Hate to See 'Em Go...

This morning Conrad Martin was placed on the Cyclones suspended list after quitting the team to go play hockey in Austria. He is the sixth player to be placed on the suspended list this season.

Also Michael Cohen was traded to the Phoenix Roadrunners(ECHL) in completion for the trade of Tom Sawatske made back on October 28^th.

…Right now I really don’t know what to say. Both were really valuable assets to the team, as well as two of my favorite players. With the way Cohen had been playing in recent games its unfortunate that his skills will no longer be apart of the team. But in his case it’s the way of the league. One player for another. I hope in Phoenix his talent can continue to grow.

Conrad… I don’t know what to say about that. It’s sad to see that a lot of the players have left the team for Europe for one reason or another. From what I’ve heard from Coach Weber it’s just a matter of the ECHL not being able to contend as offer what the leagues and Europe do. It’s just really sad to see Conrad go…he was an amazing part of this team. I wish him the best in Europe with whatever he does.

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On the 3^rd the Cyclones took Johnstown for a second night, winning 4-2 with an empty netter from Barret Ehgoetz. The win ended the road stretch with the team going 2-1-0 for the weekend.

The Cyclones play Wheeling tomorrow January 6^th at home in US Bank Arena.

Captain Ehgoetz

On December 31st, Barret Ehgoetz played the night with a “C” on the front of his jersey. It was the first game that the team has skated with a captain since the end of the 2006-2007 season, when Chad Starling was captain of the team (during the 2007-2008 season Coach Weber opted for a system that had no captain, just three alternate captains that shared the duties of leading the team). Barret Ehgoetz started out the season as an alternate (Coach continued the three alternate system into the beginning of this season) alongside Kyle Rank and Matt MacDonald. Both Rank and MacDonald were called up to Portland(AHL) in early December leaving Barret as the only “A”. Shortly after the two were called up a second “A” appeared on Conrad Martin’s jersey. With Barret now promoted to captain Conrad held onto his “A” and a second was given to TJ McElroy.

Of every player on that team, rookies and veterans, no one deserves to be captain more than Barret. He has been a leader for this team every since day one. He was a major player in helping us win the championship last season. On and off the ice he’s he puts his best effort forward to help the team succeed. As alternates, Conrad and TJ are more than qualified. Conrad has been part of that core along with Barret, which has been with the team since it’s remolding three years ago. He might not draw attention to himself with points on the board but his presence is definitely known. And TJ, having spent time last season as well as the beginning of this season between Milwaukee and Cincinnati, has more than shown his potential.

It should be interesting to see how the three of them lead the lead the team.

In the New Year...

Happy New Year!!
Well… a lot has gone done since the insanity that overtook the end of last year, or rather the beginning of the week. Re-cap of Insanity: We started the week, on Monday the 28^th goaltender-less when Martin Houle decided to walk out on the team to pursue some other kind of ideas. With him gone (his rights suspended by the team), and both Kyle Gajewski and Loic Lacasse re-called to the AHL, we were down to just our EBUG Lee Lansdowne. It wasn’t the fact that we were without a goaltender that freaked us all out. It was the fact that we were goaltender-less with a game on Wednesday the 31^st out of town in Wheeling; the beginning of a road stretch with two more games played in Johnstown on the 2^nd and 3^rd.

….begin freaking out.

That night at the Coach’s show it was a near record crowd… to say the least. Everyone showed up wanting to know what was going on; why did Marty leave… did the pressure get to him… and what was being done to ensure we’d have someone in net Wednesday night. Speculation was certainly in the air. Both on why Houle quit and who was going to take his place. Most everyone gave up on the idea of one of the AHL affiliate teams coughing up Gajewski or Lacasse. Some crazy ideas were thrown around on who might help us out. Would Dov Grummet-Morris give up Europe to play for us once again?? Where was Cody Rudkowsky playing? He’s retired. Oh, than can someone talk him out of it? Hey!! Maybe somehow we can talk Hamilton into sending Cedrick Desjardins down for a night to help us out!! …..ummm… no. If Hamilton is holding Lacasse I don’t think they would dare play with the idea of parting with Desjardins.

Coach Weber seemed oddly calmed, completely collected through the night as every question and answering scenario was thrown his way. Something of a trade mark in Chuck Weber, which I have come to admire. If he can be that calm in that crazy of a situation… wow… I don’t understand how he does it. (No wonder he won Coach of the Year last season.) He actually had a sense of humor about it all. Said he had to laugh at that point. And after joking around about the situation that was keeping Gajewski in Milwaukee (one of their main goaltender’s wives was due to give birth any moment… to which Coach mused; “she needs to pop that baby out all ready”… haha), Coach assured us that we would have a goaltender in net Wednesday night. He just didn’t know whom as of that moment.

On Wednesday, just a few hours before the puck dropped in Wheeling, it was announced that Kyle Gajewski was sent down from Milwaukee to be in goal for the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Goaltender crisis averted… for now.

We played Wheeling that night, with Gajewski in goal.
We ended up losing the game 6-1. The lone goal coming from Michael Cohen.

The Cyclones rang in the New Year in fifth place as Wheeling remained dominate in first.
________

Since the goalie emergency...

Wednesday December 31st:
Besides the game against Wheeling…

-Ryan Toomey was placed on the team’s suspended list. Why? Supposedly he got an offer from some Finland team that he just couldn’t refuse.
-Hamilton re-called Fredric St. Denis.
-Thankfully… that day we signed rookie defensemen Jamie Coghlan who has been a player on the Fresno Falcons, before the team folded.
-Olivier Latendresse was voted starter on the 2009 ECHL All-Stars Game (Jan 21^st in Reading, PA). From what I’ve read and heard there is speculation on whether or not Hamilton(AHL) will release him to play in the game. So… I don’t know how relevant that whole deal is…

Thursday January 1^st, 2009:
-We acquired defensemen Mike Salekin from the Stockton Thunder for future considerations. He’s supposed to arrive in Cincy sometime next week.

Friday January 2^nd:
-We signed forward Dustin Sproat, another refugee from the folded Falcons. He didn’t play Friday’s game in Johnstown, and isn’t expected to play in the tonight’s (3^rd) game, against Johnstown, but is most likely going to be in the line up when the Cyclones return to US Bank Arena on the 6^th.

That night night we played and amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing game against the Johnstown Cheifs. It was a 6-1 victory for the team. The first period opened up with a two goal lead courtosey of Barret and Paul Lynch. As was well as a smack down on Johnstown’s Sgroi by Justin Johnson. After Johnstown cut the lead in half by scoring on a penalty shot… the Cyclones came back with six unanswered goals. Ending the night beautifully with a win.
Michael Cohen had three goals and two assists. Ben McLeod with three assists. And Paul Lynch completed a ‘Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, an assist, and a fight.

Tonight ends our road stretch. We play Johnstown one more time (game starts a 7:05). I know its kind of a stretch to think we’ll win like we did last night. Hell, we could tear them apart again. But we could lose. Either way, after listening to last night’s game, with how well the team played… I’m hoping we continue to play with that intensity.

LETS GO CYCLONES!!!

~(c)~