[truebluefan]

Come Break The Ice With The RoadRunners

PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Phoenix RoadRunners of the ECHL, a proud affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes and the San Antonio Rampage, will host their second annual Ice Breaker Party from 12PM-4PM this Saturday inside the Casino Arizona Pavilion at US Airways Center.

Fans will have a unique opportunity to tour the arena and purchase season tickets, including season tickets in the new Toyota Club, by selecting their actual seats in the building right on the spot. Everyone who takes a tour of US Airways Center will receive a free RoadRunners t-shirt. There will also be locker room tours where fans can try on actual hockey equipment, kids' activities in the Casino Arizona Pavilion, and the season debut of the RoadRunners' entertainment squad, the "Puck Patrol". The RoadRunners will also be kicking off their on-ice workouts with a special practice session from 1PM-2:30PM. Following practice, Head Coach Ron Filion, new Assistant Coach Brad Church, and RoadRunners players will be on hand to take pictures and sign autographs.

"This is a great event to help us kick off the season," said RoadRunners COO and General Manager Ray Delia. " It's been a long, hot summer and there's no better way to welcome hockey back than to open up beautiful US Airways Center before the season begins and give the fans a chance to meet our players, coaches, and staff."

Food and drinks will be provided in the Toyota Club, and prizes will be given away throughout the afternoon.

Individual game tickets for the 2006-07 regular season are currently on sale and can be purchased at the US Airways Center Box Office and at all Ticketmaster outlets including Ticketmaster.com.

Opening Night 2006 at US Airways Center will be on Friday, Oct. 20 when the RoadRunners welcome the Utah Grizzlies at 7:11PM for the first game of an opening weekend three-game series. Information on season tickets, half-season packages, and flex plans are available by calling (602) 462-GOAL.

 

[truebluefan]

Camp beckons

Returning Kings, Moose assignments and other new acquisitions will battle for spots in ECHL club's lineup

This year it will be tougher than ever to earn a spot on the Victoria Salmon Kings roster.

The ECHL hockey squad has invited their largest number of players to this year's training camp, with close to 40 players competing for a max of 22 spots. General manager Dan Belisle noted the team has already signed 23 players heading into try-outs which start this Thursday at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Hershey assigns five players to Stingrays

With less than a week before the start of training camp, the South Carolina Stingrays received five players from the American Hockey League.

Hershey, the defending Calder Cup champions in the AHL, sent down three defensemen, a forward and a goalie to the Stingrays, who open training camp Sunday at the Carolina Ice Palace.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Taylor could be back

It seems unlikely at this point. But if former Salmon King Adam Taylor doesn't make the grade in Rochester with the Florida Panthers' American Hockey League farm team, there's a chance he could be back in Victoria this season.

Salmon Kings general manager Dan Belisle said Victoria still holds Taylor's ECHL playing rights, having inked the 6-foot-1, 200-pound right winger to a contract in July. That means the Panthers, who signed Taylor to a two-way contract last month, might be forced to send him back to the team he led in scoring last season if they wished to place him in the ECHL.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Nailers Release Training Camp Roster

The first day of camp will be Friday, October 6. The team will take the ice at WesBanco Arena at 2 p.m., and it will be open to the public, as will all camp and practice sessions.

After Friday, all sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. except on Wednesday, October 11 when the Nailers will be on the ice from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“We’re ready to get underway,” Nailers assistant coach Ryan Patrick said. “We’ve been watching some of these guys for a couple of weeks now in Wilkes-Barre’s camp.”

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Another speedster comes west

L.P. plus F.P. could equal more W's than L's this season for the Victoria Salmon Kings.

Louis-Philippe Martin and Francois-Pierre Guenette grew up just a few blocks apart in Laval, Que., played youth hockey together through midget AAA, were both selected in the 2003 NHL entry draft out of the Quebec Major Junior League and invited to AHL camps this year after solid campaigns last season in the AA level of minor pro hockey.

