We’re Back!

We didn’t have much to say last season but if you saw any of the games in person, which if you’re reading this blog you probably did, you know there really wasn’t a whole lot of good stuff to blog about. We didn’t want to be overly negative which would have been very easy to do so we decided to follow our mom’s advice and keep our mouths shut. Sure, there were some good things last year; the home record, the play of Anthony Luciani, Dan Eves and Michael Pelech, as well as the play of some the fill in guys like Derek St. Marie, who made up for what he lacked skill wise with pure energy and really brought a spark to his linemates. However, when it was all said and done none of those things translated to team success and the ‘Clones missed the playoffs for just the 3^rd time in Their history (more on that later). Well, we’ve let stew long enough and it’s time to come at the upcoming season with renewed energy.

 Over the next few weeks we’ll be getting caught up on what’s been going on over the summer. So let’s get on with it….

***

 The new North Division…

 If you’ve been following League news over the summer, you know the Chicago Express are now defunct and have been replaced by the Fort Wayne Komets and the Evansville Iceman. Evansville bounced around minor league hockey before getting absorbed into the the IHL/CHL before making their way to the ECHL. We think Evansville is a good fit for the League.

 Fort Wayne on the other hand might be a different story. The Komets are one of the longest standing minor league hockey teams out there. They have a storied history and great attendance, both of which are great for the ECHL. Then there’s the Komet’s ownership. There’s a lot of rumor and specualtion about the Frankes (Fort Waynes ownership) which if true could disrupt things within the League. If they decide to play by the Leagues rules, which so far it seems like they have, then their addition will be great for the Komets and the League.

 The League will also welcome the Orlando Solar Bears to the South Division, as well as, the San Fransisco Bulls to the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. We’re excited to see both Orlando and San Fransisco join the League. The ‘Clones and Solar Bears will always share championship ingredient. Despite it being a different League, the Solar Bears, along with a young video analyst named Chuck Weber, bounced the Cyclones from the playoffs in 2001 on their way to capturing the IHL’s Turner Cup. Weber would later guide the Cyclones to two Kelly Cup Championships in his four years as the Cyclones head coach.

 We’re also happy to see the League finally expanding westward with the addition of the San Fransisco Bulls. We haven’t been shy about voicing our displeasure with Western Conference’s eight teams and biased playoff format. The addition of the Bulls is a step in the right direction. However, it’s still not clear how an additional team will affect the Western Conference’s playoff format.

***

 The schedule….

 It’s a long season; 72 games, 36 home and away, but for teams getting off to a slow start the season can be over before you know it. The Cyclones will play 6 road games in Their 1^st 10 games, and They won’t see a road trip longer than 2 games until December 28^th thru January 4^th when They’ll take on all 4 Divisional opponents. It’s a schedule that should really help if the Team is anything like last season Squad which struggled mightily on the road on road trips while excelling at home.

Diving into the schedule a little deeper, the ‘Clones will face North Division opponents 39 times, Atlantic Division opponents 18 times and the South Division 15 times. The League has brought back inter-conference play this season but none of the Western Conference teams will make their way to US Bank Arena.

As per usual the ‘Clones will see a division heavy schedule with 39 of Their games being played against North Division foes. They’ll play 20 of those games at home. The ‘Clones will face Toledo 9 times (4h/5a), Kalamazoo 8 times (5h/3a), Fort Wayne 9 times (3h/6a) and Evansville 13 times (8h/5a). It looks to be a favorable division schedule for the ‘Clones, facing what has been a dominate K-wings team just 8 times while getting new comers Evansville 13 times. We think those 13 games against the Ice Men will be key if the Cyclones are to make a run at returning to the top of the North Division.

The 18 Atlantic Division games are split evenly with 9 at home and 9 on the road. The 2012-2013 Squad will get an early season bonding opportunity when they head north to the thriving metropolis of Elmira, New York for a pair of games in late October. They’ll also get the Jackals 2 more times at USBA. The ‘Clones will see the Trenton Titans the most of any Atlantic Division team splitting a 6 game series. The Wheeling Nailers will make 3 visits to USBA while the Cyclones will be getting that “Wheeling Feeling” just twice. Three (2h/1a) matchups with Reading wrap up the Atlantic Division tilts.

