A few weeks after announcing the participating teams for the 2010-11 season, the Central and International Hockey Leagues revealed yesterday that the Evansville IceMen will also be a part of their merger.
The IceMen are the 18th team announced for the 2010-11 campaign.
With that bit of CHL news, I leave you in the hands of the league's other beat writers, whose blogs you can follow at the following locations:
Adam Dunivan on the Colorado Eagles
Brian Sandalow on the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Justin Cohn on the Fort Wayne Komets
Sorry for any the list is missing; I need to get home and finish packing.
Thanks for your kind words about my departure, and thanks to all of you who have read my blog, whether it was a regular thing for you or not.
I don't know if this blog will stay alive, as most other LMT blogs moved to Word Press recently, but hopefully there will be a blog about the Bucks for the upcoming campaign.
And if I get back into hockey writing, I'll be sure to let you know.
Thanks again!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Bucks Players Win S.A. Tournament
Bucks players and staff members competed in the Alamo City Classic in San Antonio this week, winning the tournament for the second straight year.
This year, the team went by the name of "Laredo Spicy Peppers" and competed to help raise money for Real Life Therapeutic Center.
Jerseys from the tournament will be auctioned on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bucket's Bar & Grill on McPherson, and proceeds will benefit that charity.
This year's team consisted of "current" Bucks Igor Agarunov, Jeff Bes, Paul Elliott and Adam Rivet; former Bucks players Serge Dube, James Hiebert and Steve Weidlich; majority owner Glenn Hart and equipment manager Matt Brayfield.
Bryan Benway and Beto Olivares coached the team, and Bobby Moore was the team trainer.
The Bucks organization has not announced the re-signing of any of the players who competed in the tournament, but has made public the returns of goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier and defenseman Ryan Lehr, whose re-signing I mentioned on here last Friday.
My story in Saturday's paper had more information on Lehr's return, including Coach Ruskowski's thoughts on his play in Laredo during the 2009-10 season, and also a few updates on the general recruiting situation.
Three signings have been announced thus far, and only one - rookie defenseman Mike Scanlon - is a player coming to Laredo from outside of the organization, so I was wondering if Ruskowski plans to bring back more players for the 2010-11 campaign than he did last time around.
He said he is still not entirely sure what the number of re-signing players will be, but gave "four, five, six, or maybe seven" as a rough estimate.
Ruskowski also opened up a bit more about his pursuit of former Corpus Christi IceRays, as the Central Hockey League is no longer asking coaches/general managers to keep quiet about those who became free agents when Corpus left for the North American Hockey League.
Ruskowski said he was talking to former IceRays captain Justin Quenneville prior to the forward's decision to retire and become assistant coach for the NAHL team, and that he was also in talks with another player who he said has chosen to go to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees instead.
Only one former IceRay is still on his radar, and though he didn't name names, he did say this player is an "All-Star defenseman" who would be going back to Corpus after visiting his family in Canada.
Back to Lehr, though, here is some of what Ruskowski had to say about him:
"I liked his size and his skating, he has a good shot, and he passes well. Once he gets into the rhythym of being a pro rather than in college, he’s really going to be a strong player. He hits, he has that toughness, he can shoot, and he’s going to get nothing but better.
"If he wants to be successful, he’s going to have to play that tough, aggressive, physical game and take shots on net when he gets them. I liked what I saw, and with more ice time, he’s going to become even better."
Obviously, Ruskowski sees a lot of potential in the young blueliner, and he also noted Lehr's willingness to shoot from the point - and the fact that he has a right-handed shot - as great assets in a defenseman.
"If you saw the NHL playoffs, you know that 85-90 percent of their scoring chances were started by shots from the point that led to rebounds or deflections," he said. "Those chances are very important. With teams playing so well down low, you have to create things from the point."
On a completely unrelated note, I guess it's about time to mention that Wednesday is my last day at the Laredo Morning Times.
I have really enjoyed covering the Bucks for the past three seasons, and my blog has been one of my favorite parts of this job, so I hope that all of you have enjoyed it, as well.
The paper is currently in the process of hiring my replacement, and either that person or former Bucks beat writer Nino Cardenas will cover the team next season.
I don't think there will be much more news in the next couple days, but I will blog at least once more before I leave.