Now the two 22-year-old friends, with the abbreviated-initial first names, are reunited with the Salmon Kings. The ECHL club announced Martin's signing yesterday to follow up Vancouver Canuck-contracted Guenette's the day before.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Blades to have 3 goalies on roster

Throughout their nine-year history, the Florida Everblades have carried two goalies — a standard employed by most hockey teams — on their roster.

The Blades won't be using that standard this season. At least not in the beginning.

Florida will carry three goalies entering the 2006-07 ECHL season, Blades general manager Craig Brush said Wednesday. Netminders Craig Kowalski, Kevin Nastiuk and David Shantz were officially reassigned to the Blades on Wednesday. The goalies' NHL parent clubs want each to get playing time in Estero.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Storm's captain Maleyko back with team

The Toledo Storm will have its captain and top defenseman back this season.

Jason Maleyko, who emerged as a leader and playmaker on the special teams units in his second full season with the Storm last year, re-signed with the team yesterday. Maleyko led Toledo with 40 assists and was ranked sixth on the team with 46 points.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

It's crowded between the pipes

Three goalies are going to be fighting for ice time at the start of next week’s training camp for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades — and there are only two nets.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Storm's captain Maleyko back with team

The Toledo Storm will have its captain and top defenseman back this season.

Jason Maleyko, who emerged as a leader and playmaker on the special teams units in his second full season with the Storm last year, re-signed with the team yesterday. Maleyko led Toledo with 40 assists and was ranked sixth on the team with 46 points.

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Grizzlies individual tickets go on sale Friday

Individual tickets for the 2006-07 Utah Grizzlies ECHL season will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the E-Center box office, all Smith's Tix locations and at UtahGrizzlies.com.
That's the same time the team holds its first practice of the season at Acord Ice Center, 3100 S. 5353 West, in West Valley City
The Grizzlies open their home schedule Oct. 27 against Las Vegas at the E-Center.
For more information, call (801) 988-PUCK.

 

[truebluefan]

Heisten gets around to signing Aces contract

As relentless as Barrett Heisten is on the ice, he is equally as laid back off it.

That's why the Anchorage native, who helped the Alaska Aces win the ECHL's Kelly Cup last season, was in no particular hurry to negotiate and sign a one-year contract to return for a second season.

The way Heisten figured, the deal was going to get done -- the Aces announced it Wednesday -- so why rush? After all, the Aces' training camp doesn't open until Saturday

complete article

 

[truebluefan]

Yablonski added to Steelheads' roster

The Idaho Steelheads added a familiar face to their training camp roster Wednesday.

The ECHL team announced that Jeremy Yablonski will join the training camp, which begins today, on a tryout basis.

Yablonski, 26, was reassigned to Idaho by the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals late last season, but played in only three games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound right wing tallied three points and 303 penalty minutes with the Steelheads during the 2001-02 season.

 

[truebluefan]

Rays Acquire Two More From the Bears

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays' roster continues to grow as goalie Daren Machesney and defenseman Victor Dovgan were sent down today from the Hershey Bears, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Stingrays.

Machesney, 19, comes to the Stingrays after three years with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6', 163-pound goalie was selected in the fifth round by the Washington Capitals in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Machesney, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, finished last season with a 3.03 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage.

"Machesney is young, but has the capabilities to compete with Davis as our go-to guy between the pipes," said head coach Jason Fitzsimmons.

Dovgan, 18, was a seventh round pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. The 6'1", 205-pound defender is a native of Russia where he has played since 2003. Last season Dovgan played in eight games in the Vysshaya Liga league with the CSK WS Samara scoring three points (1g, 2a) and serving 20 minutes in the penalty box.

The addition of Dovgan to the team is exciting," noted Fitzsimmons. "His experience in Russia gives him a different perspective to the game. He skates well and is strong on his feet which are two qualities that will help him be a success in the States."

"Both Machesney and Dovgan were drafted by the Capitals and they will be good prospects for them in the future," continued Fitzsimmons.

