Former Ace Chris Minard earns NHL call-up
January 21, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
BOISE, Idaho - Former Ace Chris Minard, a key component of the 2006 Kelly Cup champions and the ECHL goal-scoring champion with 49 in 2005, has been recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The Penguins, currently tied with New Jersey for first place in the Atlantic Division, play host to the Washington Capitals tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ADT. Signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent on July 12, 2007, the 26-year-old Minard leads the WBS Penguins with 17 goals and ranks second with 31 points in 39 AHL games this season. Under contract with Lowell (Mass.) in 2006-07, he led the Devils with 32 goals and 49 points in 65 AHL games.
Minard played a key role on Alaska's 2006 Kelly Cup champions, scoring 26 goals and assisting on 16 others in 33 regular season games and coming back from an AHL call-up to Albany (N.Y.) to deliver 14 playoff goals, most memorably the game-winner 67 seconds into double overtime to beat Fresno in the conference finals and send the Aces to the championship series. He proceeded to score five goals in the first two games of the Finals against Gwinnett, including a hat trick in Game Two.
The year before, Minard played alongside Anchorage-born and New York Rangers all-star center Scott Gomez during the NHL lock-out and led the ECHL with 49 goals, including a club-record five in an 8-2 win over Victoria January 8, 2005. He finished runner-up to Gomez in the ECHL MVP voting, fourth in the scoring race with 78 points (49g-29a, eight behind the league-leading Gomez, 13-73-86), and second in voting for ECHL Man of the Year while earning a trip to the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game and first-team all-ECHL honors.
Josh Soares will represent Alaska at the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. ADT from Stockton, and also perform for the National Conference in the Skills Competition Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. ADT. Soares will participate in the Rapid Fire and Accuracy Shooting events as well as the Breakaway Relay. The "Voice of the Aces," Jack Michaels, will handle the live play-by-play duties for both the Skills Competition and the All-Star Game, available courtesy of B2 Networks.
The Aces (19-13-5) officially return to practice Thursday after the All-Star Break in preparation for a three-game series at Sullivan Arena against West Division-leading Victoria that opens next Friday at 7:15 p.m. Saturday's tilt also starts at 7:15 p.m., while Sunday's series finale will begin at 5:05 p.m. Alaska took two of three in Canada against the Salmon Kings prior to Christmas. All regular season games are broadcast live on Alaska's flagship station, AM 750 KFQD, with coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.
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