The ‘Clones will make 3 trips south this season starting with an early trip to Greenville for 2 games in November. The Boys will head south again to play Greenville (1) again along with Gwinnett (1) in early February. They’ll wrap up Their journeys south with 4 game trip through Georgia (Gwinnett) and Florida (Florida -2, Orlando -1) in late March before they return home for the final 2 regular season games at US Bank Arena. Florida (3), South Carolina (3) and Orlando (1) will all make trips to Cincinnati this season.

Overall, the schedule looks favorable for the Cyclones given that there aren’t a lot of long road trips. Keys for the Cyclones will be the 13 matchups with newcomers Evansville and the final swing south. Given the divisional bias of the schedule if the ‘Clones can’t play .600 or better hockey within the division the playoffs will prove to be an uphill battle.

In our next post we’ll pass along our thoughts on the personnel behind the bench, as well as the affiliates.

The Gauntlet

It’s time to put up or shut up for the Cincinnati Cyclones. The ‘Clones are currently 6-7-0-3 for 15pts, which puts them squarely at the bottom of the North Division, not to mention the Eastern Conference as a whole. Sure, the Boys have played the fewest games in the League, but even in a perfect world where they win the 10 games in hand, they still won’t have as many points as Division leader Chicago with 26 games played.

The remainder of December will see the Cyclones play 9 games, all against North Division opponents; facing Chicago twice, Toledo 3 times and Kalamazoo 4 times. Given the current record against the North Division it’s a scary stretch for the squad. The Cyclones have played well, often carrying the tempo of the game, but it hasn’t translated to wins and while the ‘Clones might be a better team than say Toledo, Chicago and perhaps even Kalamazoo, those teams hold a key advantage over the Cyclones right now. They believe they are going to win when the puck drops. The next 9 games gives the Boys a chance to turn that around and climb up the standings. In our eyes anything less than 6-3 over the next nine games has to be considered a disappointment. It’s time to put the all the excuses about being a young team and roster moves in the past and put 60 minute efforts together.

While the next 9 games aren’t going to put the Cyclones in the playoffs,  but they could make it very hard for the ‘Clones to battle for playoff position down the stretch.

***

Defensive question marks…

The Cyclones have been doing a great job of keeping Their opponents shot totals down. However, as we’ve had a chance to watch more games we’ve come to the conclusion that is has less to do with the D-zone play as it does Their offensive zone game and forecheck. The Boys are doing an excellent job of keeping the puck deep in the opposition’s end of the ice and even when not in possession of the puck the forecheck has been clogging the neutral zone and creating turnovers to get the Boys back on the puck. It’s when the opposition gets offensive zone possession that things get scary; the Cyclones have a hard time regaining puck control and breaking out. Whenever the opposition makes their way into the Cyclones’ zone it usually ends up as a quality scoring chance.

Turning on the offense…

The offense has starting coming together but there are still some things we don’t like. The transition play is great, at least from the neutral zone forward, and the offensive zone sets are starting to mix the point shots  through traffic with working the puck from the corners to the front of the net but everything comes off the left side. If we had a $5 bill for every shot taken from the left faceoff circle we’d be very close to retiring. We’ve always like the “overload” system but the Cyclones but at some point the puck needs to get reversed. Reversing the puck from one side to the other makes the goalie move and oftentimes causes an offensive player to get lost by the defensive coverage.

Specialty slump…

Since out last post the special teams have slipped a bit. Both power play and penalty kill units are ranked middle of the pack. The power play has dropped to 19% and the penalty kill has dipped to 81%. Those are respectable but they aren’t going to win you a lot of games. In out last post we brought back Chuck Weber’s special teams formula and since that post the total has dropped to an even 100%, which as described last post, probably isn’t going to win very many games but probably shouldn’t lose too many either.

