Weise Joins Phantoms In Team's Time Of Need
ALLENTOWN, PA -- While it's not under the best of circumstances, Dale Weise is handling his current situation - his future very much in doubt with the Philadelphia Flyers organization - about as well as someone in his position probably could.
"[Weise] was great," Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Kerry Huffman said after Weise's first AHL game since 2011. "Even [Thursday], he had a great practice with us. His attitude has been great. He was really good on the bench. We're just so happy with the frame of mind he has right now. He just wants to play hockey and you can see him having fun out there."
Playing on a line alongside Mike Vecchione and Carsen Twarynski Friday night in Bridgeport, in the Phantoms' first game back from the AHL's All-Star break, Weise played a simple game and the trio had a strong game - with Vecchione tallying a career-high four points (empty net goal, three assists) and Weise tallying a third period go-ahead goal in addition to an assist on a first period goal from James de Haas.
"Playing with a guy like [Weise], he kind of just slows the game down for you," Vecchione said of his instant chemistry with his new teammate and linemate. "He's making smart plays, he's talking a lot."
Getting time on both special teams units in back-to-back games in a top-six role is certainly unfamiliar for a guy that saw more than 12 and a half minutes of ice time just once in his last 16 NHL games with the Flyers before being assigned to the minors last week.
"Oh man you know what, when you get a chance to go out & actually play. I probably had more shifts in the first 10 minutes than I did in games sometimes," Weise told Inside AHL Hockey after Friday night's game. "It was fun, man. It's a good group here," he added of his new teammates.
Mentioned by Flyers forward Nolan Patrick as the "by far the best teammate I've ever had", Weise was certainly aiming to make a good impression with his new teammates both on and off the ice.
After Friday's game in Bridgeport, Weise was seen going out of his way to individually tell each player who walked past him in the hallway something he liked about their game that night. Positive reinforcement.
He also had that welcome back to "The A" moment during his cool down on the bike. The, uh, handlebars were quite unsteady and easily shaken around. Not that state-of-the-art NHL technology he's been accustomed to for the last eight years. There was also a roughly three-hour overnight bus ride back to Pennsylvania awaiting him as well in advance of the second game of a back-to-back on the weekend.
Through it all, he's still playing hockey while awaiting where the future takes him.
"You know what, when you play as much as you do and then you get to have some fun like that, it's fun to play hockey again. I'm looking forward to trying to keep things going here."
