Sound Tigers Making Noise in East

November 17, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release

After an 0-3-2-0 start to their third season of play in the AHL, the Sound Tigers are 9-0-1-1 since Oct. 19, and are beginning to resemble the team that won the Eastern Conference championship in 2002. Rookie head coach Greg Cronin's club has been powered by Jeff Hamilton, a former All-American at nearby Yale University who currently leads the AHL with 12 goals. Rookie Martin Kariya, who followed brothers Paul and Steve out of the University of Maine, has picked up 11 points on the year, and Justin Mapletoft will have an eight-game scoring streak waiting for him when and if he returns from recall by the parent New York Islanders. Derek Bekar is second on the club with six goals, including three game-winning scores.

The offensive cast also includes former collegiate standout Rob Collins, 2001 Dudley "Red" Garrett Award winner Ryan Kraft, one-time AHL All-Star Eric Manlow and 23-year-old winger Mattias Weinhandl, who played 47 games in the NHL last season.

Bridgeport leads the American Hockey League in penalty killing with a 90.8 percent success rate, sparked by the stellar defensive play of veterans Brandon Smith and Mattias Timander, both of whom helped Providence to a 57-win season in 1998-99, and Alain Nasreddine, whose plus-10 rating in just six games is tied for the AHL lead among blueliners. Dieter Kochan, coming off a Calder Cup championship with Houston, and rookie Wade Dubielewicz have split the work in the Tigers' cage, combining for a 1.72 goals against average that ranks second in the entire league.

Bridgeport has outscored its opponents by a margin of 36-16 during the last 11 games, seven of which were ties or one-goal decisions. The streak is one shy of the franchise record 12-game points streak set in October and November of 2001. The Sound Tigers are now off until Sunday (Nov. 23), when they close out a three-game homestand against division rival Binghamton.

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SPORTSNET ADDS TWO ... Rogers Sportsnet has added the Grand Rapids-Manitoba game on Dec. 21 and the Philadelphia-Hamilton game on Dec. 23 to its national broadcast schedule for the 2003-04 AHL season.

The network is now scheduled to air 15 AHL games in the regular season, along with the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic from Grand Rapids.

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MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS ... The American Hockey League will return to the city of St. Louis on Sunday when the Worcester IceCats take on the Utah Grizzlies at the Savvis Center, home of the IceCats' parent club, the St. Louis Blues.

The game will be the third in four nights between the teams, who play Thursday and Saturday at the "E" Center in Utah. It will also come a night after the Blues host the Grizzlies' affiliate, the Dallas Stars.

Sunday's contest will mark the AHL's first visit to the Gateway City since Red Almas, Guyle Fielder and the St. Louis Flyers last hit the ice in 1953.

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OFF THE ICE ... The Guinness Book of World Records has a new standard for "Most People Brushing Teeth" after 5,000 Grand Rapids Griffins fans brushed their teeth simultaneously for one minute during the second intermission of Saturday's home game... Norfolk's Brandin Cote and Bobby Russell answered phones for donations during last week's Radiothon 2003 to benefit the local Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters... Pro Football Hall of Famer and longtime Houston Oilers defensive end Elvin Bethea dropped the ceremonial first puck before Saturday's Aeros game at the Toyota Center... The Binghamton Senators are taking part in a plate painting fundraiser; autographed creations by the players will be auctioned off to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Central New York... The Cleveland Barons are holding an open practice session tonight on the campus of Kent State University, with all college students in attendance receiving a free ticket to a future Barons game... St. John's has announced 10 Pepsi Family Pack Nights, on which fans can purchase four tickets, four Pepsi drinks and four popcorns for just $50, a savings of over $35.

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ETC. ... Grand Rapids goaltender Joey MacDonald is a perfect 4-0-0 on the road, improving to 15-2-0 (1.96, .931) away from Van Andel Arena over the last two seasons... All four goals this season scored by Hartford forward Layne Ulmer have been game-winning markers... Springfield's Jeff Taffe also has four game-winners this season, including two in overtime and one with seven seconds left in regulation... San Antonio's Juraj Kolnik and Eric Beaudoin continued their hot play last week, and have now combined for 19 points in the last five games... Lowell's Pavel Brendl and Martin Sonnenberg combined for eight goals and 13 points in four games last week... Hamilton has ridden a five-game unbeaten streak into first place in the North Division... Tom Kostopoulos and Tomas Surovy, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's two leading scorers, were both recalled by Pittsburgh on Thursday... After a stint with Colorado, Steve Moore rejoined Hershey in the wee hours of Saturday morning and scored twice that night in a win over Norfolk... Kiel McLeod, a second-round draft pick in 2001, scored his first pro goal in Springfield's win at Manchester on Saturday... Bridgeport's Jeff Hamilton has 14 points in eight road games this season, and three points in eight home contests... Defenseman Jame Pollock recorded five points in Worcester's three road games last week... Binghamton scored three shorthanded goals in two games against Albany over the weekend... Philadelphia allowed 16 shots in Bridgeport on Saturday, a franchise record low for a road game... Pavel Vorobiev, the 11th overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, has been assigned to Norfolk by the Chicago Blackhawks... Cleveland's Robert Mulick is still looking for his first career goal; the fifth-year pro has played 229 AHL games (including playoffs) without lighting the lamp.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 17, 2003

• Checkers Look for First Home Win this Week - Charlotte Checkers
• Roadrunners Play Three Games this Weekend - Edmonton Road Runners
• Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
• Bridgeport Sound Tigers Highlight AHL Weekly - Bridgeport Islanders
• Come Back Wins Highlight 4-0 Week & Move Into First Place Overall - Bridgeport Islanders
• Canucks Recall Nathan Smith - Manitoba Moose
• Niittymaki named AHL Player of the Week - Adirondack Phantoms
• Griffins Prepare for First Visit to 'The Rock' - Grand Rapids Griffins
• Taffe Recalled to Phoenix - Springfield Falcons
• Wolves Weekly Notes - Chicago Wolves
• Amerks Play Three - Rochester Americans
• IceCats Recall Goalie - Worcester IceCats
• Moore Recalled, Tampa Bay Assigns Rumble for Conditioning - Hershey Bears
• Bears Gearing up for Sunday's Season Ticket Holder Skating Party - Hershey Bears
• P-Bruins Host One Game this Weekend - Providence Bruins
• Kings Recall Cammalleri - Manchester Monarchs
• Reich Climbs Crunch's All-Time List - Syracuse Crunch
• Admirals Weekly - Milwaukee Admirals
• The Road is their Middle Name - Portland Pirates
• Sound Tigers Making Noise in East - AHL
• Niittymaki Earns Player of the Week Nod - AHL
• Moose Split in Salt Lake City - Manitoba Moose
• B-Sens Weekly - Binghamton Senators
• Bulldogs currently in first place in North Division - Hamilton Bulldogs
• Bears Boast Best Point Total in AHL as Week Begins - Hershey Bears
• Barons Weekly Report - Cleveland Barons
• Blue and Gold Stymied by Hershey - Norfolk Admirals

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