Bootland - Game #900

[Only bleeds RED 16]

When former Redwing, Darryl Bootland takes to the ice tonight. He will have appeared in his 900th game as a professional hockey player. This is an accomplishment very few players have achieved!  Bootland currently plays for the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL, facing the Cincinnati Cyclones tonight.  Darryl bounced back and forth between the Redwings and Grand Rapid Griffins from  2003 -2007 before being traded to the Islanders in 2007. Last season Bootland wore an A with the Colorado Eagles and won the Kelly Cup.  Bootland came in with a real bang racking up 16 PIM in his first game in the NHL, with the Redwings including 2 fights, both for 5 minute majors. The following two years in Grand Rapid he racked up 726 PIM between the two seasons while still scoring 41 goals.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2017 by Only bleeds RED

[Dabura 12,232]

I had no idea Bootland was still playing! Loved that guy back in the day.

[Only bleeds RED 16]

Update on game 900.  Booter was out on IR after a surgery this summer returning back Dec 1st.  He went 4 games with no fights,  no one would fight him  LOL.  Well tonight game #900  he got to drop the gloves twice!  Both resulting in 5 min majors.  Darryl ended game 900 with 2 assists and 14 PIM.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Could have been an NHL player but he was more interested in partying with puck bunnies and blaming the Red Wings for not promoting him.  Playing 900 minor league games isn't much of an accomplishment, either.

[Dabura 12,232]

2 hours ago, DickieDunn said:

Could have been an NHL player but he was more interested in partying with puck bunnies and blaming the Red Wings for not promoting him.  Playing 900 minor league games isn't much of an accomplishment, either.

Cool story, bro.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

3 hours ago, DickieDunn said:

Could have been an NHL player but he was more interested in partying with puck bunnies and blaming the Red Wings for not promoting him.  Playing 900 minor league games isn't much of an accomplishment, either.

There's always a Negative Nancy in the bunch.

[toby91_ca 620]

2 hours ago, Hockeymom1960 said:

There's always a Negative Nancy in the bunch.

It's not really that negative, just realism.  Why do we care more about this guy than any other guy that didn't make it in the NHL so went to play out their career in the minors?  

[kickazz 5,459]

38 minutes ago, toby91_ca said:

It's not really that negative, just realism.  Why do we care more about this guy than any other guy that didn't make it in the NHL so went to play out their career in the minors?  

The OP obviously cares. So let him. 

3 hours ago, Hockeymom1960 said:

There's always a Negative Nancy in the bunch.

It’s not negative nancy. It’s just straight up colon cancer.

[kliq 3,763]

2 hours ago, toby91_ca said:

It's not really that negative, just realism.  Why do we care more about this guy than any other guy that didn't make it in the NHL so went to play out their career in the minors?  

That's a huge stretch.

Are 900 career minor league games a huge feat if you are sitting in a room with NHLers...probably not. Is it impressive when compared to most of us? Probably. Its all relative. Bashing another person's accomplishments for no reason is not "keeping it real"

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

8 hours ago, DickieDunn said:

Could have been an NHL player but he was more interested in partying with puck bunnies and blaming the Red Wings for not promoting him.  Playing 900 minor league games isn't much of an accomplishment, either.

This must have been back when the Wings actually had puck bunnies.  Even recently divorced women don't want to be around this team.

[Only bleeds RED 16]

2 hours ago, toby91_ca said:

It's not really that negative, just realism.  Why do we care more about this guy than any other guy that didn't make it in the NHL so went to play out their career in the minors?  

Not that I care more about him, though he is a friend. Since he was a Redwing, just thought I'd share.  Personally, last two years or so I've come to enjoy the minors more. NHL is becoming more whistles then shots at the nets, much higher percent of fights stopped etc. Also since moving here to Kansas City, there is no NHL team close as the Blues are a four hour drive and not worth the gas money as where an ECHL team, Kansas City Mavericks play less then3 miles away from my house, so yeah I've sparked a lot more interest in following the minors since moving here. The games are a lot of fun as to where it feels like 80'-90's hockey again.

[kickazz 5,459]

20 minutes ago, Only bleeds RED said:

Not that I care more about him, though he is a friend. Since he was a Redwing, just thought I'd share.  Personally, last two years or so I've come to enjoy the minors more. NHL is becoming more whistles then shots at the nets, much higher percent of fights stopped etc. Also since moving here to Kansas City, there is no NHL team close as the Blues are a four hour drive and not worth the gas money as where an ECHL team, Kansas City Mavericks play less then3 miles away from my house, so yeah I've sparked a lot more interest in following the minors since moving here. The games are a lot of fun as to where it feels like 80'-90's hockey again.

Your post was pretty informative and I appreciated it.  I wasn’t his biggest fan because I personally didnt think he was that good of a fighter. But If you asked me years ago I would have never expected Bootland at 900 games. So props to the guy for being more accomplished than everyone on this forum.

[Only bleeds RED 16]

Yeah he's improved on his fighting skill a lot over the years. One of the top ECHL fighters now right up their with Trevor Gillies and Garret Hunt.  He's the fan favorite with the last four teams he's played on. Orlando has him so hyped to being favorite and he hasn't even played at home yet as since returning from IR, they been on the road.

[kickazz 5,459]

5 hours ago, GMRwings1983 said:

This must have been back when the Wings actually had puck bunnies.  Even recently divorced women don't want to be around this team.

No joke either. The quality of women wearing Wings gear has gone down. 

