AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch to Open 15th Anniversary Season

Published on October 7, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


The Syracuse Crunch are celebrating a milestone this year as they head into the club's 15th anniversary season.

The celebration could not be more appropriate and the anticipation is high, considering the record-setting year the team had last season. The Crunch went 46-26-2-6 last season, good for 100 points, the second highest total in team history. They gained at least a point in 23 of the final 24 games and entered the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs as the hottest team in the AHL, winning a franchise-record 15 straight regular season games to close out the regular season.

Since the Crunch entered the AHL in 1994, 26 teams have either relocated or folded. With the support of Central New York Fans, Syracuse has been a model franchise for success and longevity.

When the Crunch came to town in 1994, it had been 14 years since the last professional hockey game was played in Syracuse and fans embraced the new team. The 1994-95 season saw the Crunch set a season attendance mark of 237,940, still the best single-season mark in team history. The first Crunch home game was played on September 30, 1994, as 6,750 people squeezed themselves into the War Memorial to see history being made.

Since that point, the club has put together a record of 480-471-96-52 and made the playoffs in nine out of 14 years. Since affiliating with the Columbus Blue Jackets starting in the 2000-01 season, the club has posted a 300-237-45-43 record.

RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN: From October 22, 2004 to November 27, 2004, the Philadelphia Phantoms put together quite an impressive streak. The team won 17 consecutive games. Today, that is still an AHL record.

At the end of last season, the Syracuse Crunch came pretty close to matching that mark, but ran out of games. The Crunch won their final 15 regular season games. That streak catapulted them to a second place finish in the North Division, which gave them home-ice advantage in their first-round series vs. Manitoba, which they won four games to two.

Syracuse will have a chance to match that record this weekend, as they open up their season with a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday vs. Rochester.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:

ROCHESTER AMERICANS (FLORIDA PANTHERS): The Crunch travel to Rochester on Friday and open their home schedule on Saturday for the first and second of twelve meetings between these two clubs this season. The Crunch went 10-2-0-0 against the Amerks last year and have won 10 straight games against their I-90 rivals. Derick Brassard led the attack against Rochester last year with 13 points (5g, 8a), in 10 games. Dan LaCosta went 4-1-0 with a 1.69 goals-against average and .942 save percentage against the Amerks last season. Anthony Stewart (4g, 2a), and Marek Zagrapan (1g, 5a) led the way for Rochester in scoring in the season series.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS:

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL STAR TO APPEAR AT QUICKWAY OPENING NIGHT: The Syracuse Crunch announced on September 16 that Ryne Sanborn, known for his role as Jason Cross in Disney's High School Musical, will appear at the Crunch's Quickway home opener on October 11.

Sanborn, 19, has appeared in all three installments of Disney's High School Musical series, including High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which is scheduled to open in theatres nationwide on October 24.

A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Sanborn has also appeared in the television shows Touched by an Angel and Everwood and is scheduled to appear in the 2008 film, The Adventures of Food Boy. In addition, Sanborn was the "Child of Light" at the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

An avid hockey fan, Sanborn's childhood dream was to play for the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. He played hockey at Taylorsville High School as well as Utah's Under-16 travel team. Sanborn frequently plays in charity games across the country consisting of National Hockey League alumni and celebrities.

Sanborn is currently a student at the University of Utah studying architecture. In addition to participating in the Crunch's opening night ceremonies, Sanborn will be available for autographs following the first period.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Crunch's weekly schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, October 8 10:30 a.m. Practice @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Thursday, October 9 10:30 a.m. Practice @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Friday, October 10 10:00 a.m. Skate @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Game @ Rochester 7:35 p.m.

Saturday, October 11 10:00 a.m. Skate @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Game vs. Rochester 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 12 TBD

CRUNCHABLES: Syracuse finished up the preseason with a 2-1 record...Kirill Starkov led the team in scoring during the preseason with 3 points (2g, 1a), in 3 games...During the preseason, Crunch goaltenders combined for a 1.33 goals-against average and .951 save percentage.

2007-08 RECORD: 46-26-2-6, 100 points, (27-9-1-3 home, 19-17-1-3 road), second place, North Division

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

Friday, October 10 @ Rochester (0-0-0-0, 0 points), North Division

Saturday, October 11 vs. Rochester (0-0-0-0, 0 points), North Division

LAST WEEK'S RESULT (PRESEASON)

Thursday, October 2 CRUNCH 2 Rochester 1

Friday, October 3 Binghamton 2 CRUNCH 1

Saturday, October 4 Crunch 2 BINGHAMTON 0

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics

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