adn_aces's blog

For what it's worth, and I have no idea how to quantify that since I haven't been in an NHL fantasy league since I had hair on all of my head, TSN has released its projected list of the top 250 scorers in the upcoming season. (TSN, I think, is like the ESPN for Canadians, or something like that -- maybe Scott Gomez will fill me in next time I talk to him).

Anyhow, there's this dude at TSN who has made projections, and you can check out Scott Cullen’s projections here.

Cullen ranks Gomez, the Montreal Canadiens center from Anchorage, to score 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points, go +2 and rack 19 power-play points. He pegs New York Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky of Anchorage for 15-29--44 totals, a +1 rating and 8 power-play points.

The Detroit Red Wings have sent former Notre Dame goaltender Jordan Pearce of Anchorage to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League.

Pearce, a rookie who was among the nation's elite college goaltenders his last two seasons for the Irish, made his pro debut in the last game of the regular season for the Griffins last spring.

Of the 39 (or so) Alaska-connected players who began in NHL training camps this fall, 10 are left -- at least by my count. They are:

Atlanta Thrashers -- W Joey Crabb of Anchorage.

Calgary Flames -- W Curtis Glencross, formerly of UAA.

Chicago Blackhawks -- D Jordan Hendry, formerly of UAF.

The NHL's Washington Capitals today cut former UAA center Jay Beagle from training camp and sent him to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.

Beagle, who last season made his NHL debut for the Caps, last season also helped the Bears to the Calder Cup.

In other news, the St. Louis Blues sent defenseman Jonas Junland to AHL Peoria -- both teams are affiliates of the ECHL Alaska Aces. That gives Peoria 11 defensemen in camp, and that means we can probably count on the Aces getting some blueliners down from the Rivermen.

And speaking of the Aces, former Alaska enforcer Robin Ri

Doesn't really looked like Brandon Dubinsky fell behind the curve during the eight or so days of training camp he missed before signing a new 2-year deal with the NHL's New York Rangers.

Dubinsky made his exhibition game debut tonight and all he did was set up Chris Higgins' game-winning goal with 70 seconds left to snag a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals.

Dubinsky, a fourth-year pro entering his third NHL season, played the third period between wingers Marian Gaborik and Higgins -- that's first-line stuff. In 17:43 of ice time, he skated on the power play and killed penalties, delivered three hits and won 11 of 17 face-offs for a 65-percent winning efficiency.

The list of Alaska-connected players in NHL camps got a little shorter today.

The Vancouver Canucks sent wing/center Eric Walsky of Anchorage, who began is college career at UAA, to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

And the New Jersey Devils sent former UAF defenseman Tyler Eckford to the Lowell Devils of the AHL.

On the signing front, the Central Hockey League's Arizona Sundogs re-signed former UAA defenseman Matt Hanson.

Center Alexandre Imbeault and winger Matt Stefanishion, who helped the Alaska Aces to Game 7 of the Kelly Cup Finals last spring, both were released by the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose today.

Neither player was assigned to Manitoba's ECHL affiliate, the Victoria Salmon Kings -- for instance, former Aces center Olivier Filion, who was with Victoria last season was shipped there by the Moose today -- so it makes you wonder where they are heading.

This is just a guess, a sort of semi-educated guess -- look, I'm just a hockey writer not a mind-reader -- but I would not be surprised if either guy ended up with the Aces again. That would give them a center of first-line capability (Imbeault) and a scoring winger who could actually play defense on the power play because of his wicked shot from the point (Stefanishion).

The Alaska Aces announced the signing of two more players today, securing veteran returning defenseman Derick Martin, their shutdown blueliner, and welcoming new goaltender Scott Reid.

Martin last season earned 1-11--12 and +12 totals in 54 regular-season games -- he played 14 games at AHL Providence -- and 0-6--6 and +12 totals in 21 Kelly Cup playoff games. Fans know Martin as a terrific penalty killer -- it's not unusual for him to stay out for all two minutes of a normal kill -- and a body-banging blueliner.

Reid, 32, last season earned a 18-14-4 record for the Rocky Mountain Rage of the Central Hockey League. Also: 3.63 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. He's 6-4, so he must cover a decent amount of net. He's long played in the CHL, with experience, too, in the AHL. He was the CHL's Most Outstanding Goaltender for San Angelo in 2003-04.

