SALMON KINGS TO TAKE ON UBC THUNDERBIRDS

The Victoria Salmon Kings will host the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for exhibition contests Oct. 9 and 10.

Saturday evening’s contest will take place at 7:05 pm, while the teams will square off at 12:00 pm the following afternoon. Admission for both games will be by donation to the TLC Fund for Kids. Following Sunday’s afternoon game, the Salmon Kings present their first of two “Skate with the Salmon Kings” for the 2010-11 season. Skates will be available to rent through the City of Victoria by donation.

If that is not enough, there will be hot dogs, popcorn and pop available for only $1.00 each during both games! For a great night of free entertainment with dollar dogs, popcorn and pop, make sure you don’t miss out on action as the players battle it out for a spot on this year’s roster! Vouchers for dollar dogs, popcorn and pop will be available for download and print from www.theq.fm or www.thezone.fm Sept. 13.

The Salmon Kings open the 2010-11 season  Oct. 15 in Idaho with a two-game set versus the defending National Conference champion Steelheads.

SALMON KINGS HIRE TWO

The Victoria Salmon Kings have hired Kevin Heise as the team’s new athletic therapistand Marc Beaudoin as the head equipment manager.

Heise joins the Salmon Kings for his 13th season as an athletic therapist after spending the 2009-10 campaign with the Amarillo Gorillas in the Central Hockey League (CHL). He also has previous experience in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with seven seasons between the Tri-City Americans and Seattle Thunderbirds, as well as four years with the Mount Royal College Cougars of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC).

Beaudoin, a Grande Prairie, AB native, joins the Salmon Kings with over 12 years of experience in hockey. He has spent 10 of the last 12 hockey seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with the Grande Prairie Storm.

SALMON KINGS SIGN MATT POPE

The Victoria Salmon Kings have signed forward Matt Pope for the 2010-11 season.

The 25-year-old was under contract to the Vancouver Canucks last season and played 40 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Moose recording eight points (3g-5a) and 23 minutes in penalties.

Pope also dressed for two of Manitoba’s Calder Cup Playoff contests registering one assist and 10 penalty minutes. In addition to his AHL contests, Pope spent six games in the ECHL last year with the Bakersfield Condors scoring eight points (4g-4a) while serving two minutes in penalties.

The 6-1, 185 lb. forward began his professional career in 2008-09 also playing between the ECHL (Bakersfield) and AHL (Manitoba and Binghamton Senators). The majority of his campaign was spent in Bakersfield where he scored 63 points (30g-33a) in 54 games with the Condors while tallying 72 penalty minutes.

His season in the ECHL garnered him All-Rookie honours. Pope also spent 12 total games in 2008-09 in the AHL between the Moose and Senators notching eight points (4g-4a) and 10 minutes in penalties.

With Manitoba that season he also played in 12 Calder Cup Playoff matches scoring three goals and assisting on three others for six points with two minutes in penalties.

Victoria has now signed six players (three forwards and three defensemen) for the 2010-11 season Milan Gajic, Derick Martin, Matt Pope, Matt Stefanishion, Ryan Turek and Pete Vandermeer.

SALMON KINGS ADD MARTIN, TUREK TO BLUE LINE

The Victoria Salmon Kings have signed defensemen Derick Martin and Ryan Turek for the 2010-11 season.

Martin is coming off a 2009-10 season that saw him split time in the ECHL between the Alaska Aces and Elmira Jackals. He began the year playing in 60 games for the Aces scoring 16 points (1g-15a) with 53 minutes in penalties. Following a trade to the Jackals he registered two assists and two penalty minutes in 10 games in Elmira.

Martin also dressed for all five of the Jackals’ 2010 Kelly Cup Playoff contests where he recorded two points (1g-1a) and served four penalty minutes.

The 5-11, 185 lb. defenseman began the 2007-08 season in France playing for CSG Strasbourg where he recorded five points (1g-4a) and 74 penalty minutes in 22 games. After returning to North America, Martin joined the Aces and skated in 27 contests scoring nine points (3g-6a) and serving 18 minutes in penalties.

He also spent two games in the AHL that season with the Peoria Rivermen where he had two assists and notched five penalty minutes.

Turek joins the Salmon Kings after two seasons with the Alaska Aces. In 2009-10, he dressed for 60 games with the Aces accumulating 10 points (3g-7a) and 85 minutes in penalties.  He also participated in all four of Alaska’s 2010 Kelly Cup Playoff contests recording one goal with four penalty minutes.

The 22-year-old defender joined the Aces midway into the 2008-09 campaign and finished the season with 35 games in Alaska while accruing three goals and three assists for six points while serving 26 minutes in penalties. Turek also competed in 19 Kelly Cup Playoff games that spring scoring seven points (1g-6a) and tallying eight penalty minutes, helping lead Alaska into the Kelly Cup Final.

Turek was drafted in the fourth round (#94 overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues.

GAJIC REJOINS SALMON KINGS

The Victoria Salmon Kings have signed forward Milan Gajic for the 2010-11 season.

The 29-year-old rejoins the Salmon Kings after spending the 2009-10 season split between the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and AHL’s Albany River Rats.

In 33 games with the Everblades he registered 42 points (15g-27a) and 26 minutes in penalties, while recording one goal in six games during his time in Albany. Gajic also dressed for nine Kelly Cup Playoff games with Florida this spring where he scored seven goals and nine assists for 16 points.

“His offensive production in this league speaks for itself, and he will be an integral part of this year’s roster,” said Head Coach Mark Morrison.

