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Pirates Ready For 10th Anniversary Season

October 10, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Portland Pirates News Release


PORTLAND, ME - The Portland Pirates will begin their tenth anniversary season on Friday, October 11th when they host the Norfolk Admirals at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Game time is 7:05 p.m. It's a season of two anniversaries as the Pirates will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of professional hockey in Portland ushered in by the Maine Mariners back in 1977.

Today, the Pirates announced that defenseman Dean Melanson will serve as the team's captain for the second consecutive year. He is the fifth captain in team history. Center Trent Whitfield and defenseman Todd Rohloff were named alternate captains.

The Pirates have put the finishing touches on their roster. They'll boast a squad long on experience. Former University of Maine Black Bears Peter and Chris Ferraro headline the list of offensive veterans. Both players boast eight years of professional experience. Peter led the Pirates in scoring last year with 21 goals and 58 points. Left wing Mark Murphy begins his third season with the Pirates. He has finished one and two in scoring for the Pirates in the last two years. Whitfield is coming off a 14-goal campaign for the Pirates last season. He also saw time with the Pirates' National Hockey League affiliate, the Washington Capitals. NHL veteran Colin Forbes brings nearly 300 games of experience in "The Show" to the Pirates' line-up as well.

The Pirates will also have a host of players trying to establish themselves in the professional ranks. Second-year men Graham Mink, Chris Corrinet and Roman Tvrdon will look to improve their production from their rookie seasons. Mink led all Pirates' freshmen scorers with 17 goals and 34 points. He also had a team-best +21 plus/minus ratio last season.

There is only one word to describe the Pirates' defense-BIG. The Pirates boast six blueliners who are 6'2" or taller. Nolan Yonkman is the head-topper of the bunch at 6'6". He saw eleven games of action with the Capitals last year during his rookie season. Veterans Jason Doig, Dwayne Zinger, Chris Hajt and Rohloff will also patrol the blueline with up-and-comers Jakub Cutta and Maine-native Matt Libby.

In goal, the Pirates have a youthful one-two punch of Maxime Ouellet and Rastislav Stana. Ouellet joined the Pirates late in his rookie year after Washington made a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for center Adam Oates. The former first round draft pick is backed up by the Slovakian native, Stana. He led the Capitals' East Coast Hockey League affiliate, the Richmond Renegades, last season with 20 wins and a 2.72 goals-against average.

New head coach Tim Army will make his debut behind the bench on Friday night. Army has spent the last nine years as an assistant coach in the NHL, the last five with the Capitals. Army also has international experience as a developmental coach for USA Hockey. The Providence, Rhode Island native also has ties to Maine. His only season of professional hockey as a player was with the Maine Mariners during the 1985-96 season. Mark Kumpel will join him on the bench for his fourth season as the assistant coach, his fifth overall with the Pirates. Kumpel was the team's head coach during the 1998-99 season.

Last season, the Pirates finished with a record of 30-31-15-4 which put them in ninth place in the Eastern Conference of the AHL, just one spot out of the Calder Cup Playoffs. It's just the second time in the previous nine years that the Pirates have missed the post-season. Army's army is preparing for a return to the playoffs but they'll have their work cut out for them in a tough division, the North, of the Eastern Conference. The Pirates will play 38 of their games against division foes Lowell, Manchester, Providence and Worcester. The Pirates will also play ten more games against their traditional rivals, the Saint John Flames.

For a comprehensive look at the Pirates' 2002-03 schedule, roster and game promotions, fans can log on to the Pirates' web site, www.portlandpirates.com. The site also includes ticket information and a section dedicated to the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, coming to Portland on February 2nd and 3rd, 2003. It's the first time the city has ever hosted the AHL's mid-season classic. Forty of the best young players in the world will showcase their skills on the ice of the Civic Center in the Pepsi Skills Competition and the All-Star Game.

Tickets for Friday's season opener against Norfolk and all 39 other Pirates' home games are on sale at the Civic Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. The box office opens at 9:30 a.m. Tickets may also be ordered by phone at 775-3458 or 775-3331.



American Hockey League Stories from October 10, 2002


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