This year, the team went by the name of "Laredo Spicy Peppers" and competed to help raise money for Real Life Therapeutic Center.
Jerseys from the tournament will be auctioned on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bucket's Bar & Grill on McPherson, and proceeds will benefit that charity.
This year's team consisted of "current" Bucks Igor Agarunov, Jeff Bes, Paul Elliott and Adam Rivet; former Bucks players Serge Dube, James Hiebert and Steve Weidlich; majority owner Glenn Hart and equipment manager Matt Brayfield.
Bryan Benway and Beto Olivares coached the team, and Bobby Moore was the team trainer.
The Bucks organization has not announced the re-signing of any of the players who competed in the tournament, but has made public the returns of goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier and defenseman Ryan Lehr, whose re-signing I mentioned on here last Friday.
My story in Saturday's paper had more information on Lehr's return, including Coach Ruskowski's thoughts on his play in Laredo during the 2009-10 season, and also a few updates on the general recruiting situation.
Three signings have been announced thus far, and only one - rookie defenseman Mike Scanlon - is a player coming to Laredo from outside of the organization, so I was wondering if Ruskowski plans to bring back more players for the 2010-11 campaign than he did last time around.
He said he is still not entirely sure what the number of re-signing players will be, but gave "four, five, six, or maybe seven" as a rough estimate.
Ruskowski also opened up a bit more about his pursuit of former Corpus Christi IceRays, as the Central Hockey League is no longer asking coaches/general managers to keep quiet about those who became free agents when Corpus left for the North American Hockey League.
Ruskowski said he was talking to former IceRays captain Justin Quenneville prior to the forward's decision to retire and become assistant coach for the NAHL team, and that he was also in talks with another player who he said has chosen to go to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees instead.
Only one former IceRay is still on his radar, and though he didn't name names, he did say this player is an "All-Star defenseman" who would be going back to Corpus after visiting his family in Canada.
Back to Lehr, though, here is some of what Ruskowski had to say about him:
"I liked his size and his skating, he has a good shot, and he passes well. Once he gets into the rhythym of being a pro rather than in college, he’s really going to be a strong player. He hits, he has that toughness, he can shoot, and he’s going to get nothing but better.
"If he wants to be successful, he’s going to have to play that tough, aggressive, physical game and take shots on net when he gets them. I liked what I saw, and with more ice time, he’s going to become even better."
Obviously, Ruskowski sees a lot of potential in the young blueliner, and he also noted Lehr's willingness to shoot from the point - and the fact that he has a right-handed shot - as great assets in a defenseman.
"If you saw the NHL playoffs, you know that 85-90 percent of their scoring chances were started by shots from the point that led to rebounds or deflections," he said. "Those chances are very important. With teams playing so well down low, you have to create things from the point."
On a completely unrelated note, I guess it's about time to mention that Wednesday is my last day at the Laredo Morning Times.
I have really enjoyed covering the Bucks for the past three seasons, and my blog has been one of my favorite parts of this job, so I hope that all of you have enjoyed it, as well.
The paper is currently in the process of hiring my replacement, and either that person or former Bucks beat writer Nino Cardenas will cover the team next season.
I don't think there will be much more news in the next couple days, but I will blog at least once more before I leave.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Bucks Re-Sign Lehr
Sorry I'm so late to post this, but the re-signing announced this morning was defenseman Ryan Lehr, who will return for his second season in Laredo this fall.
Lehr only played 10 regular season games with the Bucks but picked up six points on two goals and four assists in those games. In seven playoff games, he handed out two more helpers.
At 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds, Lehr brought some of the size and toughness Coach Ruskowski had wanted to the Bucks' defense and proved willing to block shots while also taking quite a few from the point, and not bad ones at that.
Lehr, who just turned 24, did a lot of things Ruskowski hoped his older defensemen would do this season and didn't get from them, so it's not much of a surprise to see him return.
I still haven't gotten to call Ruskowski today, but I will as soon as possible, so you can read his thoughts about Lehr and the group he is putting together to play next season in my story in tomorrow's paper.
Lehr only played 10 regular season games with the Bucks but picked up six points on two goals and four assists in those games. In seven playoff games, he handed out two more helpers.
