Salmon Kings present seven qualifying offers

Published on July 2, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC- The Victoria Salmon Kings, proud affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose, announced today that the team has issued qualifying offers to seven players for the 2007-2008 season.

Players who have received qualifying offers:

Phil Cole (D), Gustav Engman (D), Robin Gomez (F), Derek Krestanovich (F), Jordan Krestanovich (F), Darryl Lloyd (F), Seamus Young (D).

Cole was acquired last season by the club in a trade with the Augusta Lynx in October, and is the Salmon Kings All-Time plus-minus leader (+10). He earned six points over the final three regular season games of 2006-07. Cole was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fourth round (#125 overall) in the 2000 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft.

6-foot-4, 205-pounds

Born: 1982-09-06

Winnipeg, MB

Engman made his pro debut with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) and Columbia Inferno (ECHL) in 2005-06, and was acquired by the Salmon Kings last season. He assisted on the first Salmon Kings goal of the 2006-07 season (at Alaska, Oct 20). In 114 pro games, he has posted 22 points and 209 penalty minutes..

6-foot-3, 195-pounds

Born: 1985-01-17

Borlange, Sweden

Gomez was acquired in January of last season. He has logged 304 games and 1100 penalty minutes between the ECHL, American Hockey League (AHL), and Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), over five pro seasons.

6-foot-2, 210-pounds

Born: 1981-10-15

Prince Rupert, BC

Derek Krestanovich was acquired in a trade with the Pensacola Ice Pilots in November. He has played three ECHL seasons and tallied 119 points (44 goals, 75 assists). Derek was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round (#92 overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

6-foot-1, 180-pounds

Born: 1983-05-31

Surrey, BC

Jordan Krestanovich was acquired in a trade with the Pensacola Ice Pilots in November, and had a three-point night in his Salmon Kings debut. He has played seven pro seasons, including 22 games in the NHL, and shares the club record for most points in one game in the playoffs (4). In the 2006-07 regular season, the Salmon Kings were 9-2-0 when he scored a goal. Jordan was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in fifth round (#152 overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

6-foot-1, 180-pounds

Born: 1981-06-14

Surrey, BC

Lloyd made his ECHL debut last season and scored in the opening game (at Alaska, Oct 20). In 186 pro games, he has posted 98 points and 462 penalty minutes. He had a career-high three assists in a 3-1 win versus Las Vegas on January 9th.

5-foot-10, 195-pounds

Born: 1984-02-10

Pickering, ON

Young was the only American-born player on the roster last season, and was one of two members to play in all 72 games. He holds the club record for best plus-minus in a single game (+5). Seamus was active in the Victoria community during last season, participating in hospital visits, school visits, and youth public skates.

6-foot-4, 205-pounds

Born: 1983-08-16

Dedham, MA

For additional info:

Dan Belisle, VP of Hockey Operations/GM - (250) 216-5282

Mark Morrison, Head Coach - (250) 889-9675

ECHL QUALIFYING OFFERS

Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2007-08 season). Players on open qualifying offers can not be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until Aug. 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until Aug. 1. After Aug. 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player's rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player's rights and the Professional Hockey Players' Association. The member with the player's rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

ECHL 20th ANNIVERSARY

Opening Day for the 20th Anniversary Season will be Oct. 18 when the Johnstown Chiefs host the Wheeling Nailers at Cambria County War Memorial in a rematch of Game 7 from the first-ever ECHL Finals.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as the Premier 'AA' Hockey League in 2007-08, the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league that will have 25 teams in 17 states and British Columbia in 2007-08. The 25 teams includes the Mississippi (Biloxi) Sea Wolves, who return after missing two seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the expansion Elmira (N.Y.) Jackals.

The ECHL will play 900 games beginning Oct. 18 and concluding Apr. 5. The conference and division alignments and the format for the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs will be determined and approved at a later date by the ECHL Board of Governors.

The Salmon Kings will kick off their fourth season in the ECHL in Idaho on Oct 19, 2007, and will host the Las Vegas Wranglers for the Home Opener Series on Oct 26 and 27. Reserve your seat to exhilarating pro hockey today! Call 220-7889. Don't miss out on the NEW season ticket package for children 12 years and under - only $180 for 36 games!

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