Vandermeer signs with Rampage
August 19, 2007
Former BC Icemen, Pete Vandermeer, has signed a 1 year deal with the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL.
The San Antonio Rampage have signed left wing Peter Vandermeer to a one-year American Hockey League contract.
Vandermeer is entering his 12th professional season and is a veteran of 473 career AHL games. Last season, as a member of the Hershey Bears, the 6-foot, 210-pound native of Red Deer, Alta., recorded two goals, five assists and 129 penalty minutes in 26 regular-season games.
Vandermeer has posted four AHL seasons with 300-plus penalty minutes, and currently ranks fifth on the league’s all-time list with 2,164 PIM.
In parts of 10 AHL seasons with Hershey, Hamilton, Grand Rapids, Philadelphia, Providence, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Rochester, Vandermeer has also recorded 51 goals and 61 assists for 112 points. He set AHL career highs with 19 goals, 18 assists and 37 points during the 2000-01 season with Providence, and played in the Calder Cup Finals with Rochester in 1999.
Grant Potulny signs with Hershey
August 17, 2007
One of the few B-Sens from last season to stay in the states.
BEARS SIGN LEFT WING GRANT POTULNY TO AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE CONTRACT
GRAND FORKS, N.D. NATIVE AND FORMER UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STANDOUT COMES TO CHOCOLATETOWN FOR UPCOMING CAMPAIGN
HERSHEY – The HERSHEY BEARS announced today that left wing/center Grant Potulny has signed a contract for the upcoming 2007-08 season. The announcement was made today by BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst.
Potulny, 27, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, and played four years at the University of Minnesota from 2000-2004. He won back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003 while in Minneapolis, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime of the 2002 National Championship game against Maine. Potulny scored 23 goals in 78 games for the Binghamton Senators in 2005-06 with 122 penalty minutes in 2005-06.
Sgroi back in Bingo
August 13, 2007
But not on the ice.
Next time a pugilistic notion strikes Mike Sgroi, he’ll need not drop the gloves.
The erstwhile Binghamton Senators enforcer will take part in an Aug. 24 boxing card at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena against an opponent to be determined.
“I think it’ll help our gate, but more importantly, I think it’ll be a really exciting fight,” said Tom Reynolds, Binghamton Boxing Association manager and event organizer. “When he fights, he fights — and don’t be late.”
While hockey fans are familiar with the player who logged 125 penalty minutes in 32 Senators games last season, fight fans may find 6-foot-5, 230-pound Sgroi to be quite capable in the ring. He traced his off-ice fighting background to age 17, “With a fake ID entering tough-guy competitions to sharpen my skills for hockey.”
In addition to 150-plus tough-guy competitions, he said he has trained as a boxer as well as in Muay Thai (a form of kickboxing) and Jujitsu.
“I’ve fought professional boxers before, but I’ve never done a four-round, three-minute-round fight,” he said of his impending official pro boxing debut.
Sgroi, who turns 29 Tuesday, said he turned down Reynolds’ initial offer to join the card, citing reservations about his recovery from December surgery to repair disc and nerve damage in his neck. But Reynolds persisted, and Sgroi recently determined his neck to be sufficiently healed.
Reynolds was introduced to Sgroi’s boxing ability while watching him work out at American Legion Post 80 in Binghamton.
“Mike came to our gym and I got to know him while he was re-habbing,” Reynolds said. “He’s actually a really good boxer.”
Sgroi’s next hockey assignment remains up in the air, as he was not re-signed by the Senators.
“I thought I’d found a home in Binghamton, but things didn’t work out,” he said. “I still have a lot of belief in myself that I’m tough enough and good enough to get to the top level.”
Bonvie to retire after this season
August 12, 2007
Dennis Bonvie has announced that this will be his last hockey season. I hope we get to see one more good fight in the arena.
Dennis Bonvie, one of the most popular players ever to pull on a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins sweater, announced on Monday that the 2007-08 season will be his last as a professional hockey player.
“This is going to be my last year. This is it,” said Bonvie, 33, from his annual youth hockey camp at the Ice Box in Pittston, Pa. “I’m fortunate that I played one game in one year, and now 15 years later, I’m getting an opportunity to…kind of go out on my own terms. I’ve had a real good ride.”
Spezza on cover of NHL2K8
August 11, 2007
Fans will see a significant improvement in Jason Spezza’s game this season.In fact, he should be the best player in the entire system.
