On Episode 70 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Ross Yates. Yates spent a decade in Syracuse, spanning the entire Columbus Blue Jackets era, from 2000 to 2010. His first six seasons (2000-06) were spent as an assistant coach to Gary Agnew. He then took over as head coach and continued in that role for four seasons from 2006 to 2010. Yates led the team to a pair of 40-win seasons, including a 46-26-2-6 record in 2007-08. The 100-point campaign remains one of th...
Feb 10, 2025•29 min
On Episode 69 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Jon Mirasty. Mirasty spent four seasons in Syracuse with the Crunch during both the Columbus and Anaheim affiliations. Mirasty signed with the Crunch for the 2007-08 season and contributed to one of the toughest teams in hockey. A member of the 'Nasty Boys', Mirasty racked up 181 penalty minutes in 55 games as the Crunch had one of their best regular seasons in team history. Mirasty remained with the Crunch into ...
Feb 03, 2025•30 min
On Episode 68 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Brett Connolly. Connolly played for the Crunch for two seasons beginning in 2012-13. A first-round pick (6th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010, Connolly started the 2012-13 season with the Crunch while the NHL was in a lockout. The second-year pro produced 31 goals and 63 points, ranking fourth and ninth in the AHL respectively, to help fuel the AHL's top offense. Syracuse captured the East Division tit...
Jan 27, 2025•30 min
On Episode 67 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Ryan Lohin. Lohin played parts of two seasons for the Crunch during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. A seventh round draft pick in 2016, Lohin went to UMass-Lowell from 2016 to 2019. At the end of his 2018-19 campaign, Lohin signed his entry-level contract and joined the Crunch for the remainder of the season. Lohin skated in three games with the Crunch that season as the Crunch won the North D...
Jan 21, 2025•25 min
On Episode 66 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by JF Labbe. Labbe spent parts of three seasons with the Crunch during the first few seasons of their affiliation with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Acquired by Columbus in a November 2000 trade, Labbe helped turn the Crunch's 2000-01 season around. The former AHL MVP goaltender posted a 15-15-5 record with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage to help the Crunch earn a berth in the playoffs. The Sher...
Jan 13, 2025•31 min
On Episode 65 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Jeff Halpern. Halpern joined the Tampa Bay Lightning organization in 2015-16, serving first as a player development coach and then as a full-time assistant. After one season in a player development role, Halpern was hired as an assistant coach for the Crunch ahead of the 2016-17 season, joining incoming head coach Ben Groulx's staff. The Crunch went on to finish with a 38-24-7-7 record to capture their third divi...
Jan 06, 2025•27 min
On Episode 64 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Nick Riopel. Riopel signed an AHL contract with the Crunch during the 2015-16 season and remained part of the organization until the 2017-18 campaign. The goaltender split time between the Crunch and the ECHL during his seasons with the organization. He dressed as the backup goaltender multiple times over the years, but he only appeared in one game - a relief outing on Jan. 20, 2018. Riopel was later involved in ...
Mar 11, 2024•32 min
On Episode 63 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Jeremy Reich. Reich spent five seasons playing for the Crunch, beginning in 2000 at the start of the team's affiliation with the Columbus Blue Jackets. That was Reich's rookie season, and he skated in 56 games and compiled 15 points and 108 penalty minutes. His role continued to evolve during his tenure with the Crunch. He peaked at 195 penalty minutes in 2002-03, while posting 51 points the following season in 2...
Mar 04, 2024•28 min
On Episode 62 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Ken Klee. Klee spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Crunch beginning with the 2017-18 season after he was hired in July 2017. A veteran of over 900 NHL games played, Klee was responsible for the team’s defensemen and penalty kill and he helped the team to two of their best regular seasons ever in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In 2017-18, the Crunch finished fourth overall in the AHL with 100 points and then the...
Feb 26, 2024•28 min
On Episode 61 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Lauren Kochian. Kochian spent time working in the Crunch's front office, first as a public relations intern in the late 90's, before continuing her career in public relations with the new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After spending some time working in sports, Kochian parlayed what she learned to move into marketing and development for Arc of Onondaga and Syracuse Stage, before taking a role with the MOST - th...
