[funky cm]

Bear Trapp released

[Starbug]

I saw that - I'm so sad that Bear Trapp was released.

Other players released were

Jason Deleurme Forward
Kevin Falloon Defense
Justin Grevious Goaltender
Brandon Lassister Forward
Colin Patterson Forward

http://www.salmonkin...osterbysix.html

[Relentless]

Starbug, on Oct 12 2009, 10:07 AM, said:

I saw that - I'm so sad that Bear Trapp was released.

Other players released were

Jason Deleurme Forward
Kevin Falloon Defense
Justin Grevious Goaltender
Brandon Lassister Forward
Colin Patterson Forward

http://www.salmonkin...osterbysix.html

We just released the man with one of the greatest hockey names ever. Oh well, good luck Bear wherever you play.

[Starbug]

Season opens in Alaska tonight!!

And without their planned starting goalie, as Shantz has already been recalled to the AHL.

Quote

Each October brings with it a fresh ice sheet, fresh season and fresh hope in hockey.

The Victoria Salmon Kings go into their sixth ECHL season, beginning tonight in Anchorage against the Alaska Aces, with perhaps the most potent lineup in franchise history. Head coach and GM Mark Morrison appears to have assembled a roster that may be close to AHL calibre. That’s on paper, however. The proof in hockey comes on the ice.

“This is right up there with the team we had with Ash [brother Ash Goldie] two years ago,” said veteran Victoria sniper Wes Goldie.

“We have a fair bit of skill up front, our three lines could have been top lines on most teams last season, and we’re better defensively. We’ll have to see what the chemistry is like.”

Without having played any exhibition games, the Salmon Kings jump right into it tonight in one of the most hostile hockey environments anywhere in any league. The brooding Sullivan Arena in Anchorage is a foreboding place in which to play. But could the opening match-up have been any other way for Victoria?

The last time the Canucks-affiliate Salmon Kings and Blues-affiliate Aces shared the stage in the serial As The ECHL Turns was in May at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre when forward Josh Soares of Alaska ended Salmon hopes with a brilliant and deadly master-stroke of a goal in the playoffs.

It somehow seems fitting these two National Conference rivals should renew acquaintances tonight at 8:15 p.m. PDT to start the 2009-10 season at the Sully, where the defending conference-champion Aces’ own dreams died last June before a noisily chaotic capacity crowd in a Game 7 loss to the South Carolina Stingrays in the Kelly Cup final.

The Salmon Kings forward corps are a dream for a trigger man such as Goldie. Three crafty stickhandlers out of the Quebec Major League — Yannick Tifu, Olivier Latendresse and Olivier Filion — are sly set-up men who have piled up the assist numbers during their careers.

“Sometimes they pass too much, giving up the open shot to set up a teammate, but that’s a bonus for a player like me,” said Goldie.

“Our power play will really move the puck and be dangerous. It’s going to be a fun year.”

But every ECHL team has elevated its game this season and Salmons coach Morrison points to the Bakersfield Condors as maybe the class of the National Conference. The parent Anaheim Ducks have assigned 10 players to the Condors, including 2007 first-round draft pick Logan MacMillan. Starting in nets for Bakersfield is Justin Pogge, who got in seven games last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“There’s just more talent out there. With the recession, the money isn’t there anymore overseas in Europe and a lot of those players are staying in North America, so this is the highest calibre I’ve seen in the ECHL and it’s going to be really exciting for the fans,” said Goldie.

The 20-team ECHL, with 23 teams last season and 31 back when Victoria first joined, has experienced contraction, and the AHL has lost a team from last season, meaning more players fighting for fewer jobs at the Triple-A and Double-A levels.

The eight teams in the National Conference of the ECHL will be reaching for the silver spoon at the top while trying to avoid the wooden spoon at the bottom. The last-place finisher in the conference will miss the playoffs. At the other end, the regular-season champion receives a first-round playoff bye, a big bonus considering the first-round series this season are best-of-fives, a format that usually favours the underdogs because upsets can happen more readily in shorter series.

That, however, is a long way off with each team at the moment only concerned about getting off on the right skate blade in the 72-game regular-season grind that awaits.