Koger gets his shot…

The Cyclones resident Hungarian got a call to the AHL where he’ll join the St. John’s Ice Caps. Daniel was a player we had earmarked as a game changer early on. It was just a matter of him getting used to the smaller North American rinks. He got off to a slow start but over the last few weeks he gave Cyclones’ fans a look at what he has to offer. He’s got good size and has proven he can play the more physical North American game. So far he’s logged one game with the Ice Caps with no points to show for it, but if he can play with similar form to what he had the last few games with the ‘Clones there’s no reason to think he won’t be there awhile.

Have we seen this before…

In 2007-2008 the Cyclones had a wee fellow by the name of David Desharnais. The year the Cyclones find themselves with a player of similar stature, Anthony Luciani. We’re not going to say that Anthony is the 2nd coming of the Wee Wonder, but we see some similarities in their games. Anthony has some solid puck skills, as we saw illustrated by his backhand, top shelf game winner the other night against Greenville. The question is if Anthony can develop the body control and vision to excel the way David did.

Calling in the Cavalry…

Over the past few weeks the Cyclones have had to deal with a very thing roster. We’ve seen Mike Liambas play defense, and perform well we might add, and well as numerous FNGs from the SPHL and FHL. While not being game breakers, Jeremy Klaver, Tyler Fletcher, Justin Barr, Berkley Scott and Kevin Swider performed suitably in their call ups. As the Cyclones head into this rough North Division stretch reinforcements from San Antonio in the form of Joe Devin, Garrett Wilson and, for the first time this season, Angelo Esposito. The three should provide some extra offensive punch over a stretch of games when goal scoring will be needed.

And then there were two…

After an what seemed like an eternity of waiting the Cyclones finally have 2 affiliated net minders which can be utilized. Chet Pickard has played well to start the season and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue but let’s face it, he was going to need some rest at some point. Enter Brian Foster. The fans pick as 2010-2011 MVP made his was to Cincinnati from San Antonio and got his first start last Saturday against Dean Stork’s Road Warriors. We’ll be honest, perhaps it was the travel, but Foster didn’t look sharp in the 6-5 victory. We’ll be keeping an eye on how Skalde utilizes the two net minders.

I can’t get no…satisfaction

The Season has been rolling along for about a month so we decided it’s about time for us to check in. When haven’t had to much to say to this point, mostly because the Team has only played 6 games and 5 of them were on the road. We attempted to watch several games via America One and actually got a decent feed for the Cyclones lone win from Trenton. We, of course, were also present for the home opener this past weekend. So as we roll into the 2nd month of the Season here’s our take on the 2011-2012 Cyclones so far.

***

For the record…

…the Cyclones currently stand at 1-3-0-2 which gives them 6pts and puts them in 3 place in the North Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. Since Their return in 2006 the Cyclones have never come out of the gate at full rotation but winning just 1 of 6 down right pathetic. We knew the the start of the Season was going to be tough but we still figured the this years Squad was capable of coming home to US Bank Arena with 2 or 3 wins under Their belts.

They’re offensive…

…or at least They should be. Through the 1st 6 games of the season the Cyclones have had no less than 11 forwards with AHL ties suit up and log ice time, yet the Team has lit the lamp just 16 times, the fewest in the League. Factor in that 8 of those goals came on the power play and that “goals for” total gets a little scarier. Sure, They’re averaging 2.66 goals per game, but with just 6 games play that number gets a little inflated by the 5 They put up in a losing effort against Kalamazoo. Yes, we’re quite aware that we like to preach defense 1st here at CycWords but with multiple AHL forwards in the lineup each night, anything less than a 3+ goals per game average can be considered anemic; even the 2010 Championship team, which was far from offense oriented, was able to average 3.26 goals per game.

If you can’t score a bunch of goals…

…you better keep the other team from scoring a bunch of goals. The Cyclones have conceded 19 goals in Their 6 games which is the 3rd fewest in the League. However, as an average it works out to 3.16 per game. This includes the 6-5 loss to Kalamazoo as well, but even if we throw out that game the averages are still a goal apart at 2.2 for and 3.2 against. In 4 starts Chet Pickard has played well as has Tyler Plante. Both have save percentages in the 90′s which should win games if the 5 players in front of them do their jobs. Overall, that’s not happening and this Team is nothing but average in Their own zone.

