8-5-99. The Pilots Seat is commentary, written from a fan's perspective, about the Pensacola Ice Pilots
by Scott Gregory
August is prime time for bugs, and I'm starting to
sense that ECHL fans have had a few crawl up the leg
holes of their swimsuits.
The shouts are coming from fans around the ECHL:
"Why is nothing happening?"
"Where are all the players?"
"Doesn't this team care?"
I've had these thoughts, too. It's a long summer for
all hockey fans, but especially for those whose teams
missed the playoffs. It's been a loooong offseason in
Pensacola, where last season ended ... let's be honest
here ... before Christmas.
Between the time last season went into the drink and
first faceoff at home Oct. 23, you could have conceived
a child, given birth to it, and brought it to The
Hangar for opening night. The middle part being only
slightly more painful for Pilots fans than sitting
through last November and December.
The fact of the matter is, training camp is still two
months away. And that's a long time at this level.
In about two weeks, I'd start getting antsy if my ECHL
team didn't have a coach, which is the case in
Lafayette, Tallahassee and elsewhere. The final losers
of coaching sweepstakes in the AHL, IHL and other
higher leagues are close to being decided, and they
should be tossing their clipboards into the ring for
the open ECHL jobs.
As for the Pilots head coaching position, I'd like to
hear something substantial in the next week or two.
Pedersen and the Pilots brass seem to be approaching
the situation like a dinner-table fight over the last
piece of spoiled liver. We need an "I'm absolutely
staying" from Pedersen coupled with a "He's our man"
from team president Charles Felix. And I haven't heard
anything to convince me the matter is settled, the fact
Pedersen has a contract notwithstanding.
Does Pedersen want to be here anymore? Does the
organization want him back?
This is a great job in a great place. I want the coach
to want to be here. I want the organization to want the
coach to be here. Anything less is asking for trouble,
and there's been enough of that already.
If Pedersen bails, or is bailed by Felix, the Pilots
will be further behind in the coaching hunt than they
were in the Southern Conference last season.
While coaching issues must be resolved soon for the
good of organizations, don't lose any shuteye over the
rosters. I say this for the following reasons:
• Teams are still working on affiliations. This will
affect who signs and who comes to camp.
• The ECHL starts play later than other leagues.
• Many of the best players in the ECHL are those who
didn't make higher-level leagues in the U.S. and
abroad, and come scurrying to ECHL camps in October to
find a place to play.
• No one in the ECHL is signing players en masse yet.
So, for now, we have to settle for the Pilots having a
new starting goalie, and rights to a handful of
players, new and old. I hope we hear of a few great
signings in the next month or so, if to do no more than
to get those season-ticket orders rolling in and give
the fans something to talk about.
The signing of a first-class enforcer would go a long
way toward creating summertime excitement, but I'd wait
until October if the Pilots would come up with the
right man for that job.
A great philosopher once said, "All we need is just a
little patience. Whoa, whoa, whoa."
© Scott Gregory. All Rights Reserved. Gregory is a Pilots season
ticket holder from Navarre. He is a former Florida Gators football beat writer and sports editor for Copley Newspapers. He can be reached at scott@thefivehole.com. Comments and information from coaches, players and fans are always welcome.
