Appleton player makes Gamblers

Here's a good story of a local kid who's fulfilling a dream of making a team he's always wanted to be a part of. 18-year-old C.J. Eick of Appleton played with the Junior Gamblers (youth hockey - AAA) a couple years back and last year played with the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL - a junior league considered to be a step below the USHL of which the Gamblers are in. I was in the draft room this past Spring when the Gamblers drafted him late in the day. There was some discussion as to whether he could crack the Gamblers squad. He's 5-7 and 161 pounds. That's small for your prototypical hockey player. But that doesn't mean he can't play. I'm betting a lot of people were doubting Eick would actually win a spot on the roster, but that he did. Coach Eric Rud says Eick clearly won a spot during training camp and during the exhibition games. Needless to say, CJ is pretty excited. I don't have any idea how much he'll play this season or what line he'll skate on and so forth, but here's yet another example of what determination and hard work will get you.....a spot on a team that you've always wanted to be a part of. Pretty cool.

The Gamblers open the season Saturday night, October 2 at the Resch Center at 7:05p. Ironically, the Gamblers will play Fargo, the same team they beat in game 5 of the Clark Cup championship series before a sold-out Resch.