Advertisement

It's never too early to get excited for a hockey fight.



Just ask Mike Sgroi.



Sgroi wasted no time ingratiating himself to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton faithful last season. It was during his first shift in his first game as a Penguin when he pounded Bridgeport's Graham Belak, a man he had beaten soundly in two prior meetings.



The Penguins won the battle and the war that night, forging a 1-0 victory over the rival Sound Tigers. But the question that lingered was, "Who is this Sgroi? Is that how you even pronounce it? Sgroy? Sgraw?"



With just one quick fight, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Sgroi (yes, it is "Sgroy") had sewn a seed that would blossom into fan favorite status in no time. There would be other memorable fights from the new enforcer, but his peak as a Penguin would come on December 29, on his home ice.



Sgroi had just scored is his first - and only - goal of the season in a dramatic trouncing of Philadelphia a few nights earlier. This time, the Portland Pirates were in town, and they wasted no time in trying to prove a point. The Pirates started an uncharacteristically large lineup of heavy hitters, making it known that they had come to Wilkes-Barre to rough up the Penguins. The most notable of that bunch was the 6-foot-7, 245-pound Garret Stroshein, a vanilla gorilla whose intentions rarely include goal scoring.



By this time, blue No. 20 Sgroi jerseys were as plentiful in the Wilkes-Barre stands as those of Murley, Beech, and Chiodo. So when coach Therrien responded by starting Sgroi, the Wachovia Arena exploded. Fans listening to the game on portable radios had spread the word that this game was going to start ugly, and it did.



Sgroi lined up directly across from Stroshein. It was the loudest you'll ever hear a crowd for an opening face-off, and as soon as the puck dropped, Stroshein and Sgroi gingerly dropped their gloves. Both benches stood, both teams froze. All 8,100-plus fans knew they were watching a sports rarity.



Where else would you completely discard the opening seconds of a game in favor of good ol' fashioned fisticuffs?



On this night, the answer was Wilkes-Barre. It was big No. 20 versus big No. 20, and after a brief flurry of blows, Sgroi's helmet came off. That's where we'll join Penguins announcer Tom Grace for his dramatic account of the fight.



"Sgroi loses the helmet. Now Mike's getting serious. Now Stroshein takes his helmet off so he means business, too. Stroshein is showing no fear whatsoever. Stroshein leads with a ... oh Mike Sgroi rings the bell! Mike Sgroi Donkey Kongs Garret Stroshein! And Mike Sgroi is gonna do a dance across the ice!"



The images of Sgroi pummeling Stroshein loomed large in Penguins highlight reels for the remainder of the season. The fight set the tone for the game, which the Penguins won again at 1-0. It was a textbook case of how a team with a good enforcer can gain an advantage unexpectedly. Looking back on the season, Grace listed that night as one of Sgroi's best achievements as a Penguin.



"Mike threw a very good punch, and it by no means was a knockout punch, but on that night Mike clearly did his job," he said.



That's right - it's Sgroi's job to fight during hockey games. Tough for those not familiar with hockey to understand, but there are unwritten codes in the hockey playbook that involve "by violent means if necessary."



There's no other reason to justify how a guy who scored one goal all season had become such a favorite among the fans. As the season progressed, Sgroi propaganda began popping up all over Penguins land. Rumors circulated that Sgroi had won anywhere from 20 to 200 tough man competitions, and that he was a legit fighter.



Sgroi has never been shy about fighting, and even if you get his cell phone voice mail, you're going to hear this message. "You've reached The Reel's cell phone. If you don't know what to do after the beep, you probably shouldn't leave a message."



"The Reel" meaning "The Reel Deal," his nickname for his highlight reel-like performances.

Truth be told, Sgroi is a legit fighter, trained in several forms of mixed martial arts and he is thus far undefeated in cage matches. His tattoos are many, and he says he adds one after each major pro fight he wins. His right biceps is actually big enough to accommodate the word "sacrifice," which he says is a big part of his job.



"We're the lowest paid guys on our team, and they know what we sacrifice and they respect that," he said during a recent phone call to d.c. "I've never thought twice about standing up for someone on my team."



