Aeros open regular season tonight

Published on October 15, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know

The Aeros have won three straight season openers since joining the AHL, including a 5-1 rout at eventual Calder Cup champion Milwaukee last season.
Houston lost in regulation only once to San Antonio last season (7-1-2-2).
At San Antonio, Houston is unbeaten in regulation in the last seven trips (3-0-2-2), including a 2-0-2-2 mark in 2003-04. The Rampage last beat the Aeros at home in regulation March 11, 2003, by a 7-4 count.
Tonight, either Mike Smith (22), Josh Harding (20) or Kyle Kettles (23) will become the youngest Opening Night goaltender in Aeros history. Harding, at 20 years and 119 days, would become the youngest goalie to ever appear in a game for the Aeros. Current Philadelphia Flyer Robert Esche was 20 years and 260 days when he debuted on October 9, 1999, in Cleveland.
The Aeros and Rampage split four pre-season games, with Houston winning the series five points to four, thanks to a 5-4 overtime loss in the finale last Saturday.

Aeros at Rampage (Aeros lead all-time series 15-4-3-2, Aeros are 5-2-3-2 at San Antonio)
Tonight is the 25th all-time meeting between the teams - 13th in San Antonio.
The Aeros lost in regulation only once to San Antonio last season (7-1-2-2).
The Aeros are unbeaten in regulation in the last seven meetings (5-0-1-1) and haven't lost to San Antonio in regulation since a 6-3 decision January 16, 2004.
The teams have gone to overtime in six of 24 meetings, and the Aeros are 1-2-3 against San Antonio. Houston's lone OT victory came 5-4 November 23, 2003, at the SBC Center.
At San Antonio, Houston is unbeaten in regulation in the last seven trips (3-0-2-2), including a 2-0-2-2 mark in 2003-04. The Rampage last beat the Aeros at home in regulation March 11, 2003, by a 7-4 count.

2004-05 meetings (First of 12 meetings, Aeros are 0-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 0-0-0-0 at San Antonio)
TONIGHT: Houston at San Antonio
December 3: San Antonio at Houston
December 23: San Antonio at Houston
January 21: Houston at San Antonio
February 27: Houston at San Antonio
March 2: San Antonio at Houston
March 3: Houston at San Antonio
March 12: San Antonio at Houston
April 2: San Antonio at Houston
April 3: Houston at San Antonio
April 9: Houston at San Antonio
April 10: San Antonio at Houston

Looking for four straight season opening victories
The Aeros have won three straight season openers since joining the AHL, including a 5-1 rout at eventual Calder Cup champion Milwaukee last season. Rickard Wallin and Kyle Wanvig each posted a goal and an assist.
The Aeros last lost a season opener in 2000, when Kansas City won 2-1 at Compaq Center.
Houston is 4-3-3 all-time in season openers.
San Antonio is the ninth different opponent in a season opening game for the Aeros. Houston did play at the old IHL Iguanas in two season openers - 1996 and 1997. The Aeros lost the 1996 contest 5-4 in a shootout, then won 2-1 the next season.
Tonight, either Mike Smith (22), Josh Harding (20) or Kyle Kettles (23) will become the youngest Opening Night goaltender in Aeros history. Johan Holmqvist was 25 last season, the previous youngest.

Scouting the Aeros
The Aeros return eight of their top 11 scorers from a year ago, including leading point-getter Kyle Wanvig (25-16=41)...Talented newcomers include a trio of first-round draft picks - 2004 World Cup player Mikko Koivu, Brent Burns and Pierre-Marc Bouchard...Also new is rookie netminder Josh Harding, and several Dallas Stars prospects, including Hobey Baker winner Junior Lessard and goalie Mike Smith.

Scouting the Rampage
San Antonio, 40-42-8-0 a season ago, missed out on the playoffs by four points...Steady goaltender Travis Scott returns but is expected to get help from Patrick DesRochers after playing in 64 games last year...First-round pick (2003) defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, a World Cup player this summer, anchors a young but promising team along with Stephen Weiss, who spent the last two seasons in Florida.

Pre-season wrap-up
The Aeros and Rampage split four games, with Houston winning the series five points to four thanks to a 5-4 overtime loss Saturday in San Antonio...Pierre-Marc Bouchard led Houston with five points, all assists, while Kamil Kreps totaled five points (3-2=5) to lead the Rampage.

A look ahead

Tomorrow night the Aeros play their home opener at Toyota Center against Cincinnati at 7:35 p.m. The Ducks play their second game of the season tonight in Utah. Cincinnati beat the Grizzlies 4-3 in a shootout Wednesday.
Following Wednesday's game in Chicago, the Aeros play three games at home in three nights October 22-24 for just the second time in franchise history before playing 13 of 15 games on the road. Houston also played three-in-three at home from December 7-9, 2001, going 1-1 versus Hartford and 1-0 against Manitoba.

