Reviving their historic past: Green Bay Gamblers back in Clark Cup contention
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – This year marks the second consecutive season that the Green Bay Gamblers have qualified for the playoffs. This comes after the Gamblers eclipsed 70 points this weekend with a pair of wins on Friday and Sunday.
But prior to this stretch of success, Green Bay’s winning ways were few and far between. In fact, the Gamblers haven’t won a conference semifinal playoff game since the ’11-’12 season, which this year’s squad knows all about.
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“At the end of the day, it’s been a long time since this organization won,” says second-year head coach Mike Leone, while looking up at GB’s championship banners in the rafters.
Between 1995 and 2002, the Gamblers won four regular season titles and two Clark Cups and would follow that up with a four-year stretch between ‘08 and 2012, where Green Bay captured three regular season crowns and two more Clark Cups. A past that this season’s Gambles squad is hoping to replicate.
“Coach (Leone) keeps reminding us that we’re rebuilding,” says second-year forward, and captain, Mikey DeAngelo. “(He reminds us) we’re becoming this new organization that (Green Bay) once was years and years ago when they won championships.”
Although no one on the current Gamblers roster was with the team during their struggling stretch of years in the 2010s, reviving Green Bay’s past rich history is a primary focus, and this season’s squad believes they have the formula to do just that.
“They compete hard for each other and stick up for each other,” says Leone.
“We’ve learned from our mistakes and tightened up areas that we weren’t great at earlier in the year,” said second-year Gamblers defenseman Chris Romaine.
“We spend so much time (at the rink) together, and even away from the rink, and that’s built relationships and a bond that we’ve had the whole season,” said DeAngelo. “It’s brought us many wins and we just have to keep on sticking with it.”
That’s led to 32 wins this season with seven games still to go. Under Leone, Green Bay has totaled 64 victories in the regular season, which is the most the Gamblers have won in two seasons since ’16-’17 and ’17-’18, marking a pivotal shift in the franchise’s history.
“It starts with the guys that returned from last year,” said head coach Leone. “It’s a really good group of kids, they work hard and care about each other. There have been a lot of games throughout the course of the year where we’ve been down in periods, or late in games, and have found ways to get points and that says a lot about this group.”
A team built around experience, camaraderie, and appreciation that’s turning Green Bay hockey’s reputation from “a blast from the past,” to a promising future.
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“I know the Gamblers have an unreal history,” says second-year defenseman Josh Player. “Just to be a part of that and try to get back to that and set the standard is an amazing experience to be a part of.”
“I think it’s a special feeling, we all feel that,” says DeAngelo. “I think in the back of our minds, every time we come to the rink we think about that.”
We have a great group to (win the Clark Cup),” said Romaine. “I think we’re heading in the right direction and (building) something for years to come.”
