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AHL Stockton Heat

Heat Finish off 2015 with Road Game in Ontario

December 31, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release


TONIGHT

The Stockton Heat finish 2015 off on the road as the team travelled down to Southern California yesterday to face the Ontario Reign at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The Heat have played the Ontario Reign three times this year and have been stonewalled by Peter Budaj and Co. but will try for their first win against the defending Calder Cup champions tonight.

LAST TIME VS. ONTARIO

It started as a real goaltending duel between Joni Ortio and Peter Budaj but the deadlock was eventually broken by Jonny Brodzinski who found a loose puck that the Heat defense couldn't get to and slid it past Ortio in the second.

Ontario extended their lead thanks again to Brodzinski after a mistake behind the net led to the Ontario forward backhanding the puck into the open net.

The Heat would come out firing in the third as they got a wrap around goal from Bryce Van Brabant but after that point, Budaj shut the door despite the Heat outshooting the Reign in the third 17-10.

It was the second straight 2-1 defeat to the Reign going back to November 25.

WHO TO WATCH

It's time to show some love to a rookie getting it done for the Heat in recent games. Austin Carroll is enjoying a particularly good stretch of hockey as the first-year power forward has 1 goal and 2 assists in his last four games.

He's used his size and ability to protect the puck to his advantage and as the pucks continue to bounce in, the rookie's confidence must grow and grow.

Carroll might not be the flashiest player on the ice, but he more than makes up for it with his grit and his size. As the Flames 2014 seventh-rounder continues to do what the Heat coaching staff asks him to do, the points will continue to fall for the winger. That's why he's our player to watch tonight.

VAN BRABANT HEATING UP

If Austin Carroll is the player to watch tonight, then that makes Bryce Van Brabant player number two to watch!

Van Brabant is really starting to heat up for Stockton having scored three of his five goals this season in the last three games.

Van Brabant recorded 2 goals against the Condors on December 26 (and picked up an assist ensuring his involvement in all three of the Heat's goals) and then picked up a tough goal on Budaj on Tuesday against Ontario.

HEARD JOINS HEAT AFTER TERRIFIC RUN IN ECHL

After a tremendous run with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL, Mitchell Heard joined the Stockton Heat after he was recalled on Sunday and in fact, played on Sunday in San Jose.

While Heard's only appearance on the stat sheet on Sunday in his first official AHL contest of the year was for a two-minute minor penalty, the feisty forward recorded 23 points in 23 games with the Thunder including a game last Saturday at home where he recorded 2 goals and 2 assists in a game against the Manchester Monarchs. It was his second ever four-point game in the ECHL and his big night put him second on his team behind fellow Heat prospect Michael Kirkpatrick for the Thunder's lead in points.

Heard recorded his first point in the AHL this season on Van Brabant's goal on Tuesday.

THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER

32-year-old Aaron Johnson's time representing Team Canada during the 89th Spengler Cup held in Davos, Switzerland has come to an end in glory.

With the game tied at three, Johnson picked a proper time (just before the midway point of the third) to earn his first point of the games.

The defenseman skated behind the HC Lugano net and tossed a pass that was deflected to the blade of Matt D'Agostini who's goal would end up being the Spengler Cup winning goal as Canada skates away with the 4-3 win going 4-0 in the tournament.

This is Canada's 13th Spengler Cup and first since 2012. Johnson had consistently led Team Canada in time on ice throughout the tournament.

The Heat captain was one of six players out of the 23-man roster to play in the AHL.

INTERESTING FACT

Teams from Stockton haven't faired well going into Citizens Business Bank Arena as you have to go back to April 23, 2014 for the last time a team from Stockton won in Ontario.

That of course was the fourth win for the Stockton Thunder over the Ontario Reign, completing the first-round sweep of the second best team in the west during that year's playoffs.

The Heat however have only played one game in Ontario, November 25, which resulted in a 2-1 win for the Reign. After tonight the Heat will play four more times in the greater-Los Angeles area.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Arena: Citizens Business Bank Arena

Date: December 31, 2015

Time: 7:00 p.m. PST

Broadcast: AHL Live, Spreaker & iHeartRadio beginning at 6:45 p.m. PST

(NO WATCH PARTY AT THE UNIVERSITY PLAZA WATERFRONT HOTEL)

Leading Scorer: STOCKTON: C Derek Grant (17 GP, 11-5-16)

ONTARIO: RW Sean Backman (25 GP, 6-15-21)

For the live, in-game tweets, follow @AHLHeatPR. Stay tuned at the end of the game for the Chase Chevrolet Big Moment of the Game with your chance to win an autographed Ryan Culkin puck.

Check out the Stockton Heat Statistics

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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