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 has 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 trio of first-round picks for first time ever
Tonight, the Aeros will have three first-round draft picks (Mikko Koivu, Brent Burns and Pierre-Marc Bouchard) on their roster at one time for the first time in their 11-year history.
Overall, Houston has had 12 No. 1 picks wear its uniform. Two skated last season - Burns and Jason Marshall.
Koivu, selected sixth overall by Minnesota in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, is the fourth highest draft pick ever to play for Houston. Only Sylvain Turgeon (No. 2, 1983), Neil Brady (No. 3, 1986) and Zarley Zalapski (No. 4, 1986) were higher picks.
Burns and Bouchard are two of Minnesota's three first-round picks who played in the NHL the season immediately after being drafted. Burns, 19, is already the youngest player in Aeros history, as he played one game last season at the age of 18.

Harding is second-highest goalie draft pick to play for Houston
Not only is Josh Harding the Aeros' youngest goalie in franchise history, but he's also the second highest drafted netminder to play for the team.
Harding was picked by the Wild 38th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Only Troy Gamble (No. 25, 1985) was a higher pick.

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.

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.

Aeros were winless in OT in 2003-04
The Aeros went 0-4-14 in overtime in 2003-04 after going second in the league in OT wins in 2002-03 with eight. Houston's last overtime win came in San Antonio 3/20/03, when Hnat Domenichelli scored 12 seconds into the extra session for a 5-4 victory.

Rookies no more
In 2003-04, 14 Aeros who played in at least one game were classified as rookies. Only four rookies begin the season with Houston in 2004-05 - Junior Lessard, Marius Holtet, Josh Harding and Kyle Kettles. Kettles is still classified as a rookie since he played less than 25 games with Houston last season.

Aeros/Rampage connections
San Antonio's Joel Kwiatkowski and Houston's Patrick Traverse were traded for each other in 2001 (Kwiatkowski went from Anaheim to Ottawa for Traverse).
Houston's John Erskine and San Antonio's Serge Payer, Ryan Jardine and Eric Beaudoin were teammates in Utah in 2001-02.
Houston's Brent Burns was a teammate of San Antonio's Kamil Kreps in 2002-03 with OHL Brampton.
San Antonio's Victor Uchevatov was a teammate of Houston's Ray Giroux in Albany from 2001-03.
Houston's Kyle Kettles was the goalie on a WHL Medicine Hat team that featured San Antonio's Jay Bouwmeester from 1999-2001.

Aeros vs. Rampage
2 Heid 10gp, 0-2=2
4 Burns 0gp, 0-0=0
5 Reitz 20gp, 1-12=13
6 Michalek 16gp, 2-4=6
8 Giroux 0gp, 0-0=0
10 Law 0gp, 0-0=0
15 Wallin 13gp, 7-5=12
16 Cavanaugh 19gp, 3-1=4
17 Cullen 18gp, 8-7=15
19 Cavosie 21gp, 4-8=12
21 Koivu 0gp, 0-0=0
22 Lessard 0gp, 0-0=0
24 Veilleux 11gp, 6-4=10
26 Wanvig 17gp, 5-6=11
27 Traverse 0gp, 0-0=0
28 Reirden 9gp, 3-3=6
29 Brandner 8gp, 3-2=5
31 Boogaard 8gp, 0-1=1
34 Foy 11gp, 4-2=6
36 Holtet 0gp, 0-0=0
55 Erskine 7gp, 1-1=2
96 Bouchard 0gp, 0-0=0

Rampage vs. Aeros
2 Krajicek 12gp, 0-1=1
4 Bouwmeester 0gp, 0-0=0
5 Novak 7gp, 1-3=4
6 Kwiatkowski 13gp, 0-6=6
7 Payer 16gp, 4-5=9
8 McNeill 4gp, 0-0=0
9 Weiss 0gp, 0-0=0
11 Campbell 12gp, 2-0=2
15 Jardine 22gp, 7-9=16
16 Healey 8gp, 2-0=2
19 Globke 0gp, 0-0=0
22 Olson 15gp, 3-1=4
23 Beaudoin 21gp, 8-15=23
25 Henry 6gp, 0-2=2
27 Taticek 8gp, 0-2=2
28 Kreps 0gp, 0-0=0
34 Nielsen 7gp, 0-0=0
36 Uchevatov 4gp, 0-1=1
39 Dickenson 0gp, 0-0=0
44 Jacina 0gp, 0-0=0

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American Hockey League Stories from October 15, 2004


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