Training Camp Set to Open for IceMen

Published on October 1, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release


EVANSVILLE, IN--- The major off-season quantum from the AAHL to the newly-combined 18-teams AA Central Hockey League becomes reality for the Evansville IceMen franchise with the opening of their first-ever pro hockey training camp this coming Monday, October 4th at their home of Swonder Ice Arena.

General Manager/Head Coach Rich Kromm will meet and greet some 30-players when reveille sounds for the first pre-season session at 9:00 am sharp. The IceMen bench pilot will conduct two-a-day workouts for the initial three days, being Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm.

It is a training camp of brevity for the CHL's maiden voyage squadron as following a single workout session, Thursday, October 7th at 10:00 am at Swonder, the IceMen will board the bus for their first road sojourn of the early campaign when they travel on the long, long runway at exceedingly low altitude to Independence, Missouri for a weekend twin bill with their CHL Turner Conference fractious foes, the Missouri Mavericks. The first two pre-season outings are on the docket for FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8TH and SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH at 7:05 pm CDT with both games broadcast live on the IceMen flagship radio home of WEOA-AM 1400 in Evansville beginning with the Pre-Game Show at 6:30 pm.

The IceMen will wrap-up the brief pre-season schedule with their only home appearance in the form of a sneak-peek preview of their all-new aggregation, MONDAY, OCTOBER 11TH also at 7:05 pm when they tangle with the Mississippi RiverKings at Swonder.

When the IceMen training camp officially convenes, there will be 30-candidates vying for 19-roster berths under the discerning eye of Coach Kromm. Of those 30-players, 19-have been signed to CHL contracts for the 2010-11 season with 11- more hopefuls reporting to Evansville under Tryout Agreements.

Of the 19-contracted players, there will be a distinct Muskegon connection. In addition to Kromm, there are 9-top standouts from the latter franchise with 8 of those being major contributors to the Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL Huber Trophy Regular Season Championship last season. Those 8-personnel include second year goaltender MATT LUNDIN, whose 2.81 GAA, 21-victories and .910 SPCT topped all rookie netminders last year; defensemen MARIO LAROCQUE, who collected 24-points in 31-games and earned a masterful +18 rating; JORDAN LITTLE, a 7-year veteran of the pro hockey wars and NICK SCHNEIDER, who attained a sterling +16 rating in 40-Muskegon appearances in the Huber Trophy season. Up front, there are 5-former Muskegonites of exemplary repute set to fashion their wares in front of the Evansville faithful. This quintet is led by high-scoring right wing JOHN DIPACE who has finished 6th and 13th in IHL scoring the past 2-years and whose +31 rating ranked #3 in the league last year; centers BRIAN BICEK and DAMIAN SURMA with the former finishing 20th in IHL scoring last season and the latter a point per game pivot and 10-year pro. The Muskegon influence is completed with rugged, ruffian, rock-ribbed left wing MARK CODY and yet another centerman in 18-year veteran star JEFF NELSON, an impresario of over 1,000 career points and former UHL Scoring Champion and MVP of the Muskegon Fury title timber teams of 2004 through 2006.

Of the fresh faces sure to make an immediate impression are defensemen JAKE PENCE and JOE GRIMALDI. Pence has been in the IHL Turner Cup Championship Finals for the last 3-consecutive years, totaling 35-games and two successive titles in Fort Wayne while Grimaldi brings a resume which prominently features some solid experience in the ECHL and AHL. Another of the IceMen's top-drawer forwards expected to be a major offensive force and factor is Swedish import NICKLAS LINDBERG who has ranked in the top 10 in IHL scoring each of the past two years under the employ of since-extinct Port Huron. Right wing BO CHEESMAN, a former 30-goal ECHL cannoneer and left wing JESSE BIDUKE will be looked to for offensive firepower. Biduke was one of the final cuts from last year's Muskegon camp and proceeded to capture the SPHL Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team Awards while ranking in the league's top 10 in point production. Right wings CHRIS CAMPANALE, ANDREW GIBBONS and former U.S. Army collegiate star ROBB ROSS complete the IceMen forwards who are under contract to the club. From the team's overall camp roster former U. of Maine goaltender DAVID WILSON and former WHL and Canadian college standout defenseman CLAY THORING round out the list of IceMen signed contracted players.

The IceMen 11-tryout auditions will feature 3-members of the AAHL titlists IceMen squad from 2009-10. Goaltender John Dorman, defenseman Paul D'Agostino and left wing Aaron Naphan will be attending camp.

