Nearly two decades ago, Alex Broadhurst and his older brother, Terry, were just beginning to discover a shared love for the game of hockey.
"We had an unfinished basement, so it was all cement," Alex said. "We'd just put on our roller blades and go 1-on-1 for hours."
Fast forward to the present day, where the duo has moved to a much bigger stage. They're teammates on the Rockford IceHogs, the American Hockey League affiliate for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Roy Sommer established an American Hockey League record for most regular-season games coached when he led the Worcester Sharks against the Portland Pirates on Wednesday.
The game was Sommer's 1,257th as an AHL coach, surpassing the mark held by Hockey Hall of Fame member Frank Mathers.
Sommer, 56, was named coach of the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate on May 28, 1998, and has spent his entire 16-year coaching career in the Sharks organization with the Kentucky Thoroughblades (1998-2001), Cleveland Barons (2001-06) and Worcester Sharks (2006-present). His 571 regular-season victories rank fourth all-time among AHL coaches.
The 21-year-old spent the past five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League, serving as team captain and winning the Bill Hunter Trophy as the league's top defenseman with 85 points (22 goals, 63 assists) in 71 games during his final season.
This year, he's taken up the role of learner, as he continues to develop in his first professional season with the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League.
Introducing the new official NHL App, available for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones and tablets. A host of new features and improved functionality are available across all platforms, including a redesigned league-wide scoreboard, expanded news coverage, searchable video highlights, individual team experiences* and more. The new NHL App on your tablet also introduces new offerings such as 60fps video, Multitasking** and Picture-in-Picture.
*Available only for smartphones
** Available only for suported iPads