They are special…

…but not special enough. The Cyclones’ special team units are one bright spot to build on. The power play is converting at a 21.6% clip and the penalty kill stifles the opposition 84.6% of the time. The Cyclones have only racked up 104 penalty minutes to this point in the season which is the fewest in the League. A prodigal Cyclones head coach always aimed for a combined special teams percentage of 110 or higher. The thought being a total of 105 to 110 would keep you in games; 110 or higher and special teams could win you some games. The combined total for the Cyclones right now is 106.2% which is good and IS keeping them in games, but given the 5-on-5 mediocrity at both ends of the ice, it’s not enough. Even in Their 1 win the Team forced Chet Pickard to play a near perfect game for the whole 60 minutes despite 6 power play chances. Had the Cyclones converted even just one of those chances, that game gets a little easier.

***

When you put it all together you get a team that is better than it’s record indicates but there are still questions that have to be answered. The Cyclones have had an ever changing roster so far this Season and while that might be responsible for a break down here and there, it’s not the reason the Cyclones stand at 1-3-0-2. In the ECHL rosters are a tumultuous thing and that’s where the coaching staff comes in. It’s the coaching staff’s responsibility to keep the revolving door of players on the same page from game to game and that starts with the team having a clear cut identity.

It’s not enough to say “we’re a hard working team.” You have to work hard at something. In the Chuck Weber era the identity was defense. Players coming to Cincinnati new this was a defense first team. If they didn’t play solid defensively they were going to find there ice time dwindle or perhaps even find themselves watching from the stands regardless of their offense prowess. Even the offensive power house team of 2007-2008 put defense first and had the 2nd lowest goals against total in the League. We aren’t saying the Team has to be a hardworking defensive minded team (although we wouldn’t mind it), but we are saying that They need to be SOMETHING and right now we aren’t seeing it. If they become known as the hardest forechecking team in the League, fine. If they commit to sending everyone forward offensively to win games in a scorefest, fine. Whatever it is is fine, but everyone needs to buy in and They can be half ass about it. Until the coaching staff can instill a cohesive identity as to how the Cincinnati Cyclones play the game they will continue to struggle.

On the bright side, the Season is still young, the Cyclones have only played 6 games. However, it’s never too soon to climb out of a hole. And while it’s true that Championships are won in the spring not the fall, the holes that get dug in the fall can turn into graves come springtime.

-Mike-

A few new faces and some other thoughts

We posted an early look at the roster the other day and before we could get our “this roster is subject to change” entry we had to delete it and start again as the Cyclones received a few more players from above heading into opening night in Kalamazoo. The newest version of the roster can be found here.

The new additions, Chet Pickard, Anthony Luciani and Keith Seabrook, bring the roster up to the maximum possible of 23; goaltender Bryan Hince was released to make room for the new additions. The ECHL allows teams to carry 20 players on the active roster and use of the IR makes room for 3 additional places (multiple players can be but on 21 day IR but it’s uncommon unless the players are actually injured). Opening night will see one more player added to the 3 day IR with Evan Trupp and Matt Pierce already on the 21 day and 7 day IR respectively. It should be noted that Nathan Moon is still on Worcester’s (AHL) roster, should be be returned to the Cyclones at some point another player will have to be cut assuming the cupboards are full as they are now.

Personally, we happy to see roster maxed out. Chuck Weber utilized the IR very well during his time here, to keep players fresh and to keep the a healthy bit of competition for ice time between the players. The ECHL regular season is shorter than the NHL and AHL seasons, but at 72 games spanning about 6 months it’s still a grind. A maxed roster allows guys to get rotated to recharge and recover from the various dings that they may otherwise have to play through if a healthier player wasn’t available. Also, players tend to be less likely to take shifts off if there a few players in the stands hungry for ice time.

The roster is a little heavy on defensemen to start the season (12 forwards and 9 defensemen) which isn’t a bad thing. If push comes to shove it’s  typically easier to move a D-man up front than it is to ask a forward to move back to the blue line.

