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Ice Dogs Announce Roster Moves

December 6, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Long Beach Ice Dogs News Release


LONG BEACH, Calif. – December 6, 2002 – Long Beach Ice Dogs Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach Kevin Kaminski announced today that the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) club has signed center J.P. O'Connor and defenseman Bryan Vines to one-year deals. As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

O'Connor, 28, spent the last two seasons (2000-2002) in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) splitting his time with the Jackson Bandits and Mobile Mysticks compiling 19-50-69 totals in 137 regular season games.

Last season with Mobile, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward appeared in all 72 regular season games while setting career highs in assists (33) and points (44). His 33 assists ranked third on the Mysticks club and his 44 points placed him seventh on the team's list.

The Montreal, Quebec native O'Connor should be able to pick up the Ice Dogs' system well considering he played four years for Princeton University. During the 1992-1997 seasons, he amassed 36 goals and 91 points, including the institution's fifth highest (tied) 122 games played. His 55 assists ranks 10th on the Tigers' all-time list.

Following the 1992-93 season, O'Connor was awarded the Hobey Baker Trophy—an annual award to that Princeton freshman hockey player who, among his classmates, in play, sportsmanship and influence has contributed most to the sport.

The 24-year old Vines played for the University of Denver Pioneers (NCAA) for five years (1997-2002), accumulating 28 assists and 34 points in 155 games. During the 2000-01 season, Vines posted career highs in goals (3) and points (10) while finishing the regular season tied for the team lead with a +13 plus/minus rating. In 1999-2000, the Oakville, Ontario native played in all 41 Denver games and was named to the all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association academic team. Vines also shared the Pioneers' Dr. Ken Bredesen Award for sportsmanship.

Both will be in uniform tonight as the Ice Dogs (10-8-0) host the league-leading Idaho Steelheads (15-4-2) tonight at 7:30 p.m. To make room on the roster, the Ice Dogs waived forwards Daniel Kim and Yevgeniy Kabanets.

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