The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
In the eyes of his mates, Blake McCullough is captain material. With former Bomber captain Clayton Geiger out of the picture after requesting a trade, the calm and composed McCullough takes over. While there are players who don't need a letter to show their leadership abilities, and McCullough fits that category, the added responsibility could elevate his game. He already feels that he's played better since his teammates voted for him to be their leader. While these eyes have only witnessed McCullough in action for a short period, the Bombers' big defenseman shows the potential to be an impact player. One of the things he wanted to improve on before the weekend against Kindersley was being consistent. In previous games, McCullough wasn't bad, but showed signs he could be better. His biggest problem was controlling the puck and getting shots to the net while at times lacking a physical presence. So what did he do to improve the first two? He stayed after practice and worked harder. McCullough doesn't shy away from physical play, but it seemed he dodged spots that were right to show that presence. At 6-1, 185 pounds, the size is there to punish players, but he needs more strength to put guys through the boards and that will come. What's even more impressive about the Calgary native is that he isn't afraid to drop the gloves-he won't back down. Usually you don't want your key players sitting in the box for fighting, but in McCullough's case, that's how he shows leadership. The Philadelphia Flyers in the '70s were known as the 'Broad Street Bullies' because they made teams in the NHL fear them for their physical play. The leader of that team is all too familiar to Bomber hockey fans - it was Bobby Clarke. McCullough is never going to be mistaken for Clarke, but this shows that players with a rugged style can be leaders. Scott Stevens is an excellent example of that. Not only did players fear him when he showed his intense look, but he dished out hits that literally knocked players out. With the Bombers going through change and hoping to build on their two-game winning streak, it may not be bad to have a new leader to freshen things up. While Geiger's leadership may not be in the dressing room in a physical presence, parts of it will because he taught McCullough a few things, as did a few former teammates from the Yorkton Terriers, where McCullough played before. His Bomber teammates knew right off the bat he was the right decision and that should be comforting to the ears of Bomber fans hoping for greater things.
