ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Complete Five Player Swap With Reading

March 8, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


CINCINNATI, Ohio - The 2008 Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati Cyclones announced today that they have finished a five player trade with the Reading Royals. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

The Cyclones acquired forward Mac Faulkner and defenseman Gerard Miller from Reading in exchange for forwards Ben Gordon and Ben McLeod and defenseman Tom Sawatske along with future considerations.

Faulkner, 25, is in his fourth professional season and has played in 60 games for Reading, collecting 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points and 61 penalty minutes. He was the third-leading goal scorer for the Royals and has assembled nine multiple point games. A versatile player who spends time at forward and defense and also plays with the power play and penalty kill units, Mac has five man-advantage goals and a trio of shorthanded tallies. He also has played a game in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season.

The six-foot-one, 205 pounder from King City, ONT played 57 games with Columbia (ECHL) last season and had 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points. He was the fourth-leading scorer for the Inferno during the regular season, but led the club in scoring during the Kelly Cup playoffs with five goals and seven assists for twelve points in twelve games. Columbia upset Texas in the opening round of the postseason before losing to South Carolina in the South Division Finals. In three of his four professional seasons, Faulkner has netted 17 goals in a campaign.

Miller, 25, is in his third professional season and has played 20 games with Reading, after being acquired in a trade from Las Vegas on November 17. He has also appeared in three AHL games this season. In 29 ECHL games this season, Gerard has a goal and nine assists for ten points.

The six-foot, 204 pounder hails from Cold Harbor Spring, NY and started last season with the Cyclones. In Cincinnati, Miller played in 32 games and collected four goals and 14 assists for 18 points before being dealt on the ECHL's trade deadline day to Phoenix in exchange for Cody Rudkowsky. Gerard has played in ten AHL games during his career-including games with both Hamilton and Milwaukee-both affiliates of Cincinnati.

Ben Gordon played in 51 games and had 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points. Ben McLeod appeared in 55 games and had eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points, while Tom Sawatske played in 54 games and tallied three goals and four assists for seven points.

"We were very fortunate to be able to acquire a pair of solid players in Mac Faulkner and Gerard Miller. They are veteran players who will add offensive prowess and grit to the lineup," Cyclones Head Coach and VP of Hockey Operations Chuck Weber said. "Unfortunately, in order to get quality players like these we have to give up quality players as well."

Both Faulkner and Miller are expected to practice with the team this week and be available to play in the Cyclones next game on Friday, March 13 at Johnstown (7pm on MAX-FM 97.7 and 99.5).

Tickets for the 2008-09 Cincinnati Cyclones season are now on sale. The Cyclones Sales Department can be reached at 513-421-PUCK, extension 3. The club is now offering Family Four Packs (four tickets, four hot dogs, four Pepsis, four Cyclones winter hats, four public skate passes at SportsPlus and a SportsPlus game card) for just $69!

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