Posts under ‘Greats at Aviator’

Aces captain Rob Miller felt like he was a rookie all over again, as his former coach, teammate and former Rangers star Ron Duguay laced up his skates on Saturday on the other side of the Brooklyn locker room.

23 years old and a first-year pro with the Jacksonville Barracudas the last time the two shared the same sheet of ice in 2003, Miller was probably too young to remember Duguay’s heyday with the Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, when he was an enthusiastic and dangerous center with an excellent shot and great hockey instincts.

However, despite his ability on the ice, Duguay will always be remembered for captivating the women wherever he played, with his trademark Jon Bon Jovi-esque long hair, earing and sasson jeans.

Oo- La-La.

This time around, Duguay, despite over 27-years since his last 40-goal season, still maintained his devilish good looks, but at 51, he acknowledged his game isn’t what it used to be.

A native of Smithtown, Long Island, it was always Chris Higgins’ dream to one day play for the Montreal Canadiens. Drafted by the Habs in first round in 2002, the fiery winger has done more than accomplish his goal, he’s seized an opportunity and turned himself into one of the most talented players on the team. Rattling off three consecutive 20-goal seasons, Higgins has made himself a household name in Montreal. This season however, the 25-year-old suffered a devastating shoulder injury that kept him off the ice for over a month. Now back on the ice, Higgins is ready to be the leader the Canadiens need to make the playoffs this season.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn after dropping the ceremonial first puck at Aviator Arena before the Brooklyn Aces took on the New Jersey Rockhoppers on Jan. 23, Higgins discusses his up and down season and his hopes for the rest of the year.

Over the course of the late 70s and 80s, the New York Hockey scene was flourishing, thanks in part to big name players like Phil Esposito, Mike Bossy, Rod Gilbert and Bryan Trottier, who put smiles on thousands, if not millions of hockey fans’ faces. However, in spite of those enigmatic stars, a gritty hard worker the likes of Nick Fotiu is not to be underestimated either. Amassing 1,362 PIM and 137 points over 646 games in the NHL, Fotiu was a fan favorite in his own right who always made sure his teammates were protected on the ice.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn before “Nick Fotiu Night” at Aviator Arena a few weeks ago, Fotiu talks about his life in hockey as both a player and coach.

Aces Over Brooklyn- When someone thinks of tough and gritty hockey players in New York in the 70s and 80s, your name frequently comes up. However, newer fans of the game may not know much about you. For them, can you tell us a bit about how you played the game?