Heat Hot Sheet

Published on January 24, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


WINNIPEG MB - Two games down and three games to go on the first of two straight five game road trips for the Abbotsford Heat. The Heat wrapped up a pair of games this past weekend in Winnipeg, splitting with the red hot Manitoba Moose at the MTS Centre. On Friday, Cam Cunning supplied both goals in regulation, while Greg Nemisz and Jon Rheault scored in the shootout to lift the Heat to a 3-2 shootout win over the Moose on Friday night. On Sunday morning, the Moose scored two goals late in the second and one early in the third to pull ahead for good and defeat the Heat 5-3. Cunning scored his third goal in two games, while Josh Meyers and Jon Rheault added singles in the loss.

The Heat is now 21-19-2-4 on the season and in 5th place in the seven-team North Division. Abbotsford is just three points out of third place in the division, currently held by the Toronto Marlies. Abbotsford will play three games in Texas this week versus the San Antonio Rampage (Phoenix Coyotes), Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild) and Texas Stars (Dallas Stars), before the team takes a break for the annual AHL All Star Classic, this year being held in Hershey, PA.

HOT SHEET HOT SHOTS:

Rock and Rheault - Abbotsford Heat forward Jon Rheault (ROE) has scored seven points (3G-4A) over his past eight games. Rheault, 24, is in his first full season with the Heat after signing an AHL contract over the summer. In five regular season and 13 post season games last year for Abbotsford, Rheault scored nine goals, including a club leading six in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Cunning in the Running - Heat forward Cam Cunning may be getting on another one of his scoring streaks. Cunning, 25, from Powell River BC, scored three goals over a two game weekend set versus the Moose. Last year, Cunning scored a career high of nineteen goals, and also had a string of four consecutive games in which he either scored the opening goal of the game (3 times) or the game tying goal. Cunning's 10 goals this season have him 3rd on the team in this category.

Tie it in a Bow - Rookie Lance Bouma has scored nine times in his rookie campaign with the Heat. Of those nine markers, four have been power play goals, while three of his goals have also been the Heat's opening goal of the game. Bouma's 106 shots lead all Heat rookies this season.

LA-LA-LA-LA Lamoureux - New Heat goalie J.P. Lamoureux is making the most of his AHL opportunity with the Heat. Lamoureux, 26, from Grand Forks, ND, has posted a 3-0-0-1 record in his first five appearances with Abbotsford, including a 22 shot shutout this past Tuesday in the Heat's 2-0 win over Western Conference leading Peoria. Lamoureux was recalled from the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL ten days ago after Heat goaltender Matt Keetley was injured during a Heat practice.

SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:

Monday - Travel day as Abbotsford travels from Winnipeg to San Antonio via Denver.

Tuesday - Practice day in San Antonio

Wednesday - Game day vs. the San Antonio Rampage. Game time is 8:30 AM PST, (10:30 AM in San Antonio). The Rampage hosts the Heat on a school day and have invited local area schools to participate in a sports education and fitness awareness.The Heat will take on the Phoenix Coyotes affiliate, but will also take on former Heat agitator J.D. Watt. Watt, 23, left the Heat and demanded a trade in early January. He was subsequently sent home, waived thru the league, suspended and released. San Antonio signed Watt to a professional tryout and thru five games has zero points, a minus 2 rating and eleven penalty minutes.The Rampage also boasts five players with BC birth certificates. Bracken Kearns (Vancouver BC), son of former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dennis Kearns, Andrew Ebbett (Vernon BC), Josh Lunden (Port Coquitlam BC), Matt Pope (Langley BC) and Jeff May (Richmond BC). Of the five, Ebbett is having the most productive season and currently leads the Rampage with 36 points, scoring 11 goals and adding 25 assists.Following the game versus the Rampage, the Heat will travel to Houston.

Thursday - Practice in Houston, Texas.

Friday - Game day vs. the Houston Aeros. Game time is 5:35 PM PST (7:35 PM in Houston). Houston and the Heat meet for the third time this season, and the first time in Houston. Back in December, Abbotsford would spot the Aeros to 2-0 leads in both games into the third period, only to reel the Aeros in and defeat them 3-2 in the shootout.The Aeros are also a former stop of current Heat assistant coach Troy G. Ward. Ward spent three seasons with the Houston Aeros, including two seasons as the Aeros' Assistant General Manager. Aeros forward Colton Gillies is the only BC player on the Houston roster and hails from White Rock BC.Following the game versus the Aeros, the Heat will bus to Austin, Texas.

Saturday - Game day vs. the Texas Stars. Game time is at 5 PM PST (7 PM in Texas). The Heat will be looking for a bit of redemption versus the Stars, late last month the Stars walked into Abbotsford and humbled the Heat 4-1 and 3-0 on consecutive nights.

There are five BC players on the Stars roster, including former Vancouver Canucks defender Brad Lukowich (Cranbrook BC), defenseman Jordie Benn (Victoria BC), and forwards Brendan Segal and Ray Sawada (both of Richmond BC) and forward Aaron Gagnon (Quesnel BC).

The Heat will disperse as a team on Sunday morning for the All Star Break and will reconvene in Chicago late the following week to kick off the second half of their season.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2011


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.

OurSports Central