Jacks Sign Ndur, Spencer & Cody
September 24, 2009 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, MI.--- With training camp lurking and looming on the nearest horizon to dawn reveille for their gala Golden 50th Anniversary Season, the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League continue to look to apply the finishing touches on the club's first draft of its season roster.
Having those marching orders at the top of their agenda, the Lumberjacks have added three more team candidates with each new recruit accentuating the physical punch and prowess of the game.
On this date Muskegon General Manager / Governor Tim Taylor, in concert with Head Coach Rich Kromm, has announced that defensemen RUMUN NDUR and TODD SPENCER along with right wing MARK CODY have each assented to terms and signed one year deals for the upcoming 2009-10 IHL season. Adhering to club policy, terms of the contract deals were not disclosed.
NDUR (EN-durr), 34, will be embarking on his 15th pro season and his first-ever in Muskegon as a member of the Lumberjacks. The hulking and strapping 6-2, 244lb heavyweight has attained notoriety throughout his rather flamboyant pro career for his intimidating style and profile as well as his on-ice combative spirit and pugnacity. A former third round selection of the Buffalo Sabres in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, the native of Zaria, Nigeria brings a wealth of pro experience from the NHL and AHL to the Muskegon pro hockey scene for season 50. A veteran of some 69-games in the NHL and nearly 300-games in the AHL, the 'Jacks newest on-ice enforcing equalizer has plied his unique craft with the NHL Sabres, New York Rangers and Atlanta Thrashers as well as the Rochester Americans, Hartford Wolf Pack, and Norfolk Admirals in the AHL. For the past three seasons, he has been performing overseas in England with the Coventry Blaze and Nottingham Panthers, having played for the latter team last season.
On five separate occasions, he has topped his team in PIM, including a career-high 306 in 73-games in 1995-96 in Rochester, 282-PIM in '96-97, also with the Americans and 289-PIM as a member of Muskegon's opposition and the UHL Danbury Trashers in 2004-05. Five times Ndur has eclipsed 200-PIM in a single season and eight times he has amassed at least 176-PIM in one year. Ndur celebrated an AHL Calder Cup Championship in Rochester in '95-96. He is veteran of over 600-career pro games, having scored 40-goals, 96-assists, 136-points and accruing over 2,200-PIM.
Coach Kromm discussed the addition of Ndur to his team's defense. "Certainly, we are excited to have Rumun join our club. He brings a real wealth of experience, especially at the highest levels of pro hockey, having played for a considerable amount time in both the NHL and the AHL. He is a big, physical defenseman who is a major presence on the ice."
SPENCER, 26, will also be a physical specimen on the 'Jacks backline. The 26-year old third year pro comes to Muskegon after toiling his initial two pro seasons in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers. A four-year collegiate product of Sacred Heart University of the ECAC, the American-bred from Brentwood, New Hampshire saw his second pro season in 2008-09 truncated due to an untimely injury which limited him to only 15-games with the West Virginia based club.
In his rookie season, one year earlier in 2007-08 with the same Nailers team, he authored 8-points in 57-games on 2-goals, 6-assists with 79-PIM. His best collegiate campaign came in his senior season of 2006-07 when he was 34(0-10-10) with a career-high 85-PIM. His four-year career collegiate numbers at Sacred Heart were; 125-games, 1-goal, 20-assists, 21-points, 236-PIM.
As a physically-punishing 6-3, 215lb bulwark, Spencer will also inject a more pronounced physical presence on coach Kromm's last line of defense. "Todd is a big, strong, steady, stay-at-home defenseman who always plays physical, enjoys the physical game while taking a lot of pride in his own end of the ice."
Making it a true triumvirate in the Lumberjacks latest round of player signings is CODY. Although the 27-year old product of Halifax, Nova Scotia will be launching his fourth pro season, he is still classified as an IHL rookie under league statutes of having played 60 or fewer games. Originally a product of junior 'A' hockey in the MJAHL with both the Halifax Oland Exports and Truro Bearcats, Cody has seen limited duty in the UHL with Richmond and, more recently, in the CHL with the Texas Brahmas in 2007-08. In-between, he returned to college hockey expressly to don the uniform of St. Thomas U. where he amassed 107-PIM in 40-games, spanning two years with a mark of 40(4-8-12) for the 6-1 200lb forward.
His three-year career numbers in the MJAHL read: 86-games, 33-goals, 31-assists, 64-points, 632-PIM, topped by his 359-PIM in 2001-02 with Halifax.
Kromm also recognizes the value of Cody and the dynamic physical dimension he will offer the coach's club. "Mark is the prototypical blue collar forward with some good pro experience in the CHL. He, too, relishes the physical part of the game. He is a smart hockey player who should be strong on the fore-check."
Today's signings of defensemen RUMUN NDUR, TODD SPENCER and right wing MARK CODY bring to 19 the total number of players currently under Muskegon contract for the 50th Anniversary Season. Previously, the Lumberjacks announced the signings of goaltenders SEBASTIEN CENTOMO, MATT LUNDIN; defensemen JUSTIN DACOSTA, MATT GENS, JASO LAWMASTER, MIKE NOVAK, LUBOS VELEBNY; centers TRAVIS BANGA, BRIAN BICEK, BILLY COLLINS, TODD ROBINSON; left wings ROBIN BIG SNAKE, JOHN DIPACE, MATT ROBERTSON; right wings ROBIN BOUCHARD, KEVIN DEMERS.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from September 24, 2009
- PrairieThunder's Lepine has big night in AHL - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Mallards to Hold Tryouts for "QC Cuties" on Tuesday, September 29 - Quad City Mallards
- Gems Extend Training Camp Invites To Open Camp Attendees - Dayton Gems
- Jacks Sign Ndur, Spencer & Cody - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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