It begins with the Salmon Kings having goaltender David Shantz suddenly recalled to Abbotsford of the AHL late yesterday, handing the starting duties this weekend to John Murray and leaving the S-Kings to scramble for an emergency replacement to back up Murray for games tonight, tomorrow and Monday in Anchorage.

Meanwhile, forward Lance Morrison, coach Morrison’s son, and defenceman Noel Coultice will start the season on the 21-day disabled list. Defenceman Rob Smith will begin on the seven-day injury list and veteran forward Adam Taylor on the three-day injury list.

cdheensaw@tc.canwest.com

2009-10 SALMON KINGS ROSTER

With past junior, college, pro experience:

Goalies
David Shantz, OHL, AHL, ECHL
John Murray, OHL, ECHL

Defencemen
Pat Coulombe, QMJHL, NHL, ECHL
Taylor Ellington, WHL
Gary Gladue, WHL, ECHL
Brandon Roach, QMJHL, AHL, ECHL
Rob Smith, WHL, CIS, Ger.
Tim Wedderburn, WHL, AHL, ECHL
Mike Burgoyne, UHL, CHL
Noel Coultice, OHL, CIS, Holl.

Forwards
Andy Brandt, NCAA, ECHL
Olivier Filion, QMJHL, ECHL
Dan Gendur, WHL, AHL, ECHL
Wes Goldie, OHL, ECHL
Mike Hamilton, NCAA, AHL, ECHL
Scott Howes, QMJHL, AHL, ECHL
Olivier Latendresse, QMJHL, AHL, ECHL
Lance Morrison, WHL, CIS, Holl.
Chad Painchaud, OHL, AHL, ECHL
Dirk Southern, NCAA, AHL, ECHL
Adam Taylor, WHL, AHL, ECHL,
Yannick Tifu, QMJHL, AHL, ECHL

Lots of new names, here's hoping they 'click' together quickly!

http://www.timescolo...8240/story.html

[Starbug]

Salmon Kings lost 2-1 tonight. Aces scored in the final minute of the game to get the win.

On the plus side, Ellington was a +1 and had a shot on goal. Gendur had 1 shot on goal.

Goldie had 7 shots on goal, and one goal. I only listened to a few minutes of the game, but it sounded like Goldie was fighting the puck a bit despite getting a lot of chances. He should settle down as he readjusts to hockey season though (this is where some pre-season games would have been nice).

[sam drucker]

Starbug, on Oct 17 2009, 06:57 AM, said:

Salmon Kings lost 2-1 tonight. Aces scored in the final minute of the game to get the win.

On the plus side, Ellington was a +1 and had a shot on goal. Gendur had 1 shot on goal.

Goldie had 7 shots on goal, and one goal. I only listened to a few minutes of the game, but it sounded like Goldie was fighting the puck a bit despite getting a lot of chances. He should settle down as he readjusts to hockey season though (this is where some pre-season games would have been nice).

I always like to watch the opening season game, first thing I noticed was Ellington(6th D) & Gendur (10th F) both got NO ICE. Canuck development team??????? Or are those old broke down guys still going to the show!!

[Starbug]

sam drucker, on Oct 17 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

I always like to watch the opening season game, first thing I noticed was Ellington(6th D) & Gendur (10th F) both got NO ICE. Canuck development team??????? Or are those old broke down guys still going to the show!!

With Ellington, it's probably a matter of easing him into the pro game. He's never played professional hockey before. Hopefully his ice time will pick up as the season goes on as he improves and adjusts to the pro game.

As for Gendur, well, as with any other player he's got to earn his ice time. If he can't outplay the other forwards on an ECHL team, there's no way he'll make it to the AHL, let alone the NHL.

[funky cm]

missed the home opener (loss), caught Friday's game (SO win)

Bakersfield started Justin Pogge in goal, wow, thought he was almost NHL ready, yet here he is in the ECHL

[Relentless]

funky cm, on Oct 24 2009, 03:59 AM, said:

missed the home opener (loss), caught Friday's game (SO win)

Bakersfield started Justin Pogge in goal, wow, thought he was almost NHL ready, yet here he is in the ECHL

There's a reason why the Leafs traded him, he's fallen a long way since being branded as their "goalie of the future". A few more years and we'll see if he'll ever make the NHL but right now it's very slim.