At 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds, Lehr brought some of the size and toughness Coach Ruskowski had wanted to the Bucks' defense and proved willing to block shots while also taking quite a few from the point, and not bad ones at that.
Lehr, who just turned 24, did a lot of things Ruskowski hoped his older defensemen would do this season and didn't get from them, so it's not much of a surprise to see him return.
I still haven't gotten to call Ruskowski today, but I will as soon as possible, so you can read his thoughts about Lehr and the group he is putting together to play next season in my story in tomorrow's paper.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Scanlon Signing
I just spoke to Coach Ruskowski about the signing of rookie defenseman Derek Scanlon, and, as expected, the fact that the kid was coached by former Bucks captain Brent Cullaton last season definitely didn't hurt his chances of signing with the team.
Ruskowski says he likes what he's heard about Scanlon, likes what he saw from him when he got to see him skate and likes his attitude and what he's pushed himself to accomplish over the summer.
Scanlon was an all-star in the Western States Hockey League last season and put up some impressive stats while serving as an alternate captain for the Boulder Jr. Bison.
As we know because of Cullaton's delay in reporting to the Bucks for the playoffs, the Jr. Bison did very well in their inaugural season, and Scanlon was a big part of that success.
Scanlon scored 18 goals - not bad for a defenseman - and had a team-leading 38 assists for 56 points on the season while accruing 132 penalty minutes.
The WSHL posted a little brief about Scanlon's signing, and though it has yet to be mentioned on the Jr. Bison website, I imagine it will be eventually.
You'll be able to read more about Scanlon, and Ruskowski's thoughts on him, in my story in tomorrow's paper.
On another note, I asked Ruskowski if he could talk about whether or not he had been after Justin Quenneville now that the forward has retired to become the assistant coach of the Northern American Hockey League's Corpus Christi IceRays, and he said that question will have to be answered at a later date because the Central Hockey League had asked coaches and general managers not to talk to former CHL IceRays players until everything about their free agency was finalized.
Speaking of the Quenneville retirement, sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but you can read more about that in several posts on Greg Rajan's blog and in his story for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
Ruskowski says he likes what he's heard about Scanlon, likes what he saw from him when he got to see him skate and likes his attitude and what he's pushed himself to accomplish over the summer.
Scanlon was an all-star in the Western States Hockey League last season and put up some impressive stats while serving as an alternate captain for the Boulder Jr. Bison.
As we know because of Cullaton's delay in reporting to the Bucks for the playoffs, the Jr. Bison did very well in their inaugural season, and Scanlon was a big part of that success.
Scanlon scored 18 goals - not bad for a defenseman - and had a team-leading 38 assists for 56 points on the season while accruing 132 penalty minutes.
The WSHL posted a little brief about Scanlon's signing, and though it has yet to be mentioned on the Jr. Bison website, I imagine it will be eventually.
You'll be able to read more about Scanlon, and Ruskowski's thoughts on him, in my story in tomorrow's paper.
On another note, I asked Ruskowski if he could talk about whether or not he had been after Justin Quenneville now that the forward has retired to become the assistant coach of the Northern American Hockey League's Corpus Christi IceRays, and he said that question will have to be answered at a later date because the Central Hockey League had asked coaches and general managers not to talk to former CHL IceRays players until everything about their free agency was finalized.
Speaking of the Quenneville retirement, sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but you can read more about that in several posts on Greg Rajan's blog and in his story for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
CHL Announces 2010-11 Teams
After a lot of speculation, the Central Hockey League has finally officially officially announced the teams who will compete during the 2010-11 season.
Here are the key paragraphs from that press release:
Although some material matters still remain to be worked out with the International Hockey League (IHL), the CHL will welcome four teams from the IHL who will join 13 returning CHL teams for the 2010-11 season. The participating teams will compete in two conferences during the season. The four existing IHL markets will be the three-time defending Turner Cup Champion Fort Wayne Komets, the Bloomington PrairieThunder, the Dayton Gems and the Quad City Mallards.
The returning CHL teams for the 2010-11 season are the Allen Americans, Arizona Sundogs, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Colorado Eagles, Laredo Bucks, Mississippi RiverKings, Missouri Mavericks, Odessa Jackalopes, Rapid City Rush, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Texas Brahmas, Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder.