 

[truebluefan]

Forward Greg Hogeboom Assigned To Reading For Training Camp

Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League and the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, today announced that forward, Greg Hogeboom ("HOE - geh - boom"), has been assigned from Manchester to the Royals for training camp. Hogeboom, who turned twenty-four in late September, started the season in Reading last year and played nineteen games, scoring nine goals and assisting on eighteen others, before earning a recall to Manchester where he played the remainder of the year. Prior to being recalled to Manchester, Hogeboom (6'0"/204 lbs.) was selected as the ECHL's Rookie of the Month in November of last year, when he racked up fifteen points (3g - 12a = 15pts, +5) in ten games for the Royals. While in Manchester, Hogeboom scored nine goals and assisted on ten others in forty-two games. In a separate transaction, the Monarchs also released forward Kevin Saurette (See, Royals' News Story, dated June 21, 2006), who will return to Reading for training camp.

After a monster season in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League in 1999-00, when he racked up 79 points (32g - 47a = 79 pts) in 48 games, Hogeboom was recruited to Miami (of Ohio) University. In four years with the RedHawks, Hogeboom never missed a game, playing in a team record 156 consecutive NCAA contests. After his sophomore season, during which he scored fourteen goals in thirty-six games, Hogeboom was selected by the Kings in the fifth round (#152 overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In his junior year, 2002-03, Hogeboom led the nation in power play goals, scoring 17 of his 24 goals while Miami was playing with the man advantage. In his final year with the RedHawks, Hogeboom continued his offensive tear, earning a selection as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Offensive Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks late in the season, as the RedHawks advanced to their first trip in seven years to the NCAA tournament in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the conclusion of that season, Hogeboom was chosen as the team's Most Outstanding Offensive Player, as well as a member of the all-CCHA second team.

Hogeboom signed with the Kings after his senior season in Miami and played three games with the Monarchs at the conclusion of the 2003-04 season. Unfortunately, early the next year, Hogeboom suffered an injury that limited his play to just fourteen games in 2004-05 with the Monarchs. Last season, he came back with a vengeance. With the Royals, Hogeboom racked up at least one point in fifteen of the nineteen games he played for the team-and fully ten of those games were multi-point performances. In fact, Hogeboom was on a twelve game point streak for Reading (which is still in tact) when he was called up to Manchester in mid-December. As noted, for his torrid performance in November, Hogeboom, who was still technically considered a rookie last season, was selected as the ECHL's CCM Vector Rookie of the Month for November. While in Manchester, two of Hogeboom's nine goals proved to be game winners, including a dramatic overtime gwg 4:09 into the extra session against the Peoria Rivermen in Manchester on March 17, 2006.

Full season tickets and total choice flex plans and individual game tickets for the 2006-07 season of Royals' hockey are currently on sale. For more information, contact the Royals' office at 610-898-7825 or visit the Royals website, www.royalshockey.com.

 

[truebluefan]

Seltzer Gives Stingrays 20/20 Vision

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays announced today the addition of Dr. Sidney Seltzer and his team for the 2006-2007 season. The Seltzer Laser Center has been named the Official Eye Care Specialist of the Stingrays.

Seltzer Laser Center is a full service eye center that specializes in everything from eye exams to eyewear to vision correction surgery. In addition to Dr. Seltzer, the entire staff at the Seltzer Laser Center is highly experienced and well-trained in all areas of ophthalmology.

For all your eye care needs, see Dr. Seltzer and his friends at Seltzer Laser Center. Visit them on the web at www.seltzereye.com or give them a call at (843) 820-2020. Seltzer Laser Center is located in Trident Regional Medical Center (Trident Hospital) in North Charleston.

The puck drops on the 14th season of hockey in the Low Country on October 20 at Gwinnett and returns to home ice against Columbia on October 21. Order your full season, weekend, and partial ticket plans today by calling a Ticket Sales Manager at 744-2248. Packages start at only $59 and include all the great benefits of being a season ticket holder including discounted merchandise and a guaranteed same seat every game. For more information, log onto www.stingrayshockey.com.

 

[truebluefan]

Storm Add More Offensive Power

(Toledo, Ohio) The Toledo Storm, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, announced today that they have added forwards Scooter Smith and Jamie Tardif for the 2006-2007 season.

