Las Vegas Retain the Rights to Four Forwards and Four Defensemen

Published on July 2, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Las Vegas Wranglers News Release


LAS VEGAS, NV - The Las Vegas Wranglers® announced today that the club has extended qualifying offers to eight (8) players for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Defensemen Gerry Burke, Mike Madill, Jason Krischuk and Gerard Miller, as well as forwards Kelly Czuy, Marco Peluso, Curtis Fraser and Justin Donati have all received qualifying offers from the 2008 National Conference Champions. Each ECHL team was entitled to reserve Rights to a maximum of eight (8) Qualified Players. Of these eight (8) Qualified Players, no more than four (4) of the Qualified Players shall be Veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2008-09 season).

Burke spent most of the 2007-08 season with the Quad City Flames of the American Hockey League. He appeared in 16 regular season games with Las Vegas, posting seven points (3g-4a) and 20 penalty minutes. Burke also suited up for all 21 Kelly Cup Playoff contests for the Wranglers, scoring twice and dishing out six assists for eight points.

Madill tied for the team lead with 68 games played during the regular season, posting ten assists and 14 points. The second-year defenseman added six assists and seven points in 21 playoff games.

Krischuk finished first on the team and fourth overall in the ECHL among defensemen with a +30 rating. The Anchorage, AK native enjoyed his best professional season, posting career highs with seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points in 68 games played. Krischuk ranks second all-time in team history with a career +38 rating. In 129 games with Las Vegas over two seasons, Krischuk scored has goals and 46 assists for 55 points.

Gerard Miller was named as the future consideration on June 18th, 2008 for the trade that sent right wing Sean O'Connor to the Phoenix RoadRunners in late September of 2007. The 25-year old enters his fourth season of professional hockey after splitting the 2007-08 season between the American Hockey League and the ECHL for five different teams. In 41 games in the ECHL for both Cincinnati and Phoenix, Miller posted 21 assists and 25 points. The Cold Spring Harbor, NY native also played in the AHL for Binghamton, Milwaukee and Hamilton. In all the, 6-foot, 205-pounder played in eight games while recording one assist.

Left wing Kelly Czuy blossomed in the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs by scoring seven goals and adding ten assists for 17 points in 21 games. In 55 regular season games, Czuy scored 11 goals and added 17 assists for 28 points. In two seasons with Las Vegas, Czuy has played in 94 games, scoring 22 goals and dishing out 21 assists for 43 points. The left wing has amassed 154 career penalty minutes with the Wranglers.

Peluso ranks among club leaders in team history with 154 games played (3), 235 penalty minutes (5), 15 power-play goals (5) and 366 shots on goal (5). Peluso was limited to 33 games played due to injuries in 2007-08, scoring five goals and adding ten assists for 15 points.

Fraser split his rookie season between San Antonio (AHL) and Las Vegas. In five regular season games with Las Vegas, Fraser scored three times and set up eight tallies for 11 points. In 16 playoff games, the center scored seven goals and added an assist for eight points. In 41 games with San Antonio, Fraser scored four goals and added two assists for six points.

Rookie center Justin Donati played the first 14 games of the season with Las Vegas, notching 11 points (all assists). Donati left the team in December to attend the University of Prince Edward Island (PEI).

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