Tallahassee Tiger Sharks Player Updates November 2001

Houle, Fleming meet at TECO
November 30, 2001

Hockey coaches don’t hand out their team’s captaincy to just any player, and that holds true with Gerry Fleming. Last year as coach of the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, Fleming pinned the "C" on forward J.F. Houle’s uniform.

This weekend is a reunion of sorts as Houle comes to TECO Arena with his new team, the New Oleans Brass, to face Fleming, who now coaches the Florida Everblades.

"I’m really excited to play against him," said Houle, who had 10 goals and 11 assists entering Friday’s game. "He’s a good coach and it’s fun to play for him. Coach Fleming is a player’s coach."

Fleming is also happy to see someone he considers a good friend doing as well as he is this season.

"I know the way J.F. plays and competes, and I’m sure he’s one of the leaders on that team and he’s going to play hard against us."

Played In All Games Last Year

With the RiverKings having placed three players on the Central Hockey League's injured reserve list, the team has turned to last season's ironman to help out.

The RiverKings have added center Matt Johnson to their roster, and he is expected to be in the line-up when they host the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs Thursday night at the DeSoto Civic Center at 7:05. A roster spot opened when the RiverKings placed Ben Gorewich on the injured reserve list Tuesday. Gorewich joined Jay Neal and Brian Tucker on the injured reserve.

Johnson, 29-years old, played in all 70 games for the RiverKings last season. He had 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points.

El Paso Buzzards starting goaltender Jeff Levy has been put on injured reserve with a herniated disc in his lower back that will require surgery. Expected recovery time is six to eight weeks.

Although the loss of Levy has a big impact on the 8-8-1 Buzzards, the arrival of veteran goaltender and former Tiger Sharks Rob Laurie should provide a safety cushion.

Laurie played for the Fort Worth Brahmas last season and has put up solid stats throughout his career.

Former Tiger Shark forward, Andrew Long, who is now with the Florida Everblades, was named Runner-Up for the ECHL Player of the Week honor this afternoon.

This past weekend Long tallied four goals and two assists for 6 points in two games. The Toronto, Ontario native had a goal and an assist and was +2 in the Everblades 4-2 win on Friday night. On Saturday, Long had a hat trick and tied the game late in the third period and then scored the game winning goal in overtime. He was also named the First Star of the Game on Friday and Saturday.

By Chadd Cripe
The Idaho Statesman

Cal's back.

Idaho Steelheads' winger Cal Ingraham makes his season debut tonight at the Bank of America Centre against the Fresno Falcons.

The fan favorite has missed the first seven games with a herniated disc in his neck.

"We're looking for Cal to give us a spark," coach John Olver said.

The Steelheads (5-1-1) could use one. They own the best record in the West Coast Hockey League, but are coming off a loss and shootout loss at home.

Ingraham should bolster an offense that produced eight goals in three games last week and a power play that went 1-for-16 in the two losses to Colorado.

"He helps in a lot of areas," Olver said. "He brings a lot of offense. He's our go-to guy on the power play. He played on our top penalty-killing unit last year."

Ingraham, who led the team with 50 goals and 102 points last season, is eager to begin his fourth year in a Steelheads jersey. He received the largest ovation during opening-night introductions even though he wasn't playing.

"It's just nice to be a part of it again," he said, "and not to be up in the stands watching, just wishing I could help."

Doctors cleared Ingraham for contact during this week's practices. Thursday, they gave him the OK to play in games.

Ingraham says he hasn't felt any pain or symptoms related to the neck injury this week.

Olver expects him to play close to his full allotment of shifts tonight.

The Steelheads won't take any special precautions to keep him from taking hits, either.

"I don't anticipate having to protect him," Olver said. "Fresno will hit him, but in a legal sense. He knows that -- it's part of his game."

Ingraham, just 5-foot-5, absorbs most of his abuse around the net. He's a stick-handling artist who scores most of his goals from close range.

"It's all hand-eye with him," teammate Dan Shermerhorn said. "He's still got it."

Ingraham will play on a line with Shermerhorn and Jeff Shevalier. The trio formed Idaho's most potent line in the playoffs last season. Shermerhorn, who was a teammate of Ingraham's at Maine, too, knows all about Ingraham's scoring magic. "He's a sponge when the puck's around him," Shermerhorn said.

Last year, Ingraham became the first WCHL player to score 50 goals in three straight seasons despite missing two games. Extending the streak will be difficult.

But, while he said "it'd be nice" to post big numbers again, he's focused on a different accomplishment.

He hasn't won a championship since college. The Steelheads fell one win short last May.

"I'm not getting any younger," the 31-year-old said. "Hopefully this is the year we get over that last hurdle."

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Former Tiger Sharks's captain, J.F. Houle, is the InGlasCo Player of the Week for the period ended November 4, 2001.

The 5-9 and 205-pound New Orleans' forward set team records with five assists and seven points in the Brass' 8-0 win over Pensacola on Thursday. The seven points are a season high for the ECHL while the five assists tied the ECHL season high.

Houle added a goal and an assist in New Orleans' 3-2 win at Jackson on Saturday. The Brass are 5-1-0 with Houle in the lineup. Houle leads New Orleans with nine assists and is second on the team with 13 points and four goals in six games.

On behalf of J.F. Houle, a case of pucks will be donated to the New Orleans area youth hockey organization by InGlasco, the official puck supplier of the ECHL.

Runners-up: Kevin Colley, Atlantic City (3 gp, 3g, 4a, 7 pts., +3) and Brent Gauvreau, Mississippi (1 gp, 3g, 1a, 4 pts., +3).

Others Nominated: Jeff Scharf (Arkansas), Josh St. Louis (Augusta), Andrew Taylor (Charlotte), Martin Bartek (Cincinnati), Darren McAusland (Columbus), Jeff Boulanger (Dayton), Tom Buckley (Florida), Sal Manganaro (Greensboro), Ryan Mougenel (Jackson), Eric Schneider (Johnstown), Jay Murphy (Louisiana), Ryan Knox (Mobile), Allan Sirois (Pee Dee), Louis Dumont (Pensacola), Tyler Rennette (Peoria), Brad Rooney (Reading), Lars Pettersen (Richmond), Mike Omicioli (Roanoke), Brad Williamson (South Carolina), Rob Thorpe (Toledo), Mark Major (Wheeling).

The Hamilton Bulldogs announced today that forward Chad Hinz will be playing with the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team in the Sweden Games from November 5 -11, 2001.

The Sweden Games will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, with Team Canada facing off against Men's National Hockey Teams from Sweden, Russia, Finland and the Czech Republic.

"It's always an honour to represent your country," stated Bulldogs Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Claude Julien. "It is a great opportunity for Chad that the Oilers organization did not want (him) to miss".

Hinz, 22 (5-10, 190) is playing in his second full season with the Bulldogs. He was a member of the Tiger Sharks in the 1999-2000 season, recording 40 points (15g, 24a) in 49 games with Tallahassee of the East Coast Hockey League.

This year the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has played in 7 games for Hamilton. Hinz was the Oilers' second choice, 67th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

ANCHORAGE, AK – The Anchorage Aces, in conjunction with Anchorage Chrysler Dodge, are proud to announce Kimbi Daniels as the November Player of the Month, as voted by the fans.

Transactions
November, 2001

11/23/01 Idaho Steelheads (WCHL)-- Placed forward Matt Oates on injured reserve.

11/20/01 B.C. Icemen (UHL)-- Moved goaltender Erasmo Saltarelli from 7-day to 10-day injured reserve.

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