Announcements regarding playoff format, conference alignment, additional cities for the 2010-11 season and other team related issues will be made in the very near future and the 2010-11 CHL regular season schedule is slated to be released in July.
I'm a bit perplexed by the "additional cities for the 2010-11 season" when the press release says this is the full list of teams who will participate, but, as with all of this, I'll guess we'll see what happens.
Here are the key paragraphs from that press release:
Although some material matters still remain to be worked out with the International Hockey League (IHL), the CHL will welcome four teams from the IHL who will join 13 returning CHL teams for the 2010-11 season. The participating teams will compete in two conferences during the season. The four existing IHL markets will be the three-time defending Turner Cup Champion Fort Wayne Komets, the Bloomington PrairieThunder, the Dayton Gems and the Quad City Mallards.
The returning CHL teams for the 2010-11 season are the Allen Americans, Arizona Sundogs, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Colorado Eagles, Laredo Bucks, Mississippi RiverKings, Missouri Mavericks, Odessa Jackalopes, Rapid City Rush, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Texas Brahmas, Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder.
Announcements regarding playoff format, conference alignment, additional cities for the 2010-11 season and other team related issues will be made in the very near future and the 2010-11 CHL regular season schedule is slated to be released in July.
I'm a bit perplexed by the "additional cities for the 2010-11 season" when the press release says this is the full list of teams who will participate, but, as with all of this, I'll guess we'll see what happens.
Bucks Sign Scanlon
The Bucks just made their second signing announcement for 2010-11, revealing that they have inked rookie defenseman Derek Scanlon.
Scanlon's name may sound familiar, as he came to Laredo with then-coach Brent Cullaton during the playoffs.
Coach Ruskowski didn't sign Scanlon to take an amateur spot during the postseason, but I guess he decided the kid is worth a spot at training camp.
Here's the Bucks' press release:
Bucks Sign WSHL All Star ScanlonLAREDO, TX- The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League announced Thursday that they have signed former WSHL All-Star defenseman Derek Scanlon for the 2010-11 season. Scanlon spent last season playing for the Boulder Jr. Bison (WSHL), coached by former Bucks Captain Brent Cullaton. Last season the 21-year-old Scanlon served as the Bisons alternate captain and was named team-MVP as well as a Thorne Cup All-star. He helped lead Boulder to their first-ever WSHL Midwest Division Championship. In 55 games last season Scanlon scored 56 points (18-38=56) to go along with 132 PIM’s. Scanlon led the Bisons in assists (38), power-play assists (17) and shorthanded assists (4), while his 132 PIM’s ranked second on the club. “I had a chance to see Derek skate multiple times last season and we are impressed with his skill level,” said Bucks President/General Manager and Head Coach Terry Ruskowski. “Knowing that he played for Cully (Brent Cullaton) tells me that he’s a quality player.” “I feel Derek will adapt well to Coach Rosco's systems because he is a solid skater,” Cullaton said. “He is eager to learn and wants to win.” The 6’0’’, 180 pound Scanlon helped lead the Bisons to a 40-18-2 record and the teams first-ever trip to Junior A Nationals in Boston, MA. Prior to playing with the Bisons Scanlon, a native of Marlborough, MA, played for the Colorado Outlaws (WSHL) under ex-NHL player Doug Smail. In 2008-09 Scanlon put up 66 points (32-34=66) in just 35 games to go along with 228 PIM’s. Scanlon had 32 goals and averaged nearly two points per game (1.89) for the Outlaws that season. Scanlon is the second Buck signed this offseason, including the first rookie.
Scanlon's name may sound familiar, as he came to Laredo with then-coach Brent Cullaton during the playoffs.
Coach Ruskowski didn't sign Scanlon to take an amateur spot during the postseason, but I guess he decided the kid is worth a spot at training camp.
