Beau Schmitz in a scrum around the Houston Aeros net. (Photo Credit: stat19/Tumblr)

Today the Charlotte Checkers announced that they have assigned Matt Beca and Beau Schmitz to the  South Carolina StingRays and Florida Everblades respectively.  The two are expected to re-join Charlotte once the All-Star festivities are done and over with.

Matt Beca has appeared in 7 games with the Checkers this season and has notched one assist.  He has also split time between the Everblades and StingRays in the ECHL, combining for a total of 36 games, 9 goals and 18 assists.

Beau Schmitz has appeared in 4 games with the Checkers and has also registered one assist. In 31 games with the Everblades, he has recorded just two helpers on the season.

The Charlotte Checkers return to action Thursday, January 31 against the Oklahoma City Barons for a start time of 8PM.

Photo by Swamp Hockey

Roughly two months ago, I interviewed fellow tweep @SwampHockey on her favorite team, the Florida Everblades. One of the questions has crept back around and I don’t take coincidences lightly. In other words, the hockey gods have spoken and I prepared to act.

I asked Swamp Hockey, “Who is most likely to be President of the United States?” You may read the full article here, but her response was, “Probably David Rutherford. All the guys call him Rudy for a reason. Even though he’s Canadian, I could see him figuring a way to overcome the laws and convince everyone to vote him into office.”

Caniacs, if you’ve been living under a rock, David Rutherford is a talented forward that snagged 55 points (25g, 30a) in 57 regular season games with the ECHL Florida team this year. Not to mention his most recent 12 points during 17 playoff games. #91 and his team went on to defeat the Las Vegas Wrangles in overtime (3-2) in Fort Myers to claim the Kelly Cup. He also played in Charlotte for the 2008-09 season when the Checkers were a part of the ECHL.

After my interview with Mr. Rutherford, I agree with Swamp Hockey, he is destined for big things. Obama’s got nothin’ on this guy as you can tell from the well-executed answers below. To make sure I wasn’t being bamboozled by some future politician, I brought in the lovely Stephanie Wilson. Miss Wilson is David’s long time girlfriend and possible future First Lady?

While I formulate an epic presidential campaign, enjoy the interview:

KP Kelly: What makes you angry off the ice?

David Rutherford: I’m more of a glass half full guy. People have told me I’m a jerk to play with on the ice, but the nicest guy off the ice. I dunno, maybe ask Steph that one.

KP: You’ve won 7 championships, which one had your best celebration?

DR: That’s tough, they were all special in different ways.

KP: So, you know how to win big, but do you know how to handle a big loss?

DR: You know what, winning and losing are part of the season, but what matters the most is who wants it more. Who is taking a puck or stick to the face and not complaining? I hate losing. Once you win big you don’t want to lose again.

(And there’s our campaign slogan folk, “America: Win Big & Never Lose Again! Vote for Rutherford!”)

KP: You were in Las Vegas for the Finals. Did you get to have any fun?

DR: I really tried hard to keep it a business trip. You need to know when to put the distractions aside and Vegas is full of them, but the guys were very professional. I tried to be in bed by 9:00 p.m. and actually had two of my best games.

(Oh, I can see the North Carolina signs along the highways, “Rutherford for President: Gitin’r Done”)

KP: What’s on the schedule for the rest of the summer?

DR: Getting ripped! (laughs) Really, I’m training hard and preparing for the season. People think I’m crazy because I won two years in a row, but I got a new agent and new trainer. You know, I love winning as a team, but I still want to be the best hockey player I can be.

KP: How were the fans in Fort Myers?

DR: Winning was big for them. They’d been waiting 14 years and we were able to fulfill that. We were able to bring happiness to others and that’s what it’s all about. I mean, people were crying to me and wanting to take pictures with the Cup. One guy told me touching the Cup may have been the best moment of his life.

KP: Who is the best tweeter on the Blades?

DR: That’s tough, everyone has their own personality. Maybe Ratchuk.

KP: How do you and Stephanie handle the, um, aggressive female fans?

DR: You can’t control what other people do; you can only control how you handle it.

Photo by Swamp Hockey

KP: OK, lastly, what do you think of Jordan Staal coming to Raleigh?

DR: You gotta give a lot to get a lot. I think it’s one of the situations where you’ll know if it paid off in five years.

Ok, time to bring in the real muscle. An angry southern woman scares me much more than a hockey player. Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Stephanie Wilson…

KP: First, I love your Twitter bio. Are you born and raised in North Carolina?

Stephanie Wilson: Thank you! Yes I’m from Statesville, a small town about 40 minutes outside of Charlotte, NC. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m very proud of my southern roots and southern accent.

KP: So, what does make David mad? There must be something!

SW: There’s not too much that makes David mad, but when he does vent it’s usually about some aspect of hockey he wants to improve. David has very high standards for himself and it doesn’t matter if it’s the finals or a game in the middle of the season he wants to make an impact on every game. Even if his team won the game 8-0, he won’t be happy coming off the ice unless he scored a couple of those goals. He is his own biggest critic, but it’s also what makes him such a good hockey player. He’s always pushing himself to do better.

KP: Sounds like leadership material to me! Tell us about the first time you and David met.

SW: The first time we met was after one of his games. My best friend dated his roommate and talked me into meeting up with them at a little pub. David hardly spoke and there was a girl texting my friend who was mad that she had brought me to meet David. I guess they had a thing in the past. So my thoughts were, “Wow there’s already a girl talking about me for just meeting this guy, this isn’t gonna work.” (laughs) Needless to say we left with a hug and thinking that was probably the end of that.

