Airston Urges Smoke: Get Hot or Get “Blown Up”

The Kansas City Smoke had a good week. They won three games out of four, culminating with a 5-1 dismantling of the East’s best team, the Quebec Tigres. Their offense is averaging 3.36 goals per game, second-highest in the SHL. RW Bengt Frederiksson is fifth in the league in goals, and he and LW Ryan Airston are both in the top ten in points. Defense is not the Smoke’s strong suit – it never has – but thanks to a solid goaltending tandem of Christien Adamsson and Shawn Stickel, their goals-scored-to-goals-allowed ratio is comparable to, or better than, all of the West’s contending teams except the first-place Milwaukee Growlers. Their fast-paced brand of hockey continues to draw strong crowds, comfortably in the upper half of the league’s attendance numbers.

And yet, Kansas City is still below .500 for the season, and seven points out of the last playoff spot. Coming off of back-to-back first-round playoffs exits the last two seasons and with a payroll close to the league’s salary cap, there’s a good change that change is coming this offseason. Coach Harold Engellund and GM Garth Melvin could well be dismissed if the team misses the postseason, and the team could be headed for a rebuild, with many big-name veterans headed out the door.

At least one Kansas City player doesn’t want to see that happen. This week, Airston urged his teammates and the fans to come together for a late push to make the playoffs and – hopefully – keep the team together.

“Isn’t this team fun?” said Airston after Saturday’s blowout win over Quebec. “I think so. Our fans definitely think so. And it’s on us to finish strong and make some noise in the postseason, or it’s all going to get blown up.”

The veteran winger said that the Smoke are “the best organization I’ve played for in my career, hands down. It’s a player-friendly organization, a great fun fan base, and a commitment to playing beautiful fast-paced hockey. But nobody cares about that stuff unless you win.”

Airston noted that “I’ve heard all the detractors for years, saying ‘you can’t win if you don’t play defense,’ ‘there’s only one puck out there,’ all that crap. And I’ve defended us, because I believe you can win this way. But at some point, we’ve got to prove that we’re more than a sideshow.”

Asked why he felt this year was so important, Airston said, “Because I’ve been around long enough and I know how this works. The first time you make it to the playoffs and lose, it’s, ‘Hey, good try! Better luck next time.’ The second time, it’s, ‘Hmmm, maybe they’ve hit a plateau.’ The third time, it’s ‘Uh oh, these guys can’t get over the hump.’ Add in the financial pressure – what good is a capped-out team that can’t win anything? – and suddenly everybody’s screaming to blow it up and start over. And I think that would be a real mistake.”

Asked what he would do with the team if they miss the playoffs or if they lose in the first round again, Airston replied, “I’d recognize that we have a strong core here, one that needs some tweaks here and there, but doesn’t need a total overhaul. I’d extend Coach Engellund and Mr. Melvin, and reinforce my commitment to this team. But I’m not the one who makes those calls. And I know it’s a lot harder to make the call to double down if we can’t make the playoffs. So for the guys who love it here and want to stick together, for the fans who love us and want to keep it together, we should all be pulling to finish strong.”

Engellund praised Airston’s dedication. “Ryan’s a heck of a guy, always has been,” said the coach. “I’ve watched him mature from a young hotshot to a mature, grown man; he’s one of the real glue guys out there. I hope I get to keep coaching him, but whatever happens, he’s an asset to any team that he’s on.”

Some of Airston’s teammates believe that the motivation for his speech was more personal; as a 32-year-old winger with poor defensive skills and a $4.5 million-per-year salary that expires this season, he’s likely to be one of the players let go if the team pivots to a rebuild. “That rah-rah kind of stuff is natural for Ryan,” said one player, “but he’s also looking out for himself. He knows that there aren’t a lot of other teams looking to pay $4-plus million a year for a guy who only plays one end of the ice.

The veteran winger angrily denied those charges. “This isn’t about me,” said Airston. “I’ve made plenty of money in my career, and I can always go home to my bunny ranch anytime. I’m trying to warn the guys what’s at stake here if we don’t finish strong.”

Melvin, the only GM the team has ever had, declined to comment on the team’s offseason plans or whether he felt his job was in danger. “I’ll just say that I agree with Ryan that I hope we finish strong,” said Melvin. “A good long playoff run would make it easier on all of us.”