Feb 19, 2024•31 min
On Episode 60 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Doug MacLean. MacLean served as the first General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He helped usher the Blue Jackets into the NHL for the inaugural season in 2000-01, and it was his relationship with Crunch Owner Howard Dolgon that led to the affiliation between the two clubs. MacLean was the Blue Jackets' General Manager through the 2006-07 season. In that span, the Crunch qualified for the Calder Cup Playof...
Feb 12, 2024•33 min
On Episode 59 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Marc Methot. Methot spent three seasons playing for the Crunch during the Columbus Blue Jackets affiliation. A sixth-round pick in the 2003 NHL Draft by Columbus, Methot began his pro career with the Crunch in 2005-06. The defenseman skated in 70 games as a rookie, contributing 13 points. He spent the majority of his second pro season in Syracuse, skating in 59 Crunch games in 2006-07. He also played in 20 games ...
Feb 05, 2024•34 min
On Episode 58 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Robert Dome. Dome spent two seasons in Syracuse during the late '90s as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. After being selected in the first round of the 1997 NHL Draft, Dome joined the Crunch as an 18-year-old in the 1997-98 season. He scored 21 goals and added 46 points in 36 games for the Crunch that season, earning a spot in the AHL All-Star Game, hosted by the Crunch, in 1998. Dome also skated...
Jan 29, 2024•31 min
On Episode 57 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Michael Bournival. Bournival spent three seasons in Syracuse with the Crunch between 2016 and 2019. He joined the Lightning organization as a free agent in the summer of 2016 and split his first season between the Lightning and Crunch. He played a big role in the playoffs in 2017, collecting 15 points (8g, 7a) in 22 games to help the Crunch advance to the Calder Cup Finals. As a veteran in 2017-18, Bournival was ...
Oct 30, 2023•30 min
On Episode 56 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Sarah Costello. Sarah is currently the Sr. Manager, Lightning Foundation & Community Events for the Tampa Bay Lightning. She's in her ninth season in Tampa, and oversees all things community relations and charitable foundation for the Lightning. She began her journey as an intern with the Syracuse Crunch - first in public relations, then in community relations. She accepted a full-time role with the Crunch as...
Oct 23, 2023•28 min
On Episode 55 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Nick Holden. Holden spent two full seasons in Syracuse with the Crunch during the team's affiliation with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He began his pro career by joining the Crunch at the end of the 2007-08 season, and made his pro debut during the Crunch's incredible win streak. He played the next two seasons with the Crunch, contributing 45 points over 130 games between 2008 and 2010. After the Crunch's affiliati...
Oct 16, 2023•30 min
On Episode 54 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Jared Nightingale. Nightingale spent one full season and parts of one more in Syracuse at the start of the Tampa Bay Lightning affiliation. Nightingale joined the Crunch for the 2012-13 season after signing an AHL contract with the Crunch as a free agent that summer. It marked his seventh pro season, and the veteran carved out a solid role on a loaded team. He played in 56 games during the regular season, amassin...
Feb 13, 2023•30 min
On Episode 53 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Troy Bodie. Bodie spent one season in Syracuse with the Crunch in 2011-12, when the team was affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks. An immediate leader on the team, Bodie was an alternate captain for the Crunch and accumulated 15 points and 119 penalty minutes in 69 games. He helped the Crunch earn a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. After playing in both the NHL and AHL for several more seasons, Bodie retired followi...
Feb 06, 2023•27 min
On Episode 52 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Cory Conacher. Conacher spent parts of five seasons in Syracuse over two different stints with the Crunch during their affiliation with Tampa Bay. Conacher was a member of the Crunch's first team during the Lightning affiliation in 2012-13. He produced 28 points in 36 games to begin the season before being recalled to the Lightning when the NHL Lockout was lifted. After a trade to Ottawa during that season, Conac...
Jan 30, 2023•33 min
On Episode 51 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Mike Ayers. Ayers played one season with the Crunch. He joined the team early in the 2005-06 season on a professional try-out (PTO). He earned a second PTO before eventually signing an SPC (standard player contract) with the Crunch later that season. In 23 games that season for the Crunch, the Hingham, Massachusetts native posted a 12-8-1 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. He als...
