Thursday, June 21, 2007
The team is also considering a trade that could be completed by the weekend.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — With coach Kevin Kaminski’s contract extended for two seasons, SteelHounds general manager Joe Gregory and Kaminski are turning their attention to building a roster for October.
“Right now, no one is signed, but we expect to begin making announcements,” Gregory said Wednesday about the hockey team’s upcoming third season.
While trades in the CHL aren’t common, Gregory said the team is considering a deal that could happen by this weekend.
Last week, Gregory and SteelHounds owner Herb Washington were in Phoenix for the Central Hockey League’s annual meeting.
Likely open on the road
While the schedule has not yet been finalized, Gregory indicated that the SteelHounds are likely to open the season with a lot of road games.
The CHL plays a 64-game schedule. The SteelHounds’ 32 home games are played at the Chevrolet Centre and most are expected to be played after Christmas.
Kaminski, 38, took over hockey operations for the SteelHounds last September about a month after Jean LaForest resigned.
In their second season, the SteelHounds improved dramatically, finishing 34-20-10 and earning the fifth seed in the CHL Northern Conference’s playoffs.
Made strong finish
The SteelHounds finished the regular season strong, going 16-6-2 in the final two months of the season.
They also played well on the road, compiling a 16-11-5 record, fifth-best in the CHL.
The SteelHounds were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Colorado in six games. Colorado went on to win the CHL championship.
Leading the way for the SteelHounds were team captain Jeff Christian and Chris Richards, two of the league’s six Most Valuable Player candidates. Christian won the award after finishing runner-up in the 2004-05 season.
Christian, 37, led the CHL with 116 points, scoring 38 goals and 78 assists (also first in the league). His best professional season also included a plus-45 rating, which led the CHL.
Richards finished second n the league with 106 points (39 goals, 67 assists) and joined Christian on the All-CHL first team. Richards had career-highs in points, goals and power-play goals (22).
Goaltender top rookie
Goaltender Brad Roberts was selected as the SteelHounds rookie of the year. He finished the season with a 23-12-4 record, 2.70 goals against average and .895 save percentage.
His 23 wins were tied for third in the CHL and his playing time of 2309 minutes, 54 seconds was fifth-best in the league.
The Cassville, N.Y., native went 11 straight games in February and March without a regulation loss. Over one three-week stretch, Roberts went 10-0-1 and over the second half of the season he was 15-5-2.
The team’s defenseman of the year was Jeff Alcombrack. In his second year with the SteelHounds, Alcombrack led the defensemen with 52 points (9 goals, 43 assists).
He also finished with five power play goals and a plus-17 rating. He joined Shaun Landolt and Stephen Margeson as the only Youngstown players to dress in every game.
Margeson was named to the team’s Most Improved Player and was co-winner of the Unsung Hero award. In 64 games Margeson scored 17 goals and 22 assists, and had five points (three goals, two assists) in the playoffs.
The other winner of the Unsung Hero award was Brad Patterson, who had a career high 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists).
williams@vindy.com
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