AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Kevin Colley named Sound Tigers Captain

October 5, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


BRIDGEPORT, CT - The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, have named Kevin Colley team captain and Allan Rourke and Wyatt Smith assistant captains.

"Kevin has been a warrior for us for two years and is more than deserving of this," said Sound Tigers head coach Dave Baseggio. "He has the respect of the team and the staff and puts a total effort into everything he does."

Colley, 26, is one of the longest-tenured and most popular players in Sound Tigers history. Born just up the road from Bridgeport in New Haven, Connecticut, where his father Tom played for the AHL's Nighthawks for many years, the younger Colley first signed with the Sound Tigers in the July of 2003 and inked his first NHL contract with the Islanders a year later. The 5'11'' 185-pounder who now calls Collingwood, Ontario home has totaled 23 goals, 32 assists and 55 points while racking up 334 penalty minutes in 137 career games as a Sound Tiger heading into his third season with the team. Before signing with the Sound Tigers, Colley was the most valuable player with a playoff-leading 13 goals in leading the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies to the 2002-03 ECHL Kelly Cup Championship. He has played a total of six professional seasons (1999-2005) on the heels of three years (1996-99) of major junior with the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals, winning that league's playo! ff title in 1996-97.

Rourke, 25, signed with the Islanders this past August 12th. The 6'2'' 215-pounder from Mississauga, Ontario spent all of last season with the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters and split the previous campaign (2003-04) between Lowell and the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes appearing in his first 25 big-league games with the latter that year. Rourke spent the previous three seasons (2000-03) with the AHL's St. John's Maple Leafs after a four-year (1996-2000) major-junior career with the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers. He was a 1999-2000 Second-Team OHL All-Star and the sixth pick, 154th overall, of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Smith, 28, signed with the Islanders this past August 10th. The 5'11'' 200-pounder from Thief River Falls, Minnesota has spent most of the past three seasons (2002-05) with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals. Smith helped lead Milwaukee to the 2004 AHL Calder Cup Championship and also appeared in 29 games with the Admirals NHL affiliate, the Nashville Predators, from 2002 through 2004. He split the first three years (1999-2002) of his professional career between the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes and the AHL's Springfield Falcons after four seasons (1995-99) at the University of Minnesota. Smith, who was selected sixth, 233rd overall, by Phoenix in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, has appeared in a total of 83 big-league games in his career.

"Allan and Wyatt could have easily been our captain as well," said Baseggio. "They're great individuals and great players who have been leaders everywhere else they've played."

Celebrating their fifth anniversary in Bridgeport as the top affiliate of the Islanders, the Sound Tigers will open the 2005-06 regular season with the first of four straight road games when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight at 7:35 p.m. The game will be web cast live at www.soundtigers.com beginning at 7:15 p.m.

The Sound Tigers' first home games of the season at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard will be Saturday and Sunday, October 22nd and 23rd when they host the Portland Pirates and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Sound Tigers 2005-06 season tickets and partial plans are on-sale now at savings of up to 25% off box-office costs with most seats available at lower prices than last year. Information regarding Sound Tigers tickets is available by calling 203-334-GOAL or logging on to www.soundtigers.com.

The Sound Tigers are also committed to the community on a year-round basis, so groups, organizations, companies, etc. that are interested in having a member of the team appear at an event are invited to call 203-334-GOAL or email info@soundtigers.com.

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