Here's the Bucks' press release:
Bucks Sign WSHL All Star ScanlonLAREDO, TX- The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League announced Thursday that they have signed former WSHL All-Star defenseman Derek Scanlon for the 2010-11 season. Scanlon spent last season playing for the Boulder Jr. Bison (WSHL), coached by former Bucks Captain Brent Cullaton. Last season the 21-year-old Scanlon served as the Bisons alternate captain and was named team-MVP as well as a Thorne Cup All-star. He helped lead Boulder to their first-ever WSHL Midwest Division Championship. In 55 games last season Scanlon scored 56 points (18-38=56) to go along with 132 PIM’s. Scanlon led the Bisons in assists (38), power-play assists (17) and shorthanded assists (4), while his 132 PIM’s ranked second on the club. “I had a chance to see Derek skate multiple times last season and we are impressed with his skill level,” said Bucks President/General Manager and Head Coach Terry Ruskowski. “Knowing that he played for Cully (Brent Cullaton) tells me that he’s a quality player.” “I feel Derek will adapt well to Coach Rosco's systems because he is a solid skater,” Cullaton said. “He is eager to learn and wants to win.” The 6’0’’, 180 pound Scanlon helped lead the Bisons to a 40-18-2 record and the teams first-ever trip to Junior A Nationals in Boston, MA. Prior to playing with the Bisons Scanlon, a native of Marlborough, MA, played for the Colorado Outlaws (WSHL) under ex-NHL player Doug Smail. In 2008-09 Scanlon put up 66 points (32-34=66) in just 35 games to go along with 228 PIM’s. Scanlon had 32 goals and averaged nearly two points per game (1.89) for the Outlaws that season. Scanlon is the second Buck signed this offseason, including the first rookie.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Hart Wins Leadership Award
The Central Hockey League award winners for the 2009-10 were announced at a banquet during the CHL summer conference over the weekend, and Glenn Hart - the majority owner of the Bucks - nabbed the Leadership Award.
Hart won the award once before, for the 2004-05 season, and credited his staff with the success that earned it for him again this season when I spoke to him today.
You can read more about that in tomorrow's paper but for now you can check out Bryan Benway's press release for more on Hart and see the rest of the award winners here.
Hart won the award once before, for the 2004-05 season, and credited his staff with the success that earned it for him again this season when I spoke to him today.
You can read more about that in tomorrow's paper but for now you can check out Bryan Benway's press release for more on Hart and see the rest of the award winners here.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
More on Pelletier
I'm sure you don't need me to remind you how well recently re-signed goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier closed out his rookie season with the Bucks, but I'll give you a brief refresher anyway.
After going 0-4-1 in his first five starts with the Bucks, Pelletier did not endure a single regulation loss in the 12 games he played during the rest of the regular season.
In that span, he went 9-0-2 with one no-decision and improved his goals-against average to 2.88 while boosting his save percentage to .915.
During the playoffs, he started all seven of the Bucks' games, again posting a GAA of 2.88 while boasting an even more impressive save percentage of .920.
All three games that the Bucks won during their series against the Allen Americans were games in which Pelletier faced 35 or more shots.
These factors all played a part in Coach Ruskowski's decision to make Pelletier only the third goalie to re-sign with the Bucks in franchise history (joining 2003-04 CHL Rookie of the Year David Guerrera and Michael Dilorenzo).
Here's what Ruskowksi had to say about the signing:
"He started off without much game experience, and the team wasn’t playing very well in front of him. But when he got more chances to play, he made good of the opportunity and played very well. The more ice time he got, the better he played, and we relied on him a lot there at the end of the season and in the playoffs. We were depending on him, and he did a terrific job. He was a rock for us.
"Knowing how he played for us last season, I wanted to bring him back and go into recruiting knowing I have a good, solid goalie in the stables. If I can find another good goalie, I’ll have two, but now I’m looking for the best young kids I can find, and I wanted to know I had a goalie I can depend on already signed.
“I want to bring in another good goalie. Sometimes if a goalie thinks he has that No. 1 spot, he won’t work as hard, especially with the mental preparation. I don’t think we’ll have that problem with Pelly, but he could still use that challenge to keep driving him. It’s good for my confidence, too, knowing that I have someone else if anyone gets hurt. But if he plays the way he was playing for us, I don’t care if he’s a rookie or a veteran; I’ll ride him as long as I can."
Pelletier will be neither a rookie nor a veteran as he enters his second season of professional play, but he will enter this season knowing that being the No. 1 goalie is in his reach if he continues to play the way he did at the end of his first campaign.
