This week’s version of the AHL South Report will be slightly condensed, as we are currently working on next week’s season preview specials. The scheulde will go like this:
Monday (Oct. 1): Hershey Bears Preview
Tuesday (Oct. 2): Norfolk Admirals Preview
Wednesday (Oct. 3): Philadelphia Phantoms Preview
Thursday (Oct. 4): WBS Penguins Preview
In this article, we’ll briefly cover the major happenings in the week that was for the Bears, Admirals, Phantoms and Penguins…
Hershey Bears Update
Earlier in the week, the parent Colorado Avalanche sent six players back to Hershey. Forwards Kelly Fairchild, Jordan Krestanovich, Steve Moore and Yevgeny Lazarev, defenseman Jeff Paul and goaltender Phil Sauve all rejoined the Bears’ training camp. On Wednesday (Sept. 26) forward Matt Herr arrived in camp as well, on loan from the Florida Panthers. Herr spent time last season with the Washington Capitals, Portland Pirates and Philadelphia Phantoms.
Potential Bears still competing for roster spots with the Avs include: forwards Mikhail Kuleshov, Vaclav Nedorost, Radim Vrbata, Brian Willsie and (Hershey captain) Brad Larsen, and defensemen Rick Berry, Bryan Muir, Jaroslav Obsut, Alex Riazantsev and Pascal Trepanier.
Center Yuri Babenko skated for the first time this week since suffering a groin pull on the first day of scrimmage play at Colorado’s secondary camp in Hershey.
Hershey finally plays its first preseason game of the season tonight. The Bears will faceoff against the WBS Penguins in Wilkes-Barre at 7:05 p.m. The team will host the Penguins and Phantoms at Hersheypark Arena on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Norfolk Admirals Update
Thirteen prospective Admirals were assigned to Norfolk in the past week by the parent Chicago Blackhawks. On Saturday (Sept. 22), the team shipped forwards Mike Souza, Ajay Baines and Shawn Thornton, and defensemen Marty Wilford and Dmitri Tolkunov to Virginia. Two days later, forwards Casey Hankinson, Ty Jones, Nathan Perrott, Reto Von Arx and Valeri Zelepukin, defenseman Rumun Ndur, and goaltenders Craig Andersson and Michael Leighton arrived in Norfolk as well.
Norfolk will not play its first preseason game until tomorrow night. The team will travel to Voorhees, NJ (Flyers Skate Zone), to play the Phantoms at 7 p.m.
Tonight, the Admirals will host an intrasquad scrimmage, dubbed the “Blue and White Game,” at the Norfolk Scope at 7 p.m. All proceeds from the game will be donated to the United Way Attack On America Relief Fund, established to assist the victims and families of the recent terrorist attacks. Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim and Councilman Randy Wright have been named honorary coaches for the game.
Philadelphia Phantoms Update
On Saturday (Sept. 22), the Phantoms took their second straight preseason game from the Albany River Rats, a 3-1 decision before an closed house at the First Union Center (immediately preceding a Flyers-NJ Devils exhibition contest). Rookie J.F. Cauron continued his strong play, notching his third goal of the preseason. Mark Freer and Kirby Law also scored for the Phantoms. Maxime Ouellet continued to shine, stopping six of seven shots in the first period. He turned aside 19 of 20 shots the previous night in a Flyers exhibition against the NY Islanders.
It continues to look like Pavel Brendl won’t be starting the upcoming season with the Phantoms after all. Not only has the 20-year-old Czech right wing been a surprise for the Flyers thus far, he’s arguably been their best player in the preseason. Brendl has racked up eight points (three goals, five assists) in just four preseason games with the Flyers. With his addition (still not official), the Flyers’ roster looks to be set for the upcoming season.
Today, the Phantoms assinged six players to the Trenton Titans. Forwards J.F. Caudron, Patrick Leahy and Allain St. Hilaire, defenseman Mike Colgan, and goaltender Dan Murphy were officially sent to the Phantoms’ ECHL affiliate.
The Phantoms have two games remaining on their preseason schedule. Tomorrow night, they will host the Norfolk Admirals at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the team will travel to Hershey for a 6 p.m. affair with the Bears at Hersheypark Arena.
WBS Penguins Update
In a pair of fight-filled contests, the Penguins lost their first two preseason games of the season to the Syracuse Crunch. On Tuesday (Sept. 25), the Pens dropped a 4-2 decision to the Crunch in Wilkes-Barre. The game featured a total of 267 penalty minutes (159 for Syracuse, 108 for WBS). Both WBS goals were scored by right winger Jason MacDonald. In the rematch on Thursday (Sept. 27), the Pens suited up 18 players who are likely to comprise the Wheeling Nailers (WBS’s ECHL affiliate) this season. This time around, the two teams racked up “only” 225 total penalty minutes (135 for WBS, 90 for Syracuse), as the Crunch skated to a 4-3 victory at the Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter. Casey Harris, Ken Tasker and Colin Chaulk notched goals for the Pens in this one.
In a press conference immediately following the exhibition opener in Wilkes-Barre, head coach Glen Patrick announced that Jason MacDonald would be the team’s captain for the 2001-02 season. MacDonald becomes the fifth captain in team history. He is the first to wear the “C” since Sven Butenchon was traded to Edmonton on March 13 of last season. The team did not have a captain for the remainder of last season, including its Calder Cup run. Tyler Wright, Steve Leach and John Slaney have also served as captain in the team’s brief history.
Tonight, the Pens will play the first game of a home-and-home series against Hershey in Wilkes-Barre at 7 p.m. Tomorrow’s preseason finale against the Bears will be played at Hersheypark Arena, also at 7 p.m.
One final note: as of 5 p.m. this evening, one of the jerseys that Mario Lemieux wore during last Saturday’s preseason game with the WBS Penguins had fetched an auction bid price of $7,700 (on 26 bids) on the team’s official website. The auction ends on Oct. 1 at 3:41 p.m.
