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by Ted Ryan

If University of Vermont Hall-of-Famer and Tampa Bay Lightning star Martin St. Louis is considered a mighty mite at 5-feet-9 (if he's wearing his skates), 177 pounds, what does that make Shelburne's Peter Lenes? A diminutive dynamo? After all, at 5 feet 4, 158 pounds, Lenes makes St. Louis look like a brute of a player. Yet when the Shelburne resident captured the imagination and the hearts of the ECHL's Ontario Reign fans, he inspired a groundswell to "Unleash the Beast." "It was pretty funny," recalled Lenes, back in Vermont after his rookie year for the Reign, a California-based team in the developmental league and one season removed helping UVM reach the NCAA's Frozen Four semifinals. "I started playing a little bit at the beginning of the year. I worked my way to playing more and ... as I picked up production, the fans enjoyed my size and speed and took a liking to it," said Lenes.

At one game, a batch of his growing legion of followers held up lettered signs spelling out, "Unleash the Beast." Lenes at first was unaware he was the object of their affections until he saw his uniform number incorporated into the display. Winning over the fans with his hustle and determination was one thing. Winning over the Reign management took assistance from a long-time buddy and former college rival, ex-Providence College standout Jon Rheault. "Rheault and the coach (Karl Taylor) have a pretty good relationship," said Lenes, who said Rheault's words on his behalf earned him a look that convinced Ontario to sign him. "It was pretty cool Jon did that."

Size was the issue, and Taylor felt Lenes didn't have enough to compete in a league filled with players standing 6-feet-plus and over 200 pounds. Given the opportunity, Lenes convinced management he deserved ice time for his skill, quickness, and determination.

The former Champlain Valley star had a decent season, playing in 58 games. He scored 13 goals and 23 points, tying him for 10th on the team, with two power play goals and two short-handed goals. He was named to the ECHL's all-star game and won the puck relay in the skills competition. "I learned some important lessons," said Lenes. "It was definitely a learning experience overall." The most important lesson, he said, was "to always stay positive no matter what you're going through or what's going on." "Some days you wake up and you're like, ‘Oh, man, I've got to go to practice,' but we're playing hockey in California, it's a job and it's not even a job; it's fun to play," he said. "You have to stay positive if the team is losing or if you're in a scoring slump. If you can find a positive mood in any situation, you'll be all right."

Lenes, who scored 46 goals and 92 points in 148 games as a Catamount, took advantage of the opportunity to explore California. He checked out a lot of beaches, from Laguna to Santa Monica to Venice, and took in the sights in Los Angeles. He did some skateboarding until a bad spill convinced him to give it up and he tried the long boards in the surf. "We liked to get out, sightsee, do stuff, and go out to dinner. That was really fun," he said. However, his ice diminished late in the season. "My numbers went down and I think there were some things the coach maybe didn't agree on. That's the way things go sometime, so you keep working hard and work through those times," he said. "I don't truly know all the things (leading to less time), but if you don't play a game, you've got to stay positive."

Lenes has already decided not to return to Ontario - the team has until July 1 to make an offer - opting instead for a deal with a team in Austria coached by Bill Gilligan, the brother of former UVM head coach Mike Gilligan. "I've always dreamed of playing in the NHL and I feel I can benefit from both places. It's a different experience and I feel I can come back," he said. "They might have some higher end players to play with and against and if I can use that experience, it will be a good thing for me." He expects to report to training camp in August.

Though he spent the winter in California, Lenes said he still followed the Catamounts - St. Louis and Eric Perrin (5-9, maybe, and 176) were his boyhood idols - saying, "Every game, I watched the highlights online and I'd text some guys. "Even if they had problems here and there, getting to the (NCAA) tournament made it a successful season," Lenes said. One year into his professional career, Lenes sees nothing but open ice ahead. "I see myself playing hockey for awhile. Who knows what will happen when I go over [to Austria]? Maybe I'll play for another 10 years," said Lenes.

The beast is unleashed.

If you know of a Shelburne student-athlete competing in college or a Shelburne athlete excelling in a sport, please contact me at TedRyanVT@aol.com.