***

There’s an elephant in the room so let’s talk about it. Chet Pickard will make up half of the goalie tandem along with Danny Taylor to start the season. Chet’s performance last season was quite the ride, in fact it could probably be the theme for a new roller coaster somewhere. Despite being remembered by most fans for the lows and inconsistent play there were also games of brilliance. The question this season this season will be whether Chet can keep his game elevated to a high level consistently. The reports out of Nashville’s training camp is that Chet worked incredibly hard this summer, is in great shape and has a new outlook. It will be interesting to see if that changes now that he’s been assigned to the Cyclones. We’re hoping to see the Chet play with a bit of swagger this season and show us why he doesn’t belong in the ECHL.

The goaltending situation on the Florida/San Antonio side of things is still up in the air. Two of their net minders (Clemmensen and Plante) are on the shelf. The Rampage are giving Manny Legace a look and Brian Foster is playing quite well. Our guess is the Cyclones probably won’t see a goalie from that side of things for some time. When or if they send someone our way it will be interesting to see what Skalde decides to do with Danny Taylor.

***

The two other new additions should be great additions. Keith Seabrook should be a solid addition to the blue line. The 2nd round pick of the Washington Capitals has never been a plus player as a professional but he’s also never been assigned to AA hockey before. A player who was a 2nd round pick and has never played below the AHL should be able to step in and make an impact. His addition will make Skalde’s decision for the defensive starting 6 a bit more challenging.

Anthony Luciani will be playing his 1st full year as a professional. He was an offensive force to be reckoned with as a Junior in the OHL. His final season he put up 78 points and was an impressive +26. In a short post stint last season with Rochester he posted 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games played for Chuck Weber’s Americans. Those aren’t quite David Desharnais numbers but he should provide some extra offensive punch to a roster that already has a lot of offensive potential.

***

The 1st test for Sklade’s new Cyclones will be a tough one as the head to Kalamazoo to open the season. The Wings return many of the same players that took them to the Kelly Cup final this past spring. We won’t bet the season on the result of one game, but it should give a good idea if this Squad can live up to it’s potential.

***

As this was about to be posted the Cyclones announced the addition of Dan Eves to the 7 day IR and Chris Reed to the 3 day IR. Matt Pierce was transferred from the 7 day to the 21 day IR. That places 4 players on IR which brings the Cyclones active roster down to 19 heading into the weekend.

-Mike-

2011-2012 Roster

Forwards (11)	No	Birthdate	Birthplace	Shoots	Height	Weight	2010-11 Team
Mathieu Aubin	9	09/18/86	Sorel, QC	Right	6’3”	210	ECHL – Cincinnati
Joe Devin	28	10/05/87	Scituate, MA	Right	6’1”	186	NCAA – Cornell
Dan Eves	16	04/05/86	Lake Orion, MI	Left	6’2”	210	ECHL- Cincinnati/South Carolina
Daniel Koger	26	11/10/89	Szekesfehervar, Hun	Right	6’2”	195	CHL – Laredo
Mike Liambas	17	02/16/89	Woodbridge, ON	Left	5’9”	204	CWUAA – U of BC/ ECHL – Cincinnati
Matt McIlvane	15	11/02/85	Naperville, IL	Right	6′	207	CHL – Bloomington/ AHL – Peoria
Matt Pierce	23	05/05/85	Amprior, ON	Left	5’11”	188	ECHL – Cincinnati
Wacey Rabbit	44	11/18/86	Lethbridge, AB	Left	5’8”	185	Austria – Zagreb
Neil Trimm	19	02/18/83	Westmeath, ON	Right	6’2”	200	CHL – Laredo
Evan Trupp	18	10/22/87	Anchorage, AK	Left	5’10”	155	NCAA – North Dakota
Justin Vaive	24	07/08/89	Buffalo, NY	Left	6’6”	225	NCAA – Miami
Defense (8)	No	Birthdate	Birthplace	Shoots	Height	Weight	2010-11 Team
Ryan Annesley	12	02/02/86	Ajax, ON	Left	5’10”	185	NCAA – Niagra
Ryan Blair	3	05/01/86	Ashburn, VA	Left	6’4”	210	NCAA – Umass-Lowell
Adam Comrie	25	07/31/91	Asburn, VA	Left	6’4”	215	ECHL – Cincinnati/ AHL – Rochester
Maury Edwards	6	03/16/87	Rocky Rapids, AB	Right	5’11”	190	NCAA – Umass-Lowell
Dave Leaderer	4	07/31/86	Rochester, NY	Left	5’11”	190	ECHL – Trenton
Brian O’Hanley	5	12/18/84	Quincy, MA	Left	5’11”	191	ECHL – Cincinnati/ AHL – Rochester/Portland
Chris Reed	27	08/03/87	Solon, OH	Right	6’1”	195	NCAA – Ohio State University
Garrett Suter	20	06/09/87	Madison, WI	Right	6’1”	185	ECHL – Cincinnati
Goaltenders (2)	No	Birthdate	Birthplace	Catches	Height	Weight	2010-11 Team
Danny Taylor	31	04/28/86	Plymouth, ENG	Left	6’1”	177	DEL – Hamburg
Bryan Hince	30	04/09/86	Kapuskasing, ON	Left	6′	170	SPHL – Knoxville

