ECHL Bakersfield Condors

Condors Get Langdone and Kings Goalie Prospect

October 7, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release


The Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL have ended weeks of anticipation on the completion of their goaltending duo, by accepting the assignment of Los Angeles Kings prospect Yutaka Fukufuji. He and RW Mike Lukajic were attending training camp with the Kings top affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, and both will now come to Bakersfield. Ashlee Langdone has agreed to terms as well, after being acquired in a summer trade with the Texas Wildcatters. Training camp opens for the Condors on Friday, October 8th.

Fukufuji, 22, joins the Condors fresh from the Manchester Monarchs training camp, with the top affiliate of the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings. The Monarchs had five goaltenders in camp this season. He stands at 6'1" while weighing in at 170 pounds. He spent the 2003-04 season with the Japanese National Team, mainly in international play. Fukufuji made his professional debut in North America in the 2002-03 season as a 20-year old, appearing in nine games with the Cincinnati Cyclones where he posted the highest save percentage among the team's five netminders.

The rights to Langdone, 24, were acquired by Bakersfield from the Wildcatters in August in exchange for C Andrew Ianiero, who has likewise agreed to terms with Texas. Condors fans will likely remember the Edmonton native from his time spent with the San Diego Gulls in the old West Coast Hockey League. Last season was a breakout year of sorts for the fifth-year forward, who set personal high marks in goals, assists and points. He surpassed 300 penalty minutes for the fourth consecutive season, and finished fourth in the ECHL in that category. Langdone led the WCHL by a wide margin in penalty minutes with the Gulls in 2001-02 by racking up 514.

Lukajic, 23, a Mississauga, Ontario native, completed his four-year college career at the University of Oswego last spring. He decimated opposing goaltenders while at the Division-III school, lighting the lamp 58 times in 64 games during his junior and senior seasons, including 12 power play goals and 13 game winning goals during that stretch. The 6'4", 225-lb winger racked up 144 points in 120 games with the Great Lakers.

"The Kings are really high on (Fukufuji)," said Assistant Coach Paul Willett, who spoke with Kings General Manager Dave Taylor this afternoon about the assignment. "They had him here during their rookie camp for about two weeks this summer and in Manchester for about 10 days and say he has good reflexes. They wouldn't sign him if they didn't think at some point that he couldn't play at the NHL level, but it's going to be a learning process for him."

Stats for Fukufuji, Langdone and Lukajic are listed below. The 2004-05 Bakersfield Condors season opens in 15 days at home on October 22nd against the Victoria Salmon Kings. Ticket packages are on sale now for as low as $30. Contact the BSE office at 324-PUCK (7825) for more information.

Check out the Bakersfield Condors Statistics



ECHL Stories from October 7, 2004


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