"Scooter was one of our best offensive players a season ago," said Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Nick Vitucci. "He is a tremendous scoring threat in addition to being a great playmaker. We're thrilled to have him back this year."

Smith will enter his third season with the Red and White. Last year, he finished third on the team with 60 points (23 G, 37 A) during the regular season to go along with his 81 PIM. Smith played in all 13 playoff games, tallying 9 points (3 G, 6 A). During his two years in Toledo, Smith is averaging nearly a point-per-game, playing in 100 games and recording 99 points (36 G, 63). He was one of a handful of 2005-06 Storm players to see time with an American Hockey League (AHL) team. In early March, Smith signed a Player Tryout Agreement with the Portland Pirates of the AHL, where he played in two games. He also skated in 2 AHL contests with the Lowell Lock Monsters towards the end of the regular season. Scooter has played in 174 games as a professional, scoring 47 goals and adding 83 assists.

"Jamie has a proven track record in the Ontario Hockey League and I think is clearly ready for the next level," said Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Nick Vitucci. "We are expecting him to be a real offensive threat for us this year."

Tardif joins the Storm after playing five seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes. His offensive numbers were terrific while with the Petes, scoring no less than 40 points in a season, including a team second-best 69 point (40 G, 29 A) year in 2005-2006; The captain of that squad earned a trip to last year's OHL All-Star Game. The Calgary Flames fourth round draft choice has finished in the top five in team scoring during each of his five seasons with the Petes, including four straight finishes in the top 3.

The 16th Season of Toledo Storm Hockey debuts on October 20th when the Storm host the Dayton Bombers at 7:35 PM. Season Tickets are on sale for the 2006-07 season. Contact the Storm office at 419-691-0200 or visit www.toledostorm.com for more information. Toledo Storm Hockey...Great Team, Great Time!

 

[truebluefan]

Heisten rounds out Aces' veteran corps

Anchorage, AK - The Alaska Aces have signed left winger Barrett Heisten to a one-year contract for the 2006-07 season.

Heisten, a former first round pick of Buffalo (20th overall) in the 1999 NHL Draft, established new career-highs in points, goals, assists, and penalty minutes last season in Alaska while finishing a solid +20 for the 2006 Kelly Cup champions. He tied for the team lead with five game-winning goals among his 26 (T-2nd on the club) while finishing third with 71 points, a total that placed him among the league's top 20.

The 26-year-old Heisten grew up in Anchorage and along with his older brother, Chris (who has retired to become a mortgage lender), attended Dimond High School and the University of Maine before coming to the Aces. Barrett scored 12 goals and assisted on 16 others for the Black Bears team that captured the 1999 NCAA championship and also played for the U.S. Junior National Team. He played 10 games for the New York Rangers in his rookie season of 2001-02 before spending another three years at the American Hockey League level. Heisten joins forwards Kimbi Daniels and Mike Scott (the newly anointed captain of the team) as well as defenseman Peter Metcalf as Alaska's four "veteran" players with more than 260 games of professional experience.

Alaska's regular season opens in Sullivan Arena Friday, October 20, at 7:15 p.m. against the Victoria Salmon Kings. Ticket prices for the pre-season games against Toledo October 10 and 11 at 7:15 p.m. has been set at only $10, regardless of seat location. Tickets will be available at the Aces office, Sullivan Arena, online at www.alaskaaces.com and all Fred Meyer locations in Anchorage, or fans may call Ticketmaster at (907) 562-4800.

 

[truebluefan]

Two more tallied on the Salmon Kings backline

Victoria, BC- The Victoria Salmon Kings, proud affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose, announced today that the team has agreed to terms with a set of young defensemen, 21-year-olds Gustav Engman and Jeff MacAulay.

Engman, a 6-foot-3, 192-lb native of Borlange, Sweden played 48 games for the Columbia Inferno (ECHL) last season and posted 4 points and 56 penalty minutes. He also played 5 games for the Manitoba Moose (AHL) and earned one point and 4 penalty minutes.

