Sunday October 2, 2005 (Posted Monday 12:13 A.M. EST.)

 

Bears rear Admirals, 3-2

Finish preseason perfect at 3-0

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

The Hershey Bears completed an unbeaten 2005/06 preseason with a 3-2 victory over the Norfolk Admirals before 3,574 fans Sunday night at the Giant Center. Jakub Klepis (power-play) and Louis Robitaille bagged Hershey scores before Jonas Johansson tapped in the game-winning tally with 2 ½ minutes left in regulation to seal the win. Goaltender Maxime Daigneault, who replaced Kirk Daubenspeck in net at the start of the 3rd period, earned the victory for the chocolate and white, stopping 16 of 17 shots faced. Steve Crampton (short-handed) and Dusty Jamieson registered goals for the visiting Admirals, while goalie Scott Reid turned aside 22 shots in the loss.

 

 

TEAM	1ST	2ND	3RD	TOTAL
Norfolk	1	0	1	2
Hershey	0	1	2	3

 

FIRST PERIOD - Scoring: 1, NOR, Crampton (short handed) (St. Pierre), 16:04. Penalties: Fleischmann, HER (slashing), 10:22; State, HER (interference), 11:55; Jamieson, NOR (holding), 15:20; Kane, HER (holding), 17:50.

 

SECOND PERIOD - Scoring: 2, HER, Klepis (power play) (Mink, Fleischmann), 11:27. Penalties: State, HER (interference), 3:48; Fraser, NOR (slashing), 6:28; Crampton, NOR (high sticking), 8:34; St. Pierre, NOR (boarding), 10:19; Arsene, HER (holding the stick), 13:18; St. Pierre, NOR (holding), 17:03.

 

THIRD PERIOD - Scoring: 3, HER, Robitaille (Kane, Aulin), :55. 4, NOR, Jamieson (unassisted), 8:14. 5, HER, Johansson (game winner) (Bourque, Klepis), 17:26. Penalties: Gusev, NOR (fighting major); Robitaille, HER (instigator, fighting major, misconduct); Mink, HER (interference), 10:48; Bourque, HER (hooking), 14:16.

 

Game Factoids: Hershey finished 1-5 on the power play, while Norfolk was shutout on 8 man advantage opportunities … Norfolk outshot Hershey 42-25 … face-offs won (unofficial), Hershey: 35, Norfolk: 34 … Daubenspeck made 24 of 25 saves for Hershey before exiting after 40 minutes … RW Graham Mink had the opportunity to give Hershey the lead at the 13:08 mark of the 3rd period with a penalty shot attempt. After taking a break away to the Admirals net, Mink was hooked by Mike Brown, who was serving as Norfolk's captain. After the penalty shot signal was given by referee Ryan Fraser, Mink tried to go low on Reid's glove side, but failed on the attempt … Robitaille earned 17 minutes in penalties for going after Norfolk D Vladimir Gusev during the 3rd period. After he laid a hit on Gusev along the right boards in the Ads zone, Robitaille then dropped the gloves and landed a few rights in on Gusev before both fell near center ice … Klepis also earned a point on Johansson's game-winner, as did LW Chris Bourque, who gained a point in his first preseason game with Hershey … In addition to Daubenspeck in net, Hershey started with Jeff State and Dwayne Zinger on defense, and Jared Aulin, Boyd Kane, and Mink at forward … Scratched from the Bears lineup were G Frederic Cassivi, Cs Brooks Laich and Dave Steckel, and RW Eric Fehr, who were each dressed for the Capitals 8-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. For the second straight night, Cassivi served as a back-up, but did not play … Bears D J.F. Fortin was also scratched from the contest … Instead of using a captain and two alternates, Bears Head Coach Bruce Boudreau used 3 alternate captains (Dean Arsene, Kane, and Mark Wotton) … Admirals captain Ajay Baines was scratched from the lineup … 3 Stars of the Game: (3) Jamieson, (2) Daubenspeck, (1) Johansson.

 

Coming Up: Hershey kicks off its 2005/06 regular season schedule on the road in Wilkes-Barre, taking on the Penguins Saturday night at 7:05 PM at the Wachovia Arena. The Bears return to the Giant Center the following evening to finish a home-and-home series with the Pens starting at 5 PM.

 

Thursday September 29, 2005 (Posted Thursday 9:03 P.M. EST.)

 

Update, update…

Who's in, who's out in Bears camp

 

In:

 

C Jared Aulin

C Chris Bourque

RW Eric Fehr

C Jakub Klepis

C Dave Steckel

 

Out:

 

LW Jason Lehoux (released from tryout contract)

RW Cam McCaffrey (assigned to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL)

C John Morlang (assigned to the Reading Royals of the ECHL)

RW Dave Spina (assigned to South Carolina)

 

Misc. Notes: LW Chris Bala, currently in camp with Hershey, formally signed with Reading on Wednesday. D Jeff State, also a Bears camp holdover, is signed with the Royals for the upcoming 05/06 campaign as well… D Jeff Schultz, who may be a future Hershey Bear at some point, was reassigned to the Calgary Hitmen (WHL) from Washington on Tuesday… Earlier in the week, former Bears Jeff Finger ('03-'05) and Paul Healey (95/96) were assigned to the Lowell Lock Monsters, while Travis Brigley ('02-'04) was sent down to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Also, enforcer Dennis Bonvie ('03-'05) was assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and LW Pat Leahy (01/02) was sent down to the Providence Bruins … Longtime Bears nemesis Peter White has signed with HIFK Helsinki (Finland).