And so it begins

As I write this up the Cyclones will be finishing up their morning skate and getting ready to hop on the bus for Johnstown, Pa for the 1st of 3 preseason games with the Wheeling Nailers. I had a chance to take in most of the on-ice training camp sessions and as of Wednesday morning the roster stood at 23.

Forwards (14):

Mathieu Aubin, Matt McIlvane, Garrett Wilson, Daniel Koger, Neil Trimm, Dan Eves, Josh Boyd, Vinny Scarsella, Mike Liambus, Bendan Hull, Shea Carey, Joe Devin, Erik Boisvert, Justin Vaive.

Defense (7):

Ryan Annesley, Ryan Blair, Maury Edwards, David Leaderer, Brian O’Hanley, Chris Reed, Garrett Suter

Goalies (2):

Mike Battaglia, Bryan Hince

The League allows an active roster of 20, however, with use of the IR teams can carry 22 or 23. In the ECHL, rosters are ever changing so the more the merrier and former head coach Chuck Weber was a master of rotating people on an off of IR. Using the 3 and 7 day IR 22 is a manageable roster number. Should someone become more seriously injured in the preseason the team could carry 23 using the long term IR.

Assuming there aren’t any additional additions (which might not be a reasonable assumption) I would expect 1 or 2 of the listed players to be cut.

There are some questions about who will be patrolling the crease for the ‘Clones this season. All indications are that either Chet Pickard or Atte Engren will be assigned by Nashville. On the  Florida/San Antonio side things are a little dicey. The Panthers have lost Scott Clemmensen for a few months so it’s not a question of who, but if the Cyclones will receive someone to start the season. Hince and Battaglia have performed well for training camp goalies, but I’d be surprised if both are still here once the season starts.

My other impressions from training camp, which the rest of you can see 1st hand on Saturday, is the size. There is no question Skalde brought in a group of big, physical guys. On Tuesday and Wednesday Skalde put together a line of Aubin (6’3″ 204lbs) – Matt McIlvane (6′ 207) – Garrett Wilson (6’3″ 206), that’s big, heavy top line. He followed that line up with Koger (6’2″ 195) – Neil Trimm (6’2″ 200) – Dan Eves (6’1″ 210). Also in the mix if former Miami forward Justin Vaive, who tips the scales at 6’6″ 225 and defenseman Ryan Blair at 6’4″ 210. There is no question this is the biggest Cyclones squad in we’ve seen in years. The Koger/Trimm/Eves line really stood out.

In addition to being big, it’s a strong skating squad. The quickness and tempo of practice was impressive.

There are still some a few issues I have with some of Skalde’s systems, long diagonal passes from the defense to a forward through the neutral zone for example, but there were some things that which looked promising. There is only so much one can tell from watching things play out without defensive pressure.

