Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 19, 2024 Vecchione adds another championship to his impressive hockey portfolio With a second Calder Cup in the books for the AHl’s Hershey Bears, the Saugus native eyes the hat trick next year By Joe McConnell we are. It feels like a blur.” “The offseason was so short, L ast year, Saugus native Mike Vecchione scored the overtime goal in Game 7 of the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Calder Cup finals to secure the first championship for his Hershey Bears since 2010. As a result, the Bears ended up beating the Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2. The same two teams went at it again last month in the AHL finals. It took six games and another overtime period for the Bears to accomplish the back-to-back feat. This time, they defeated the Firebirds, 5-4, in the clincher. The triumph was one for the history books, because it marked Hershey’s 13th Calder Cup championship, the most ever among AHL clubs. Vecchione suited up for 20 playoff games this spring and was credited with 2 goals and 8 assists. During the regular season, he had 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points in 67 games. After another successful season, the first question for Vecchione is fairly obvious: What is it like to win consecutive Calder Cup championships? “Words really cannot even begin to describe it, and I am not sure where to begin, because it just happened so fast,” said Vecchione. “It feels pretty surreal. I mean, after last year’s finals, I thought that was the top of the mountain, but here and the next thing I knew we were back playing in Hershey and making a Cup run. And at the blink of an eye, we were hoisting another [one],” added the Saugus native, who has also won championships in high school at Malden Catholic and at Division 1 Union College. That opportunity to win on all three levels is not lost on Vecchione, especially as a pro. “It is crazy, because there are so many friends of mine – or players I have crossed paths with – that have neither made it to the playoffs nor won a Cup. When you step back and take a breath to soak it all in, it still does not feel real. Once you win, there is so much partying going on, and the next thing you know guys are leaving and signing with new teams, and it is on to the next season. But that’s just the nature of the business, even though at the same time we will always share that moment together as brothers forever,” he said. Just like the NHL’s (National Hockey League) Stanley Cup, players on the winning team get their day with the Cup. But this year might be different. “I’m not sure when, or if, I will be getting the Cup again this summer, because of the incredibly short offseason. But if I do, I’m certain that it will sink in, and I will have anothAluminum Everett 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Free Estimates •Fully Licensed •Roofing • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Everett Aluminum earned a first-round bye before beating the Lehigh Valley Phantoms three games to one. They then swept the Hartford Wolfpack in three games. But the Cleveland Monsters gave them all they could handle in the Eastern Conference finals, taking them to a seventh game, before succumbing on the Bears’ home ice. But before they did, the Monsters staged a furious comeback bid after going down 3-1 in the series. The Firebirds also made them earn their second straight Cup with the finals going six games. Despite the long playoff run, it was not unlike last year’s journey. The only difference was that the 2023 Eastern Conference finals went six, while the aforementioned finals took all seven games, before the kid from Saugus won it in overtime. But for fans, this year just looked tougher, but Vecchione has a simple explanation for it. “This year’s playoff run got Mike Vecchione of Saugus triumphantly hoisted his second-straight Calder Cup over his head for the AHL’s Hershey Bears (of Pennsylvania) after he and his teammates defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 7 to win the title, 5-4, in overtime late last month. Both teams also hooked up last year in the finals, with the Bears coming out on top in overtime, 3-2, when Vecchione scored the clincher. (Courtesy photo/Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears) er memorable day with it like I did last year,” Vecchione said. After finishing with the AHL’s best overall regular season record (53-14-0-5), the Bears had to endure a long, agonizing and sometimes frustrating run in the playoffs. They Celebrating 66 Years in Business! tough, because of the physicality of Cleveland,” he said. “They were a heavy team that could forecheck well, and we did not protect our defensemen as well as we could have, and it cost us dearly. We lost three of our six starting defensemen in that series, and they were not able to return for the remainder of the playoffs. We also lost two of our HOCKEY | SEE PAGE 9 Summer is Here!
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