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Grand Rapids captain Jeff Hoggan hoists the Calder Cup after his team defeated the Syracuse Crunch 5-2 to take Game 6 and clinch the 2013 Finals in the War Memorial.

(Mike Greenlar | MGreenlar@Syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Grand Rapids forward Jeff Hoggan will carry a special message when he meets Syracuse Crunch forward Mike Angelidis at the AHL All-Star Classic in the War Memorial.

It comes from Hoggan's teammate on the Griffins, Joel Rechlicz. Rechlicz and Angelidis became good friends when they played together for Albany.

Rechlicz has implored Hoggan to call Angelidis "satellite.'' Apparently, that nickname refers to Angelidis' ears, which Rechlicz thinks protrude too far.

"He (Rechlicz) loved it,'' Angelidis said of the nickname. "The boys loved it on that team. It was something that kind of stuck, and they kept it going. It kind of died after Albany, but it might come back. You know what? If they want to go with it, that's their thing. Let's go with it. I like it.''

Angelidis and Hoggan will have lots to laugh about during their brief stints as playing captains for the event, which will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in the War Memorial. Hoggan will turn 38 on the day of the game itself, further cementing his status as the oldest skater in the AHL. Angelidis, 30, also wears well a title of elder status in the league.

"It's definitely unique for this league and this era,'' Hoggan said of his and Angelidis' longevity. "I feel like I'm already on borrowed time. Any time I get a chance to play, I'm going to make the most of it.''

Both are highly respected long-time captains of their respective teams who play similarly rugged styles. Both have young children. Neither player was drafted. Both are winners: Hoggan has earned two Calder Cups, and Angelidis has one.

But that's the category in which their careers sharply veer apart. Hoggan's second Calder Cup came at the expense of Angelidis and the Syracuse Crunch, in 2012-13.

Worse, Hoggan and his teammates skated the Cup on the War Memorial ice, where Grand Rapids clinched the drama with a Game 6 win. Grand Rapids and Syracuse have not met since, and Angelidis and Hoggan have had no chance to renew a rivalry or pleasantries.

"I'll definitely revisit those memories when I'm there,'' Hoggan said. "If it comes up (with Angelidis), it comes up. I think we both understand it's an awesome series.''

Hoggan won his first Cup as a rookie in 2003, with Houston. The gap between that reward and the triumph in Syracuse is the reason he remembers the latter with so much appreciation. After the clincher, the Griffins paraded around the somber rink and turned the visiting locker room into their own festival.

"It (the War Memorial) was a beat up old barn, but I guess it was ours for a few minutes after we won it there,'' Hoggan said. "What's clear to me (looking back) is just the expressions on the young guys' faces. You know what you've put in. I don't even remember it (the arena) being that quiet. I took a step back and watched the guys hugging. You have that bond with those guys forever.''

Angelidis knows the feeling. The season before that loss, he was captain of the Norfolk team that claimed the league's title to cap perhaps the greatest season in AHL history.

Tuesday, Angelidis was ambivalent when asked whether the thrill of that success or the disappointment of losing to Hoggan's Griffins packs a greater emotion.

"Ah, you always remember the winning. But also you try not to think about the losing as much, because it's a stinger in the heart,'' he said. "But I think one thing that hurt was the guys in the room really wanted to bring a championship here. It would have been something special to bring a championship here. It's still a goal. It's still the dream. I think the city wanted it and we wanted to give them the championship. Looking forward, hopefully, we can get that done.''

Hoggan stands as one large reason why the Crunch is still Cup-less. And if he wants to enjoy those memories for a couple days in Syracuse, well, Angelidis knows he has to wince and bear it.

"I think it brings back the memory,'' he said of seeing Hoggan again. "But I think it's been a few years, and you move on. He's playing the game, and he's playing hard. They won, and we didn't. You've got to keep looking forward. I'm not holding any grudges against anybody. It is the game. I wish we won, but we didn't. I'm trying to get back there every year.''

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