2024 SHL Week 13 Transactions

On Monday, the Baltimore Longshoremen placed LW Vaughn Asperlin on the injured list. Asperlin suffered an upper-body injury during Sunday’s game against Hamilton; the Longshoremen are hopeful that he can return at some point this season. Injuries have limited the sophomore winger to just 33 games this season. To replace Asperlin on the roster, the Longshoremen recalled LW Cameron Leintz from their CHL affiliate in Fargo.
On Wednesday, the Kansas City Smoke recalled F Mark Clark from their affiliate in Omaha and returned C Mason Alpine to Omaha. With the return of C Darien Picard from injury, the Smoke returned Alpine to the minors and called up Clark. The 37-year-old winger is up for his second stint with the Smoke; he spent two games with Kansas City earlier in the city.
Also on Wednesday, the Milwaukee Growlers activated LW Zachary Merula from the injured list. Merula was sidelined for 10 games while recuperating from injury. To make room for Merula’s return, the Growlers returned LW Terry Cresson to their CHL affiliate in Indianapolis. Cresson appeared in 14 games for Milwaukee, recording 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists).
In one more Wednesday move, the Michigan Gray Wolves activated C Konstantin Sokolov from the injured list. Sokolov missed two weeks while recovering from a lower-body injury. To make room for Sokolov’s return, the Wolves returned C Wilson Grace to their farm team in Cincinnati. Grace appeared in 7 games for Michigan, recording an assist.
On Saturday, the Boston Badgers activated C Caden Ritz from the injured list. Ritz missed over a month and a half after undergoing surgery for an upper-body injury. To accommodate Ritz’s return, the Badgers reassigned C Marlon Crane to their CHL affiliate in Hartford. Crane appeared in 19 games for Boston, recording no points.
Also on Saturday, the Smoke placed LW Pascal Royal on the injured list. Royal crashed headfirst into the boards during Saturday’s game against Washington and had to be stretchered off the ice. He is considered a long shot to return this season. To take Royal’s place on the roster, the Smoke called up F Jett Bondar from their affiliate in Omaha. Bondar will make his major-league debut.
In one additional Saturday move, the Halifax Atlantics – affiliate of the Quebec Tigres – activated D Barrett Forbes from the injured list. To make room for Forbes’ return, the Atlantics released D Luke Boskill.

2024 SHL Week 12 Transactions

On Monday, the Kansas City Smoke recalled LW Roy Mutz from their CHL affiliate in Omaha and returned C Mason Alpine to Omaha. With C Mike Rivera returning from an injury, the Smoke decided to bring up the 23-year-old Mutz – making his SHL debut – to get some minutes until LW Pascal Royal returns from injury.
On Wednesday, the Thunder Bay Kestrels – CHL affiliate of the Saskatchewan Shockers – activated LW Darius Ghilezan from the injured list. To make from for Ghilezan’s return, the Kestrels released F Harper Hawking. Hawking appeared in 7 games for Thunder Bay, recording two goals and an assist.
Thursday was the SHL’s trading deadline. The following transactions occurred at the deadline:
- The Baltimore Longshoremen traded RW Alberto Fedregotti to the Portland Bluebacks in exchange for minor-league RW Fletcher Queen and a fourth-round draft pick. In related moves, Baltimore recalled RW Rolf Knaufl from their affiliate in Fargo, and Portland demoted F Zeljko Brankovic to their affiliate in Spokane.
- The Shockers traded D Blake Blacklett to the Washington Galaxy for minor-league D Stieg Lisander. In related moves, Saskatchewan recalled D Roscoe Corbetta from their affiliate in Thunder Bay, and Washington returned D Russ Klemmer to their farm team in Virginia.
- The Smoke traded RW Adriaen van der Veen to the Galaxy in exchange for F Sidney Archer. In a related move, the Smoke returned F Roy Mutz to their affiliate in Omaha and called up C Mason Alpine from Omaha.
- The Shockers traded D Buster Kratz to the Michigan Gray Wolves for D Ilya Morozov and a third-round pick. In related moves, Saskatchewan called up D Damir Kriutchkov from their farm team in Thunder Bay, and Michigan demoted D Barrett Snow from their affiliate in Cincinnati.
- The Shockers traded RW Samson Kucharov to the Quebec Tigres in exchange for RW Bryan Irvin and a third-round pick. In related moves, Saskatchewan recalled F Michael Jennings from Thunder Bay, while Quebec demoted F Billy Knox and signed D Luke Boskill to a short-term contract for their affiliate in Halifax.
- The Shockers traded D Harald Haakom to the Hershey Bliss for D Dustin Ecklenburg and a second-round pick.
On Friday, the Fargo Flickertails activated D Colt Mayhem from the injured list. To accommodate his return, Fargo released D Powell Kelmore from his short-term contract. Kelmore appeared in 2 games for the Flickertails, recording an assist.

Eying Playoffs, Galaxy Acquire Pair

Wilson Shuster is not afraid to make a big splash. Even though the Washington Galaxy game into the deadline eight points behind the Rhode Island Seekers for the final playoff spot in the East, Shuster – the Galaxy’s GM – was on the lookout for big deals, the kind that could alter the trajectory of the race. Thanks to his boldness and persistence, he came close to landing a big fish. According to team sources, Washington made multiple aggressive offers to acquire LW Magnus Gunnarson and D Dominic Sanchez from the Hamilton Pistols, who approached the deadline in selling mode. If Shuster had been able to make the deal, it might have given the East race a major jolt.

In the end, though, the Pistols chose to keep their roster intact. But that didn’t keep Shuster from adding on, as he wound up adding a different wing-defense pairing instead, landing D Blake Blacklett from the Saskatchewan Shockers and RW Adriaen van der Veen from the Kansas City Smoke.

“As long as we have a shot at the playoffs, we’re going for it,” said Shuster. “This is not an organization that gives up. We made the playoffs last year when everyone said we had not shot. The year before that, we fought all the way down to the last day of the season. As long as we’re breathing, we’re fighting. And if there’s anything I can do to help us win that fight, I’m going to do it.”

Shuster’s moves earned leaguewide praise for strengthening the Galaxy at a minimal cost to their store of prospects and draft picks. His acquisition of Blacklett, in particular, was heralded as a steal, costing Washington only 19-year-old minor-league blueliner Stieg Lisander. Blacklett, though just 25, is a six-year SHL veteran who is a consistent contributor on both ends, a 30-to-40-point scorer who regularly puts up 85 to 100 blocks a year. In DC, he will reunite with a couple of former Saskatchewan defensemen, Wyatt Barnes and Robby Rohrman. Roster-wise, he fills the gap left by Geoff Moultrie, who has been sidelined for over a month.

“For me, to have a chance to come here and compete for a playoff spot, that’s awesome,” said Blacklett. “I appreciated my time in Saskatchewan, and I had a lot of fun there in my career, but all the losing we’ve had lately really wears you out. And I’ve heard nothing but good things about DC from Wy and Robby. To come here and have something to play for, it’s like the sun is out again.”

Van der Veen, meanwhile, slots into a middle-six role for the Galaxy. The 26-year-old Dutch native never quite lived up to the promise some in the Smoke organization saw in him; they hoped for him to be a premium secondary scorer, but instead watched him shuttle between Kansas City and CHL affiliate Omaha for years as he struggled to develop defensive or blossom as a scorer. Ironically, this year van der Veen finally found a niche as a setup man, putting up 28 points (4 goals, 24 assists) in 40 games. But his contract was up at year’s end, and key members of the Smoke coaching staff and front office were unwilling to commit to a long-term extension, so the organization decided to recoup value while they could.

“Adriaen is a player I’ve had my eye on for some time,” said Shuster. “He’s a really smooth skater, tremendously graceful. I think he’s been a bit miscast as a scorer. He’s a truly gifted passer, and we plan to take advantage of that.” Asked if he intended to sign the winger to an extension, Shuster replied, “Absolutely. I wouldn’t have acquired him just to rent him. I want Adriaen here for the long haul.”

To acquire van der Veen, Washington parted with Sidney Archer, a 24-year-old winger in his fourth season with the Galaxy. After steady improvement over his first three seasons in the nation’s capital, Archer took a step back this season, struggling in a fourth-line role, with just three points (2 goals, 1 assist) and 11 blocks in 31 games. For KC, he offers more defensive upside than van der Veen; even though he likely profiles as a bottom-six player, he is two years younger than van der Veen and thus offers more room for growth.

“We’re glad to have Sidney on board here,” said Smoke GM Garth Melvin. “He’s a hard worker and a solid two-way player. He helps us now, and he can help us later too.”

Despite the additions, the Galaxy lost their first two games after the deadline and now lag 10 points behind the Seekers. Even if Washington comes up short this season, though, Shuster remains pleased with his work at the deadline. “I’m not just thinking short-term here,” said the GM. “This helps us next year too, and the year after, and longer than that if we nail them down for the long term. But don’t think for a second that we’re giving up on this season either. We’ve got the time and the team to get this done.”