The date was November 30, 2007. I was just arriving at my desk at Giant Center when the phone rang. It was Grady Whittenburg, the current voice of the Binghamton Senators and at the time the play-by-play man for the Elmira Jackals in the ECHL. Grady and I have been friends for years, and has even been on the air with me from time-to time. Usually our conversations are rather light hearted. On this morning, it was anything but. “First of all, I’m calling to tell you I’m alright,” he said. Which as you might imagine got my attention. Grady’s team was on a bus that crashed near Erie, PA, coming back overnight from a game in Cincinnati. A few players suffered some serious injuries, but thankfully no one was killed. Until Grady called me, I had no idea anything was wrong. For all of us in the hockey business, the crash of Elmira’s bus gave us pause to think about all the late night hours and bad weather we endure in the name of hockey. The thoughts lingered for a couple of bus trips, but gradually the memory of what happened to the Jackals faded in our minds. This morning, for all of us in hockey, those thoughts came flooding back in an instant.

We’re on our way to Rochester this afternoon, and I knew if I wanted to get my morning run in, I was going to have to be quick about it. I got on my treadmill at home, and almost as I did so, the phone started to ring. I didn’t answer the first one, or the second one. Then it was a text message. Then another call. Something was wrong. I reached for my phone as I wrapped up, and it was ringing again. Dan Stuck, our longtime trainer known to all in Hershey as “Beaker”, was calling. He asked me if I knew about Albany being in a crash overnight. My heart sank. No, I said. This was the first I was hearing about it. The hockey community is large, but at the same time it’s woven very tightly. Everyone knows someone involved when something like this happens. For me, former Bears defenseman Jonathan Paiement was on the bus. Two broadcasters and friends were on board as well in Owen Newkirk and John Hennessy. I immediately thought of them and called my East Division friends to see what they knew.

If you’re new to this column, you may not know that we in the East are a pretty tight crew. Most of the broadcasters in the division were at my house this past summer in Elizabethtown for a weekend of card playing and golf up at Fairview. Owen was among those that came down for a weekend with the boys. This morning, I called Scott Stuccio in Wilkes-Barre to see what he had heard. He, just like me, was just finding out. I talked to Grady, who had to have an eerie feeling of déjà vu after what happened to him just over a year ago. On a bus going to Norfolk, he knew what I did and not much else. Then I happened to come across news that Owen was quoted in a newspaper article about the incident, so I gave his cell phone a call. He answered on the second ring, which somehow provided almost instant relief. He had a mild concussion, he said. He also said some players were badly hurt, but none of the injuries suffered was life threatening. Most of the equipment under the bus, including goalie masks, pants, helmets and the like were destroyed. But everyone was alive. He then told me that “Henny” was in rough shape and was left at the hospital with four other players. Owen went on to say that his broadcasting partner was going to be ok, but the words were still pretty stunning to hear.

Hershey's season series with Albany is done for 2008-09, but I couldn’t help but think more than once this year I was looking at both ends of my AHL broadcasting career when I looked at John and Owen. Henny was with Albany when I first joined the league in 1997, and left two years after that to become the voice of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. He also called Albany’s 1995 Calder Cup championship, a team that featured among others, current Bears defenseman Bryan Helmer. After six seasons with the Devs, he was let go and has been doing freelance work ever since trying to keep the dream alive. Owen, from my standpoint, is on the other side of the timeline. In only in his second season in the AHL, the Maine native is part of the new and up and coming group of radio guys in our league. I remember when I used to be in that group, smiling as I type those words. It’s been over 11 years since I could be called new to the AHL, and I hope I was half as likable as Owen back in the day. Always positive, always smiling, he’s a lot of fun to work with. Henny came on board this season with the River Rats again this season, serving as color commentator and giving Owen a tried and true radio man at his side. I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with both of them this season, joking around during pregame chats and shooting the breeze. My son Jack came with me to Albany at Thanksgiving and got to know both of them a little bit too. News of the crash this morning immediately made me think of all of those things, and how grateful I am that both are expected to be ok.

Henny is still in a Pittsfield, MA hospital today, along with players Casey Borer, Nicolas Blanchard, Joe Jensen and Paiement. According to the River Rats, all are seriously injured, but all are expected to recover. I hope that you’ll join me in keeping them all in your thoughts today.

As I write this, I’m on a bus myself, sitting up front with Bob Woods and Mark French in the front row watching the miles peel off on the way to another AHL destination. I’m sure all of us on board today are shaken at least a little bit by what happened to the River Rats last night, and once again not taking for granted that we put ourselves at risk every time we head out on the road somewhere. When three of your friends are involved in crashes in less than 15 months, it certainly gets you thinking. It’s not always safe out here in the wilderness.

Please keep Henny and the players in your thoughts today. I know, along with many others, we’ll be praying for a speedy recovery for our brothers in hockey.