Some Catching Up

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates in the past week; I can't get online at home, and I was out sick a couple days last week and over the weekend. I did still make it to the Jeff Bes press conference, though, and I'll share more on that tomorrow.

The Bucks have made a couple announcements since I last posted, and I will also deal more with those tomorrow, but for now:

The Bucks announced two player signings last Thursday, adding defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel and forward Kevin Flather to the training camp lineup.

Today, they added two more in goaltender Kyle Gajewski and forward Josef Fojtik.

Just hours after announcing Fojtik's signing, the Bucks revealed that he and fellow forward Maxime Lincourt have been invited to the Houston Aeros' training camp.

Coach Ruskowski is in Houston to watch the two of them skate and scope out some other talent; I'll have more on what he told me about that tomorrow if you don't catch in my story in the Times first.

As far as the players already at upper-level camps, Darryl Smith played in the Atlanta Thrashers' prospects games, was released by the team completely, then was assigned to the AHL's Chicago Wolves

Smith had a power-play goal in the Thrashers' 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators in a prospects game. The Thrashers lost the other prospects game 3-0 to the Preds.

AHL camps began today, so Smith is still up in Chicago, and though Ruskowski admitted he'd love to have him back, he doesn't expect that to happen.

Rookie goalie Dan Spence was released by the Calgary Flames but could still attend an AHL camp, and his current absence was part of the reason Ruskowski ended up signing Gajewski, which leaves the Bucks with three netminders should Spence not make it to Laredo.

I will be better about updating on these players' statuses in the coming weeks, barring any other unforeseen illnesses. See you with some quotes and more tomorrow.