The Midwest-based United States Hockey League opens play Thursday with its Fall Classic in Sioux City, Iowa -- think that's basically the tournament that used to be called the Buc Bowl because it was held in Des Moines, home of the Buccaneers. Anyhow, everyone I know still calls it the Buc Bowl, and about every college hockey recruiter who owns a trenchcoat will be there.

As the puck gets ready to drop, we took a peek at rosters from around the league and came up with seven Alaska kids who are playing in the league.

Here goes:

Chicago Steel: Zack Rall, D, Anchorage.

Fargo Force: Brian Cooper, D, Anchorage.

You know how it is -- one minute you're searching around the Web for something, then next you inadvertently stumble on information you actually find interesting, not that you were looking for it exactly.

Anyhow, that's how I got updated on what defenseman Ryan Gaucher, the former Alaska Ace, and forward Dan Hacker of Wasilla are up to these days.

I somehow stumbled upon info on the Bundesliga, a German league I believe is the second division of pucks in that country -- the DEL is the top circuit. Gaucher, who helped the Alaska Aces to the 2006 ECHL Kelly Cup, and Hacker, who played collegiately at Nebraska-Omaha and like Gaucher played in both the AHL and ECHL, are teammates for SERC Wild Wings

They drop the puck way early in the North American Hockey League -- the Wasilla-based Alaska Avalanche have already played seven games on the junior circuit -- so let's get in a shift with the younger set.

The Avs have rolled to a 5-1-1 start behind seven points (3-4--7) in five games from Anchorage forward Zach Smith and six points (4-2--6) in seven games from Anchorage forward Robb Haider, the former ADN/Coaches Player of the Year for South High.

As usual, most of the Alaskans in the league play for one of the three Alaska franchises -- the Avs, Fairbanks Ice Dogs and Kenai River Brown Bears.

After much scrounging around the series of tubes and a couple of phone calls, here's who I believe is left among Alaska-connected dudes at NHL camps.

By my slightly shaky count, we started with 39 Alaska-connected guys starting in NHL camps. That count now stands at 15. (Um, scratch that and make it 14 -- the New York Islanders shipped former UAA goaltender Nathan Lawson to AHL Bridgeport today).

Here goes:

Atlanta Thrashers: Winger Joey Crabb of Anchorage, who bagged a third-period goal tonight against Nashville that turned out to be the game winner in a 5-4 victory after the Predators scored twice in the last two-plus minutes.

Our man Justin Bourne, the former UAA and Alaska Aces winger turned busy blogger, has weighed in with an amusing piece on his former Seawolves and ECHL Utah teammate, goaltender Nathan Lawson.

Lawson, the American Hockey League's All-Rookie goalie last season, is still up with the NHL's New York Islanders in the exhibition season -- he stopped 21 of 24 shots in a 4-2 loss to Los Angeles in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday night. (Wednesday, the Isles shipped Lawson back to AHL Bridgeport).

As for Bourne, be advised: He's a bit of a smartass, which I mean as a giant compliment. (Man, miss having that cat around for sweet quotes; ditto for former Aces defenseman Matt Shasby). In any event, check out Bourne's musings on Nate The Great here. I'd bookmark Bourne's site -- it's always worth a read, and not just for hockey stuff (Dear Justin, Send the check to Doyle Woody, c/o Anchorage Daily News...).

Well, the precious prize that is an NHL job as the season approaches has further winnowed the field of Alaska-connected candidates for spots in the world's best league.

Headed from NHL camps to American Hockey League camps are: Winger Tim Wallace of Anchorage, who Pittsburgh sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; former UAA captain Luke Beaverson and former Alaska Aces goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu, both of whom Florida shipped to Rochester; and former Aces goalie (albeit briefly) Kevin Regan and former UAF defenseman Jeff Penner, both of whom Boston jettisoned to Providence.

Think I just spaced this demotion recently (readers: Always feel free to e-mail me info, as one did moments ago): The Carolina Hurricanes sent former Aces defenseman Zack FitzGerald to AHL Albany. (One thing I've managed to get right: he spells Zack with a 'k' not an 'h', and the 'G' in FitzGerald is capitalized. Yay, me).

A few more Alaska-connected players got shipped from NHL camps to American Hockey League clubs since our last blog entry.

Former Alaska Aces goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, who won pretty much every ECHL goalie award last season, when he bagged a league-record eight shutouts and a league-leading 33 wins as a rookie, is headed to AHL Portland (Maine) after his stay in camp with the Buffalo Sabres. Good to see JP getting a shot at the next level.

