Minard called up to Milwaukee of AHL

January 17, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


ANCHORAGE, AK – Alaska winger Chris Minard, currently the ECHL leader with 26 goals, has been called up to the American Hockey League by the Milwaukee Admirals and will make his AHL debut Tuesday against San Antonio.

The 23-year-old Minard has enjoyed a spectacular first half for the Aces, leading the league by five in goals scored and sitting in a tie for seventh overall in the ECHL scoring race with 37 points (26g-11a). He also ranks fourth in the league with a .213 shooting percentage. Minard, a 6-1, 200-pounder hailing from Owen Sound, Ontario, took home ECHL Player of the Week honors for January 3-9 after scoring nine goals in four games against Victoria, including a club-record and ECHL season-high five in an 8-2 drubbing of the Salmon Kings in Anchorage January 8. That recent scoring binge came after he was selected to represent Alaska at the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game January 26.

Minard becomes the fourth player to earn an AHL promotion since Aces head coach Davis Payne took over in 2003, joining last year's call-ups Mike Scott (Providence), Charles Linglet (Utah), and Mark Smith (San Antonio). He joins a club that leads the West Division by two points over Chicago with a 25-10-2-1 record, one year after sweeping Wilkes-Barre in four games to claim the 2004 Calder Cup as champions of the American Hockey League. Minard and the Admirals face a busy week, with games against San Antonio Tuesday and Thursday and Hamilton Saturday, with all three scheduled for Milwaukee's Bradley Center.

Alaska (19-13-4) currently sits in a three-way tie for third place in the ECHL's West Division with San Diego and Fresno. The Aces return to a full practice schedule tomorrow in preparation for this weekend's three-game series at Victoria, who is winless in 11 games, the longest such streak in the league this season.

The Friday and Saturday games against the last-place Salmon Kings (7-23-4 overall) are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. AST while Sunday's matinee will take place at Noon AST. All three games will be broadcast live on flagship station KFQD 750 AM and at www.alaskaaces.com, with coverage beginning 20 minutes prior to the opening face-off.



ECHL Stories from January 17, 2005


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