Before he turned pro, Engman was a member of the Western Hockey League's Spokane Chiefs (2003-2005) and tallied 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) and 182 penalty minutes in 126 regular season games over two seasons.

"Gustav has good size and skills as a defenseman, and is a good player to keep in our system because of his experience with the Moose and his youth," said Tony MacAulay, Salmon Kings Head Coach. "Both of these players have a good opportunity to build their skills and move up the ladder, and will take advantage of the Salmon Kings training ground."

Jeff MacAulay joins the Salmon Kings after four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). At sixteen, the native of Charlottetown, PEI played for the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) and gathered 4 points in 28 games. Throughout his four seasons, the 6-foot-1, 200-lb defenseman played 252 games and tallied 37 points (7 goals, 30 assists) and 222 penalty minutes.

Last season MacAulay recorded 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) and 141 penalty minutes in 58 games with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL).

Look for Engman, MacAulay, and 33 other players at the Salmon Kings training camp on-ice sessions which are open to the public and begin Friday October 6th at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

The Salmon Kings regular season begins on Friday October 20th in Anchorage, AK against the Aces. Their first home game at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre is on Wednesday October 25th against the Idaho Steelheads.

Salmon Kings ticket Mini-Packs start at only $99. Call today (250) 220-7888. We're ready for hockey. How about you?

 

[truebluefan]

Steelheads open camp today with 26 players

BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Steelheads will open camp with 26 players on its training camp roster. Players officially report today for the team's tenth anniversary season and will spend the next ten days vying for 20 roster spots. Camp begins at Qwest Arena in Boise and ends in McCall at the Manchester Ice and Events Centre with two pre-season games against the Victoria Salmon Kings on October 13th and 14th.

The roster, comprised of 16 forwards, 8 defenseman and 2 goalies, breaks down as follows:

Forwards: Anthony Adams, Kyle Bruce, Scott Burt, Taggart Desmet, Lennon Erikkson, Marty Flichel, Lance Galbraith, John Hopson, Charlie Johnson, Tuomas Mikkonen, Mark O'Leary, Greg Rallo, Mike Ramsay, Jon Smyth, Nathan Ward, and Jeremy Yablonski.

Defensemen: Cody Blanshan, Blake Forsyth, Darrell Hay, Jon Hedberg, Jared Nightingale, Colin Peters, Kory Scoran, and Travis Wight.

Goaltenders: Steve Silverthorn and John Daigneau.

To break it down further:

Three are on American Hockey League contracts (Jared Nightingale, Tuomas Mikkonen, Steve Silverthorn); four are veterans (Lance Galbraith, Darrell Hay, Scott Burt, Marty Flichel); and seven are returning from last year's roster (Greg Rallo, Kory Scoran, Blake Forsyth, Burt, Flichel, Jeremy Yablonski, and Silverthorn). Three were on the Steelheads 2003-04 Kelly Cup Championship team (Burt, Hay, Galbraith); six are coming straight out of college programs (Nathan Ward-Lake Superior State, Jon Smyth-Colgate, Travis Wight and John Hopson-University of Maine, Charlie Johnson and John Daigneau-Harvard, and Kyle Bruce-University of British Columbia). Six are American-born, two are European and 18 are Canadians.

The 2006-07 camp will run through October 8th at Qwest Arena, then move to McCall's Manchester Ice and Events Centre on the 9th.

The Steelheads open the regular season October 20th in Long Beach. Idaho's home opener is Friday, November 3rd at Qwest Arena.

Tickets for the two pre-season games can be purchased now by calling 208.634.3570 or by visiting the 650-seat Manchester Centre. Prices are $13 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, and children under three years of age get in free. The games against the Salmon Kings begin at 7:30 pm.

Steelheads' ticket packages for the Tenth Anniversary 2006-07 regular season are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased by calling 208.383.0080. A variety of packages are available, including Full Season Tickets, Flex Plans, Suite Rentals, Group Outings, and a NEW Perfect-10 Season Mini. Individual tickets are available exclusively at the Qwest Arena Box Office, by phone (208) 331.TIXS (8497) or online at www.idahosteelheads.com .