Crunch Chronicles

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 the best regular seasons in Crunch history.Over his four seasons, Yates compiled a 154-131-15-20 record for a 0.536 points percentage. The team only qualified for the playoffs once (2007-08), but the team was in the hunt every season. His time in Syracuse ended when the Blue Jackets changed their AHL affiliate.

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 the 2010-11 campaign, bridging the gap between the Crunch's NHL affiliates. In 182 Crunch games, Mirasty accumulated 751 penalty minutes, which ranks third in team history.

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 title that season and advanced to its first Calder Cup Finals. Connolly added 11 points (6g, 5a) during the playoffs. Connolly returned for a second season in 2013-14 and led the Crunch with 57 points (21g, 36a). In 137 career Crunch regular season games for the Crunch, Connolly collected 52 goals and 68 assists for 120 points. He has played 536 career NHL games for the Lightning, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks. He won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.

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 Division title. He began the 2019-20 season with the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears before suffering an injury and having season-ending ACL surgery after only 15 games. He returned to Syracuse for the 2020-21 season, playing in 25 games and adding 15 points. He played two additional seasons between the AHL and ECHL from 2021 to 2023 before suffering a back injury and stepping away from the game.

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 Sherbrooke, Quebec native put together one of the finest goaltending seasons in 2001-02. He went 27-16-7 in 51 appearances, recording a 2.18 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. He logged nine shutouts to help the Crunch top the Western Conference standings with 96 points. Labbe made four more appearances for the Crunch in 2002-03, but spent most of that season in Columbus. In 92 total appearances with the Crunch, Labbe was 43-33-13 with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. His 11 shutouts are tied for the most in team history. Labbe’s AHL Hall of Fame career featured two Calder Cups – one with Hershey and one with Hartford. He was a multi-time All-Star, a Baz Bastien Memorial Award winner for the AHL’s best goaltender, an AHL MVP and an AHL Playoff MVP. He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016.

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 division championship. The Crunch advanced to their second Calder Cup Finals in 2017, falling in six games to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Halpern returned as an assistant coach in 2017-18, when a new wave of rookies joined the organization. After a 4-9-1-2 start to the season, the Crunch rallied to go 46-22-3-5 and finished fourth overall in the AHL. They would lose to the Toronto Marlies in the North Division Finals. Following the season, Halpern was promoted to become an assistant coach with the Lightning. He has remained with Tampa Bay ever since, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, and advancing to a third final in 2022.

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 a duo of trades at the end of that month that led to Eddie Pasquale joining the Crunch. Riopel finished his playing career that season with the ECHL's Wichita Thunder. In total, Riopel appeared in 22 career AHL games with the Adirondack Phantoms and the Crunch. He also played 167 ECHL games for six different teams. Additionally he played one season in England and another in France. On the show, Riopel discusses his time with the organization and how he transitioned into becoming a player agent.

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 2003-04. In total, Reich appeared in 315 career games for the Crunch, a mark that currently ranks third in team history. He holds the franchise record for career penalty minutes (820); he also tallied 118 points for the Crunch from 2000 to 2005. Reich made his NHL debut and skated in nine games for the Blue Jackets during the 2003-04 season. After his time in Syracuse, Reich saw AHL action with Houston, Providence and Bridgeport. He also played parts of two seasons with the Boston Bruins before finishing his playing career in Germany. On the show, Reich discusses his time in Syracuse, finding a role on the Crunch and his career since retiring from the game.

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 they topped that with 102 points and a franchise record 0.671 points percentage as they finished second overall in the league and won the North Division in 2018-19. Under Klee, the Crunch finished top five in goals against per game and in penalty kill in both seasons. Under his tutelage, players like Erik Cernak graduated to the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Klee continues to coach today and he is currently the head coach of PWHL Minnesota. On the show, Klee discusses the new PWHL, his two seasons in Syracuse and more.

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 - the Museum of Science and Technology located in Armory Square. After serving as the executive vice president, she became the MOST’s president in 2018. Under her leadership, the museum has seen significant growth and investment, dramatic increases in attendance, and new strategic partnerships, positioning the museum to flourish well into the future. On the show, Kochian discusses her start with the Crunch, the success of the MOST, how working in sports helped get her to where she is today and more.

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 Playoffs four times and won a division title in 2002. After his time with Columbus, MacLean transitioned into media, where he spent a decade with Sportsnet as a host for Hockey Central. Recently, MacLean co-authored a book with Scott Morrison titled "Draft Day" on the history and importance of the NHL Draft. The book became a bestseller and is available here. On the show, MacLean discusses the origins of the affiliation agreement between Syracuse and Columbus, what he liked about Syracuse and more.

