Monarchs Ink Initial Four to 2015-16 Roster
July 27, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Manchester Monarchs announced Monday the signings of Dennis Brown, Matt White, Gasper Kopitar and Troy Power for the 2015-16 season, the Monarchs inaugural season in the ECHL and 15th season in Manchester.
"All of these guys were key individual contributors to their respective teams last season and I expect the same moving forward here in Manchester," said head coach Richard Seeley. "Dennis, Matt and Gasper were influential in success of the Ontario Reign last season and Troy was a standout at UMass. I have spoken individually with each of them and they have all echoed the same sentiment and are excited to be Monarchs."
Dennis Brown, the 25-year-old defenseman (born July 28, 1989) is a 5 foot 11 inch, 185-pound native of Cypress, Calif., who appeared in 47 regular season games for the Ontario Reign last year. He registered 15 points (1g, 14a), 30 PIMs and a +15 rating in his first full ECHL season. Brown played in 12 ECHL playoff games for the Reign, assisting on six goals.
Before turning pro, Brown played four years of collegiate hockey at Western Michigan University, totaling 65-points (8g, 57a) and 109 PIMs. Brown helped WMU to the 2011-12 Central Collegiate Hockey Association Championship, beating Miami of Ohio and Michigan on their way to the title.
Forward Matt White is a 5-10, 185-pound left shot, who ranked second in goals on the Ontario Reign last season, tallying 28 and third in points with 60 (28g, 32a) in 68 games. He led the Reign with 10 goals in the Kelly Cup playoffs. White finished the 2014-15 season fourth in plus/minus within the ECHL with a +40 rating.
The 25-year old native of Whittier, Calif. played a total of two seasons with the Reign, totaling 117 points (50g, 67a) in 139 career games, adding 10 goals and nine assists in 23 career ECHL playoff games.
White was honored with the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week Award for Mar. 30-Apr. 5. 2015 when he scored five goals and added two assists over the span of three games.
Before turning pro, White spent three years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, playing in 114 games, totaling 47 goals and 52 assists for 99 points, recording 32 PIMs.
Forward Gasper Kopitar (6-0/194) tallied 25 points (11g, 14a) in 41 games with the Ontario Reign (ECHL) last season and recorded two assists in 19 games during in the 2014-15 ECHL playoffs.
The Jesenice, Slovenia native played 12 games in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks, two years in the USHL with the Des Moines Buccaneers, and two seasons with Mora IK in Sweden before being signing with Ontario for the 2013-14 season. Kopitar has 45 career points in the ECHL, netting 19 goals and 26 assists.
Troy Power (5-11/185) played five seasons in his career at the University of Massachusetts and was just the ninth two-year captain in program history. He appeared in 122 career games and logged 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 career points.
The Camarillo, Calif. native, saw action in 31 games in his final year with the Minutemen and tallied 16 points on six goals and 10 assists with four power-play goals and one game-winning goal.
Brown, White, Kopitar, Power and the rest of the Monarchs will kick off their season on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. as the Monarchs host the Brampton Beast at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Individual-game tickets for Opening Night go on sale to the public on Oct. 1 at 9 a.m.
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