ECHL record set as seven Jackals join AHL's Albany River Rats

Published on December 15, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


ELMIRA, NY - The Elmira Jackals, proud member of the ECHL, announced today that seven players have been loaned to the American Hockey League's Albany River Rats in what is believed to be an ECHL record for the most players loaned to a single club in one day. With the loan earlier today of Scott May to Binghamton, the Jackals sent eight of their eligible fourteen skaters to the American Hockey League on Saturday.

Forwards Kevin Ulanski, Brett Pilkington, Pierre-Luc Faubert and Bobby Robins join the River Rats along with defensemen Bryan Rodney, Joe Grimaldi and Chris Busby.

Albany, hampered by injuries and illness, were beaten 8-1 by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tonight at the Glens Falls Civic Center and travel to Bridgeport for a 4:05 p.m. face-off tomorrow against the Sound Tigers. The seven Jackals will join the team in Bridgeport.

"This is certainly a big chance for a lot of guys all at once," said Jackals head coach Steve Martinson. "Under normal circumstances, a player gets called up and gets several shifts, but perhaps not that long look they'd hope for."

"This situation is unique in that there'll be plenty of ice time to go around for guys that have earned this chance and an opportunity to show what they've got," Martinson continued.

Faubert (one game), Robins (five games) and Grimaldi (two games) will be making their second trips to the AHL this season with all three appearing with Rochester. The trio was scoreless in their combined eight games with the Americans.

Faubert gets the call after a personal-best three assist/three point night against the Trenton Devil tonight and took back the team lead in scoring with 23 points in 26 contests. In 23 games, Robins has seven goals with a team-leading five power play strikes, and 10 points overall. Grimaldi has two goals and seven assists for nine points in 25 games.

Ulanski spent thirteen games with the Milwaukee Admirals last season with two assists for two points, but this will mark his season debut at the AHL level. He scored his sixth goal and 16th point in the Jackals 4-3 win over Trenton Saturday night.

Sunday's game will mark the AHL debut for Pilkington, Rodney and Busby. Pilkington and Rodney were acquired in trades after the start of the season. Both made immediate impacts with the Jackals as each were named the InGlasCo ECHL Player of the Week (Pilkington Nov. 19-25, Rodney Dec. 3-9) for their performances shortly after joining Elmira.

Pilkington has three goals and 13 assists for 16 points in 26 games combined with Mississippi and Elmira this season while Busby has 26 appearances with the Jackals, scoring four goals and totaling 12 points.

Rodney heads to Albany after notching ten points in his first six games with the Jackals, including back-to-back two-goal efforts December 8th and 9th at Cincinnati and Wheeling respectively. His two goals in Wheeling came in a 5-1 win in which he registered a career-high four points. He followed that up with a goal and two helpers in Friday's dramatic come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win against Reading, having a hand in the final three goals of the game. With seven goals and 14 assists, his 21 points leads all ECHL defensemen in scoring.

With this flurry of player loans, the Jackals now boast 15 separate player call-ups from their ECHL-contracted players this year. That number is in addition to transactions involving NHL/AHL-contracted players shuttling between Elmira and its AHL affiliates in Syracuse and Binghamton.

The Jackals are of until next weekend when they travel to Wheeling for a pair of games Friday and Sunday against the Nailers.

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