The remaining 8-tryout prospects include defensemen Adam Knopp from Mount Royal College, Russia's Petr Kabanov and veteran Nello Ferrara. From the forward position come centers Thomas Craig and Darren Mann, left wing Joel Kitchen and right wing David Herring with the latter being a seasoned pro from the UHL, ECHL and IHL. Also in Evansville for an audition is goaltender Dan Ramirez.

In all, Coach Kromm will be studying a training camp roster that includes, 4-GOALTENDERS, 10-DEFENSEMEN; 16-FORWARDS. Of the 19-signed players, there are 2-GOALTENDERS, 6-DEFENSEMEN, 11-FORWARDS.

(The Evansville IceMen 2010-11 Training Camp Roster and Numerical Lineup and Practice Schedule Attached)

THE ICEMEN NAME ATHLETIC TRAINER AND EQUIPMENT MANAGER

When camp opens this coming Monday, October 4th at Swonder Ice Arena, the IceMen will be introducing JON SKEELS, ATC as their Athletic Trainer and veteran JASON SCHWEINSBERG as the team's Equipment Manager.

Skeels comes to the IceMen through the club's partnership with Evansville's Pro-ReHab while Schweinsberg arrives following his most recent stint in the IHL with the Port Huron Icehawks.

Both IceMen newcomers are on the job and preparing for training camp, and for that matter, the entire 2010-11 CHL season.

ALL ICEMEN GAMES ON THE RADIO THIS SEASON

All IceMen games, pre-season, regular season, playoffs, home and away in their entirety, will be broadcast this season on the exclusive radio flagship home of Evansville IceMen pro hockey WEOA-AM 1400 in Evansville. "THE VOICE OF THE ICEMEN," TERRY FICORELLI will be behind the "mic."

2010-11 EVANSVILLE ICEMEN TRAINING CAMP NUMERICAL LINEUP

4 CLAY THORING DEFENSE

7 JOE GRIMALDI DEFENSE

8 JORDAN LITTLE DEFENSE

9 JEFF NELSON CENTER

10 BRIAN BICEK CENTER / LEFT WING

13 BO CHEESMAN RIGHT WING

14 JAKE PENCE DEFENSE

15 DAMIAN SURMA CENTER

16 JESSE BIDUKE LEFT WING

17 JOHN DIPACE RIGHT WING

18 MARK CODY LEFT WING

19 ROBB ROSS CENTER / RIGHT WING

22 NICK SCHNEIDER DEFENSE

25 NICKLAS LINDBERG CENTER

26 CHRIS CAMPANALE RIGHT WING

27 ANDREW GIBBONS RIGHT WING

31 MATT LUNDIN GOAL

33 DAVID WILSON GOAL

71 MARIO LAROCQUE DEFENSE

DAN RAMIREZ GOAL

JOHN DORMAN GOAL

ADAM KNOPP DEFENSE

PETR KABANOV DEFENSE

NELLO FERRARA DEFENSE

PAUL D'AGOSTINO DEFENSE

THOMAS CRAIG CENTER

DARREN MANN CENTER

JOEL KITCHEN LEFT WING

AARON NAPHAN LEFT WING

DAVID HERRING RIGHT WING

GENERAL MANAGER / HEAD COACH RICH KROMM

ATHLETIC TRAINER JON SKEELS, ATC

EQUIPMENT MANAGER JASON SCHWEINSBERG

VP COMMUNICATIONS / RADIO TERRY FICORELLI

2010-11 EVANSVILLE ICEMEN TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

3:00 pm Players Check-in to La Quinta Hotel

5:00 pm Physicals at Tri-State Orthopedics

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4________MEDIA DAY

9:00 am - 10:30 am Scrimmage / Workouts Swonder Ice Arena

11:00 am Lunch

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Scrimmage Swonder Ice Arena

5:00 pm Dinner

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5

9:00 am - 10:30 am Scrimmage / Workouts Swonder Ice Arena

11:00 am Lunch

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Scrimmage Swonder Ice Arena

5:00 pm Dinner

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6

9:00 am - 10:30 am Scrimmage / Workouts Swonder Ice Arena

11:00 am Lunch

1:30 - 3:00 pm Scrimmage Swonder Ice Arena

5:00 pm Dinner

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7

10:00 am - 12:00 n Practice Swonder Ice Arena

1:00 pm Lunch

1:30 pm Leave for Missouri

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8

10:00 am Bus to Arena

11:30 am Pre-Game Skate

12:30 - 1:30 pm Pre-Game Meal

4:45 pm Bus to Arena

7:05 pm Game vs. Missouri

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 12:30 - 1:30 pm Pre-Game Meal

4:45 pm Bus to Arena

10:00 am Bus to Arena 7:05 pm Game vs. Missouri

11:30 am Pre-Game Skate

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