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 for the Blue Jackets that season. The 2007-08 campaign saw Methot dress in another 66 games for the Crunch and nine for Columbus. That year, he helped the Crunch to their record 23-game point streak to close the season. After the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs, Methot graduated full-time to the NHL starting with the 2008-09 season. He played in 624 career NHL games for Columbus, Ottawa and Dallas through the 2018-19 season. He retired following that season due to injury and now works as an analyst on TSN. Methot finished with 195 career Crunch games, totaling 42 points (10g, 32a) from 2005 to 2008. On the show, Methot discusses his time in Syracuse, retiring from the game and more.

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 in 30 games that season for the Penguins after initially making the NHL roster to start the season. In his second and final campaign with the Crunch, Dome contributed 18 goals and 35 points over 48 games in 1998-99 before finishing the season in the IHL with the Houston Aeros.  Dome finished with 81 points in 84 Crunch games over his two seasons in Syracuse. The Slovak continued his playing career through 2008-09; he totaled 243 career AHL games, 132 IHL games and 53 NHL games during his career. He has been coaching in Europe since 2012-13. On the show, Dome discusses his time in Syracuse, transitioning to coaching and more.

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 a leader on a young team that finished near the top of the AHL standings. He added 34 points in 57 games for the Crunch that season, while also skating in five games for Tampa Bay. His final season came in 2018-19, a year that was cut short do to an early injury. Bournival was limited to just five games before his injury; his rehab brought to to within days of returning, but the Crunch were eliminated from the playoffs.  Bournival played in 100 career games for the Crunch over his three seasons. He retired following the 2018-19 season and returned to school to earn a degree in kinesiology. He is now pursuing a masters degree. On the show, Bournival discusses his time in Syracuse, the Calder Cup Finals run, his masters research and much more.

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 the team's Community Relations Manager ahead of the 2012-13 season, the Crunch's first season as the Lightning's AHL affiliate.  After her time with the Crunch, Sarah spent time working in golf before her path took her to Tampa Bay, where she has seen the Lightning win two Stanley Cups while the organization has become a pillar in the Tampa community. On the show, Sarah discusses her time in Syracuse, boat parades and much more.

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 affiliation with Columbus ended, Holden split the next three seasons between Columbus and AHL-Springfield before finally landing a full-time NHL role with Colorado in 2013-14.  Holden went on to play 654 NHL games for Columbus, Colorado, the New York Rangers, Boston, Vegas and Ottawa. After retiring this summer, Holden accepted a position as a player development coach for the Vegas Golden Knights. On the show, Holden discusses his time with the Crunch, his welcome to Syracuse moment and more.

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, amassing seven points and 121 penalty minutes as the Crunch won the division.  When not dressed for the game, Nightingale remained engaged with the Crunch fans by stepping into the broadcast booth to serve as a color commentator. He returned to Syracuse late in the 2014-15 season, skating in eight regular season games and one game during the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs.  Nightingale retired following the 2016-17 season and immediately jumped into coaching. Outside of one game played in 2017-18, Nightingale has been climbing the coaching ranks ever since, and he is currently an assistant coach for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. He also returns to the Syracuse area every summer for his Great Lakes Hockey Camp, which returns to Cicero in July. On the show, Nightingale discusses his time with the Crunch, his path into coaching and more.

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 following the 2014-15 season and became a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. He remained with the Leafs until May 2021 when he was hired by the Seattle Kraken to help launch their expansion AHL franchise. Bodie was brought in as the Director of Hockey and Business Operations for the newest AHL franchise and he has been there ever since, seeing the birth of the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Firebirds are near the top of the AHL in their inaugural season. On the show, Bodie discusses his time with the Crunch, his role in the beginnings of the Coachella Valley Firebirds and more.

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, Conacher spent the next three seasons with several other clubs, including a full season with Bern in Switzerland. He returned to North America starting in 2016-17 when he re-signed with the Lightning. He split time between Syracuse and Tampa Bay, but spent the majority of the season with the Crunch. He led all players in scoring with 28 points during the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs to help power the Crunch to their second Finals appearance.  He remained with the Crunch through the 2019-20 season, helping the Crunch win division titles in 2012-13, 2016-17 and 2018-19 and being named an AHL All-Star in 2018-19.  Conacher currently ranks fifth all time in Crunch scoring with 205 points (72g, 133a) in 224 career Crunch games. He has the second most playoff points all time for the Crunch with 31 in 26 playoff games. On the show, Conacher discusses his time with the Crunch, the desire to continue his playing career and more.

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 also logged three shutouts as he helped the Crunch win 47 games and notch 102 points. Following his one season with the Crunch, Ayers played two more seasons before retiring and stepping away from hockey following the 2007-08 season. After a year in retail, Ayers returned to hockey and has been a coach ever since; he has been on the Boston College coaching staff since 2013-14.  On the show, Ayers discusses his season with the Crunch, how he ended up as a coach and more.