You can read a bit more about the signing in my story that will run in tomorrow's paper, and I could not link the press release about the signing earlier, but you can read that here.
Bryan Benway also blogged about Pelletier's return.
On a slightly different - but related - note, Ruskowski said he is pursuing "three, maybe four" players who were Corpus Christi IceRays last season.
As expected, he didn't name names, though he did mention that he was interested in forward Ryan Garbutt before Garbutt had his rights traded to the Americans. Ruskowski also noted Garbutt is expected to pursue playing in the ECHL rather than in Allen.
Of the players who were on that team last season, who would you most like to see in a Bucks jersey when the 2009-10 campaign begins?
Ruskowski is obviously looking at talent level, but he also wants players who fit into his system; who do you think would meet those standards?
I'll continue to ask Ruskowski about that, and his other recruiting, as time passes, but for now, Pelletier is obviously the only signing the team is willing to confirm.
After going 0-4-1 in his first five starts with the Bucks, Pelletier did not endure a single regulation loss in the 12 games he played during the rest of the regular season.
In that span, he went 9-0-2 with one no-decision and improved his goals-against average to 2.88 while boosting his save percentage to .915.
During the playoffs, he started all seven of the Bucks' games, again posting a GAA of 2.88 while boasting an even more impressive save percentage of .920.
All three games that the Bucks won during their series against the Allen Americans were games in which Pelletier faced 35 or more shots.
These factors all played a part in Coach Ruskowski's decision to make Pelletier only the third goalie to re-sign with the Bucks in franchise history (joining 2003-04 CHL Rookie of the Year David Guerrera and Michael Dilorenzo).
Here's what Ruskowksi had to say about the signing:
"He started off without much game experience, and the team wasn’t playing very well in front of him. But when he got more chances to play, he made good of the opportunity and played very well. The more ice time he got, the better he played, and we relied on him a lot there at the end of the season and in the playoffs. We were depending on him, and he did a terrific job. He was a rock for us.
"Knowing how he played for us last season, I wanted to bring him back and go into recruiting knowing I have a good, solid goalie in the stables. If I can find another good goalie, I’ll have two, but now I’m looking for the best young kids I can find, and I wanted to know I had a goalie I can depend on already signed.
“I want to bring in another good goalie. Sometimes if a goalie thinks he has that No. 1 spot, he won’t work as hard, especially with the mental preparation. I don’t think we’ll have that problem with Pelly, but he could still use that challenge to keep driving him. It’s good for my confidence, too, knowing that I have someone else if anyone gets hurt. But if he plays the way he was playing for us, I don’t care if he’s a rookie or a veteran; I’ll ride him as long as I can."
Pelletier will be neither a rookie nor a veteran as he enters his second season of professional play, but he will enter this season knowing that being the No. 1 goalie is in his reach if he continues to play the way he did at the end of his first campaign.
You can read a bit more about the signing in my story that will run in tomorrow's paper, and I could not link the press release about the signing earlier, but you can read that here.
Bryan Benway also blogged about Pelletier's return.
On a slightly different - but related - note, Ruskowski said he is pursuing "three, maybe four" players who were Corpus Christi IceRays last season.
As expected, he didn't name names, though he did mention that he was interested in forward Ryan Garbutt before Garbutt had his rights traded to the Americans. Ruskowski also noted Garbutt is expected to pursue playing in the ECHL rather than in Allen.
Of the players who were on that team last season, who would you most like to see in a Bucks jersey when the 2009-10 campaign begins?
Ruskowski is obviously looking at talent level, but he also wants players who fit into his system; who do you think would meet those standards?
I'll continue to ask Ruskowski about that, and his other recruiting, as time passes, but for now, Pelletier is obviously the only signing the team is willing to confirm.
CHL, IHL Intend to Form "Super League"
For some reason this isn't up on the CHL website yet, but the league just sent out a release stating that the CHL and IHL plan to merge into a "'AA' level super league" for the 2010-11 season.
