Adam Berkhoel Makes DU Sales Call

(above) DU legend Adam Berkhoel poses with goaltenders Sam Brittain and Adam Murray

Mike Chambers' Blog has all the details of Adam Berkhoel's visit to DU this week. Berkhoel recently retired from professional hockey that included a brief stint in the NHL. These days Berkhoel is working for Vaughn Hockey, which specializes in goaltender equipment.

25 comments:

du78 said...

Brittain will play Friday and Murray on Saturday against Minnesota State.

puck swami said...

Good for Adam.

For an overlooked, under-recruited goalie, he did very well for himself - an NCAA Ring, an NCAA MVP award, a DU degree and some time in the NHL would be a hockey career most of us would be very happy to achieve.

Adam getting hot down the stretch of that 2004 season was the biggest single reason that DU was able to re-take its position among elite programs.

All DU fans shoud be eternally grateful to Adam. My lingering image of him will be stacking the pads against UMD's Hobey Winner Junior Lessard on breakaway in the 2004 semi-finals. That save turned the game in DU's favor and made the NC possible. If Adam gives up the goal to Junior there, I think DU goes down to defeat vs UMD.

Anonymous said...

Swamster, Lessard scored on that play to make it 3-1. I believe ...

dggoddard said...

I believe there was one fast break where he did score and one fast break where Berkhoel stopped him.

Pioneers04 said...

Swami and DG are correct, While Lessard did score on one break to make it 3-1, he had a second break-away where Berkhoel did stone him, allowing for that amazing 3rd period.

Anonymous said...

Ahhhhh, the memories.

Berkhoel stoning Lessard in 2004.

Mannino sticking his glove up in 2005 to "conclusively" grab the puck out of mid-air before it crossed the goal line against UND.

Here's to hoping the two other gentlemen pictured with Adam can provide us with similar memories.

Anonymous said...

"Eternally Grateful"

Adam is a great guy and was a great college goalie. And I agree that he was one of, if not the major reason that DU took the National Title. But "eternally grateful"? Nah. You're over the top yet again Swamster. It's hockey and I love it but it's just a game. Eternally grateful, I'll save that for Dr that saved my little girl's life. For first responders who risk their lives for others. Those are the people I'm eternally grateful for.

Anonymous said...

Wow that's freaky. I grew up in Oxford, MI in the 80's. I had no idea Vaughn put a factory there since then; let alone that Berkie lives there. Used to play hockey at Romeo Ice Arena too (which is no longer there). Nick Shkreli, who playes for Lake Superior State is also from the same town

Anonymous said...

Frankenstein on the left and his bride on the far right.

puck swami said...

One man's eternally may be different than another's.

As I said to DG right after DU won the 2004 NCAA title: "Now I can die happy."

When I was a DU student in 1986, I sat in the fifth row and watched DU lose to Harvard in the Frozen Four in Providence, R.I. It was a crushing blow (DU was favored) , but I had no idea that it would be 18 more years following Pioneer hockey before I'd see the Pioneers win the big prize, and once again, I was there in Boston to see it live.

And while it's true that watching your school win an NCAA hockey title is not nearly as significant in the grand scheme of life as many other things, I can honestly rank the pure unadulterated joy of that NCAA moment after surviving the 6 on 3 in Boston as the third greatest joy moment of my life, only behind getting engaged, and getting married to Mrs. Swami (Nos. 1 and 2).

Am I eternally grateful?

Yeah. I am. That 18 year wait was long, long time.

Anonymous said...

Amen Swami and to each his own.

Anonymous said...

No, you're just wrong on this one Swamster. I know I'm quite a bit older than you (2004 was not the first DU hockey championship I witnessed). You are of an age that you feel that you can't back down. You think you are all knowing but in time you'll realize that such notions are, forgive my language, just bullshit. Once you've held your newborn in your arms or you can just be there to hold the hand of a dying parent, you'll know that sitting in the stands of any sport is not something to be eternally grateful for. Don't get me wrong, hockey is fun to watch. Attending games as a kid with my father and later taking my wife and kids was and is a joy. "Hockey is Life" is just a slogan. I hope your life is not so empty as all that. I hope you find things in life that make you see, feel and understand what it is to be eternally grateful.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're using such an effective medium as a hockey blog to tell us how much better you understand the world than we do.

Anonymous said...

I'm somewhat sad to hear Adam has stopped playing competitively. But it's cool he's got a nice job and still able to enjoy the sport from that angle. I got my picture taken with him after they won the Championship. He & Max Bull & Gwozdecky were at Player's Bench signing the Crimson & Gold book. I've been cherishing that pic, thinking one day, maybe he'll have his name on the Stanley Cup....

Anonymous said...

Like it's a big suprise that DG and Swami have no life other than DU hockey.

Anonymous said...

Enough with your pompous, holier than thou lectures. You have your beliefs and Swami has his. You have your life experiences and Swami has his. No one is wrong here.

Anonymous said...

Wrong?LMAO

Anonymous said...

None of you know internally grateful like I do. Swami and Anon are both posers. My wife gave birth to our first twin at the exact moment that Gauthier scored the goal against Maine. Then our second twin was born at the exact moment that the clock hit 0.00 after the 6 on 3.

Anonymous said...

Swami is at that old fart age where he just likes to hear him self drone on and on and on. He just can't fess up to after being so utterly pompous and holier than thou for the 30+ years of watching college hockey, with number of those years as a full-time hockey professional at the collegiate, international, yada, yada yada. Yawn, whatever you old gasbag. I bet they finally tossed him because he was such a bore. You can be incompetent if you brown nose it well enough and we all know what a brown noser Swami is. But at the old fart stage you need to tone it down and just shut your trap. Say stupid things like you're eternally grateful about a goalie too often and they toss you out on your ass. Hell players, coaches, the executives would never say something like that. They'd talk about the birth of their kids, their wedding but not about the 2004 season. Hell, the kids that played with Berkie and won that year wouldn't say their eternally grateful. They played a great season and won! Only old farts with no life and no future say things like all DU fans should be eternally grateful to Adam. Like Berkie - yeah. Admire him - yeah. Eternally grateful - you're just an old gasbag. Sit down, shut up!

Let's watch hockey.

Anonymous said...

I was on that 2004 team and I will never forget that game or season. Thanks Swami.

Anonymous said...

That win will be more important than the birth of your 3rd child. But not more important than Jesse Martin and Robbie Bina's recovery.

Give it a rest. Swami just admit you were wrong and let's get back to hockey.

puck swami said...

Wrong about what?

All I said was that Denver fans should be 'eternally grateful' for Adam Berkhoel. This is a hockey web site and comments are intended to be taken in a hockey context, not some kind of profound, religious, life-changing or other 'higher' context.

My definition of the term 'eternally grateful' is basically 'forever thankful.' That's all. Nothing over the top about it. If you read what I wrote later, I also said "it's true that watching your school win an NCAA hockey title is not nearly as significant in the grand scheme of life as many other things."

I have no wrong to admit here. I am standing behind what I wrote. In addition, it should be noted that I have not gone out of my way to insult anyone.

Let's get back to hockey.

Anonymous said...

Swami- it sounds like you need a restraining order from this ass hat. Dude let it the fuck go.uperspa

Anonymous said...

Swami does have old fart disease does't he. What an old gasbag. Sit down and shut up! Your prediction of a split is this series is already wrong.

Let's go DU!

Anonymous said...

Swami may not have anything worthwhile to add to a hockey conversation, buthe sure keeps those water bottles filled up for the boys on the DU bench.