His success and confidence led him to enter himself in this Saturday's Black & Blue: Battle of the Hockey Enforcers pay-per-view.



Sgroi will fight one-on-one in a tournament style competition with 15 other hockey tough guys. The contestants will fight on the ice in full hockey uniforms, sans sticks, for 60 seconds in front of a panel of judges. Each of the men will be compensated, with bonuses paid to the winners.



The fights take place at 9 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 27 at the CN Centre in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. You can watch the event live on pay-per-view or sign up for the Webcast by visiting www.hockeyenforcers.net.



There's no telling what kind of audience the fights will draw, but the event is near a sell-out. "I get at least 120 emails and calls per day about this event," said promoter Darryl Wolski.



Wolski previously tried to stage the fight in Minneapolis and Winnipeg, but legalities cancelled each occasion. In Prince George, the mayor has stepped in, arguing that censorship is worse than hockey fights.



"I do not support the events, I won't be going to the event, but many do and many will and that is the right we have in our society," he told the Prince George Citizen. "It may not feel comfortable, but living in a society where we take away people's freedoms is a lot less comfortable."



There is great debate on whether the fights should be allowed because they are a form of "bare knuckle prize fights." However, the fights are not "bare knuckle" and in fact the combatants will wear special gloves for the safety of some of the older fighters.



That, and at the end of the day, there are skeptics who simply hate hockey fights, labeling them as "fake" and "staged."



"Some people think hockey fights are rigged to build interest," Grace said. "But I can offer you this: Wayne Gretzky once said 'If hockey fights were fake, I would fight.'"



Grace added that there is a huge local interest in how Sgroi fares in the upcoming fights, and that if he will watch the event if it's convenient.



Not everyone will be in Sgroi's corner for the bouts. For as popular as he is in our market, there are those supporters of other teams that despise his antics. For example, a visit to mikesgroi.com offers a less than flattering tribute, complete with doctored photos of Sgroi marching in a gay parade.



"It's a fan from Philly and it's actually quite flattering he has the time to do that kind of shit," Sgroi said. "He would make these awful cardboard signs and bring them to the games, and one time I said something to him and I guess he got really angry and put up that Web site."

It's all the more reason for Sgroi to want to dominate at Black & Blue.



"I've been training every day," he said. "If I don't f*ck this thing up, I should win it."

Such a forecast isn't unlike Sgroi. He made headlines on several occasions this past season, calling out "cowards" from other teams that refused to fight him. But when he talks about making mistakes, it's because he made quite a booboo last season.



As Sgroi crashed his way through the campaign, he found himself in Worcester, face-to-face with the IceCats rookie P.J. King. Sgroi took the challenge lightly, and King literally knocked him out.

After further review, there was more to King's knockout punch than met the eye. King's knuckle actually busted Sgroi's eyeball, breaking his orbital bone. Sgroi required seven stitches and surgery, and was basically ineffective for the remainder of the season.



"I got too confident and like the doctor said, it was a one-in-a-million punch to hit my eye like it did," Sgroi said. "You can call it a lucky punch or whatever, but plain and simple I should have been prepared. Unfortunately in hockey fights there are lucky shots which is why even the greatest fighters don't go undefeated."



Sgroi says he is recovered from the fight, and has some decisions to make before the hockey season starts next month. Though it isn't 100 percent definitive, if you read between the lines, the Penguins have made every indication that Sgroi will not be on the team next season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton re-signed David Koci and welcomed back long-time fan favorite Dennis Bonvie to a two-year deal, which leaves little room for a third big-time enforcer. Pittsburgh also signed Andre Roy to help protect top prospect Sidney Crosby on the parent Penguins.



"I wish I was coming back, but I had to read on my own that they were bringing Bonvie back," Sgroi said. "I was looking for at least a phone call from somebody. I guess that's my demise, I suppose. I'm talking to a couple teams right now."



Sgroi and Koci were one of the most feared tandems in the league last year, until Sgroi went down with the eye injury and Koci had his knee taken out by - of all people - Bonvie. When the Penguins did a team autograph signing at Pocono Downs last year, Sgroi and Koci had the longest line, by far. If you wanted their signature, then that was the only one you were going to get during the two-hour session.



