AHL Manchester Monarchs

Royal Review 3-15-04

March 15, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

Vs. Springfield (3/10): Goaltender Adam Hauser earned his sixth shutout of the season with 22 saves in the Monarchs 3-0 shutout over the Springfield Falcons at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Wednesday night. The Monarchs honored their millionth fan, Mike Coons, with goals from right wing Pavel Rosa, left wing Noah Clarke and forward Michael Cammalleri. Cammalleri's tally was a power play goal.

Vs. Worcester (3/12): Right wing Pavel Rosa scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Monarchs edged the Worcester IceCats, 3-2, at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night. Defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov scored his second goal of the season. Goaltender Adam Hauser stopped 23 shots for his 16th win. Along with the Monarchs third straight win, they inducted the Hanson Brothers (from the movie "Slap Shot") into the Mullet Hall of Fame.

Vs. Philadelphia (3/13): Right wing Sam Ftorek scored the game-winner in the Monarchs 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phantoms at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday night. Center Yanick Lehoux tallied a goal and an assist, while center Jerred Smithson scored an empty net goal. Right wing Pavel Rosa saw his team leading five-game goal streak come to an end, but he extended his scoring streak to seven games (6-5=11) with an assist on Smithson's goal. Goaltender Mathieu Chouinard earned his ninth win of the season, stopping 26 shots.

LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS Vs. Bridgeport (3/14): Right wing Pavel Rosa's early third period power play goal was his third game-winning goal in four games, and it helped the Monarchs beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 2-1, at the Arena at Harbor Yard on Sunday afternoon. Center Michael Cammalleri scored a power play goal early in the second period for his 11th goal of the season. The Monarchs extended their winning streak to six games and they're unbeaten in regulation streak to 13 games (9-0-2-2). Goaltender Adam Hauser made 19 saves for his 17th win of the season.

TEAM NOTEs

Right wing Pavel Rosa extended his scoring streak to eight games with his 29th goal, scored on Sunday in the Monarchs 2-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He has 12 points (7-5=12) during the streak.

Rosa is one game short of equaling his longest scoring streak of the season. He collected points in nine straight games (6-7=13) from November 22 to December 6, 2003.

The Monarchs posted a 4-0-0-0 record on the week with Rosa collecting the game-winning goal in three of the four victories (3-10 vs. Springfield; 3-12 vs. Worcester; 3-14 vs. Bridgeport). Rosa has five game-winners on the season.

Rosa set a Monarchs season high by scoring a goal in five straight games from February 29 to March 12, 2004.

Rosa's rating of plus-27 is tops among all forwards in the AHL. The rating ranks second overall in the league. Only Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Curtis Murphy (plus-35) has a higher rating.

Rosa enters this week's action ranked second in the league in scoring with 70 points (29-41=70). Only forward Eric Perrin of the Hershey Bears (21-50=71) has more points.

Rosa leads the AHL in shots attempted with 264. His 41 assists rank third and his 29 goals rank fourth in the league.

Rosa passed former Monarchs left wing Eric Healey and moved into second place on the Monarchs all-time scoring list with his 41st assist on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phantoms. Including Sunday's game against the Sound Tigers, Rosa has 133 points (57-76=133) in 124 career games with the Monarchs. Healey, currently in the Atlanta Thrashers organization with the AHL's Chicago Wolves, collected 131 points (66-65=131) in 140 career games with the Monarchs (2001-03).

With 14 games left on the schedule, Rosa needs just four points to become the Monarchs all-time single season scoring leader. Healey is the current record holder. He scored 73 points (42-31=73) during the 2002-03 season.

Rosa is also chasing center Steve Kelly for the Monarchs all-time single season assist record. He has 41 assists. Kelly set the club record with 44 assists last season.

The Monarchs six-game winning streak is a season high and two games short of the franchise record. The Monarchs set a record by winning eight straight games from October 19 to November 9, 2002.

