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ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Notes: vs. Ft. Wayne

October 13, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Overview: The Cyclones begin the 2018-19 season at home on Saturday night against the Ft. Wayne Komets. This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the Komets ousted the Cincinnati in the first round of the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Saturday's game will also be the first game of the Matt Thomas era. Thomas was hired as Cyclones head coach in early August, after Matt Macdonald accepted an assistant coaching position with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL)

Preseason Recap: The Cyclones took on the Wheeling Nailers in a pair of preseason games last weekend, winning Friday's matchup by a 2-1 score before falling in a shootout on Saturday, 3-2. Three of Cincinnati's four goals on the weekend came from the defense, as Arvin Atwal, Anthony Florentino, and Mitch Jones each lit the lamp for the 'Clones. Alex Roos netted the fourth tally for Cincinnati. On the special teams front, the Cyclones penalty kill went 7-of-8, while the power play was held scoreless on all seven chances.

Previewing Ft. Wayne: The Komets got off to a good start to begin the 2018-19 season, picking up a 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Ft. Wayne beat the Cyclones in the opening round of the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs, and went on to lose in the Conference Finals to the eventual champions- the Colorado Eagles. Ft. Wayne underwent an overhaul in the offseason, losing several key pieces including Mason Baptista, Artur Tyanulin, Gabriel Desjardins, Shawn Szydlowski, and Garrett Thompson. Despite the monumental loss, The Komets bring back a number of key pieces on defense, including Cody Sol and Jason Binkley, as well as Marco Royand Jamie Schaafsma up front.

Inside the Series: This will be the first of 11 meetings between the Cyclones and Komets this season, and the first of six at U.S. Bank Arena. Cincinnati posted a 5-4-0-0 record against the Komets last season, however Ft. Wayne went 4-0-1-0 in the last five matchups between the two, outscoring the 'Clones 23-11 in those games.

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones hit the road for the first time on Friday night when they take on the Indy Fuel. The Cyclones and Fuel will meet 12 times this season; their most frequent opponent of the season.

NEED-TO-KNOW

Welcome Matt Thomas: The Cyclones enter the 2018-19 season with a new head coach. In early August, Cincinnati hired Matt Thomas as the team's new bench boss. He replaced Matt Macdonald who was named assistant coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins; American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. A native of Maple Ridge, BC, Thomas has extensive head coaching experience in the ECHL, spanning 11 seasons with the Atlantic Boardwalk Bullies, Fresno Falcons, and Stockton Thunder from 2002-2013. Thomas served two seasons as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, including helping the Boardwalk Bullies to a Kelly Cup Championship in 2003, before assuming the role of head coach and Director of Hockey Operations with the team prior to 2004-2005. He compiled a 42-22-8 mark in his lone season as Atlantic City's bench boss, and also served as the head coach for the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game. He then moved on to Fresno prior to the 2005-06 campaign, leading the Falcons to a 43-15-14 mark along with a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Over the next two seasons in Fresno, Thomas compiled a 76-41-17 record, with trips to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs on both occasions. He coached the Falcons during the first half of 2008-09, leading the team to an 18-10-2 mark before the team ceased operations midseason. Thomas was not out of work for long however, as he was named head coach of Stockton shortly after and finished the year with a record of 22-16-3, and a trip to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Thomas went on to coach the Thunder for four more seasons, amassing a mark of 141-111-36, reaching the post season each year, including a trip to the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals where they fell to the Reading Royals, 4 games to 1. He enters the 2018-19 campaign as the ECHL's sixth-winningest coach with a career record of 342-225-80, just one win back of fifth place all time. He is also the all-time leader in playoff games coached with 97, and ranks third with 49 playoff wins.

Thomas Selects Payne as Assistant Coach: New Cyclones head coach Matt Thomas selected Jason Payne as the team's assistant coach. Payne is no stranger to southwest Ohio, as he split the 1999-2000 season with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL and Dayton Bombers of the ECHL. A native of Toronto, ON, Payne served as the Player Development coach of the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as well as General Manager of the Georgetown Raiders of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). He also coached both the Toronto Patriots of the OJHL and the Mississauga Sens AAA program. Payne is also the owner of the Precision Skating School in Toronto. His school teaches the key dynamics of skating, puck handling techniques, defensive tactics, and other game-related skills. He has worked with all levels of hockey players- from pee wee all the way to professional players. Prior to his player development career, Payne enjoyed a successful 14-year pro career that saw stops in six different leagues, including 71 games in the AHL with the Mighty Ducks, Carolina Monarchs, Worcester IceCats, and Saint John Flames. He has also racked up 132 games of ECHL action and 140 games in the former United Hockey League (UHL).

Vaive Named Cyclones Player/Assistant Coach: The Cyclones have named returning forward Justin Vaive player/assistant coach for the upcoming season. A native of Buffalo, NY, Vaive is coming off a very successful 2017-18 campaign where led the 'Clones in goals with 32 and was tied for fifth in points with 45. Vaive enjoyed 12 multipoint nights, including a pair of hat tricks along with a four-point performance (3g, 1a) in a 6-5 overtime win over the Quad City Mallards on January 21. Vaive's best stretch offensively came between January 19 through March 2 where he accounted for 12 goals and four assists over a 16-game stretch. Additionally, Vaive enjoyed point streaks of four or more games on four separate occasions, including a season-long six-game point streak from December 13-December 27 (6g, 4a). Vaive continued his offensive prowess in the playoffs for the Cyclones, accounting for a team-leading five goals, and ranked second with six points in Cincinnati's 4 games to 1 series loss to the Ft. Wayne Komets. Vaive has had three previous stints in Cincinnati back in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and his ECHL career has also seen a stop in Greenville with the Road Warriors during the 2013-14 season. In 108 career ECHL games, Vaive has accounted for 50 goals and 35 assists for 85 points, along with 202 minutes in penalties. Drafted by Anaheim in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Vaive has spent the bulk of his pro career in the AHL, accounting for 67 points (31g, 36a) in 280 AHL games played between the Americans, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Hartford Wolf Pack, and San Antonio Rampage.

Hello Again: The Cyclones return nine players from last season's team, including forwards Vas Glotov, Jesse Schultz,Justin Vaive, and Dominic Zombo. Defensively, the 'Clones return Arvin Atwal, Anthony Florentino, Eric Knodel, and Devante Stephens, and in goal Cincinnati sees Jonas Johansson back between the pipes. Additionally, forward Jordan Sims and goaltender Michael Houser are back in Cincinnati after spending last season in France and Ft. Wayne, respectively. Overall, Cincinnati's returners from a season ago accounted for 72 goals and 151 assists for 223 total points, while Johansson posted a 14-11-1-0 record along with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

Stay Connected!: Follow the latest news on Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more! Also, for all of the latest news and notes, head over to www.cycloneshockey.com.

The 2018-19 season is HERE, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride! Single game, Group, and Season Tickets are on sale NOW by calling (513) 421-PUCK! Stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!

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