Here's what the release says:
Central Hockey League and International Hockey League Make Major Announcement
In a joint announcement that marks a historic day for minor professional hockey, two of pro hockey’s most storied leagues, the Central Hockey League (CHL) and International Hockey In a joint announcement that marksLeague (IHL), have entered into a letter of intent to form a “AA” level super league beginning in the 2010-11 season. We plan to play under the Central Hockey League, CHL, moniker, with the identity of the IHL being maintained through various aspects that will be announced in the near future. Leaders of the CHL and IHL will meet during the week ahead to work out the remaining material terms.
“The arrangement between the CHL and the IHL should create an innovative and exciting "AA" level professional hockey league which is scheduled to start play in the 2010-2011 season,” said Dennis Hextall, IHL Commissioner. “The two leagues each have longstanding histories and share the common goal of solidifying minor professional hockey for our players, our passionate fans and their communities. I believe this arrangement will enable our teams to recruit the best young talent to join our league, with the potential of improving their game and moving up to the higher leagues.”
“This is an exciting day for our teams and markets,” said Duane Lewis, CHL Commissioner. “Both leagues have worked hard to establish tremendous entertainment at a great value for their fans, and by combining our resources we believe we can strengthen those efforts providing greater fan interest as well as a stronger brand.”
Operating guidelines, including the teams competing in the CHL, divisional alignment, the 2010-11 regular season schedule and various hockey operations issues will be discussed at the CHL Summer Conference (league meetings) occurring June 3-5 in Gilbert, Arizona and will continue at the IHL meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 21-23.
The CHL competed with 15 teams during the 2009-10 season with the Rapid City Rush taking home the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup title, while the IHL competed with seven teams with the Fort Wayne Komets winning their seventh Turner Cup Championship and third straight league title.
This will be the 19th season for the CHL whose teams cover nine states. The league saw close to two million fans attend games in each of the last two seasons and has regularly been the North American professional “AA” hockey league leader in average attendance. This season, the CHL was the top “AA” hockey league in playoff attendance. In the league’s history, a total of 88 players have played in both the National Hockey League and the CHL.
The 2010-2011 season will mark the 60th year of professional hockey for the International Hockey League, which was comprised last season of seven Midwestern teams in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. More than 900,000 fans attended IHL hockey games this past season, and a sell-out crowd of 10,480 fans watched the Fort Wayne Komets win the 2010 Turner Cup over the Flint Generals at the Coliseum last month. Nine players who played on IHL teams this past season had prior NHL experience, while many more have played for their respective national teams and professionally abroad. The IHL's Commissioner, Dennis Hextall, spent more than ten years as a player in the National Hockey League, and serves as President of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association.
Certain statements in this release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include projections of matters that affect revenue, operating expenses or net earnings; projections of capital expenditures; projections of growth; hiring plans; plans for future operations; financing needs or plans; plans relating to the company's products and services; and assumptions relating to the foregoing.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking information.
Some of the important factors that could cause the Global Entertainment Corporation’s actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements made by the company include, but are not limited to, the following: intense competition within the sports and entertainment industries, past and future acquisitions, expanding operations into new markets, risk of business interruption, management of rapid growth, need for additional financing, changing consumer demands, dependence on key personnel, sales and income tax uncertainty and increasing marketing, management, occupancy and other administrative costs.
These factors are discussed in greater detail in Global Entertainment Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2009 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended February 29, 2010, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
There had obviously been talks of the CHL taking some IHL teams, but I guess they've decided to do things on a larger scale. I still haven't been able to talk to Coach Ruskowski about re-signing netminder Pier-Olivier Pelletier because of some things I had to do before work, so I guess I'll be asking him about this announcement, as well.
UPDATE: Coach Ruskowski - who is in Colorado, by the way - said he's heard about this merger but has a lot of questions he thinks the leagues have failed to answer to date. Obviously, we'll learn more about what's going on as details are finalized, but the effects of losing two Texas teams and adding several further north will definitely be felt by the Bucks.
Here's what the release says:
Central Hockey League and International Hockey League Make Major Announcement
In a joint announcement that marks a historic day for minor professional hockey, two of pro hockey’s most storied leagues, the Central Hockey League (CHL) and International Hockey In a joint announcement that marksLeague (IHL), have entered into a letter of intent to form a “AA” level super league beginning in the 2010-11 season. We plan to play under the Central Hockey League, CHL, moniker, with the identity of the IHL being maintained through various aspects that will be announced in the near future. Leaders of the CHL and IHL will meet during the week ahead to work out the remaining material terms.