The Monarchs are unbeaten in regulation in their last 13 games (9-0-2-2).

The Monarchs have just one regulation loss in their last 16 games (10-1-3-2).

The Monarchs are unbeaten in their last six road games (5-0-1-0).

The Monarchs are unbeaten in regulation in eight straight home games (5-0-1-2). Their unbeaten in regulation home streak is the second longest of the season. The Monarchs went unbeaten in regulation in 10 straight home games (9-0-0-1) from November 1 to December 5, 2003.

The Monarchs posted their 21th home win of the season with their victory over the Phantoms on Saturday. The team record for home victories in a season is 23, set in 2001-02 and tied last year. The Monarchs have six home games left on their 2003-04 schedule.

The Monarchs, who lead the AHL in attendance with an average of 9,045 fans per game, hosted their 14th and 15th sellouts of the season (9,916) on Friday versus the Worcester IceCats and on Saturday against the Phantoms. The Monarchs averaged 8,986 fans and had 21 sellouts in 40 regular season home dates at the Verizon Wireless Arena last season.

The Monarchs are unbeaten in regulation (6-0-2-2) in each of goaltender Adam Hauser's last 10 appearances. Hauser's goals-against-average in the 10 games is 1.11. His save percentage in the 10 games is .952.

Hauser, winner of four straight contests overall, leads the Monarchs with 17 wins. The team record for goaltending wins in a season is 23, set by former Monarch Travis Scott last year.

Defenseman Joe Rullier, the Monarchs all-time games played leader with 185 games to his credit over the last three seasons, is plus-10 in his last six games. He has a plus-13 overall rating this season.

Left wing Clarke saw his scoring streak end at five games against the Sound Tigers on Sunday. He collected six points (3-3=6) during the streak. Clarke, who has nine goals and 15 points (9-6=15) in his last 16 games, leads the league in rookie scoring with 45 points (23-22=45).

Defenseman Bryan Muir's streak of games without a penalty ended on Friday versus the IceCats. He had gone penalty free in seven games.

Muir has finished with an even or better rating in each of his last 13 games, his longest streak of the season. His plus-20 rating ranks fourth best among defensemen in the AHL. Muir also has 11 points (2-9=11) over his last 13 games.

Muir is tied for first among AHL defensemen with 41 points (9-32=38). He has eight points (1-7=8) over his last six games, and he's scored at least a point in three straight contests (0-4=4).

Three of right wing Sam Ftorek's five goals this season have been game-winners. Ftorek's last goal, the game-winner against the Phantoms on Saturday, was the 100th of his professional career.

MONARCHS PROMOTIONS

MONARCHS AT YOUR SERVICE

The Monarchs "At Your Service" event, Set for Tuesday, March 16, is an evening dinner featuring Monarchs players serving guests. Activities include dancing, a silent auction and photographs with your favorite players. The players receive tips by honoring special requests including impersonations and surprise phone calls. For more information, contact the Monarchs community relations director, Cheryl Abbott, at (603) 626-7825, ext. 6102.

NH LEGENDS OF HOCKEY TO INDUCT 9

The New Hampshire Legends of Hockey will celebrate the Granite State's rich hockey tradition when it inducts nine new members into its organization on March 20, 2004. A special tribute to the city of Concord is also planned. This year's inductees include: Willie Bibeau, Manchester; George Crowe, Hanover; Ron Dubreuil, Manchester; Hubie McDonough, Jr., Manchester; Tara Mounsey, Concord; Dick Osborne, Concord; Huskie Poirier, Berlin; Andre St. Laurent, Manchester; Dede Villeneuve, Berlin.

The nine inductees will be honored during a 2 p.m. luncheon at the Wayfarer Inn in Bedford, and then introduced during an on-ice ceremony at the Verizon Wireless Arena prior to the Monarchs 7:35 p.m. match-up with the Providence Bruins. Tickets for the luncheon, sponsored by the Anheuser Busch Distributors of New Hampshire, are $30 and can be purchased by calling Dick or Diane Theriault at (603) 895-2450. They can also be purchased at The Skaters Edge in Manchester, Corriveau Routhier in Manchester and Everett Sports Center in Concord.