Win or lose a fight, fans keep a special place in their hearts for their fighters. The Penguins have had a lengthy history of fan favorites who love to fight, from the Kocis of today back to Darcy Verot, who still drops his gloves with guys twice his size. Even after Bonvie left for a few years, fans were still referring to the Wachovia Arena as "The House That Bonvie Built."



"The team in Wilkes-Barre was like nothing else I've ever been a part of, and it's mostly because of how great the fans are there," Sgroi said. "They know what we do, and they respect it."



When Sgroi fights Saturday, local sports bars that carry the event will be crammed with Penguins fans that hope to see his new favorite fight memory.



"My favorite is still from Juniors," Sgroi said. "I had my claim to fame as the toughest guy in the North American League for four years while the previous guy was off playing pro. He came back for an alumni game, and both teams left us on the ice - they had staged the fight unbeknownst to me. I was the underdog I only weighed 195 pounds and I broke his nose in a few places. I was like 19."



IF YOU GO

WHAT: Black & Blue: Battle of the Hockey Enforcers

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 27, 9 p.m.

WHERE: Webcast available at www.hockeyenforcers.net, or contact your local sports bar to see if they're carrying the PPV

TICKETS: Webcast is $14.99, sports bars may charge a cover



Mike Sgroi

Ht.: 6-5, Wt.: 235. Age: 27. A Toronto native, he had his best season when Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went to the Calder Cup last year. He's a mixed martial artist and pro poker player.



Chadd Radke

Ht.: 6-4, Wt.: 265. Age: 35. A former Grizzly who has said winning these fights is about "balance and opportunity."



Jamie Leinhos

Ht.: 5-11, Wt.: 210. Age: 29. From Montreal, Leinhos drew an astounding 358 penalty minutes in 2002-2003.



Kent Carlson

Ht.: 6-3, Wt.: 210. Age: 43. Played for the Blues, Canadiens, and Capitals in limited action. Last pro season was 1989.



Gerry Hickey

Ht.: 6-0, Wt.: 205. Age: 25. Spent most of last season with the Danbury Trashers.



Dean Mayrand

Ht.: 6-5, Wt.: 225. Age: 27. Nicknamed "The Machine," Mayrand is also an accomplished boxer from Ontario.



Jason Bone

Ht.: 6-0, Wt.: 210. Age: 25. From Manitoba, spent most of last season with Jacksonville of the SPHL.



Link Gaetz

Ht.: 6-3, Wt.: 245. Age: 36. Nicknamed "The Missing Link," he was drafted to the defunct North Stars to protect Mike Modano. He wrote a book called "Enforcer" available at amazon.com.



Trent Potskin

Ht.: 6-2, Wt.: 245. Age: 31. A Prince George favorite, he played four years with the Spruce Kings.



Derek Parker

Ht.: 6-2, Wt.: 210. Age: 22. The youngest in the show, he set the record for major penalty minutes last season with Wichita.



Jason Rushton

Ht.: 5-11, Wt.: 205. Age: 30. A true goon, he's spent his 13-year career in the minor leagues.



Lyndon Byers

Ht.: 6-1, Wt.: 220. Age: 41. Byers had success in the '80s and played for several NHL teams. He's now a morning radio talk show host in Boston.



Steve Reid

Ht.: 6-0, Wt.: 240. Age: 26. Reid averages 30 fights per season for Sherbrooke St. Francois.



Eddie O'Toole

Ht.: 5-10, Wt.: 210. Age: 35. Plays senior hockey in Toronto. He was voted an online favorite by Hockey Gladiators.



Jason Simon

Ht.: 6-1, Wt.: 225. Age: 36. Drafted in 1989, he once logged 419 penalty minutes for the Colorado Gold Kings in the WCHL.



Mark Raiter

Ht.: 6-4, Wt.: 220. Age: 31. Never made it to the NHL, instead opting to take over his family business, Raiter still plays in Edmonton rec leagues.







-gpadden@timesshamrock.com