“The arrangement between the CHL and the IHL should create an innovative and exciting "AA" level professional hockey league which is scheduled to start play in the 2010-2011 season,” said Dennis Hextall, IHL Commissioner. “The two leagues each have longstanding histories and share the common goal of solidifying minor professional hockey for our players, our passionate fans and their communities. I believe this arrangement will enable our teams to recruit the best young talent to join our league, with the potential of improving their game and moving up to the higher leagues.”
“This is an exciting day for our teams and markets,” said Duane Lewis, CHL Commissioner. “Both leagues have worked hard to establish tremendous entertainment at a great value for their fans, and by combining our resources we believe we can strengthen those efforts providing greater fan interest as well as a stronger brand.”
Operating guidelines, including the teams competing in the CHL, divisional alignment, the 2010-11 regular season schedule and various hockey operations issues will be discussed at the CHL Summer Conference (league meetings) occurring June 3-5 in Gilbert, Arizona and will continue at the IHL meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 21-23.
The CHL competed with 15 teams during the 2009-10 season with the Rapid City Rush taking home the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup title, while the IHL competed with seven teams with the Fort Wayne Komets winning their seventh Turner Cup Championship and third straight league title.
This will be the 19th season for the CHL whose teams cover nine states. The league saw close to two million fans attend games in each of the last two seasons and has regularly been the North American professional “AA” hockey league leader in average attendance. This season, the CHL was the top “AA” hockey league in playoff attendance. In the league’s history, a total of 88 players have played in both the National Hockey League and the CHL.
The 2010-2011 season will mark the 60th year of professional hockey for the International Hockey League, which was comprised last season of seven Midwestern teams in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. More than 900,000 fans attended IHL hockey games this past season, and a sell-out crowd of 10,480 fans watched the Fort Wayne Komets win the 2010 Turner Cup over the Flint Generals at the Coliseum last month. Nine players who played on IHL teams this past season had prior NHL experience, while many more have played for their respective national teams and professionally abroad. The IHL's Commissioner, Dennis Hextall, spent more than ten years as a player in the National Hockey League, and serves as President of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association.
Certain statements in this release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include projections of matters that affect revenue, operating expenses or net earnings; projections of capital expenditures; projections of growth; hiring plans; plans for future operations; financing needs or plans; plans relating to the company's products and services; and assumptions relating to the foregoing.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking information.
Some of the important factors that could cause the Global Entertainment Corporation’s actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements made by the company include, but are not limited to, the following: intense competition within the sports and entertainment industries, past and future acquisitions, expanding operations into new markets, risk of business interruption, management of rapid growth, need for additional financing, changing consumer demands, dependence on key personnel, sales and income tax uncertainty and increasing marketing, management, occupancy and other administrative costs.
These factors are discussed in greater detail in Global Entertainment Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2009 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended February 29, 2010, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
There had obviously been talks of the CHL taking some IHL teams, but I guess they've decided to do things on a larger scale. I still haven't been able to talk to Coach Ruskowski about re-signing netminder Pier-Olivier Pelletier because of some things I had to do before work, so I guess I'll be asking him about this announcement, as well.
UPDATE: Coach Ruskowski - who is in Colorado, by the way - said he's heard about this merger but has a lot of questions he thinks the leagues have failed to answer to date. Obviously, we'll learn more about what's going on as details are finalized, but the effects of losing two Texas teams and adding several further north will definitely be felt by the Bucks.
Bucks Re-Sign Pelletier
The Bucks gave fans some good news earlier as they announced that they have re-signed goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier for the 2010-11 season.
After not playing much when he first arrived in Laredo, Pelletier came up huge at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, and he seems bound to keep on improving as he gains more pro experience.
Pelletier is the first signing (and re-signing) announced by the Bucks for next season.
I'll have more on this after I talk to Coach Ruskowski later.
After not playing much when he first arrived in Laredo, Pelletier came up huge at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, and he seems bound to keep on improving as he gains more pro experience.
Pelletier is the first signing (and re-signing) announced by the Bucks for next season.
I'll have more on this after I talk to Coach Ruskowski later.
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