Seekin’ a clean slate in Steeltown

Garry McKay
The Hamilton Spectator
(Feb 3, 2009)

Andrew Conboy regrets the incident that cost him his college hockey season and wants to put it behind him, but the American Hockey League isn’t quite ready to let that happen.

The 20-year-old has been signed to an AHL contract by the Hamilton Bulldogs and the 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-winger was on the ice with them at practice yesterday at the Mohawk 4Pad.

The fifth-round draft pick (2007) of the Montreal Canadiens was suspended for the remainder of this year at Michigan State University by head coach Rick Comley following an incident Jan. 24 when Conboy and teammate Corey Topp attacked University of Michigan Wolverines player Steve Kampfer late in a game.

Video of the incident appears to show Conboy punching Kampfer from behind.

“I regret what happened. I’m sorry to the university and I wish them good luck and I’m just trying to move on with my career,” said Conboy yesterday.
The native of Burnsville, Minn., indicated his scholarship had not been revoked and he could possibly have gone back to the school next season if Wolverines coach Red Berenson would have allowed him to return. He chose instead to start his professional career.

“College wasn’t really my style of play,” said Conboy, who considers himself a power forward. “Here, I’ll be able to play a little more physical and get away with a little more than I could in the college game. I’m trying to look to the future and turn this into a positive right now and I’m excited to be in Hamilton.”

Bulldogs head coach Don Lever, who can be the master of the understatement, was asked what he knew about his newest player.

“He’s tall and skinny,” said Lever. “Really, that’s all I know other than what happened to him in Michigan. I saw it and didn’t think it was that bad.”

The combination of call-ups to the Canadiens and injuries in both Montreal and Hamilton have left the Bulldogs short of players. In fact, the Dogs played with one fewer than permitted in their 3-1 loss to the Monsters in Cleveland on Sunday.

“I don’t know if he’s ready yet or not,” said Lever. “We’d like to take a look at him (in practice) and then make a decision.”

The AHL is going to give him that chance.

They’re making Conboy ineligible until Wednesday, Feb. 11, when the Bulldogs begin a five-game road trip in Hershey.

For Conboy, his first game can’t come soon enough.

“I think it would be good for my development to go in right away and see what the league’s all about,” said Conboy, the younger brother of Tim Conboy, who has played the better part of five seasons in the American Hockey League with the Monsters and the Albany River Rats.