 

Ed. Note: Our apologies for not posting anything in the last few days … there was a passing in the family, and hockey took a backseat. Thanks for bear-ing with us!

 

 

 

Monday September 26, 2005 (Posted Monday 9:48 P.M. EST.)

 

Cuts like a knife

Bears shorten training camp roster

 

After this past weekend's victories over Wilkes-Barre, the Hershey Bears on Monday announced their first round of cuts with the following moves:

 

C Justin Aikins to the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL

C Brendan Cook to the Reading Royals of the ECHL

D J.F. David to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL

C Jeff Legue to South Carolina

LW Ty Morris to South Carolina

D Aaron Power to South Carolina

C Jonathan Goodwin to the Fort Wayne Komets of the UHL

C Darryl Boyce released

 

The training camp roster now stands at 26 players (3 goaltenders, 8 defenseman, 15 forwards).

 

Other former Bears on the move: D Nick Naumenko (04/05) signed with the Chicago Wolves … LW David Masse ('03-'05) was assigned to Bridgeport … Colin Forbes (95/96) was sent down to Lowell.

 

Sunday September 25, 2005 (Posted Monday 12:47 A.M. EST.)

 

Power plays propel Capitals past Penguins, 3-2

Washington earns first victory of preseason

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

On the strength of their special teams on the man advantage, the Washington Capitals pulled out a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins before 6,216 fans Sunday evening at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Former Bear Brian Willsie netted a pair of power play goals, D Jamie Heward registered a game-high 3 points (all assists), and newly-named captain Jeff Halpern collected the game-winner as the Caps garnered their first victory of the 2005/06 exhibition season. Washington's Olaf Kolzig played the first 40 minutes before giving way to Frederic Cassivi in goal, where the Bears netminder stopped 5 of 6 3rd period shots to earn the victory. Tomas Surovy and Michel Ouellet paced the Penguins with a goal and assist, while goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 37 of 40 shots faced.

 

Notes: It was the second preseason appearance in goal for Cassivi, who previously allowed 2 goals in the Caps' 6-0 loss September 16th against Carolina … Capitals RW Miroslav Zalesak left the game midway through the 3rd period after taking a sucker punch to the throat from Pittsburgh's Daniel Carcillo. Zalesak did not return, while Carcillo received roughing and unsportsmanlike minor penalties to go along with a 10-minute misconduct … after not settling on a victor in the game's 3-round shootout---which is being featured in every NHL preseason contest this year, regardless of the score at the end of regulation---2 additional rounds were needed before Andrew Cassels' stick-side conversion closed the curtain. Failing to convert in the shootout were: Erik Christensen (PIT), Brian Sutherby (WAS), Surovy (PIT), Alexander Ovechkin (WAS), Ouellet (PIT), Boyd Gordon (WAS), Matt Murley (PIT), Halpern (WAS), and Maxime Talbot (PIT) … the game featured 3 fights, with possible future Bears enforcer Robin Gomez going twice with Pittsburgh's Andre Roy, and Washington's Ben Clymer squaring off against the Penguins' Paul Bissonnette. In the second Gomez/Roy fight, which Roy won handedly, the Pens forward earned 10-minute and Game Misconduct penalties in part for throat-slashing and hand-dusting gestures … Washington outshot Pittsburgh 40-26 … Washington finished 3-12 on the power-play, while Pittsburgh ended the game 1-2 on the man advantage … While recent NHL 1st overall picks Ovechkin (2004) and Fleury (2003) saw action in the contest, two other former Pittsburgh 1st overall selections, Mario Lemieux (1984) and Sidney Crosby (2005), did not. Other notable scratches from the Penguins lineup included: John LeClair, Ziggy Palffy, and Sergei Gonchar … possible 2005/06 Bears scratched from the Washington lineup included Ds Lawrence Nycholat and Bryan Muir … former Hershey Head Coach Jay Leach is an Assistant Coach with Washington … the game featured a local flavor, with Hummelstown natives Paul Devorski (referee) and his brother Greg (linesman) officiating … it was the second-ever NHL contest to be held at the Giant Center, with the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders playing a preseason game in October, 2003 … faces in the crowd included former Bears Head Coach Paul Fixter … former Bears and Penguins fan-favorite Reid Simpson signed with Vityaz Podolsk Chekhov.

 

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Bears earn another preseason win over WBS: For the second straight day, the Hershey Bears defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, besting their I-81 rivals 3-2 in overtime. For the second time in as many nights, WBS took the game's first lead, with Arpad Mihaly pocketing a short-handed tally midway through the opening period. Six minutes later, Jeff Legue would even the contest for Hershey, netting a power-play score past Pens goalie Andy Chiodo. After Tim Verbeek regained the lead for WBS late in the 1st period, Louis Robitaille would bag the equalizer seven minutes into the 3rd period. Just over two minutes into the extra frame, Jonas Johansson would seal the victory for the visitors, chalking up the victory for goaltender Maxime Daigneault and company. Hershey wraps up its preseason schedule with a 5 PM contest against the Norfolk Admirals Sunday afternoon at the Giant Center.

 

Pittsburgh's Paul Bissonnette (left) and Ben Clymer battle it out during their 3rd period fight.

 

Washington's Alexander Ovechkin (right) has his backhand attempt stopped by the pads of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury during 3rd period action.

 

Capitals goalie Frederic Cassivi prepares to cover up this loose puck as Pittsburgh's Matt Murley tries to punch in a tally during 3rd period play.

 

Washington's Miroslav Zalesak (right) reacts to Daniel Carcillo's 3rd period sucker punch that forced the winger to leave the game with a throat injury.

 

Cassivi gets his right pad out to make a save on Pittsburgh's Erik Christensen in the first round of the shootout.

 

Andrew Cassels (left) ends the shootout frame by beating Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury on this stick-side attempt.

 

Saturday September 24, 2005 (Posted Sunday 12:48 A.M. EST.)

 

Bears win preseason barnburner over Pens, 8-6

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

Fueled by the strength of eight different scorers, including three goals on special teams, the Hershey Bears kicked off their three-game preseason slate with an 8-6 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before 3,574 fans Saturday night at the Giant Center. Brooks Laich and Graham Mink led the way on offense for Hershey, each registering a goal and three assists, while goaltender Kirk Daubenspeck turned aside 29 of 35 shots faced. Kenny Corupe's hat trick paced the Penguins, with former Binghmaton Senator Arpad Mihaly chipping in with a goal and 2 assists. The Bears will finish a home-and-home series with a 5 PM visit to Wilkes-Barre's Wachovia Arena Sunday afternoon.

 

TEAM	1ST	2ND	3RD	TOTAL
Wilkes-Barre	1	2	3	6
Hershey	4	2	2	8

 

FIRST PERIOD - Scoring: 1, WBS, Verbeek 1 (Kompon, McLean), 1:14. 2, HER, Robitaille 1 (power play) (David, Fortin), 2:17. 3, HER, Laich 1 (short handed) (Mink), 11:36. 4, HER, Wilde 1 (short handed) (Fleischmann), 12:08. 5, HER, Engelland 1 (power play) (Laich, Fleischmann), 15:22. Penalties: Lajoie, WBS (interference), 1:32; Bone, WBS (fighting major), 4:44; Engelland, HER (fighting major), 4:44; Aikins, HER (hooking), 5:59; Sersen, WBS (hooking), 7:07; Goodwin, HER (holding), 7:42; Goodwin, HER (slashing), 11:27; Bone, WBS (hooking), 13:40; Morency, WBS (game misconduct), 17:29; Robitaille, HER (game misconduct), 17:29.

 

SECOND PERIOD - Scoring: 6, WBS, Corupe 1 (Mason, Loya), 9:55. 7, WBS, Verbeek 2 (McLean, Mihaly), 16:21. 8, HER, Bala 1 (Mink, Laich), 17:33. 9, HER, Mink 1 (Laich, State), 19:40. Penalties: Lajoie, WBS (holding), :57; Fortin, HER (holding), 1:38; Rouleau, WBS (interference), 1:59; Engelland, HER (interference), 2:44; Paddock, WBS (charging), 3:17; Arsene, HER (roughing, double minor), 3:17; Bone, WBS (fighting major), 8:17; State, HER (fighting major), 8:17; Engelland, HER (hooking), 9:15; Boyce, HER (hooking), 10:35; McKay, WBS (fighting major), 13:44; Engelland, HER (fighting major), 13:44.

 

THIRD PERIOD - Scoring: 10, WBS, Mihaly 1 (Lajoie), 2:17. 11, WBS, Corupe 2 (Mihaly, Sersen), 3:12. 12, HER, Goodwin (power play) (unassisted), 9:25. 13, WBS, Corupe 3 (power play) (Paddock, Sersen), 15:44. 14, HER, Fleischmann 1 (empty net) (Mink), 19:55. Penalties: Loya, WBS (interference), 1:39; Lehoux, HER (tripping), 2:02; Arsene, HER (cross checking), 5:36; Stathopoulos, WBS (hooking), 9:07; Bone, WBS (fighting major, game misconduct), 9:29; State, HER (fighting major), 9:29; Bala, HER (interference), 11:00; Wilde, HER (hooking), 14:38; Fortin, HER (high sticking), 14:57.

 

Game Factoids: Dean Arsene donned the captain's "C," while Mink and J.F. Fortin each sported the alternate captains "A" for the Bears … Hershey finished 2-7 on the power-play, while WBS ended at 2-13 … the Bears outshot the Pens 39-35 … scratched from Hershey were: G Frederic Cassivi, Cs Brendan Cook and Jeff Legue, Ds Mark Wotton, Aaron Power, and Dwayne Zinger, and Fs Dave Spina, Robin Gomez, Ty Morris, Boyd Kane, Jonas Johansson, Cam McCaffrey, and Owen Fussey … WBS' Jonathan Forest replaced Derek Dolson in goal at the 9:15 mark of the 2nd period … after exiting the penalty box from his 3rd period cross-checking penalty, Arsene took a breakaway from the WBS blueline into the Pens crease, where his attempt was stonewalled by Forest. Later in the period, Arsene registered the game's biggest hit, sending WBS' Erick Lajoie into the right boards in the Hershey zone.

 

Bears goaltender Kirk Daubenspeck (left) covers up an Arpad Mihaly shot as Deryk Engelland (right) defends during 1st period action.

 

Engelland (left) battles Wilkes-Barre's Jason Bone during their fight at the 4:44 mark of the 1st period.

 

The Penguins' Tim Verbeek pots his second goal of the game at the 16:21 mark of the 2nd period, making it a 4-3 score in favor of Hershey.

 

Bears C Joey Tenute, who took several faceoffs in the contest, forechecks during 3rd period action of Hershey's 8-6 win over Wilkes-Barre.

 

Bone (left) prepares to absorb a left-handed shot from Bears D Jeff State during their fighting major at the 9:29 mark of the 3rd period. While it was the second time the two had fought in the game, Bone received a game misconduct for receiving his third fighting major of the contest.

 

Friday September 23, 2005 (Posted Friday 11:17 P.M. EST.)

 

Bears Camp: Day 2

 

Goalie Kirk Daubenspeck (left) turns aside an attempt by Owen Fussey as John Morlang looks on.

 

Boyd Kane (front) and Jonas Johansson in-action behind the net during the first half of Friday's practice.

 

Jason Lehoux gets the wheels in motion during Friday's practice.

 

Joey Tenute (left) helps Jonathan Goodwin gather pucks at the conclusion of the first half of Friday's practice.

 

Bears goaltender Frederic Cassivi (left) prepares to stop a Brooks Laich shot as Louis Robitaille (center) looks on.

 

Dean Arsene flashes a grin during a break in the second half of Friday's practice session.

 

 

Notes: Multiple players saw action during both practice sessions on Friday, including Ds Martin Wilde, Dwayne Zinger, and J.F. Fortin; and forwards Joey Tenute and Jonas Johansson … during the second half of Friday's practice, Bears Head Coach Bruce Boudreau had "Color coordinated" lines playing together, with Graham Mink, Tomas Fleischmann, and Brooks Laich wearing red jerseys, Louis Robitaille, Tenute, and Cam McCaffrey in gray, Chris Bala, Johansson, and Duane Boyce in blue, and Ty Morris, Dave Spina, and Brendan Cook sporting maroon shirts … former Bears D Brian Fahey (03/04) was assigned to the Iowa Stars, where he'll be under the watchful eye of former Hershey D---and Assistant Coach---Paul Jerrard … Hershey fans will get their first look at this year's crop when the Bears host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Saturday night at 7 PM at the Giant Center.

 

Thursday September 22, 2005 (Posted Thursday 11:28 P.M. EST.)

 

Let's get campy

Bears hit the ice for first day of training camp

 

Goaltender Frederic Cassivi stretches at the start of Thursday's practice.

 

Dean Arsene (right) takes a breather as Mark Wotton (left) looks on during drills.

 

Veteran LW Chris Bala, who is expected to play for the Reading Royals this season, gets off a shot during action on Thursday.

 

Bears Head Coach Bruce Boudreau diagrams a drill during Thursday's session.

 

Goalie Maxime Daigneault (left) shares a lighter moment with Louis Robitaille during a break in action on Thursday.

 

Owen Fussey (left) jockeys for position as Deryk Engelland defends during the second half of Thursday's practice.

 

Notes: With about 15 minutes remaining in Thursday's practice, D Jeff State and LW Robin Gomez dropped the gloves, but Assistant Coach Bob Woods quickly intervened before any punches were thrown … as punishment for returning last to the bench area during drills, Bears Head Coach Bruce Boudreau forced players to skate a lap … faces in the crowd included former Bears---and current Reading Royals LW---Larry Courville, who was helping with scouting for the Royals.

 

Sunday September 18, 2005 (Posted Sunday 8:28 P.M. EST.)

 

Bears receive first batch of assignees from Capitals

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

 

On Sunday, the Washington Capitals reassigned 20 players to Hershey, including Bears of recent: Dean Arsene, Frederic Cassivi, and Martin Wilde. The Bears open training camp on Wednesday, September 21st, and hit the ice for practice the following day. Hershey will conclude next weekend with preseason games against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday evening (at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre), and Saturday night (at the Giant Center).

 

Dean Arsene (left photo) and Martin Wilde were among 20 players reassigned to the Bears on Sunday.

 

In alphabetical order, here is the complete list of players sent down to Chocolatetown:

 

 

NAME	POSITION	AGE	HEIGHT/WEIGHT	2004/05 TEAM(S)
Dean Arsene	D	25	6-2, 200 lbs	Hershey (AHL)
Frederic Cassivi	G	30	6-4, 220 lbs	Cincinnati (AHL)
Kirk Daubenspeck	G	31	6-0, 195 lbs	Portland (AHL)
Tomas Fleischmann	LW	21	6-0, 190 lbs	Portland (AHL)
Jean-Francois Fortin	D	26	6-3, 210 lbs	Portland (AHL)
Owen Fussey	RW	22	6-0, 195 lbs	Portland (AHL)
Robin Gomez	LW	23	6-2, 210 lbs	So. Carolina (ECHL)
Jonas Johansson	RW	21	6-2, 190 lbs	Portland (AHL)
*Boyd Kane	LW	27	6-2, 225 lbs	Philadelphia (AHL)
Eric Labelle	RW	24	6-2, 195 lbs	Rock., Mil., Utah
Brooks Laich	C	22	6-2, 205 lbs	Portland (AHL)
Jeff Legue	C	24	5-11, 170 lbs	Ferris State (CCHA)
Jason Lehoux	LW	26	6-2, 225 lbs	Manitoba, Quad City
Cam McCaffrey	RW	22	6-1, 205 lbs	Portland, So. Carolina
*Graham Mink	RW	26	6-3, 220 lbs	Portland (AHL)
Louis Robitaille	D	23	6-1, 205 lbs	Portland (AHL)
David Spina	LW	22	5-11, 185 lbs	Boston College, Utah
Martin Wilde	D	28	6-4, 225 lbs	Hershey (AHL)
*Mark Wotton	D	31	5-10, 195 lbs	St. Petersburg (Rus.)
*Dwayne Zinger	D	29	6-4, 220 lbs	Portland (AHL)

 

*Denotes veteran status

 

Notes: With exactly 260 games (258 at the AHL level, 2 at the NHL), Mink meets the criteria for veteran status … along with their experience in goal, Hershey also boasts skill on defense, with a combined 1,749 NHL/AHL/IHL/European elite league games between Arsene (128), Fortin (243), Robitaille (117), Wilde (229), Wotton (685), and Zinger (347) … one thing the Hershey roster isn't lacking is toughness, with Arsene (598 penalty minutes in 4 pro seasons), Gomez (661 career PIMs), Labelle (1,232 professional PIMs), Lehoux (455 PIMs in 199 AHL games), McCaffrey (507 minutes at junior level), and Robitaille (1,020 PIMs in juniors, 2nd on Portland with 186 PIMs in 04/05) dotting the potential lineup. And just for good measure, throw in the occasional scrap from the likes of Zinger (552 career PIMs) and Kane (610 PIMs over the last 4 seasons) … Johansson is a former 1st round pick (28th overall in 2002) by the Colorado Avalanche, obtained by Washington in the Steve Konowalchuk trade … Fortin was on Hershey's training camp roster last year, but failed a physical and did not participate.

 

Ex-Bears on the move: Hard-working C Martin Hlinka, who spent all or parts of the last two seasons in Hershey, signed with the Kassel Huskies of the DEL … among the Avalanche's Saturday moves included former Bears G Tom Lawson, Ds Tomas Slovak and Mikko Viitanen, and LW Frantisek Skladany, who were all assigned to the Lowell Lock Monsters … Former Bear Charlie Stephens ('02-'04) re-signed with the Ottawa Senators for 1 year … Josh Olson (04/05) signed with the Houston Aeros … fan-favorite Rocky Thompson (01/02) inked with the Peoria Rivermen … Jordan Krestanovich ('99-'04) signed with Mora IK in Sweden … D Brian White ('98-'01) jumped from Germany to Finland, signing with Tappara Tampere.

 

 

Thursday September 8, 2005 (Posted Thursday 4:48 P.M. EST.)

 

Bear prints

Former players on the move

 

With not much news coming out of Chocolatetown of late, we thought we'd give a status update on several former Bears. Here's a list, in alphabetical order, of those players, with the parentheses denoting what season(s) they played in Hershey:

 

 

Notes: With Josef Boumedienne signing with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland on Wednesday, an open spot looms on the Capitals defense. It could be interesting to see if that available slot will be filled by say, a Bryan Muir, Jamie Heward, or Jakub Cutta---each a possibility to suit up for the Bears this season … Ulmer, likely the victim of a new rule that exposes players making $75,000 or more to waivers if recalled to the NHL, will join his brother Jason---who will suit up for the Kassel Huskies---in the SEL … Paul, most likely headed to the Hamilton Bulldogs, has logged countless miles during his 7 professional seasons. The 27-year old defenseman, who led Hershey with 201 penalty minutes in 2001/02, has also spent time in the AHL with Norfolk, San Antonio, Hartford, and Portland. In addition to the 2 NHL games he logged with Colorado in 02/03, he played 2 seasons in the defunct IHL with Indianapolis and Cleveland … with HC Davos, Hahl will join another former Bear, Josef Marha ('96-'98) on offense … Elizabethtown native Jami Yoder signed with the UHL's Quad City Mallards on Tuesday. The journeyman blue-liner, 27, has previously played in the ECHL (Richmond, Hampton Roads, Jacksonville), WPHL (Monroe, Anchorage), CHL (Odessa), and UHL (Richmond, Kansas City).

 

Tuesday August 30, 2005 (Posted Tuesday 11:57 P.M. EST.)

 

The Sweetest Place on Earth...

...welcomes the Capitals for 3 days in September

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

On Tuesday, the Washington Capitals announced that they will hold a 3-day portion of their training camp in Hershey from September 25th - 27th. Practice times, which have yet to be announced, will be open to the public free of charge. The Caps will play 8 preseason contests, including one at the Giant Center on Sunday, September 25th against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tentatively, the game is to feature the NHL's last two, 1st overall picks, Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. Pens co-owner Mario Lemieux, himself a former 1st overall selection (in 1984) by Pittsburgh, is rumored to be in the lineup that evening.

 

Notes: It will mark the first time since the 1983/84 campaign that Hershey has hosted part of an NHL team's training camp. Coincidentally, it was the Capitals---who had a split affiliation with the Boston Bruins that season---that spent nearly a week training at Hershey Park Arena … Add Gavin Morgan to the list of former Bears heading overseas to Switzerland this season. The one-time Hershey center (03/04), who spent last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, will join EHC Basel of the SEL.

 

Saturday August 27, 2005 (Posted Saturday 1:48 P.M. EST.)

 

Here's what you've missed…

…Since our last broadcast

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

The Hershey roster took a giant hit on offense last week, with reigning Team MVP Eric Perrin signing with SC Bern in Switzerland. Perrin, who was a restricted free agent, made the difficult decision to head back overseas, instead of accepting Tampa Bay's qualifying offer. During his two-year tenure with the chocolate and white, he posted point totals of 75 (03/04) and 73 (04/05), both of which led Hershey in their respective seasons. He also saw action in 4 regular season, and 12 playoff games during the Lightning's Stanley Cup-winning 2003/04 campaign.

 

Eric Perrin, shown here during the 2003/04 campaign with Hershey, will be taking his game to Switzerland this season.

 

On Thursday, the Bears roster was likely bolstered when the Washington Capitals signed C Dave Steckel. Steckel, 23, was the final selection in the 1st round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (30th overall, by Los Angeles), and spent his first pro season of 2004/05 in Manchester under the tutelage of new Hershey Head Coach Bruce Boudreau. With the Monarchs, he registered 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists) in 63 games. He also suited up for 9 games with the ECHL's Reading Royals, posting 3-6-9. Prior to turning pro, the 6-5, 215 lb Wisconsiner played four seasons at Ohio State, where one of his teammates was current Flyers prospect RJ Umberger. Estimations are that he'll be joined at center this season in Hershey with Chris Bourque and Jakub Klepis.

 

Dave Steckel (#39), who signed with Washington on Thursday, is shown with the Manchester Monarchs during a December 18th, 2004 game at the Giant Center.

 

Friday saw the Caps sign 2004 1st round pick Mike Green to an entry level 3-year contract. The 6-1, 198 lb d-man will possibly be the least-experienced member of the Hershey blueline this year … and he will certainly be the youngest. Green, who doesn't turn 20 until October 12th, will likely become the first teenager to crack the Bears lineup since Vaclav Nedorost did it in the 2001/02 season. Prior to turning pro, he spent all or parts of 5 seasons with the Saskatoon Blades, where he was named a WHL 1st Team All-Star for the 04/05 campaign.

 

Thinking out loud: With the departure of Perrin---as well as Mathieu Darche---it will be interesting to see if Hershey goes after a veteran scorer. While it would be great to have a proven point-getter in the line-up, the possibility looms that the Bears might have their five veteran spots filled come opening night: Ds Bryan Muir, Lawrence Nycholat, Mark Wotton and Dwayne Zinger; and LW Boyd Kane all seem to be safe bets. And don't forget about D Jamie Heward…

 

An area the Bears are also lacking in is the toughness department. With Dennis Bonvie jettisoning off to Wilkes-Barre, D Dean Arsene might have his hands full if he's left to do the knuckle dragging this season. Towards the end of last season, there was talk of Mike Amodeo returning to Chocolatetown for 04/05, but who knows? If not, there are plenty of ECHL, UHL, and CHL pugilists hungry enough to fight for a roster spot in the AHL.

 

Could Mike Amodeo (#32), pictured here squaring off against Albany's Cam Janssen last December 17th, return to Hershey this season?

 

Etc: With his new Swiss club, which happens to be nicknamed the "Big Bad Bears," Perrin will be joined by former Hershey and Tampa Bay teammate, Shane Willis ... David Masse, who spent parts of the last two seasons with Hershey, signed last week with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers … Lanny Gare (03/04) and KC Timmons ('99-'03) have both signed with the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings … the Capitals recently pulled out of the annual Traverse City (Michigan) tournament, which features up to 6 NHL teams comprised of rookies and free agents ages 23 and under, with a maximum of 1 year pro experience. With Washington out, the remaining teams will include the host team Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Minnesota Wild … like Steckel, Umberger was also a 2001 1st round pick (16th overall by Vancouver) … prior to Nedorost in 01/02, the last teenager to see action with Hershey was Jordan Krestanovich, who suited up for 3 playoff games over the course of two seasons (99/00 & 00/01).

 

David Masse is off to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers...while Lanny Gare heads to the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings.

 

 

 

Sunday August 14, 2005 (Posted Sunday 12:03 A.M. EST.) 

 

Hershey roster taking shape?

Friday moves could impact 2005/06 lineup

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

joe@7641.com

 

This off-season has been one of the busiest in NHL history, with free agent signings galore. Players going here, players going there. Friday was no exception, with the Washington Capitals acquiring former Bears D Bryan Muir from the Los Angeles Kings; signing free agents Jamie Heward and Boyd Kane; and re-signing restricted free agents Matt Pettinger and Louis Robitaille. Hershey, which looks to benefit from some of these moves, also made some noise of their own, signing free agent goaltender Frederic Cassivi, who donned the familiar chocolate and white from 1999-2002.

 

Cassivi, 30, returns to Chocolatetown, where he led the Bears to the 2001 Western Conference Finals against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 101 career regular season contests for Hershey, Cassivi posted a record of 37-43-10 with 3 shutouts. Last season with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, he registered career bests in wins (25), shutouts (10), G.A.A. (2.07), and Save Percentage (.924). In fact, his shutout total surpassed his combined sum (9) in nine pro seasons. On January 24th, 2002, he was dealt from the Colorado Avalanche to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Brett Clark, who spent all or parts of four seasons with Hershey. Besides Hershey and Cincinnati, Cassivi has also played in the AHL for Prince Edward Island, Syracuse, Worcester, and Chicago; in the defunct IHL for Cincinnati; and 8 career NHL games with Atlanta. With Chicago, he was a member of the Wolves' 2002 Calder Cup Championship team.

 

Muir, 32, spent parts of three seasons (00/01 through 02/03) in Hershey, where he recorded 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 121 games. If Muir returns, he'll be reunited with new Bears Head Coach Bruce Boudreau, who coached him during the 2003/04 campaign with the Manchester Monarchs. That season, Muir garnered AHL First Team All-Star accolades, registering career highs in goals (13), assists (37), and points (50). Last year, Muir skated with Modo (Sweden), where his teammates included NHL'ers Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund, as well as former Bear Dan Hinote. With Hershey, Muir would likely quarterback the power-play, with recently-signed d-man Lawrence Nycholat as his partner on the blueline.

 

Kane, 27, comes to the system from the Flyers organization, where he spent the last two seasons captaining the Philadelphia Phantoms. The veteran winger helped lead the Phantoms to the Calder Cup Championship this past season, posting 24 points in 58 regular season games, as well as another 7 points in 21 postseason contests. Over his six professional seasons, Kane has totaled 171 points (68 goals, 103 assists) and 716 penalty minutes in 401 career AHL contests.

 

Boyd Kane, shown here during the Philadelphia Phantoms' 3-1 win over Hershey on November 27th, 2004

 

Robitaille, 23, is embarking on his third professional season, having spent the last two campaigns with the Portland Pirates. In 04/05, he finished second on the Pirates with 186 penalty minutes in 59 games, while converting midseason from defense to left wing. Prior to turning pro, Robitaille played four seasons with the Montreal Rocket (QMJHL), compiling 1,020 PIMs in 271 contests.

 

Louis Robitaille, pictured here during the Portland Pirates' 3-2 victory over the Bears at the Giant Center on March 23rd, 2005. In that game, he registered 4 penalty minutes.

 

Pettinger will likely be the Caps' second or third line left winger, while Heward has a chance at cracking their defensive corps. Of Washington's recent free agent signings among defenseman, Heward has logged the most career NHL games (239), spending time with Toronto, Nashville, New York (I), and Columbus. The 34-year old last spent a full season in the AHL during the 1997/98 campaign, helping the Philadelphia Phantoms to their first-ever Calder Cup Championship. Since he last played in North America during the 01/02 campaign, he's spent the last three seasons in Switzerland.

 

In one other notable move from Friday, D Johnny Oduya signed a 1-year deal with the Frolunda Indians of the Swedish Elite League. Oduya, who attended the Capitals prospect camp in Hershey last month, inked the deal after he wasn't offered a contract by Washington. If he had been signed though, he would've likely been ticketed for the Bears this upcoming season. Oduya was originally a 7th round draft choice (221st overall) by the Capitals in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, and had spent the last three seasons playing in his native Sweden.

 

It's possible that in the midst of all of the player transaction frenzy, the Hershey Bears might come out resembling a reality tv show: call it Extreme Makeover meets The Benefactor … which will hopefully result in a Contender for 2005/06.

 

 

Tuesday August 9, 2005 (Posted Tuesday 3:38 P.M. EST.) 

 

Help Wanted: Enforcer. Skills, Experience desired.

The "Menace" returns to Wilkes-Barre

 

By Joe Shetrom, 7641 Sports

 

Ok, so it's not September yet. Nevertheless, there were a few notable items in the hockey world from Monday that related to the Bears. Mainly, the departure of fan favorite Dennis Bonvie, who rejoined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Monday by signing a multi-year agreement. Bonvie, 32, previously played for the Pens from 1999-2001, racking up 464 penalty minutes in 107 career games. During his first tour of duty with WBS, he led the Penguins to the 2001 Calder Cup finals, where they lost the deciding Game 7 at home to the Saint John Flames. In 693 career American Hockey League games, the AHL's all-time penalty minute leader has compiled 245 points (78 goals, 167 assists), 3,673 PIMs, and has reached the Calder Cup finals on two occasions (Hamilton, 1997, WBS, 2001). Last season, "Bones" led the Bears with 357 PIMs, a figure that not only ranked second in the AHL, but placed 2nd all-time in a single-season for Hershey.

 

Bonvie with Hershey last season..........and in his new Penguins jersey Photo Courtesy: WBS Penguins

 

With Bonvie gone, a large hole will need to be filled on the Bears roster. While there are still several free agent possibilities, the only would-be Capitals prospect that might have been able to come close was Garret Stroshein, a 6-7, 245 lb winger who registered 109 penalty minutes in 42 games with the Portland Pirates last season. Unfortunately, Stroshein was not presented a qualifying offer by Washington, and is now an unrestricted free agent. One other possible candidate is Eric Labelle, who attended last month's Capitals prospect camp in Hershey. Labelle, 24, led the UHL with 390 penalty minutes last season with the Rockford IceHogs. Although he'd be a crowd pleaser, according to numerous hockey fight experts, Labelle would likely come up short in the win department on most nights.

 

Could Eric Labelle be the next Bears PIM leader?

 

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Also on Monday, the Capitals announced that they had signed RW Miroslav Zalesak to a two-way contract. Zalesak, 25, spent four seasons in the Sharks organization, compiling 191 points (98 goals, 93 assists) in 256 games with the Kentucky Thoroughblades and Cleveland Barons from 2000-2004. According to reports, if Zalesak is sent down to the minors, he has the option of reporting to Hershey, or returning to Europe.

 

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Continuing on the theme, the biggest news out of the NHL was the lifting of Todd Bertuzzi's suspension, which resulted from a cheap shot on former Bear Steve Moore in a Canucks/Avalanche game on March 4th, 2004. No need to go into the whole Bertuzzi/Canucks/Moore ordeal, but ultimately, the "Suspension" amounted to a total of 19 games (13 regular season, 6 playoff) and a forfeiture of $501,926 in salary: By the way, this wouldn't happen to coincide with the Toronto Sun's report on Sunday that Moore has been medically cleared to play, does it?

 

Yeah Jess, we too were surprised by the NHL's decision

 

Steve Moore, shown here during the 2003/04 season with Hershey

 

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On Tuesday, the Caps added two free agents to the organization, signing NHL veteran C Andrew Cassels, as well as AHL veteran D Lawrence Nycholat. While Cassels is projected to play alongside 2004 1st overall pick Alexander Ovechkin in D.C., Nycholat could very well end up in Hershey. In 304 career AHL games with Houston and Hartford, the 26-year old native of Calgary has registered 139 points (27 goals, 112 assists) and 515 penalty minutes. Last season, Nycholat was voted a starter in the AHL All-Star Classic, which was played in Manchester, NH. Originally signed by the Minnesota Wild as a free agent in 2000, he spent the majority of his first pro season with the Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL), where he posted 10 points (3-7-10) in 42 games. He was then dealt from the Wild to the Rangers during the 2002/03 campaign, coming to New York in exchange for G Johan Holmqvist. In 9 career NHL games (all with the Rangers), he's registered no points and 6 PIMs. If Nycholat is assigned to the Bears, he would likely head the defensive corps once led by Brett Clark, who was resigned by the Colorado Avalanche.

 

Defenseman Lawrence Nycholat, seen here with the Hartford Wolf Pack in a game versus Hershey on January 29th, 2005, could land in Chocolatetown this season.

 

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Tuesday also saw former Bears goalie Philippe Sauve getting dealt to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a conditional 2006 7th round draft choice. Sauve, 25, recently resigned with the Avalanche after spending last season with the Mississippi Sea Wolves (ECHL), where he posted a 13-4-4 mark in 21 games. During his tenure in Hershey---which included all or parts of 4 seasons---Sauve recorded a 71-65-19 mark with 16 shutouts and a 2.39 G.A.A. While Sauve will likely battle it out for the back-up position to Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary, former Bears netminder Peter Budaj has a golden opportunity at assuming the standby reigns for David Aebischer in Denver.

 

With Phil Sauve off to Calgary.......Peter Budaj is poised for the back-up spot in Colorado

 

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Note: Be sure to mark Saturday, September 24th, and Sunday, October 2nd on your calendars. On the evening of 9/24, the Bears will host the WBS Penguins in a preseason contest at the Giant Center, starting at 7 PM. The following night, Hershey travels to the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre to tackle the Pens at 5:05 PM. On 10/2, the Bears wrap-up their preseason schedule with a 7 PM affair against the Norfolk Admirals at the GC.

 

Note September 24th & October 2nd on your dance card

 

Until next time … keep your stick on the ice, and your head up.

 

Saturday August 6, 2005 (Posted Saturday 11:26 P.M. EST.)

 

Let's review…