KP: I was not expecting that story! I guess things worked after all. David said you were clueless about the Checkers and hockey when you guys met. Is that true?

SW: I had never been to a hockey game before my friend took me to David’s game and to be honest I barely even knew there was a hockey team in Charlotte. I remember sitting at that game and being completely lost thinking, “What am I doing here?”

KP: Too funny. What did you think after the first time you watched him play? I heard he had a couple fights that night.

SW: David was in two fights during the first game I ever went to, so between that and the other penalties, he spent a lot of time in the box that night. Since I knew nothing about hockey I said to my friend, “Really? I’m supposed to be meeting up with this guy who has been fighting the whole night?” I was not impressed at all by the fighting.

KP: These are totally NOT the answers I was expecting. I love it. It’s been about three years later…what do you think about hockey now?

SW: Oh, how things have changed. I think hockey is probably the best sport to watch now. It’s fast paced and there’s always a lot of action unlike other sports. I won’t say that I go sit at home and watch NHL games in my spare time, but I love watching David’s team play. I get pretty into his games and his fights (while a little nerve racking) are impressive to me now.

KP: Atta girl! Well, I was told to ask you about your first date together…so let’s hear it!

SW: We went to Dave & Buster’s on our first date! It was probably the most fun I’ve had on a first date. Oh and he won me a giant stuffed dolphin out of the claw machine. I was impressed, because I didn’t think anyone actually mastered that game.

(Oh, another campaign ad idea: “Rutherford for President: He has even mastered the claw machine game!”)

KP: Man of many talents I see. First kiss…awkward, good, or toe-curling?

SW: I think it was about the third or fourth date before we kissed and if you really want to know I’m pretty sure we were watching the movie Madagascar (laughs), but this is characteristic of our relationship.

KP: Very adorable. I asked David how you guys handle the puck bunny factor in your relationship. What are your two cents?

SW: David definitely takes it in stride and laughs them off. I won’t lie and say they don’t bother me at all, but I think I handle it better now than I did 3 years ago when we first started dating. David probably would say that I bring the puck bunny situation up to him when I see them say things on Twitter and also that my southern side makes me a little fiery, but for the most part I don’t really get into it. I know it’s a part of hockey, and honestly, David wanted to be with me because I was sweet and sexy, not slutty and sexy. So, I don’t worry about some random girl taking my place because she’s willing to take her clothes off for hockey players.

KP: I like this girl. Honest and well said, Stephanie. What’s your dog’s name and how do you think she will get along with David’s dog, Bobby the Bulldog?

SW: Her name is Furby after those toys we had as kids that would talk back to you. The first time David saw her he said, “She looks like one of those Furbies” and the name just stuck after that. Bobby the Bulldog is like a guard dog, he loves to bark at people but he’s also overweight and lazy. Furby on the other hand is playful and loves everyone. Not to mention she’s only about 4 pounds so the two of them couldn’t be more opposite. I’m sure she’ll have no problem with Bobby but we’re a little nervous for how he will take her. We will be sure to post pictures of them meeting!

KP: Ok, I know he’s Canadian, but do you think Mr. Rutherford would make a good President of the United States?

SW: Yes, he is very persuasive and personable. I always say that he is capable of talking someone into doing anything because he’s just so goofy and fun it’s hard to say no. He’s also very good at speaking with people whether it’s adults or kids. Overall, he loves helping people and doing things for others, so he would make a terrific president.

And with that answer, my campaigning will officially begin!  Someone tell Bo Obama to pack his dog house, because Furby and Bobby the Bulldog are White House bound!

You must give David and Stephanie a follow on Twitter as they are top-notch tweeters. Thanks for your time guys and I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks for reading. You may follow CardiacCane on Facebook and Twitter: @CardiacCane, @Caniac176, @Caniac_John, and @PJT_Caniac.

Nagle with Bears (Photo: Swamp Hockey)

I asked my pal and fellow tweep, Swamp Hockey, to do an interview with me on her team, the Florida Everblades. Caniacs, there is playoff hockey in the Hurricanes’ family, so enjoy an insider’s look at this ECHL team…

First, tell us a little about your Everblades fan status. How long have you followed the team?

The Blades arrived in 1998 and I went to games every once in a while but it wasn’t anything truly regular. Being a Florida native meant I didn’t really grow up around a lot of hockey. I started in the early 2000′s falling in love with the game. I refused to fall in hockey love with the Blades because I was under the impression that ECHL hockey was nowhere near as amazing as NHL hockey. About three or four years ago I started changing my tune. I had a friend who convinced me to start going to Blades games with her regularly. That season happened to be the season the Blades had one of their better squads. They earned the Brabham cup, the ECHL award given to the team with the best regular season record. I fell pretty hard for those guys, and by extension the Blades and their history.

The Everblades have had an amazing season. They currently sit first in the Eastern Conference in the pursuit for the 2012 Kelly Cup. What do you think has been the key to their success?

I think a big part of this squads success is quite a few things. The players seem to have made a commitment to each other, the fans and the system. We’ve been lucky to have two solid goalies who seem to feed off the competition they have with each other, every player on the team contributing to scoring, and very reliable defensive core. Obviously, I have to credit Coach Poss for instituting the system, demanding good conditioning and making tough roster decisions. (more…)