As part of the night's festivities, the Monarchs will wear throwback jerseys featuring the crest of the Concord Budmen, a team that played senior hockey at Everett Arena in Concord from 1975-90. Following the game, the throwback jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds going to The New Hampshire Legends of Hockey, an organization that recognizes men and women in the state who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of ice hockey.

MONARCHS SHIRT OFF OUR BACK

The Monarchs will host a unique promotion in conjunction with their last home game of the 2003-2004 season, scheduled for Sunday, April 11 at 6:05 pm. against the Worcester IceCats. The "Shirt Off Our Back" promotion will benefit the Monarchs Care Foundation and Special Olympics of New Hampshire. The promotion starts on Friday, March 12 during the Monarchs game against the IceCats and continues at every home game leading up to the season finale on April 11. Fans should be on the lookout for a special table set up in the concourse with jars representing the players. Fans will be able to donate $1 for the opportunity to fill out a raffle ticket and place it in their favorite player's jar. On April 11, immediately following the game, the Monarchs will pick a winner from each of the jars. The winners will then be escorted onto the ice where the players will take off their game-worn jerseys, autograph them, and hand them over. (Note: Fans must be present to win the jerseys).

MILLLIONTH FAN (RECAP)

The Monarchs revealed their millionth fan midway through the first period of Wednesday's game against the Springfield Falcons. Manchester's Mike Coons, a 41-year-old half season ticket holder with the Monarchs, received an impressive prize package that included a pair of Monarchs season tickets for the 2004-05 season, a team autographed stick and a $100 gift certificate for the Monarchs Pro Shop. The prize package also included a chance to meet his favorite Monarch after the game, a Zamboni ride during the first intermission and an interview with Dick Lutsk, a color commentator on the Monarchs Radio Network.

MULLET NIGHT RETURNS (RECAP)

The Monarchs on Friday hosted the induction of the Hanson Brothers, made famous by the classic hockey movie "Slap Shot," into the Mullet Hall of Fame as part of Mullet Night II, sponsored by TRIMZ Family Haircut Center. The Hanson's joined the likes of ESPN's Barry Melrose (class of 2003), actor Patrick Swayze (class of 2002), pitcher Randy Johnson (class of 2001) and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus (class of 2000) in the Mullet Hall of Fame, which recognizes members of the sports and entertainment industry who possess the proper ratio of short hair in the front (10 percent) and long hair in the back (90 percent). Devin Tebo, a 12-year-old from Derry, New Hampshire, was also honored as the Grand Mullet Champion. He was one of four contestants with real Mullets that competed for the title at center ice. Tebo also won the title last year. Greg Kretchsmar, Andy Blacksmith and Roadkill of the Morning Buzz (Rock 101.1 –WGIR-FM) hosted the induction ceremony. As part of Friday's festivities, the first 5,000 guys (and ladies if they wanted one) into the arena received free Mullet wigs. Coverage of the Mullet Night II made ESPN's Sportscenter and ESPN 2's NHL2NIGHT.

TICKET AVAILABILITY FOR UPCOMING MONARCHS GAMES

Sat., Mar. 20 vs. Providence: Single seats remain.

Sun., Mar. 21 vs. Springfield: Single seats remain.

Fri., Apr. 2 vs. Bridgeport: Single seats remain.

MONARCHS IN THE COMMUNITY Right wing Pavel Rosa and center Yanick Lehoux will be at Dunbarton School in Dunbarton, New Hampshire on Thursday, March 18 from 1:15-2:15 p.m. to speak to the students about setting and achieving goals as part of the Monarchs Goals For Success program.

Ten Monarchs players will be at the Boys and Girls Club of Manchester to play games and visit with the teenagers from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30.



American Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2004


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