ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Prepare For Another Season

Published on October 6, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


COMING UP: The Cincinnati Cyclones, the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, continue preparations for the 2009-10 season with their annual Open House on Thursday and a pair of preseason games this weekend. Twenty-eight players are currently in camp and more are expected to arrive through affiliation re-assignments in the days ahead.

FAMILIAR FACES: The Cyclones welcome nine players back from the squad that won the North Division title a year ago. Forwards Barret Ehgoetz, Adam Krug, Felix Petit, Matt Pierce and Dustin Sproat, join defensemen Jamie Coghlan, Kirk Medernach, Bryan O'Hanley and Jason Woll in battling for positions on this season's unit.

REYNOLDS RETURNS: Left wing Scott Reynolds also returns to the Cyclones for 2009-10 after having spent last season with Fassa (Italy). Reynolds netted eleven goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 42 games. Scott is in his fourth pro season (third with Cincinnati) and is one of the top penalty killers on the team.

WEBER TO LEAD THEM AGAIN: The Cyclones will once again be led by Head Coach Chuck Weber. Now in his fourth season, Weber has compiled a 133-67-16 record (.653 winning percentage). Chuck led the Cyclones to the 2008 Kelly Cup championship--netting a club record 55 wins during the run. The 71 victories between the regular season and playoffs is also a club high water mark. The 133 wins in his first three seasons is the fourth-highest win total by an ECHL coach in his first three seasons--just five fewer than Dave Farrish had in his first four campaigns (138). Farrish also holds the mark for most wins in his first four seasons with 186.

DIVISIONAL ALIGNMENT: There are 20 teams in the ECHL this season, twelve in the American Conference and eight in the National Conference. The Cyclones are one of the teams in the American Conference, which is broken into three divisions each consisting of four teams. Cincinnati is in the North Division--which it has won in consecutive years--with Kalamazoo, Toledo and Wheeling. The East Division has Elmira, Johnstown, Reading and Trenton. The South Division is comprised of Charlotte, Florida, Gwinnett and South Carolina.

PLAYOFFS? WE'RE TALKING PLAYOFFS!: The American Conference will send its top eight teams to the Kelly Cup playoffs in April. The three division winners (East, North and South) will be seeded as the top three clubs, regardless of overall ranking in the conference. The next five highest point totals will be seeded fourth through eighth. The opening round of the playoffs will best a best-of-five. Matchups comprising teams within 350 miles of one another can play a two-two-one or alternating game series. Matchups over 350 miles in distance will have the higher seed deciding whether to play the first two or final games of the series on home ice. Starting with the Conference semifinals it becomes a best-of-seven matchup. The American and National Conferences meet in the Kelly Cup Finals during the end of May.

FULL HOUSE: The Cyclones currently have 28 players in camp. There are 15 forwards, twelve defensemen and a goaltender in camp. Players will be added and deleted over the next few days to make up the final roster. Players from Montreal/Hamilton and Nashville/Milwaukee are also expected to move through Cincinnati during the next week or so.

OPEN HOUSE COMES THURSDAY!: The Cyclones will hold their annual Open House at U.S. Bank Arena on Thursday (October 8) from 6pm-7:30. This will be an opportunity for fans to check out their seats for the 2009-10 season and to allow those who have not yet purchased their ducats for the year to jump aboard. Fans will have a chance to skate on the ice with the players (bring your skates), tour U.S. Bank Arena, collect autographs and meet the players that will comprise this season's team.

PRESEASON GAME: The Cyclones will play host to the Toledo Walleye on Friday night (October 9). Fans who have purchased season tickets for the 2009-10 season will receive a ticket to this 7:30pm tilt for free. Those not having season tickets can still attend the game, but their tickets will be $5 each and can be purchased at the ticket office the night of the game. For those fans unable to make it to the game--the B2 Network will carry the video of the game (although it will be with one camera only for this game). Information on getting that game and others can be found through the Cyclones website (www.cycloneshockey.com) and following the B2 links to get that information.

