Houston Aeros update

October 20, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Five things you need to know

Aeros centerman Erik Westrum has 12 points (4-8=12) - one off Grand Rapids' Jiri Hudler's AHL lead - through the season's first five games. That total is the best five-game start in team history, two more points than David Oliver and Brian Wiseman had to begin the 1998-99 Turner Cup championship season. Those two each had 11 points through six games, so Westrum is guaranteed the best six-game start as well. Westrum, whose eight assists are tied with Grand Rapids' Kent McDonell for the league lead, is the lone Aero with at least one point in each game, tied for the longest point streak in the league this season. Westrum tallied three assists in Omaha on Tuesday, giving him 151 career AHL points. He'll play in his 300th pro game tonight. Westrum has a hand in 12 goals - 15 of the other 26 AHL teams have not even reached the 12-goal mark yet.

The Aeros have won four of their first five games for just the third time in their 12 years. In both of the previous seasons they accomplished the feat, they won the league title. Houston was also 4-1-0-0 in 1998-99, when it won the Turner Cup, and the Aeros began their 2002-03 Calder Cup-winning season with eight straight victories. In both those seasons, the Aeros also won game No. 6.

Houston has won three straight road games for the first time since 11/19-11/23/04. An Aeros win tonight would give them their first four-game road winning streak since a five-gamer 10/18-10/24/02, early in the Calder Cup championship season.

Aeros defenseman Curtis Murphy can move into the team's all-time top 10 list for assists with his next helper. Murphy has 72, tied with Mike Yeo for 11th place. His next assist will move him into a 10th-place tie with Rob Valicevic - only one behind Al Conroy for ninth. With 107 points, Murphy is tied for 18th on the Aeros' scoring list with Cam Stewart, one behind 17th-place Graeme Townshend and three off the 16th-place total of Rickard Wallin.

Three of the Aeros' veteran players are among the most durable in the AHL in recent years. Captain Kirby Law has played in 106 consecutive AHL games. He missed Philadelphia's game 2/28/04 against Milwaukee, but because he was still on recall to NHL Philadelphia. Law has played in 85 consecutive games with the Aeros - 12 off Mark Freer's franchise record of 97, set 10/26/96-12/5/97. Erik Westrum hasn't missed an AHL game since 2003-04, when he finished the season with NHL Phoenix. He's played in 85 consecutive games, including all 80 last season. Curtis Murphy, meanwhile, has played in 84 consecutive AHL games since missing the only game of his AHL career. He didn't play in Milwaukee's 2003-04 season-opener while attending Dan Snyder's funeral. Counting his time in Russia in 2004-05, he has played in 144 straight games. Since the 2001-02 season, and counting his European and post-season games, Murphy has participated in 363 of his team's last 364 games (99.7 percent).

Aeros at Knights (Aeros are 1-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Omaha)

The Aeros and Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, meet for the second time ever after a 6-5 shootout win by Houston on Tuesday. The teams next meet for two games in Houston 11/9 and 11/11.

Scouting the Aeros

The Aeros are off to a 4-1-0-0 start, and a victory tonight would give them five wins in their first six games for only the third time in their 12-year history...C Erik Westrum has 12 points (4-8=12) to rank second on the AHL and only one point behind Grand Rapids' Jiri Hudler...RW Kirby Law is tied for third in the league with nine points (5-4=9)...It took Law 19 games to reach five goals in 2004-05...He has five in only five contests this season...The line of Westrum, Law and rookie Roman Voloshenko has accounted for 26 of Houston's 35 forward points...D Kurtis Foster has seven points (2-5=7), one behind the AHL defensemen mark, while counterpart D Curtis Murphy is tied for the blueliner lead with six assists...C Patrick O'Sullivan, considered by many the Wild's top young prospect, has points in each of his first three pro games, including two goals...O'Sullivan scored the deciding shootout tally Tuesday...G Josh Harding is 4-1-0 with a 3.15 gaa...He is one of four AHL goalies to play in each of his team's games...He leads the league in wins (four) and is second in minutes (296) and saves (176).

Scouting the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights

Omaha, AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, has alternated losses and wins in its first five games to come out of the blocks 2-3-0-0...Both of the Knights wins have come via shutout...There have been only three shutouts in the AHL this season - two by Omaha....Only six players registered a point in the first four games for Omaha, but nine hit the scoresheet alone on Tuesday...D Richie Regehr has four assists to lead the team in points, and he had three Tuesday...C Warren Peters paces Omaha with three goals...Former Aero D Dave Bancroft, who turned 35 earlier this month, helps anchor the blueline...G Brent Krahn, a first-round pick in 2000, is 1-1-1 with a 3.22 gaa, while rookie G Curtis McElhinny is 1-1-0 and ranks fourth in the AHL in gaa at 1.59.