The Senators’ top centre has been named the cover athlete and official spokesman for NHL 2K8, next in a line of top-rated video games to be released next month.
Yesterday, Spezza spoke with the Sun about the honour of being chosen ahead of the league’s other young stars, then recalled the first time his likeness was on an NHL video game.
“I remember buying one as soon as it came out, to see what kind of player they made me,” Spezza said with a laugh — in between skating and an off-ice workout in Toronto. “I remember being kind of disappointed. So I created my own player and bumped up my attributes.”
Spezza should like what he sees of himself on NHL 2K8 — video game makers generally see to it that the player on its cover has the best capabilities.
“Hopefully they’ll make me a little better because I’m on the cover,” Spezza chuckled.
Spezza, who chose not to reveal what he was getting paid in the endorsement deal, is a known video game player. He and teammate Brian McGrattan have legendary battles from the comfort of a living room couch during the season.
What would be cool is if the publisher released a limited edition copy of the game with McGrattan on the cover!
Bonvie signs with Pens
July 31, 2007
Everyone’s favorite alumni, Dennis Bonvie, has a signed a 1 year deal with Wilkes-Barre.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed right wing Dennis Bonvie to a one-year American Hockey League contract, it was announced by Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant General Manager Chuck Fletcher.…
One of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s all-time fan favorites, Bonvie has appeared in 235 regular season games during four seasons with the Penguins, recording 78 points (14+64) and 1,081 penalty minutes. He holds the team records for career penalty minutes (1,081) and single-season penalty minutes (431 in 2005-06).
UHL gone, reborn (recycled?) as IHL
July 28, 2007
This time of year I try tracking down some of our favorite alumni to see what they’re up to. While looking for Brad Jones I discovered that the United Hockey League has renamed itself the International Hockey League. Obviously a move to grab the marketability that the former IHL once held. The league has also cut down to only 6 teams.
The International Hockey League (IHL) will begin its inaugural season of play in the fall of 2007 and will consist of six teams. The Bloomington PrairieThunder, the Flint Generals, the Fort Wayne Komets, the Kalamazoo Wings and the Muskegon Fury join the league after being member clubs of the UHL during the 2006-07 season. The sixth IHL team will call Port Huron, Michigan its home. Port Huron (Governors Frank Kinney and Robert Lahiff) and Flint (Governors Bob Perani and Ron Sanko) both had a recent ownership changes that were approved by the league.
One of the key focuses of the IHL Board of Governors and the League Office will be to make on- and off-ice changes for the 2007-08 season that will create a better experience for the fans. At the top of the list, will be an emphasis on strong ownership so that the fans can count on our member clubs being a long-term part of the IHL and on making the on-ice product much more physical and exciting.
As for Jonesy, he stayed on as VP of Hockey Operations.
Brad Jones, 41, is in his first season with the International Hockey League after spending four seasons with United Hockey League in a similar capacity as Vice President of Hockey Operations. He is responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day hockey operations of the IHL, including player discipline and overseeing the on-ice officials.
Kane and Laich resigned
July 27, 2007
Boyd Kane resigned with the Flyers and Brooks Laich is back with the Caps for next season.
Former Binghamton Ranger named Hartford head coach
July 25, 2007
Ken Gernander was promoted to head coach of the Wolfpack.
The New York Rangers announced today that Ken Gernander will assume head coaching responsibilities for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, becoming the fifth head coach in franchise history.
“Ken has been an invaluable member of the Wolf Pack organization,” said Jim Schoenfeld, who has been promoted to assistant general manager, player personnel for the Rangers and general manager of the Wolf Pack. “His dedication, leadership and knowledge of the game have contributed to his success as a player and assistant coach, and will serve him well in his new role as head coach.”
Gernander, 38, has served as an assistant coach of the Wolf Pack for two seasons under Schoenfeld after concluding an illustrious 14-year playing career in 2005. A member of the Rangers organization since signing as a free agent in 1994, Gernander served as captain of the club’s AHL affiliate in each of his last 10 years on the ice (all eight years in Hartford, plus the final two seasons in Binghamton).
Murray on a roll, signs Schubert
July 24, 2007
Murray has avoided arbitration on other RFA, Christoph Schubert.
TThe Ottawa Senators have avoided arbitration with defenseman/forward Christoph Schubert as the two sides have agreed on a three-year deal.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.The versatile German scored eight goals and collected 17 assists with a plus-30 rating in 80 regular season games last year, playing at left wing in 51 of those games.