The Burnaby native began the 2008-09 campaign with 34 games in Denmark where he tallied 31 points (13g-18a) and 16 penalty minutes. After returning to North America, Gajic signed with the Salmon Kings and played in four games (registering one assist) before being traded to the Everblades where he finished the season scoring 25 points (9g-16a) in 18 games played with 12 minutes in penalties.

The 6-0, 180 pound forward spent the majority of the 2007-08 season with the Salmon Kings recording 40 points (15g-25a) in 35 games while serving 14 penalty minutes. Gajic also dressed in 27 games in the AHL that season between the Moose and Houston Aeros, totaling seven goals and seven assists for 14 points with 10 minutes in penalties.

SALMON KINGS SIGN VANDERMEER, NAME HIM CAPTAIN

The Victoria Salmon Kings have signed Veteran forward Peter Vandermeer and named him  captain for 2010-11.

The 34-year old Vandermeer joins the Salmon Kings as a veteran of 611 American Hockey League (AHL) games totaling 130 points (60g-70a) and 2772 minutes in penalties over 13 seasons with nine teams.

Most recently Vandermeer spent the previous two seasons with the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate Abbotsford Heat where he notched four points (2g-2a) and 91 penalty minutes over 20 games played in 2009-10.

The Red Deer, AB native has also competed in 139 games in the ECHL with four clubs over his 14-year professional career scoring 43 goals and 55 assists for 98 points with 916 minutes in penalties. Last season Vandermeer dressed in 11 games with the Utah Grizzlies tallying six assists and 19 minutes in penalties. He also competed in all nine of Utah’s 2010 Kelly Cup Playoff games accumulating one goal and 49 penalty minutes.

The 6-0, 210 lb. forward played two games in the NHL in 2007-08 season with the Phoenix Coyotes. During his professional career, Vandermeer has been under contract to four different NHL teams (Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals).

SALMON KINGS SEND BRANDT TO GLADIATORS, RENEW MOOSE ALLIANCE

(ISN) — The Victoria Salmon Kings have traded forward Andy Brandt to the Gwinnett Gladiators to complete a Feb. 2 trade that saw Victoria receive Matt Siddall in exchange for future considerations.

The Wausau, WI native played in 64 contests with the Salmon Kings this past season where he accumulated 28 points (13g-15a) and 36 minutes in penalties.

Brandt also registered one goal and an assist for two points in the five Victoria Kelly Cup playoff games in April versus the Bakersfield Condors.

The 26-year-old also competed in his first five career games in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season split between the Lake Erie Monsters and Manitoba Moose, recording no points or penalty minutes.

The Kings have also renewed their affiliation agreement with the Manitoba Moose for the 2010-11 season.

This will be the fifth year for the partnership between the teams.

Manitoba has loaned many players to the Salmon Kings throughout the five year affiliation including Dylan Yeo, Matt Kelly, Olivier Labelle, Scott Howes, Adam Keefe, Travis Ramsey and Todd Ford.

FULL FIELD AT CARSON PRO-AM

 

 

(ISN) — There was a full field in both the morning and afternoon Tuesday at the

Carson Automotive Group Pro Am at Uplands Golf Coursee in Victoria.

 

The afternoon field included Jim Rutledge, David Hahn, Mike Corrigan, Jason Barabash, and Mark Wilson.

John Ellis, Matt Siddall, Wes Goldie, Adam Taylor and Taylor Ellington.

James Love, Keith Dagg, Michael Perchinsky, Darren Parker and Kenneth Maraish.

Results will be available Thursday.

 

 

 

 

MORRISON EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH SALMON KINGS

Victoria Salmon Kings Head Coach Mark Morrison has extended his contract to include the 2011-12 season.

 

Morrison, who is also general manager, had one year remaining on the three-year deal he signed on May 29, 2008.

 

“Under Mark’s leadership the Salmon Kings’ organization has grown and evolved,” said Dave Dakers, Victoria Salmon Kings president.  “We are very confident in Mark’s ability to lead our organization into the future by continuing to aggressively pursue success.”

The British Columbia native just concluded his third full season as head coach of the Salmon Kings, and has been the team’s general manager for the last two seasons. He is the organization’s all-time leader in wins and games coached with a record of 141-97-11-12. He led Victoria to the West Division regular season title during the 2007-08 season.

Morrison has taken Victoria to the playoffs in each of his four seasons behind the bench with the team, while advancing to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs on two different occasions. He is the only head coach in the organization’s history to guide the team into the playoffs.

“My goal is to bring a Kelly Cup championship to Victoria,” Morrison said. “I believe the combination of our ownership, management and staff provide the foundation upon which this goal can be accomplished.

SALMON KINGS SEASON OPENS OCT. 15

The Victoria Salmon Kings next season will begin Oct. 15 against the National Conference champion Idaho Steelheads in Boise.

First home game in the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre will be Oct. 27 against  the Ontario Reign.

The longest home-stretch for the Salmon Kings spans six games, occurring twice: between Oct. 27 and Nov. 6 versus Ontario and Idaho, and Nov. 24 to Dec. 4 versus Idaho and Stockton.

The longest road trip of the season is a seven-game, 13-day trip which features three contests versus Las Vegas, two games in Bakersfield, and one match in both Ontario and Stockton.

The first and only visit for the Bakersfield Condors into Victoria is a three-game set beginning March.

The Salmon Kings and Condors met in the opening round of this spring’s 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

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