Summer Update from the Falcons
July 3, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons, AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, are gearing up for the 2012-2013 season, their 19th in competition.
The Falcons will play their home opener at the MassMutual Center on Saturday, Oct. 13, one of six previously-announced home dates for 2012-2013. Springfield will also play home games on Friday, Nov. 9, Saturday, Nov. 24, Friday, Jan. 4, Saturday, Jan. 19, and Friday, Jan. 25. The complete schedule for the upcoming season, including all of the Falcons' 38 home games, will be announced in August.
All Friday, Saturday, and weekday games at the MassMutual Center this season will begin at 7:00 p.m., while Sunday contests will start at 3:00 p.m.
Ticket packages for the 2012-2013 season start as low as $112 and can be purchased by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625).
BLUE JACKETS ACTIVE EARLY IN FREE AGENCY
The Blue Jackets, who will serve as Springfield's NHL affiliate for the third-straight season, have been active at the start of the NHL's free-agency period, which began on Sunday, July 1. On Sunday, Columbus signed veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin to a one-year contract for the 2012-2013 campaign. A 39-year-old, Aucoin has collected 395 points (121g-274a) to go along with 777 penalty minutes and a +54 rating in 1,072 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, and the Phoenix Coyotoes. Aucoin, a native of Ottawa, Ontario was selected by Vancouver in the fifth round (117th overall) in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.
Columbus also signed left wing Jonathan Audy-Marchessault to a three-year entry level contract on Sunday. A second-year pro, Audy-Marchessault (pronounced OH-dee MAHR-sheh-soh) skated his rookie season of 2011-2012 with the AHL's Connecticut Whale, accumulating 24 goals and 40 assists for 64 points and was +1, skating in all 76 games. Audy-Marchessault, 21-years-old and a product of Cap-Rouge, Quebec, played his entire major-junior career with the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts, recording 239 points (98g-141a) and a combined +93 rating in 254 games prior to turning pro.
The Blue Jackets bolstered their depth in net on Sunday as well, inking goaltender Curtis McElhinney to a one-year, two-way NHL-AHL contract. The 29-year-old from London, Ontario, has participated in 69-career NHL games, going 19-26-4 with a .899 save percentage and a 3.09 goals-against average while posting two shutouts. McElhinney, an eighth-year pro, spent the majority of 2011-2012 with the AHL's Portland Pirates, posting a 10-13-0 record with a .907 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against average. He was 1-0-0 with a .944 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against average in two appearances with the NHL's Phoenix Coyotoes last season. McElhinney was taken in the sixth round (176th overall) by the Calgary Flames in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Also on Sunday, Columbus acquired left wing Nick Foligno from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Marc Methot. Foligno (pronounced foh-LEE-noh) posted 148 points (61g-87a) in 351 career games with Ottawa from 2007-2012. In 2011-2012, the 24-year-old from Buffalo, N.Y. notched career highs in assists (32), points (47), and penalty minutes (124) while skating in all 82 games. Foligno scored a goal and added three assists for four points and eight penalty minutes in seven games during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was selected in the first round (28th overall) by Ottawa in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
AHL CONCLUDES BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETINGS
The AHL's Board of Governors held its 2012 Annual Meeting in Hilton Head, S.C. last week and announced changes for the upcoming season following the event.
Three of the 30 clubs have switched divisions as part of a minor realignment, with the Abbotsford Heat relocating to the North Division, the Grand Rapids Griffins moving to the Midwest Division, and the Charlotte Checkers transferring to the newly-renamed South Division.
Additionally, the AHL will now use a video goal-review system for AHL games beginning in the 2012-2013 campaign.
The league has also adopted the following rule changes recently approved for use in the NHL:
- Rule 67.2 ("Handling the Puck") now calls for a minor penalty "any time a player places his hand over the puck while it is on the ice in order to conceal it from or prevent an opponent from playing the puck."
- Rule 76.4 ("Face-offs") states that "both players facing off are prohibited from batting the puck with their hand in an attempt to win the face-off." Violation of this rule will result in a minor penalty for delay of game.
The Board has also approved a test of a variation on Rule 81 ("Icing") at the request of the NHL, that will, in the event of a potential icing violation, complete the play should a defending player be the first to reach the end zone face-off dots provided the puck has crossed the goal line at that point. This rule will be in effect until Nov. 19, 2012, at which time its continued use will be determined by the Board. This was the only rules test approved at the meetings.
Stay tuned to the latest Falcons news this offseason by logging onto FalconsAHL.com. Be sure to check out the official Facebook page of the Falcons at Facebook.com/FalconsAHL and follow the Falcons on Twitter at Twitter.com/TheFalconsAHL.
American Hockey League Stories from July 3, 2012
- Coyotes Statement Regarding Forward Brett Maclean - San Antonio Rampage
- Rochester Americans Sign Rankin, Schofield to AHL Contracts - Rochester Americans
- Defenseman Andrew Campbell Signs Two-Year Contract with the Kings - Manchester Monarchs
- Remembering Rufenach: Center I.C.E. to Honor Fallen Prospect - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Bears Sign Forward Mathieu Beaudoin - Hershey Bears
- Rangers Re-Sign Kris Newbury - Connecticut Whale
- Worcester Sharks Resign Forward Jimmy Bonneau - Worcester Sharks
- Senators Sign Forward Hugh Jessiman to a One-Year, Two-Way Contract - Binghamton Senators
- Anaheim Ducks Sign Former Admirals Defenseman Matt Smaby to One-Year Deal - Norfolk Admirals
- Kings 2012 Development Camp Opens on July 6 at TSC - Manchester Monarchs
- Phantoms and Flyers Sign Five - Adirondack Phantoms
- Summer Update from the Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Four-Time AHL All-Star St. Pierre Signs with Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Sabres to Hold 2012 Development Camp at First Niagara Center - Rochester Americans
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