This post has been edited by Relentless: 24 October 2009 - 08:35 PM

[bieksa3-]

funky cm, on Oct 24 2009, 03:59 AM, said:

missed the home opener (loss), caught Friday's game (SO win)

Bakersfield started Justin Pogge in goal, wow, thought he was almost NHL ready, yet here he is in the ECHL

The only reason he is in the ECHL, is because Anahiem's AHL Affiliate Iowa Chops got suspended for this year.

[funky cm]

I knew Bakersfield would be strong this year becasue Anaheim didn't have an AHL affiliate, so more trickle down to the ECHL franchise

not axactly sure how they'd place players, as I would assume they'd want their better minor leaguers at the AHL-level so as to be better prepared for NHL play if called up

[Relentless]

bieksa3-, on Oct 24 2009, 09:04 PM, said:

The only reason he is in the ECHL, is because Anahiem's AHL Affiliate Iowa Chops got suspended for this year.

I forgot about that thanks for reminding me. Who names a team the Chops!? I know it's because of Iowa's farming heritage but still....

[Starbug]

Rough start for the team.

Hopefully that's their 'pre-season' and things will turn around soon. Morrison's looking to make a change or two to help the team along.

At least we're doing one thing right - so far, Salmon Kings have filled more seats than the Abbotsford Heat.

Quote

That famous line from Harry Neale, then coach of the Vancouver Canucks, always comes to mind when teams struggle through patches both at home and away: “My failure as a coach is I can’t think of any place else to play.”

Neale knew levity is often the best tonic.

After losing two three-game sets to start the ECHL season, the first on the road in Alaska and the second last week at home against Bakersfield, the Victoria Salmon Kings aren’t in a laughing mood. But they are also far from panic mode.

“Being 1-5 is not a place we thought we would be at this point but we haven’t been that bad,” said Salmon Kings GM and head coach Mark Morrison, in analyzing the club’s unexpected start, which has the S-Kings with the worst winning percentage in the National Conference after the first two weeks of the season.

“We’ve missed our chances and they [Alaska and Bakersfield] capitalized on theirs. There is no question in my mind we’ll be good, and that our record will turn around.”

It is perhaps telling the Salmon Kings have lost five of their first six games while only giving up four more goals than they have scored. That indicates what a fine line it has been between victory and defeat.

Pro hockey, however, is a brutish business where jobs are on the line every night and not everybody can be comfortable on a 1-5 club.

“There will be moves, no question,” said Morrison.

“I felt 85 per cent of the players displayed the urgency Saturday night [in a 4-3 loss to Bakersfield] that showed they wanted to be 2-4. The other 15 per cent did not.”

Morrison indicated some player shuffles are in the works ahead of games Friday and Sunday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, against the Edmonton Oilers-affiliate Stockton Thunder, but did not offer up names other than to say he will put a claim on defenceman Riley Weselowski out of NCAA Bemidji State, a former Manitoba Junior League MVP runner-up released yesterday by the Idaho Steelheads.

“We need to upgrade at some positions. We need more of a net presence and need to create more traffic in front of the opposition goal and we have to be tougher in the back end,” said Morrison.

Every coach knows it’s second nature for fans to second-guess decisions made during slow starts. Morrison admits he himself is “not so sure it was the correct decision” to not continue with Glenn Fisher’s hot hand in the nets Saturday night against Bakersfield. The former Oilers draft pick was outstanding in starting the previous two games with a 1.01 goals-against average and .970 save percentage.

“But it’s early days and we have to find out what each player can do and who can play and who can’t,” said Morrison, about the choice to start John Murray.

“[Murray] is a contracted [AHL contract] kid who has to be given an opportunity.”

ICE CHIPS: Even though the billed Sellout Saturday game against Bakersfield was disappointingly far from that, the Salmon Kings averaged 4,414 fans over the opening three home dates. That compares to an average of just 3,366 over the first six regular-season AHL games played in Abbotsford, a new club which has the added financial burden of having to pay many of the travel expenses of visiting teams . . . The AHL and ECHL are almost identical in average attendance so far this season at a respective 4,494 and 4,452.

Salmon Kings coach promises changes

[Starbug]

Changes were promised, and changes were made. Yannick Tifu is out, and Jay Henderson is in.