GAME AT TOLEDO SATURDAY: The Cyclones will close out their brief preseason schedule on Saturday (Oct. 10) with another contest against Toledo. This game will be at 7:30pm and will take place at the Tam-O-Shanter Arena in Sylvania. There will be no broadcast of the game and there will be no video of the contest available. A summary of the game will be found on the Cyclones website (www.cycloneshockey.com) after the contest.

GOT THE TENT STAKES?: The Cyclones sent 18 players to American Hockey League camps over the past couple of weeks--the most of any team in the ECHL. Cincinnati has been a steady provider of players to the AHL over the past couple of seasons. A year ago, 16 players were recalled from the Queen City to AHL teams--including nine players that signed with the club. Over the past two campaigns, 40 players have been taken by the American Hockey League--including 18 that were signed initially by Chuck Weber.

ATTENDANCE KEEPS GROWING AND GROWING: Last season, the Cyclones enjoyed a 23 percent attendance growth--the second-largest in minor professional hockey. That came on the heels of a 36.8 percent increase to lead all of minor pro hockey in 2007-08. Cincinnati has the biggest percentage increase in attendance of any minor pro team since the end of the 2006-07 season at 68.3 percent.

PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE SET: The 2009-10 season will be full of fun promotions for the family with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Starting with the Division Championship Banner being hung on opening night, there is a special every night on the schedule. Among the great events will be a pair of bobblehead giveaways, Throwback Night (wearing 1990s Cyclones jerseys), Salute to the Reds, Pink In The Rink, Military Night, four Kids Eat Free Nights, Kids Jersey T-Shirt Night and U.S. Bank Arena Fan Appreciation Night. The usual Wednesday and Thursday night beer specials will be in effect as well. For more information on these and all other great promotions, please visit the club's website at: www.cycloneshockey.com.

CYCLONES MOVING TO THE SPORTS ANIMAL: The Cyclones are moving their radio games to 1530-AM 'The Sports Animal' for the upcoming season. Friday night games are going to be carried by the station throughout the regular season and all 2010 Kelly Cup road playoff games will be carried by the station as well. Thirty minutes prior to faceoff, there will be an edited replay of the Cyclones Coaches Show from the previous Monday from Jefferson Hall at Newport on the Levee. This will be the first time since the 2000-01 season that the club has had its games on the station.

EHGOETZ RETURNS: Center Barret Ehgoetz is the lone member of the Cyclones to have played for Chuck Weber in each of his first three seasons as a head coach. Ehgoetz also played for Weber at Utah his final season as an assistant coach (2005-06). Barret holds the Cyclones career record for assists (113) and shorthanded goals (five). He also ranks second in points (171), games (202), shots on goal (500) and plus/minus (+50). Ehgoetz is also third in goals (58) and game winning goals (eight).

ZINGER ENTERS THE FOLD: Defenseman Dwayne Zinger joins the Cyclones after playing last season in Europe. He played his first eight professional seasons in the American Hockey League--including two full campaigns with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Zinger has a home in the Cincinnati area and will make his ECHL debut in his first Cyclones appearance. Dwayne played seven games in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals in 2003-04 and is the lone Cyclones player with experience in the NHL. He collected 536 games in the AHL with 23 goals and 68 assists for 91 points and 868 penalty minutes.

AFFILIATES ARE BACK: The Cyclones will have NHL affiliations with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators once again. This will be the fourth straight season that Montreal has been tied in with the Cyclones and the third straight campaign for Nashville. Hamilton and Milwaukee will be American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates for the team also. Hamilton is the top affiliate of Montreal, while Milwaukee holds that title for Nashville.

COORS LIGHT CYCLONES COACHES SHOW: The weekly Coors Light Cyclones Coaches Show gets started next Monday (Oct., 12) at 7pm from Jefferson Hall at Newport on the Levee. Head Coach Chuck Weber is on hand to discuss what is happening with the Cyclones and to answer questions about the game of hockey at all levels. Hosting the show this season is 1530-AM The Sports Animal's Nick Brunker.

STEWART PLAYING NHL!: The Montreal Canadiens have former Cyclone Greg Stewart on the opening night roster this season. Stewart became the first player under Head Coach Chuck Weber to come through Cincinnati on his way to the NHL. Greg appeared in 62 games for Cincinnati in 2006-07, collecting eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points and 126 penalty minutes.

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