Puck set to drop on 14th UHL season

Published on October 14, 2004 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2) News Release


LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO--- The United Hockey League (UHL) will celebrate the start of its 14th season with a total of 15 games scheduled this weekend. Opening weekend will also mark the debut of three new member clubs for the 2004-05 hockey campaign. Newcomers Danbury Trashers (CT), Motor City Mechanics (MI), and Kansas City Outlaws (MO) will all challenge for the Colonial Cup. Each member club will play a total of 80 regular season games (40 home, 40 road) with the teams aligned in three divisions.

Eastern Division
Adirondack Frostbite
Danbury Trashers
Elmira Jackals
Richmond RiverDogs

Central Division
Flint Generals
Kalamazoo Wings
Motor City Mechanics
Muskegon Fury
Port Huron Beacons

Western Division
Fort Wayne Komets
Kansas City Outlaws
Missouri River Otters
Quad City Mallards
Rockford IceHogs

Rule Change..The UHL has instituted "no-touch" icing for the 2004-05 season.

Preview:

Adirondack Frostbite (22-44-10 in 2003-04)..Head Coach Marc Potvin begins his first full season after taking over for the final 31 games of last season..Adirondack unveiled a new logo and colors over the summer. The team will be known as the "Frostbite"..Three-time league MVP Hugo Belanger returns for his fifth season in Adirondack.

Danbury Trashers (inaugural season)..Danbury entered the league in April 2004..Todd Stirling will be behind the Trashers bench and look to UHL veterans Jim Duhart (56 goals for the Flint Generals in 2003-04) and Brent Gretzky (43 goals, 38 assists for the Port Huron Beacons in 03-04) to lead the expansion club.

Elmira Jackals (33-34-9 in 03-04)..The Jackals look to build on an impressive playoff run last season in which they reached the Colonial Cup Finals..Fifth-year head coach Todd Brost welcomes back 2004 playoff overall leading scorer Jamie Thompson as well as veterans Eddy Lowe and Jeff Antonovich

Flint Generals (39-27-10 in 03-04)..Robbie Nichols begins his seventh season behind the Generals bench..UHL career goals leader Kevin Kerr needs only two goals to break the all-time minor league hockey record for goals in a career..Flint will be led by All-Star goaltender Dan McIntyre, 2003-04 leading scorer Bobby Reynolds, and Chad Grills who comes back to Flint after spending two seasons in the CHL.

Fort Wayne Komets (53-17-6 in 03-04)..2003-04 Tarry Cup Champions (regular season best record)..Sher-Wood UHL MVP Kevin St. Pierre will be back between the pipes along with center Colin Chaulk to lead the Greg Pulhalski coached squad..High scoring right wing Chris Grenville joins the Komets after finishing third overall in points last season in the CHL.

Kalamazoo Wings (45-22-9 in 03-04)..UHL Coach of the Year Mark Reeds returns for a Wings organization that was named 2003-04 Member Club of the Year..All-Star netminder Chad Alban returns along with left wing Nick Bootland and defenseman Daniel Carriere..NHL veteran Zarley Zalapski will also anchor the blueline for the Wings.

Kansas City Outlaws (inaugural season)..The Outlaws bring hockey back to Kansas City and will play their home games at Kemper Arena..Daryl Williams will coach the KC team and look to goaltender Maxime Gingras (34-15-5 for Richmond RiverDogs in 03-04) to lead the Outlaws.. Defenseman John Glavota (Rockford) and forward Jeremy Vokes (Kalamazoo) saw action the UHL last season.

Missouri River Otters (17-51-8 in 02-03)..Kevin Kaminski takes over as bench boss for a team looking to rebound after a disappointing 2003-04 season..The Otters will rely on All-Star Charlie Blyth (26 goals, 27 assists in 03-04) as well as Dennis Vial and Jim Montgomery who have both spent time in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Motor City Mechanics (inaugural season)..Seven-time NHL All-Star Garry Unger will coach this new club..High scoring forward Joe Burton will lead the offense-driven Mechanics..Motor City will play the home portion of their schedule at the Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena in Fraser, MI.

Muskegon Fury (47-20-9 in 02-03)..The defending Colonial Cup Champions will have a target on their back all season after an undefeated record-breaking playoff run (11-0)..2003-04 league scoring champion Robin Bouchard along with All-Stars Todd Robinson and Brant Blackned will lead the Fury in their title defense..Coach Todd Nelson will have to fill the gaps left by defenseman Scott Feasby (retired) and goaltender Sylvain Daigle (signed in Europe).

Port Huron Beacons (38-31-7 in 02-03)..The Beacons had a solid run in the 2004 playoffs before coming up short against eventual Colonial Cup runner-up Elmira..Head coach Rick Adduono begins his first season in Port Huron..The Beacons will welcome the return of winger David-Alexandre Beauregard after he spent the last two seasons in Fort Wayne and hope he can fill some of the void left by UHL career points leader Jason Firth (retired)..NHL veteran goaltender Daniel Berthiaume will be in net for the Beacons.

Quad City Mallards (50-20-6 in 02-03)..The Mallards have won 50 or more games in seven of the last eight seasons..Coach Paul Gillis begins his fifth season in Quad City and will rely on returning netminder Jeff Reynaert and blueliner Terry Hollinger to anchor the defense..A host of new faces including Jonathan Gagnon and Jason Deskins will add scoring punch up front.

Richmond RiverDogs (44-27-5 in 02-03)..The RiverDogs enjoyed a successful first season in the UHL by winning the Eastern Conference regular season title..Donny Martin will coach Richmond after serving as an assistant last season..Wingers J.J. Wrobel (24 goals, 27 assists in 02-03) and David Brosseau(32 goals, 30 assists in 02-03) both return to the RiverDogs lineup.

Rockford IceHogs (22)..Steve Martinson takes over as coach of the IceHogs after leading San Diego (ECHL) to five championships in nine seasons..Forwards J.F. Dufour and J.C. Ruid join Rockford and make their return to the UHL. Dufour was the 2001-02 UHL Rookie of the Year and Ruid notched a career high in points (40 goals, 56 assists) with Adirondack during the 2002-03 season.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from October 14, 2004


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