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ECHL Bakersfield Condors

Condors Re-Sign Rosebush for Fifth Season

October 2, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release


Bakersfield, Calif. – The Bakersfield Condors Professional Hockey Team of the ECHL has announced the signing of longtime fan favorite LW Paul Rosebush, acquired RW Vince Malts from the Augusta Lynx and signed D Jani Virtanen. The trio will bring the Condors roster to 13 players.

Rosebush, 28, has played the last four seasons in Bakersfield, and is coming off his second consecutive 20-goal season. On March 22nd last season, after extending his goal-scoring streak to a team-high seven games, Rosebush fractured a finger and was lost for the season. Overall, he finished with 22g-17a-39pts in 61 games.

The Wellington, Ontario native now resides in Bakersfield, and pulls in just under the "veteran" limit with 275 pro games to his credit. The ECHL veteran status is designated as 288 games. In his four years he has climbed up the Condors and team history (including the Bakersfield Fog) charts, currently ranked in the top 10 in all five major categories: games, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes. In Condors history, he ranks in the top three in all five categories.

Malts, 24, who was acquired from Augusta in exchange for an undisclosed amount of cash, has spent nearly his entire career in the ECHL. Last year, he split his time between Augusta and the Charlotte Checkers, registering 11g-20a-31pts and 160 penalty minutes in just 59 games. In four years of professional play, he has 45 goals and 107 points to go with 684 PIM. He also has five points and 63 PIM in 12 playoff games.

The Vancouver Canucks selected Malts, a Philadelphia native, in the seventh round of the 1998 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The 6'3", 215-lb winger has been known for his physical play. The Condors have yet to sign Malts, but he is expected in camp this weekend.

"‘Rosie' has said all along that he wanted to come back, and we've said all along that we wanted him back," said Head Coach Paul Kelly. "We knew something would get done, but it was just a matter of time to get a CBA squared away and know what kind of rules we were dealing with. He brings it to the table every night and is a true catalyst for this team.

The Condors have also signed D Jani Virtanen. The Finnish-born blueliner split last season between the Finnish and Swedish Elite Leagues. At 26-years-old, he has played 132 games in the last three seasons at the elite league level. In 1999-00, with Hermes in the Finnish 1st Division, he led the league in penalty minutes with 189 PIM in 49 games.

The Condors make their ECHL debut in just 15 days, on Friday, October 17th, hosting the Fresno Falcons Opening Night. Season ticket packages are available starting at just $48, and group outings are also available. For more information, contact the Condors office at 324-PUCK (7825), or visit the Condors office at Centennial Garden.

Condors droppings: Career statistics for Rosebush, Malts and Virtanen to follow... The Condors roster now stands at thirteen players. Bakersfield has already announced the signings of G's Peter Hirsch and Joe Watkins, D-men Jimmy Drolet, Jonas Lennartsson and Darren Shakotko, C's Johan Astrom, Jason Jackman and Daniel Karlsson and LW's Todd Alexander and Devin Francon.

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