Mighty Ducks Agree to Terms with Five Players

Published on August 22, 2002 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cincinnati RailRaiders News Release


CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim signed defenseman Josh DeWolf, left wing Francis Belanger, center Nick Smith and left wing Cam Severson to one-year contracts and center Brian Gornick to a two-year contract Thursday. All five players are expected to begin this season with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League.

DeWolf, 25, had four goals and 11 assists with 88 penalty minutes in 76 games with Cincinnati last season. Among team defensemen the Bloomington, Minnesota native ranked second in assists and third in points. The 6-foot-2, 203-pounder was originally a second-round pick (41st overall) by New Jersey in 1996.

Gornick, 22, had six goals and five assists in 21 games with the Air Force Academy last season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound St. Paul, Minnesota native was named Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America following the 2001-2002 season with a 3.92 GPA. He earned a degree in operations research, graduating first in his class. Gornick earned eight letters at the Air Force Academy, playing both hockey and baseball. He was selected by Anaheim in the ninth round (258th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, becoming the first-ever Air Force Falcon drafted and just the second service academy player ever selected.

Smith, 23, played 15 NHL games with Florida last season, going scoreless. The 6-foot-2, 196-pounder also appeared in 63 games between Bridgeport and Saint John of the AHL, recording 11 goals and 15 assists. A Hamilton, Ontario native, Smith was selected by Florida in the third round (74th overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

Belanger, 24, had 15 goals and 26 assists with a club-leading 165 penalty minutes in 69 games with Quebec of the AHL last season. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound Belleville, Quebec native was originally drafted by Philadelphia in the fifth round (124th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Severson, 25, had 11 goals and 10 assists with 116 penalty minutes in 65 games with Hartford of the AHL last season. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder played 20 games with Cincinnati in 2000-01, recording four goals and seven assists with 60 penalty minutes. A native of Norquay, Saskatchewan, Severson was originally drafted by San Jose in the eighth round (192nd overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

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