2005-06 meetings (2nd of 10 meetings, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 1-0-0-0 at Omaha)

Tuesday Houston 6 at Omaha 5 (SO)

Tonight Houston at Omaha

November 9 Omaha at Houston

November 11 Omaha at Houston

December 23 Omaha at Houston

March 12 Houston at Omaha

March 23 Houston at Omaha

March 31 Houston at Omaha

April 11 Omaha at Houston

April 14 Omaha at Houston

Quick Hits

Tuesday, the Aeros became the 10th AHL team in only 50 games this season to rally from a multiple-goal deficit to win a game. Houston has gone shorthanded 49 times in five games for an average of 9.8 chances per game. Portland (41 times in four games) leads the league in average penalty kill opportunities at 10.25 per game. The Aeros have an AHL-high 55 minor penalties. Houston ranks tied for third in the league on the power play at 25.0 percent, but Omaha is just 19th at 12.2 percent despite three PPG Tuesday. On the penalty kill, the Knights are 16th at 83.7 percent, and the Aeros are 21st at 79.6 percent. The Aeros have scored in seven consecutive regulation periods, and they have goals in 12 of 15 periods overall through five games. Omaha is 24th in the AHL scoring 2.20 goals per game. Houston is tied for fourth at 4.00 goals per game. The Knights are seventh in goals allowed at 2.60, while Houston is 13th at 3.20. Omaha is sixth in the AHL in shots against at 27.60, while Houston is last allowing 38.40 per game. Through five games, the Aeros have only given up three five-on-five goals. Last night in St. Paul, Minn., former Aerol LW Derek Boogaard scored his first NHL goal. Boogaard had one goal, eight assists and 466 PIM's for Houston from 2003-05, but he took only five games to pick up his first NHL goal.

Four former Aeros selected for Olympic potential

Yesterday, Canada and Sweden announced their lengthy, "potential" rosters for the 2006 Turin Olympics, and four former Aeros are on the list. Pierre-Marc Bouchard is one of a whopping 81 players on Team Canada's potential list. For Sweden, it's 2003 Calder Cup MVP Johan Holmqvist, his teammate on the championship team Rickard Wallin, and Mika Hannula. All nations must submit potential rosters by Monday. Final roster selection for next February's games is set for 12/22.

Last Game (Tuesday)

Kurtis Foster scored two goals and added an assist, Kirby Law tallied a pair of power play goals, and Erik Westrum supplied three assists, as the Aeros eked out a wild 6-5 shootout victory over the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights at Omaha Civic Auditorium. Rookie Patrick O'Sullivan scored early in the third period to give Houston a 5-2 lead, but the Aeros - who trailed by two just four minutes into the game - needed the shootout to claim the victory after the Knights scored a pair of extra-attacker, 6-on-3 goals in the final 2:03 of regulation. O'Sullivan was also credited with the game-winner in the shootout. Josh Harding finished with 30 saves and Curtis Murphy added two helpers for the Aeros.

Looking ahead

After finishing off the five-game road trip tonight, Houston returns home for a brief three-game homestand tomorrow, Saturday and next Tuesday (10/25). Grand Rapids comes to town for the first game, and then Manchester makes its first ever visit to Houston. Arch-rival Chicago invades Toyota Center for the finale.

Aeros looking for some finish

Omaha was able to rally to force overtime Tuesday behind three third-period goals. Houston has allowed a league-high 10 goals in the third, two goals more than any other team. The Knights, meanwhile, enjoy a 6-2 third-period advantage. Only Hartford and Lowell have allowed fewer third-period goals. One of the reasons Houston has had trouble in the third period is the shot total. The Aeros have been outshot 76-41 in the third period, including 62-31 in the last four games.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

There have been four players since the San Antonio Rampage came into the AHL in 2002-03 to play for both the Rampage and the Aeros. Three of those four are currently in Houston - Joey Tetarenko, Josh Olson and the newly acquired Petr Taticek. Greg Crozier also played for both teams, but he played for Houston before going to San Antonio for a brief stint in 2003-04.

Wild roster has 11 former Aeros, including eight from 2004-05

The Minnesota Wild opened up the season with 25 total players on the roster, counting injured reserve. Eleven of those played for the Aeros at one point in their careers, and eight in 2004-05 alone. Counting Dallas' John Erskine and Phoenix' Zbynek Michalek, 10 players off last season's team began the season in the NHL. Other notable Aeros opening up the season in the NHL are Robert Lang (Detroit), David Oliver (Dallas) and Jeff Hoggan (St. Louis), a member of the Aeros' 2002-03 Calder Cup winning team.

Aeros/Knights connections

Knights defenseman Steve Bancroft played for the Aeros for part of the 1999-2000 season. He and Houston's Joel Ward each hail from Toronto, Ont. Aeros goalie Josh Harding and Omaha's Darren Lynch each call Regina, Sask., home.



American Hockey League Stories from October 20, 2005


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