Upstream With Walleye Head Coach Nick Vitucci #3
If you'd like to submit a question for Coach Vitucci please fill out our form. Check back to www.toledowalleye.com often to see if Nick answers your question!
Coach - I believe ECHL quality talent exists in the community, but may remain untapped due to players not having an agent or playing college hockey. What channels can a player falling into this category follow to be discovered? Thanks – Jason (Toledo)
Thanks for the question, Jason. I’ve been fortunate over the past season to scout players from all levels of hockey. I will continue to do the same for this upcoming season. Coaches at the ECHL level tend to follow the NCAA and Major Junior ranks because these players are best qualified to play in our league. I’ll look for players at the lower professional levels, such as the IHL and Central Hockey League, too. If a player is not currently playing professional hockey, but thinks he has the tools to do so, I would recommend trying the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League). If players can find work in that league and put up good numbers this will often lead to advancement to higher levels.
Hi Nick. Are there going to be any guys from the Storm on the new team? Have a great year – Jessica Hawk (Toledo)
I’m not sure, yet, if we will have any returning players from the last Storm team. I would certainly love to have some of them back - as I thought we had a good nucleus of players – and it would be great to have some experienced players who have played for me already. Most of these players, however, have gone on to other teams or have traveled to play in Europe where they can make more money then they can in the ECHL. And some of the players are likely retired, as it will have been three years since they’d last played in Toledo.
Think you'll get time to do some walleye fishing at the end of the season? – Craig Kirkendall (Oregon, OH)
I have never been Walleye fishing, but would love to try it! My son and I have been spending a lot of time fishing this summer - I would love to get out in a boat on Lake Erie and see what I could reel in!
Ask The Coach
If you'd like to submit a question for Coach Vitucci please fill out our form. Check back to www.toledowalleye.com often to see if Nick answers your question!
