Waage, Rochester Grizzlies ready to play with a bullseye on their backs
Aug. 30—The Fraser Cup sits high atop a cabinet in the Rochester Grizzlies' coaches office at ice level of the Rochester Recreation Center.
It would be easy to miss the trophy awarded annually to the North American 3 Hockey League champions if you weren't looking for it.
Its presence in the Grizzlies' office is a constant reminder to all who pass through — coaches, players, scouts, arena workers, media — of how far the fifth-year franchise has come in a short time. It's also a reminder of how much work it takes to win a championship.
But starting this week, that trophy's place in the office — well above eye-level — represents hard work that was done in the past. Now, it's time for a new crop of Grizzlies to see if they can put in the work necessary to keep the cup in Rochester.
"Our new guys know they're coming into a championship organization," third-year Grizzlies defenseman and 2022-23 captain Per Waage said. "Top to bottom on our roster right now, we have a lot of talent. We tell them all that every day you're playing for a spot. You don't make this team until the playoff roster is set (in March).
"You have to come and work hard every day and give the coaches a reason to put you in the lineup every night."
The Grizzlies reported to Rochester Sunday night and held their first practice Monday morning in preparation for their regular-season opener at St. Louis on Sept. 9.
Everywhere the Grizzlies go this season, a bullseye will be on their backs.
Rochester has won three consecutive Central Division championships, has played in the Fraser Cup final — the NA3HL championship game — the past two seasons, and is the reigning NA3HL champion, having defeated in-state rival Granite City 4-0 in late March to win the franchise's first league championship.
The new-look Grizzlies — more than half of their roster has turned over from last season — like the talent level of the 29 players who reported for practice on Monday. The coaching staff liked the pace of the team's first practice, putting it at a level even higher than the first practice of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. But ...
"I think today helped with that," fourth-year head coach Chris Ratzloff said after the team's first practice of the season on Monday morning. "Some guys came in not in shape and we gave it to them. It's disappointing that they'd show up that way, knowing our expectations and the level we want to compete at.
"We talked about it. I think there are enough new guys here who don't know yet if what we're doing is (supposed to be) hard or if it's easy, or what it is. They just know we had success last year."
Rochester will quickly get an idea of where it stands as a team — and it will quickly learn that the 2021-22 season is in the rear view.
"It's been a little different, flipping that switch," Waage said, "but now that we're here and we're practicing, it really feels like a new season with a new group, some great guys. We're really excited to get going."
The Grizzlies host Waldorf University — an ACHA program out of Forest City, Iowa — in a preseason game at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Rec Center. Then there are just six days before the Grizzlies make their longest road trip of the season and play a game that counts.
"Our biggest thing this week is to get the guys in shape and get them ready," Ratzloff said. "We'll touch on systems, just to give them guidelines of what we want to do in terms of structure, with the understanding they have the opportunity to be creative and play the game.
"We just want to get everybody on the same page and hopefully pick up where we left off last year and out-compete teams."
