Veteran defenseman Steve Ward is the captain of the Alaska Aces this season -- coach Rob Murray bestowed the "C'' upon him before last Friday's season opener.

Will have a short story on that tonight online at adn.com and Wednesday morning in the dead-trees edition of the ADN.

Until then, feast on the more than two dozen Alaska connections on ECHL rosters. The list comes from massive grinding by The Blog -- or was it simply looking up the ECHL-supplied list of rosters? Ah, either way, check it out (not listing any of the Aces because they -- duh -- all have an Alaska connection):

Bakersfield Condors -- Forward Evan Trupp of Anchorage.

Colorado Eagles -- Former Aces winger Jack Combs.

Evansville IceMen -- Former UAF defenseman Aaron Gens.

Greenville Road Warriors -- Former Aces goaltender Adam Courchaine, former Aces defenseman Brock Shelgren and former UAA defenseman Lee Baldwin.

Idaho Steelheads -- Former UAF forward Ron Meyers.

Las Vegas Wranglers -- Former UAA wingers Josh Lunden and Sean Wiles; former Aces winger Adam Huxley (lot of folks forget he played three games for the Aces straight outta major junior in 2003-04); former Aces forward Judd Blackwater; and former UAF forward Carlo Finucci.

Orlando Solar Bears -- Former Aces defenseman Derick Martin, former Aces forward Ryan Cruthers and former Aces center Alexandre Imbeault.

Reading Royals -- Former Aces centers Ethan Cox and Chris Langkow; and former UAF and UAA and Aces defenseman Bryant Molle.

San Francisco Bulls -- Former Aces winger Hans Benson.

South Carolina Stingrays -- Former Aces defenseman Ryan Turek; former UAF defenseman Luka Vidmar; forward Hunter Bishop of Fairbanks; and former UAF captain Kevin Petovello (also, the bench boss is former UAA forward Spencer Carbery).

Utah Grizzlies -- Former Aces defensemen Nick Tuzzolino and Mark Isherwood, and former Aces winger Kory Falite.

Wheeling Nailers -- Former UAA center Paul Crowder.