Robbie Thomas
Michigan Shadow Again
Went to another Michigan Shadow game, this time against the St. Ignace Saints. The first thought is that after this game, that team is going to travel a long way home after the game. The league the Shadow and the Saints play in had 8 teams at the start of the season, and now it’s down to 6. Must be rough times in the MIHL!
Unlike in the last game, my personal favorite, Motor City Rocker John Juliano wasn’t on the roster for that game. This game, he was present. Also present were Jamie Milam, Ryan Rotondi, Cody Oakes, Adam Kuhn, and Samuel Gagnon. Another player I enjoyed watching was Josh Vermeesch. He’s a tall dude and did a couple of hits. A few players on the St. Ignace Saints had some interesting surnames, such as Adam Kahpeaysewat, Conrad Schmitigal and Jeremy Pallot-Behling.
The Shadow won the game at a total of 8-1. To the best of my memory, I have never attended a hockey game with a black goalie. The Shadow had a black goalie named Elijah Gibbons. According to Elite Prospects, he has been in the MIHL for a while and has served as a backup goalie for the Rockers in the 2024-25 season, but didn’t play. He made a spectacular save in the second period.
There was a penalty shot for the Shadow, but I forgot who took the shot. As of this post, the box score isn’t available, unlike the last game. Perhaps someone wasn’t there to keep stats. I would’ve taken that job.
Jamie Milam did a couple of defensive saves, including one to keep the puck in the attack zone. I wish I had a photo of that. He was one of my personal favorites with the Rockers. Hopefully, the Rockers return for the FPHL’s 2026-27 season.
Here are some photos of the game:
