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Aeros in Edmonton again tonight

October 30, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know With a victory tonight, the Aeros can move over the .500 mark (not counting their 2003-04 season-opening victory) for the first time since the final day of the 2002-03 campaign. Houston also began last season 3-3-1 before a 2-10-1-2 stretch. This weekend marks the first time brothers Mark (Houston) and Joe Cullen (Edmonton) have faced each other on the ice. They were teammates at Colorado College for three seasons. A third brother - Matt, now property of the Carolina Hurricanes, went to St. Cloud State, as did cousin Jon, currently playing overseas. Mark is 28 months older than Joe, who had an assist last night. Two coaches from each team, eight Aeros and four Road Runners squared off against each other in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals. The Aeros bested Hamilton, then a partial affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, in a thrilling seven-game series. The Aeros are 13-8-6-0 all-time in Canada during the regular season, counting games against Manitoba and Quebec. Houston was 2-2 in Hamilton during the 2003 Calder Cup Finals. Edmonton's Tyler Moss sports a 3-9-2 record and a 3.26 gaa versus the Aeros. His nine losses are the fourth most against Houston in its 11 seasons. Moss was also the goalie on the 1999 Orlando team that fell to Houston in the Calder Cup Finals.

Aeros at Road Runners (Aeros lead series 1-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Edmonton) Tonight will mark Houston's second ever foray into Alberta.

Scouting the Aeros Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1-5=6) leads the Aeros with six points through seven games...Brent Burns (2-3=5), who like Bouchard spent 2003-04 in Minnesota, and Matt Foy (2-3=5) each have five points...Houston has 13 players with at least one goal, and none with more than three...The Aeros return eight of their top 11 scorers from a year ago, including leading point-getter Kyle Wanvig (25-16=41)...Rookie netminder Josh Harding (1-3-0, 2.67) is one of a slew of talented newcomers...That list also includes goalie Mike Smith (2-1-0, 3.10) and last year's Hobey Baker winner Junior Lessard, both Dallas prospects.

Scouting the Road Runners A balanced offensive attack has led Edmonton to a lightning-fast 5-2-1-0 start...Road Runners have 12 players with at least one goal...Tony Salmelainen has a team-best seven points (4-3=7) while J.J. Hunter has six (4-2=6)...Veteran Doug Lynch (1-3=4) and Rick Mrozik (1-2=3) anchor the blueline...Veteran netminder Tyler Moss is 3-1-0 with a 1.97 gaa, while rookie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers is 2-2-0 with a 2.27 gaa.

2004-05 meetings (Second of four meetings, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Edmonton) Last Night: Houston 3 at Edmonton 2 TONIGHT: Houston at Edmonton November 14: Edmonton at Houston January 19: Edmonton at Houston

Last Night Kyle Wanvig scored his second power-play game-winning goal in as many games and 20-year-old Josh Harding made 24 saves to become the youngest Aeros goalie to notch a victory, as Houston rallied for a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Road Runners at Rexall Place. Dan Cavanaugh and Patrick Traverse also scored for Houston (3-3-1-0), which picked up its first road win and has won two straight overall...Toby Peterson scored a power play goal, Doug Lynch also scored and rookie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 17 saves for the Road Runners.

Quick Hits The Aeros are 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) on the power play over their last two games. Rickard Wallin has an assist in three straight games, including a helper on Kyle Wanvig's third-period game-winner last night. Pierre-Marc Bouchard has assisted on four of the Aeros' first seven power play goals this season.

Wanvig getting on a roll Kyle Wanvig, coming off his first career overtime game-winning goal Sunday, notched his second straight game-winner last night. Wanvig's 13 career game-winning goal has moved him into a third-place tie with Mark Lamb on the team's all-time ledgers. Brian Wiseman is up next with 14. Mark Freer is the franchise's all-time leader in that category with 21. In 2003-04, Wanvig led Houston with seven game-winners, including six in six straight games before New Year's.

Brotherly Love This weekend marks the first time brothers Mark (Houston) and Joe Cullen (Edmonton) have faced each other on the ice. They were teammates at Colorado College for three seasons. A third brother - Matt, now property of the Carolina Hurricanes, went to St. Cloud State, as did cousin Jon, currently playing overseas. Mark is 28 months older than Joe, who had an assist last night.

What's on tap Tonight the Aeros play game two of a six-game road trip that kicks off a grueling stretch of 13 out of 15 on the road. The six-game road trip, which continues with a Monday morning game in Hartford after a full day of travel, is the longest for the team since an eight-game trip in January and February of 2003. The Aeros will travel 7,318 miles before their next home game, 11/7 vs. Syracuse.

A pleasure to see you again Four Road Runners and eight Aeros played against each other in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals. Tony Salmelainen, Jarret Stoll, Mike Bishai and Nate DiCasmirro each saw action with Hamilton, which fell in seven games to the Aeros. Salmelainen was the Bulldogs' third leading scorer in the Finals with four points (2-2=4). Current Edmonton head coach Geoff Ward and assistant Joe Paterson were calling the shots in the series against Todd McLellan and Matt Shaw.

Boogaard in the box Houston's Derek Boogaard has a penalty in each of his first seven games, tied for the AHL lead. Boogaard has 31 penalty minutes, third on the team behind John Erskine (34) and Kyle Wanvig (33). In his AHL rookie season in 2003-04, Boogaard had 207 penalty minutes, the most for an Aero since 2000-01.

A new era The AHL has instituted a shootout if the score is still tied after a five-minute overtime period. The Aeros last played a shootout game 4/13/01, a 3-2 win at Utah.

How the Aeros were built The Aeros have a franchise record three first-round picks, plus five second-rounders and four third rounders. Kyle Wanvig was drafted twice, once in the second round by Boston and again in the third by Minnesota. All but four of Houston's players were drafted. Five Aeros have their NHL rights owned by the Dallas Stars - Mike Smith, Junior Lessard, Patrick Traverse, Marius Holtet and John Erskine. Houston had 15 players from Canada on its Opening Night roster, five from the United States and one each from the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Austria. Marius Holtet, a second-round pick by Dallas, is the highest drafted Norwegian player in NHL history.

Aeros have 11 who played in NHL in 2003-04 Eleven Aeros played a total of 250 games in the NHL in 2003-04, and including Patrick Traverse, who has 278 games of NHL experience but none last season, 12 Aeros have 884 games of NHL experience. Another two Aeros - Mike Smith and Erik Reitz - were recalled to Dallas and Minnesota, respectively, last season but didn't see action in a game.

Aeros/Road Runners connections Houston's Derek Boogaard and Edmonton's Dan Baum were teammates in WHL Prince George from 1999-2001. The Aeros' Pierre-Marc Bouchard played with QMJHL Chicoutimi in 2001-02, in front of Road Runners goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers. Houston's Kyle Wanvig played two seasons at WHL Red Deer with Edmonton's Doug Lynch and Jeff Woywitka. The troop helped lead the Rebels to a Memorial Cup. Lynch also spent part of the 2002-03 season alongside Houston's Chris Heid in Spokane. Houston's Kirby Law and Edmonton's Tyler Moss were teammates briefly with IHL Orlando in 1998-99. Edmonton's Toby Peterson played two seasons at Colorado College with Houston's Mark Cullen and one with his teammates Joe Cullen. Houston's Stephane Veilleux spent two seasons with Edmonton's Mathieu Roy at QMJHL Val d'Or, and the Foreurs lost to Kyle Wanvig and Doug Lynch's Red Deer team in 2001 in the Memorial Cup. Edmonton's Jarret Stoll played one season plus 14 games with Kyle Wanvig at WHL Kootenay before Wanvig was traded to Red Deer. The Road Runners' Rocky Thompson and Houston's Kyle Wanvig are both from Calgary. This is Wanvig's first pro game in Alberta. Houston's Josh Harding and Derek Boogaard and Edmonton's Jarret Stoll all hail from Saskatoon, Sask. The Aeros' Kirby Law played nearly half of last season with Edmonton's Jeff Woywitka in AHL Philadelphia. Edmonton's Jamie Wright and Houston's John Erskine both played for Utah in 2000-01. Wright also spent part of the 2002-03 season in AHL Philadelphia with Houston's Kirby Law. Houston's Todd Reirden made his NHL debut with Edmonton 1/7/99 at Phoenix and got first goal and assist with the Oilers 1/10/99 at Anaheim. Edmonton assistant coach Joe Paterson was an assistant on the 1999-2000 Louisville club that featured Kirby Law.


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