Kronschnabel Turns Pro

With his college career finished, UAA Seawolves senior captain Charlie Kronschnabel turned pro Thursday, signing with the Reading (Pa.) Royals of the ECHL.

Kronschnabel, 24, is the second UAA senior to go pro – his housemate, frequent linemate and close friend Justin Bourne signed with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces on Wednesday.

Good for both of them – Kronschnabel and Bourne are class guys, and a reporter’s dream: Smart, analytical, funny and accessible. And what a cool turn of events for Kronschnabel, who began his college career as a walk-on.

Kronschnabel’s senior season was a tough one – he missed 15 games with a couple of injuries, a broken leg and a broken toe. He earned 2-6—8 totals in 22 games, but those numbers don’t reflect his importance. He’s a big (6-4, 201) two-way center who is exceptional in the face-off circle – both his college coaches, John Hill and Dave Shyiak, used Kronschnabel for most critical draws. Chuck led the Seawolves in face-off percentage this season by winning 57.5 percent of his draws. Actually, he led them in that category all four seasons and racked up a 53.8-percent winning percentage in the circle while taking – gulp – 2,316 face-offs in 126 career games.

Kronschnabel’s signing with Reading puts him near family. His older brother, Andy (who, incidentally, is all kinds of fun – of course, that’s a family trademark), lives in Philadelphia.

With Kronschnabel and Bourne both out of town – Bourne is on the road with the Aces – things are getting roomier at Chez Kronschnabel, where they are two of the four Seawolves who live in the Anchorage house Kronschnabel owns.

Almost forgot -- in Reading, one of Kronschnabel's teammates is former Seawolves captain Lee Green. As this is written, Kronschnabel is playing in Dayton, where he was in the starting lineup.