of familiarity between facing the Indy Fuel for the first time in franchise history the Growlers and Fuel shouldn’t put a damper on the when the two teams do battle on Friday, February 2, action as two teams fighting for their playoff lives meet at the Mary Brown’s Centre.

Saturday, February 3 and Sunday, February 4.

SWAMP RABBITS SWING THRU ST. JOHN’S On Friday, February 2, come down to the rink for NAPE Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm.

It’s another unfamiliar foe coming to the province as the red-hot Greenville Swamp Rabbits visit the Growlers on It’s Saturday night at the shed right here at the Mary Thursday, February 8, Friday February 9 and Saturday, Brown’s Centre! On Saturday, February 3 at 7:00pm, Candice, Campbell and J Lac are in the house February 10. representing K-Rock and their bringing all the fun There has been just one meeting between the Growlers including K-Rock, paper, scissors, classic rock trivia and Swamp Rabbits in the past: A 5-4 overtime win and much more. Wear your band tees and join in on for Greenville way back on February 17, 2019 at Bon the festivities!

Secours Wellness Arena. Only three current Growlers suited up in their previous meeting some five years ago, And in the final home game against the Fuel, pop down Zach O’Brien, James Melindy and Todd Skirving (four if on Sunday, February 4 at 4:00pm for Energy NL night featuring two T-shirt tosses! you count Adam Pardy).

Greenville are currently the pace setters in the Eastern Conference as the South Division leaders come into The following week against Greenville kicks off on Thursday, February 8 at 7:00pm with ‘Thirsty Thursday’ February on 61 points with a 30-11-0-0 record. featuring $5 beers in partnership with the MB Centre.

While the Swamp Rabbits serve up a tough challenge for the Growlers, the opportunity to be battle tested on Friday, February 9 is Rogers night and we’re giving home ice is a welcomed one as Newfoundland look to away an autographed John Tavares Toronto Maple Leafs jersey! prove themselves as a playoff team down the stretch.

FULL SLATE OF THEME NIGHTS AT Lastly, the homestand ends with a bang as we partner with The Gathering Place for the underwear toss. Bring THE MBC

your packs of new underwear and boxer briefs and toss them on the ice during the first intermission for a good cause.

It’s been nearly three weeks since the dogs were last in town but the Growlers are back with a bang as there’s For more information or to get your tickets, please visit plenty of promotions and theme nights to look forward nlgrowlers.com. to in February across the six games!

7 DAYS FREE *

VALU ED A T

$

175

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Or visit try.goodlifefitness.com/7-day-pass

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Sign up with our Performance Membership for access to our exclusive Performance programming, including REGYMEN, Hot Yoga, PEAK, Empower HIIT, iRiDE, and Craft Boxing.**

*Limit one 7 visit trial pass per person. Pass only valid for Non-Members and first time Club visitors who have not been a member of GoodLife Fitness in the last 12 months. Pass valid for 7 consecutive days after activation and may only be activated during staffed Club hours. Visitor must be of the age of majority in the province in which the Club is located and may only attend during staffed Club hours. Pass bookings are subject to availability based on capacity restrictions. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Nontransferable. No cash value. Other conditions may apply. Visit goodlifefitness.com or a participating Club for details and for hours of operation. **Each Performance Program is available on select Memberships at select GoodLife locations only.

GROWLERS IN THE COMMUNITY