Also headed to the AHL is former Aces enforcer Eric Neilson, who was in camp with the Montreal Canadiens. He's ticketed for the Hamilton Bulldogs (Ontario), who are headed to Scotland for the Gardiner Cup, which includes Hamilton, the AHL Toronto Marlies and two Scottish clubs in Great Britain's EIHL, the Edinburgh Captials (Colin Hemingway's old club) and the Belfast Giants.

Center Luke Erickson, who last season led the ECHL in shootout efficiency with five goals in five attempts and also bagged 21 goals, is returning to the Alaska Aces for the upcoming season.

Erickson's five shootout goals tied him for third in the league. The right-handed shooter scored all five on his signature move -- skating far to the left wing of the rink, cutting in through the left circle and unleashing a wrist shot high to the far side.

In 68 games, Erickson racked 21-34--55 totals to finish third on the team in points. He was also +9, and his 19 power-play points (6 goals, 13 helpers) was fourth on the club. In the Aces' run to the Kelly Cup Finals, Erickson earned 5-3--8 and +1 totals in 21 matches.

On the transactions front today, the Edmonton Oilers waived former Alaska Aces sniper Chris Minard, who has NHL experience (Pittsburgh). If no other NHL club claims him, he's likely headed to Springfield of the American Hockey League.

Also, the Montreal Canadiens shipped former UAA Seawolves defenseman Chad Anderson to AHL Hamilton, and the St. Louis Blues dropped former Aces forwards Julian Talbot and Ryan Reaves to AHL Peoria.

On the NHL exhibition ice, Canadiens center Scott Gomez of Anchorage bagged a short-handed goal -- check out Scotty killing penalties! -- and was +3 in a 4-3 win over visiting Pittsburgh.

When body-banging winger Curtis Glencross played at UAA, coaches referred to him as Boo-Boo -- that was a compliment of sorts, for Glencross usually carried some aches and pains because he played such a physical game, especially for a guy with a slight build.

He also scored goals, and these days he does it at the NHL level.

In an exhibition game Sunday night, Glencross was named first star after bagging one goal and three helpers and a +2 rating in the Calgary Flames' 5-2 win over Florida. Glencross fired five shots and delivered two hits.

Meanwhile, goaltender Ty Conklin of Anchorage stopped 33 shots for the St. Louis Blues and was named second star in a 2-1 OT loss to Colorado. Also in that game, Blues forward Julian Talbot, the former Alaska Ace, fired two shots and dished one hit in 14:43 of ice. And former Aces winger Ryan Reaves picked up a fighting major and interference penalty, plus delivered a couple of hits in 6:03.

One last look around the NHL exhibition rinks before we call it a weekend.

Former UAF goaltender Chad Johnson entered the New York Rangers' 5-2 win at Boston today about halfway through the game and stopped all 12 Bruins shots he faced. Former Nanook winger Aaron Voros was busy in just 11:36 of ice, with one shot, seven hits, a fighting major and a goalie interference penalty. For the Bruins, former Nanook defenseman Jeff Penner was -1 in 19:08.

The Philadelphia Flyers are making sure defenseman Matt Carle of Anchorage gets his exercise -- he logged 27:44 in a 5-4 loss at Toronto and had an assist.

Just spit-ballin' here, but the Peoria Rivermen's Web site offers at least a hint of some players who may end up with the ECHL Alaska Aces after attending training camp with Peoria of the American Hockey League.

According to Peoria's entry on the series of tubes, free-agent forwards Jordan Foreman, Jason Ryznar and Nick Mazzolini -- the last two guys are from Anchorage -- are scheduled to attend Peoria's camp, which opens Sunday. The Aces have not announced signing any of those three, but they all have an Anchorage connection, and if they don't make the grade in Peoria, it's not a stretch to imagine they could end up with the Aces.

New York Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky, who missed the first week of training camp during a contract impasse, signed a two-year deal today, and the coin he reaped makes his absence until now worth the practices and exhibition games he missed.

Dubinsky, 23, will make $1.7 million this season and $2 million in 2010-11. So, basically, he more than doubled his average NHL salary from his initial three-year entry deal.

Dubinsky is entering his third season in the NHL. In two previous seasons, he has played every game, 164 in all, and racked 27-54--81 totals. Last season, he also ranked seventh in the league in hits (251) and led the Blueshirts in face-off percentage (53.6%).