Ice Dogs extend qualifying offers to 5 players

July 1, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Long Beach Ice Dogs News Release


Long Beach, CA– The Long Beach Ice Dogs announced today the names of five players who received qualifying offers for the upcoming season. The players include Alex Kim, Martin Paquet, Trevor Read, Sandro Sbrocca, and Krzysztof Wieckowski.

Center Alex Kim was the Ice Dogs leading scorer last season with 27 goals and 27 assists. Right wing Martin Paquet finished second on the team in points with 50, and first in assists with 38. Trevor Read led all Ice Dogs defenseman in goals (9) and assists (26). The rights to left wing Sandro Sbrocca were acquired from San Diego to satisfy the future considerations portion of the Colin Zulianello trade last March. He ranked third on San Diego last season with 172 penalty minutes. Forward Krzysztof Wieckowski, who was limited to only 32 games last season because of a broken arm, tallied 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points.

Players who had already signed a contract by July 1 did not need to receive qualifying offers.

Each team was entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (288 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2004-05 season). Players on open qualifying offers can not be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until August 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams.

Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player's rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player's rights and the Professional Hockey Players' Association. The member with the player's rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

Season tickets for the 2004-2005 season are on sale now in all price ranges. Fans who pay in full by August 1st will receive an exclusive season ticket holder jersey. The Ice Dogs are also guaranteeing the playoffs or season ticket holders will receive a $50 rebate on each seat purchased. Call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com for more information.



ECHL Stories from July 1, 2004


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