Quote

Tifu’s veteran slot on the Salmon Kings [each ECHL team is allowed only four players with 260 or more games of pro experience] was immediately filled by the newly-signed 31-year-old forward Jay Henderson, who won three Calder Cups in the American Hockey League before a successful career in Germany’s top league.

http://www.timescolo...2214/story.html

[Canvoucer Vanuck]

How are Gendur and Ellington doing with the Salmon Kings? I hope they're not in over their heads and that they're doing alright - I think them adjusting to the pro game is the main thing, as well as contributing points of course

[bieksa3-]

Canvoucer Vanuck, on 07 November 2009 - 03:57 PM, said:

How are Gendur and Ellington doing with the Salmon Kings? I hope they're not in over their heads and that they're doing alright - I think them adjusting to the pro game is the main thing, as well as contributing points of course

According to HockeyDB

Gendur 8GP 4A
Ellington 9GP 1G 2A

[Canvoucer Vanuck]

Thanks, bieksa3-. What's the situation with them so far? i.e what line is Gendur playing on, which pairing Ellington is on, amount of ice time for those two etc. I think I saw somewhere that they didn't play last game... healthy scratch?

What is up with the Salmon Kings? They're just not doing well at all this season, what's going on?

[Starbug]

Canvoucer Vanuck, on 08 November 2009 - 04:01 PM, said:

Thanks, bieksa3-. What's the situation with them so far? i.e what line is Gendur playing on, which pairing Ellington is on, amount of ice time for those two etc. I think I saw somewhere that they didn't play last game... healthy scratch?

What is up with the Salmon Kings? They're just not doing well at all this season, what's going on?

I don't know what's going on. The players and coaches don't seem to be sure either. It just hasn't clicked for them yet. They've got one of the best squads on paper, but haven't been able to put it together on the ice yet. Losing one of their better-playing forwards (Latendresse) to the Moose hasn't helped any. At least at this point they can only go up...

As for Gendur and Ellington, I don't know. I haven't been out to a game yet this season. I'd imagine they won't fare too well until the team as a whole picks up though.

[funky cm]

I'd been to only 2 games this year (before today), including the lone victory; in th eon eloss I was at (vs Stockton), the there was litle cohesion amongst the team, and no effort, Nobody really stood out, including Gendur and Ellington (Gendur was much more noticeable on ice last year)... sooooo...

earlier this week Gendur was released.... not sure how that works since he he has a Canuck contract... I believe they're trying to find him another place in the ECHL to play, both deciding that he needs a fresh start.

Ellington was scratched today with new D-men JIm Sharrow and Mike Salekin in (Sharrow's name I remember, thought he might have been in Canucks jersey when they held training camp in Victoria - he's spent some time in Manitoba). New goalie Matt Keetley made some spectacular saves in shutting out Ontario Reign 2-0. He's here for conditioning, assigned from Abbottsford Heat...

that's another thing I don't understand.... Salmon Kings are affiliate of Manitoba Moose and Vancouver Canucks, yet earlier this year we got David Shantz from Abbottsford (never played, got recalled) and now Matt Keetley. Flames/Heat are affiliated with LV Wranglers.

[Starbug]

funky cm, on 12 November 2009 - 01:46 AM, said:

earlier this week Gendur was released.... not sure how that works since he he has a Canuck contract... I believe they're trying to find him another place in the ECHL to play, both deciding that he needs a fresh start.

The Canucks have agreed he needs a change of scenery. Gendur will remain under contract to the Canucks, but will play for a different ECHL team.

story 1

funky cm, on 12 November 2009 - 01:46 AM, said:

that's another thing I don't understand.... Salmon Kings are affiliate of Manitoba Moose and Vancouver Canucks, yet earlier this year we got David Shantz from Abbottsford (never played, got recalled) and now Matt Keetley. Flames/Heat are affiliated with LV Wranglers.

According to hfboards, Calgary is sharing an ECHL affiliate (Utah) with the Islanders this year. It's quite possible that there are just too many goalies in the Isles and Flames' systems. A combination of Vancouver having very few goalies in the system and Victoria being relatively close to Abbotsford may be what led Calgary/Abbotsford to assign goalies to the Salmon Kings. As long as they're not taking icetime away from a Canucks prospect, I'm not going to complain. It sounds like either Keetley or Shantz (or maybe both, on alternating stints) will be spending a fair bit of time playing in Victoria.

story 2