[kliq 3,763]

5 hours ago, Only bleeds RED said:

Not that I care more about him, though he is a friend. Since he was a Redwing, just thought I'd share.  Personally, last two years or so I've come to enjoy the minors more. NHL is becoming more whistles then shots at the nets, much higher percent of fights stopped etc. Also since moving here to Kansas City, there is no NHL team close as the Blues are a four hour drive and not worth the gas money as where an ECHL team, Kansas City Mavericks play less then3 miles away from my house, so yeah I've sparked a lot more interest in following the minors since moving here. The games are a lot of fun as to where it feels like 80'-90's hockey again.

No reason to have to defend your self. You're posting something positive and unfortunately when you do that around here certain posters enjoy bringing others down. That's their problem, not yours.

 

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

On 12/7/2017 at 3:54 PM, Only bleeds RED said:

When former Redwing, Darryl Bootland takes to the ice tonight. He will have appeared in his 900th game as a professional hockey player. This is an accomplishment very few players have achieved!  Bootland currently plays for the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL, facing the Cincinnati Cyclones tonight.  Darryl bounced back and forth between the Redwings and Grand Rapid Griffins from  2003 -2007 before being traded to the Islanders in 2007. Last season Bootland wore an A with the Colorado Eagles and won the Kelly Cup.  Bootland came in with a real bang racking up 16 PIM in his first game in the NHL, with the Redwings including 2 fights, both for 5 minute majors. The following two years in Grand Rapid he racked up 726 PIM between the two seasons while still scoring 41 goals.

 

 

 

 

The beard alone is worthy of praise.

 

Hope they bring NHL hockey back to KC for ya.

My Scouts jersey is one of my favorites.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Neomaxizoomdweebie

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

NHL in KC sounded fun 10 years ago, but it will never work.  People in KC are not hockey savvy.  

[krsmith17 7,191]

On 2017-12-08 at 10:10 PM, Neomaxizoomdweebie said:

The beard alone is worthy of praise.

 

Hope they bring NHL hockey back to KC for ya.

My Scouts jersey is one of my favorites.

I've always loved those jerseys. Thing of beauty.

[Dabura 12,232]

On 12/8/2017 at 5:04 PM, kickazz said:

No joke either. The quality of women wearing Wings gear has gone down. 

Carley Johnston tho.

[kliq 3,763]

2 hours ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

The plastics have mellowed out a lot lately.  Good to see.

You've definitely turned into a much better poster Cady!

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

On 12/9/2017 at 12:28 AM, GMRwings1983 said:

NHL in KC sounded fun 10 years ago, but it will never work.  People in KC are not hockey savvy.  

That's what the "traditionalists" say every time a team moves to or an expansion team is granted to a "non-traditional" market. Truth is, it works more often than it doesn't. There have been just as many failures in "traditional" markets as in "non-traditional" ones. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_and_relocated_National_Hockey_League_teams

I would rather see the bottom feeding, league supported teams move to new markets for a chance to turn things around, then stay where they are and continue to leech off of the profitable teams. The NHL will expand to 32 teams. It's inevitable. I think there is a good chance that the Islanders become the KC Scouts within 10 years.

5 hours ago, Dabura said:

Carley Johnston tho.

I would rather see her "not" wearing a Wings jersey if you know what I mean.

[Only bleeds RED 16]

On 12/8/2017 at 11:28 PM, GMRwings1983 said:

NHL in KC sounded fun 10 years ago, but it will never work.  People in KC are not hockey savvy.  

It's growing again.  We have a ECHL team owned by same family that owns the Chiefs.  They sell out a 6k seat arena plus few hundred standing room only.  Sure it's not NHL level, but hockey is far from dead in KC. Beer leagues fill full rosters at 3 different rinks here too.  Talks of a USHL team here too by 2020.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

11 hours ago, Only bleeds RED said:

It's growing again.  We have a ECHL team owned by same family that owns the Chiefs.  They sell out a 6k seat arena plus few hundred standing room only.  Sure it's not NHL level, but hockey is far from dead in KC. Beer leagues fill full rosters at 3 different rinks here too.  Talks of a USHL team here too by 2020.

I've been to a Mavericks game.  It's fun.  Filling the Sprint Center is a different story, though.  The city and fans seem content to have that arena not include a sports tenant. 

The Midwest in general is a college sports place.  The Chiefs and Royals are about all that residents can handle with pro sports.  There's a reason both the NHL and NBA failed in Kansas City.  How many cities have lost a team and got it back to have success afterwards?  The NHL should learn its lesson from the debacle that was the Atlanta Flames/Thrashers.

[krsmith17 7,191]

59 minutes ago, GMRwings1983 said:

I've been to a Mavericks game.  It's fun.  Filling the Sprint Center is a different story, though.  The city and fans seem content to have that arena not include a sports tenant. 

The Midwest in general is a college sports place.  The Chiefs and Royals are about all that residents can handle with pro sports.  There's a reason both the NHL and NBA failed in Kansas City.  How many cities have lost a team and got it back to have success afterwards?  The NHL should learn its lesson from the debacle that was the Atlanta Flames/Thrashers.

Depends on your definition of success, but I'd consider Winnipeg and Minnesota to be successful in regards to relocation / expansion teams. Atlanta flamed out (pun) twice. I'm not sure if Kansas City would have much success, but I'd love to see those uniforms back / recreated. I think either Hartford or Quebec could come back and be successful as well.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

37 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

Depends on your definition of success, but I'd consider Winnipeg and Minnesota to be successful in regards to relocation / expansion teams. Atlanta flamed out (pun) twice. I'm not sure if Kansas City would have much success, but I'd love to see those uniforms back / recreated. I think either Hartford or Quebec could come back and be successful as well.

Exactly.  The hockey capital of America and a city in Canada with nothing else to do besides play hockey.