The Xpertek Hockey News

New name for Carver Communications Hockey Club
Old faces to hit the ice in new colours Sunday night

Ottawa -- As the trees make their traditional autumn turn in the Nation's Capital, it will be more than just the leaves changing colour this fall. One of the city's oldest and most storied hockey franchises will don new duds and carry a new name going into the 2008-2009 Ottawa Senior Men's Hockey League season.

Gone is the irrelevant and puny Carver Communications moniker, replaced instead by the more robust and intimidating Xpertek Construction, a far more fitting name for the blue-collar, lunch-pail bunch that has become renowned in OSMHL circles as a team to be reckoned with, as long as they are seeded in the right division.

"Our fans have always identified us as a hard working team, and our opponents know we are a hard group to play against," said team rep and franchise defenceman, Martin Leroux, also the team's all-time leader in games played.

"We always come to the rink with our work boots on, so when we were presented with an opportunity to change our name to something that far better reflects the type of team we have, we simply could not refuse."

Along with the name change, the team will also be wearing new jerseys and socks, courtesy of new sponsor and team namesake, Xpertek Construction, whose co-owner, Louis Ryan, will likely be moved to the wing this season to make room for returning veteran defencemen Pierre Bouwhuis, Etienne Dutrisac and Brett Kubicek.

Goaltender Pat Lafontaine, who led the OSMHL with a sparkling 15-3 record and 1.89 goals against average in 2007-2008, initially brought up the idea of a name and colour change midway through the team's summer conditioning season.

"Vraiment, j'étais pu capab de stander le crisse de bleu et vert des Whalers de Hartford de 1997," said the French-Canadian goalie. "How da hell can a team win a championship wearing colours like dat?"

His teammates agree, particularly gritty winger Steve Parker, who can't wait to drape the red, white and blue of Xpertek Construction over his shoulders. "I've always been a huge Montreal Canadiens fan, so to wear The Rocket's number 9, with the CH on the front of my jersey, will be a tremendous honour," he said, hardly able to contain his excitement.

When informed that the new Xpertek jerseys are not replicas of those that his Hab heroes wear, but instead a completely different design that bears no resemblance to the Canadiens' jersey, except for the colours, the normally soft-spoken Parker had this to say: "What? That's bulls**t to the highest degree."

Despite the new colours, Xpertek Construction will be in tough this season, as once again they will face-off with long-time foe and annual playoff nemesis, The Saints. Still, they are up to the challenge.

"I look forward to goading that fat bastard Chris McMahon into taking more dumb penalties that will get him thrown out of the game," said team trash talker and all-time leading shoulder dislocater, Marc Baril. "As long as we don't get stuck with more fu**ing piece of s**t referees who can't tell the difference between a hook and a whore, we'll be fine. Fu**in' esti d'refs à marde."

Despite his harsh words, Baril vows to keep his opinions of the officials to himself this season, so as not to disrupt the games of his projected linemates, John Richardson and Tony Lemay.

Richardson, who patrolled the blueline during the summer season, looks forward to moving back up to his natural position on the wing, which he admits he much prefers.

When asked to comment, the quiet and reserved Richardson had only this to say: "I will let my game speak for itself," before adding, sheepishly, that he might even take a penalty this season.

As for Lemay, the most potent natural scorer to have ever skated with the team, he refused to comment on his own personal objectives for the season, except to say this: "Watch out les goalers, m'a slapper même en breakaway!"

The Sun was hoping to get the last word on Xpertek Construction's new colours and the team's hopes for the new season from jack-of-all trade skater Adam Hendriks, whose versatility has seen him split his career with the team between defence and forward.

Unfortunately, Hendriks was in a rush when we caught up with him, and could offer only this: "I'm in the middle of planning my wedding. Tell the boys I'll supply a case of beer every time I show up late for a game, and two if I miss a game because I choose to play volleyball instead! Go Xpertek, certificates for everyone!"

Xpertek Construction, which has been seeded in the Molson Export Division, opens the 2008-2009 season with a tilt against The Shooters on Sunday, September 21, at 9 p.m. on the East ice surface at Fred Barrett Arena. More details about the team's schedule are available at http://www.osmhl.com/.