Jan 23, 2023•29 min
On Episode 50 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Jamie Heffernan. Heffernan is a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning's development staff, focusing on functional movement. He is regularly in Syracuse and constantly working with the players to optimize how their bodies move off the ice, which translates to movements on the ice. He has been working for the organization for seven years and has had an active role in the development of many players who went on to win t...
Jan 16, 2023•30 min
On Episode 49 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Matt Thompson. Thompson was an Account Executive for the Crunch, beginning a month before the 2017-18 season. His role with the organization continued to grow and evolve until the pandemic hit in 2020. With the Crunch unable to welcome fans for the 2020-21 season, Thompson adapted and found a different way to contribute that year. At the end of the 2020-21 season, Thompson secured a position with the Tampa Bay Li...
Jan 02, 2023•24 min
On Episode 48 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Mathieu Darche. Darche spent three seasons as a player in Syracuse at the start of the Columbus Blue Jackets affiliations. He began his pro career with the Crunch in 2000-01, skating in 66 games and logging 40 points. He also skated in nine games for Columbus that season. He split time again in 2001-02, adding another 45 points in 63 Crunch games while notching two points in 14 NHL games with the Blue Jackets. In...
Dec 26, 2022•34 min
On Episode 47 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Mike Sgroi. Sgroi played parts of two seasons for the Crunch in the mid to late 2000s when the team was affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets. His first stint came at the tail end of the 2005-06 season, after he was bought out by the Devils organization and signed with the Crunch. Sgroi picked up three points in 16 games down the stretch as the Crunch were heading toward the playoffs. He also had 32 penalty m...
Dec 19, 2022•33 min
On Episode 46 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Josh Holden. Holden played two seasons in Syracuse with the Crunch at the beginning of his career. A first-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks, Holden's pro career began with the Crunch in the 1998-99 season. He was up and down between the Canucks and the Crunch that season, and he finished with 29 points in 38 games for the Crunch. He also added six points in 30 games for Vancouver. He split time between the two...
Dec 12, 2022•34 min
On Episode 45 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Mike Radja. Radja played parts of two seasons in Syracuse with the Crunch. He first joined the organization at the end of the 2007-08 season, when he signed an amateur try-out contract following the conclusion of his senior season at UNH. Radja jumped into the lineup with the team in the midst of their franchise record setting 23-game point streak and he collected three assists in two games. After spending his ro...
Dec 05, 2022•31 min
On Episode 44 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Darrel Scoville. Scoville played three seasons with the Crunch during the team's affiliation with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Scoville signed with the Blue Jackets organization ahead of the 2001-02 season, joining the Crunch for his fourth pro season after winning a Calder Cup with the Saint John Flames in 2001. In his first season with the Crunch, Scoville added 21 points in 51 games to help the team clinch its f...
Nov 28, 2022•32 min
On Episode 43 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Dan Watson. Watson played three seasons with the Crunch at the beginning of the team's affiliation with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Undrafted, Watson joined the Crunch as a rookie in the 2000-01 season, skating in 59 games and contributing seven points from the blueline. The defenseman also appeared in four Calder Cup Playoffs games that season for the Crunch. Watson returned for his second season in Syracuse in 2...
Nov 21, 2022•32 min
On Episode 42 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Sean Pronger. Pronger played one full season with the Crunch, serving as the team's captain in 2001-02. That season, he split time between the Crunch and Columbus Blue Jackets. With the Crunch, Pronger skated in 54 games and logged 49 points (23g, 26a) to help the Crunch win their first ever division championship. He also appeared in 26 games with the Blue Jackets, notching four points (3g, 1a). Pronger played in...
Nov 14, 2022•30 min
On Episode 41 of Crunch Chronicles, presented by Wendy's, Lukas Favale is joined by Colten Wilson. Wilson was a vital member behind the scenes for the Crunch, serving as the team's equipment manager for five seasons. He joined the organization ahead of the 2017-18 season and remained with the Crunch through the 2020-21 campaign. That summer he was promoted to become the head equipment manager for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he remains today. On the show, Colten discusses his time in Syracuse,...
Nov 07, 2022•31 min