The only downside I can see with this potential line up is that some of these guys might not be around long. Several guys on the roster are on multi-way deals from the affiliates and several others spent time in AHL camps. If they start the season strong they might not stick around in Cincinnati very long as injuries mount up the food chain. Brian O’Hanley and Daniel Koger are already on Chuck Weber’s radar after having strong showing in San Antonio’s training camp.

Unfortunately there won’t be any audio or video for the 2 preseason games on the road against Wheeling so our first real look at the 2011-2012 Cyclones will come on Saturday. If anything jumps out from the scoresheet, I’ll be sure to pass it along.

 

-Mike-

Questioning the Answers…

The winds of change have been blowing through the organization again this summer. Last summer it was the change we all new was coming at some point, the departure of head coach Chuck Weber and assistant coach Dean Stork. They were replaced by head coach Jared Skalde and Scott Fankhouser. Fankhouser has since been replaced former NHL veteran Andrew Cassels. Head coach Jared Skalde made another move this summer that shocked many Cyclones fans…

Ehgo gate…

There was no official word from the Cyclones but on August 11th, Ehgoetz, the player considered by most to be the Cyclones franchise player, announced via his Facebook page and Twitter (@BarretEhgoetz) that he had learned the Cyclones would not be inviting him back. There’s a lot of speculation floating around the internet as to why. Was Barret becoming too expensive? Did Barret not want to be a part of the style of hockey Skalde wants to play? Did Skalde feel that Barret wouldn’t be a good fit for the system? Was Skalde looking to further separate himself from the legacy of Chuck Weber? We’re not even going to attempt to answer that question but we will say that if we were hockey coaches we would do what we could to keep a player like Barret on our team. Ehgoetz might be a year older but he’s a smart, right place, right time kind of player. He’s defensively minded but still capable of 50 or so points. He’s proven his durability and heart over the seasons for the squad. What’s not to like about a player like Barret Ehgoetz? Thanks for all the memories Barret and all the best in your future endeavors.

***

Egho Gate aside, this summer also marked a change in the PR department. In past years, we’d have to wait until mid August to hear about any player signings. This year Nick Brunker appeased many fans by bringing the Cyclones faithful regular updates on the new players that would be dawning a Cyclones sweater this fall. So without any further delay here’s how the roster is currently shaping up:

Neil Trimm (F) – Trimm has spent his pro career in the CHL. His numbers are solid offensively which is something the Squad was sorely lacking last season. There’s never been any question that we like defensively minded hockey here at CycWords and the question we have about Trimm is his defense. His first 2 years as a pro he put up 74pts but was -23. However, last season he put up 80pts and went +24 so perhaps he’s become more of a 2-way player. The ECHL is a much more visible league when it comes to AHL call ups and at 6’2″ 200lbs there’s a chance Trimm may not stick around in Cyclones sweater if he replicates his numbers from last season.

Mathieu Aubin (F) -  We know what Mathieu is capable of and there is no doubt he can excel under Skalde’s offensively oriented system. He’s got good size and uses it well. Mathieu’s skating has always left a bit to be desired but showed improvement last season. If he worked hard over the off season and shows the same improvement there’s no reason he can’t have the kind of break out season that puts him back on the AHL’s radar. That is if he can stay out of the penalty box. Mathieu loves to run his mouth and while it’s entertaining to watch as a fan it does occasionally land him in the box.

Mike Liambas (F) – The ‘Bus’ is back. Last seasons controversial late addition will be back again this season. Despite the fan reaction, the word is he’s well liked in the locker room. Mike has quite a reputation and that probably gets him in trouble but we were impressed with his hockey sense. He wasn’t a complete liability on the ice, he found soft spots in coverage offensively and always back checked defensively. The question for the ‘Bus’ will be if he can shake his reputation. The other issue is, while he checks harder than just about anyone we’ve seen, he isn’t a true fighter. His role is more of an agitator and as such really needs a true fighter on the bench behind him (think Morehouse/Benson in 2009-2010). to be really effective.

Ryan Blair (D) – Blair will join the Cyclones after spending 4 years at UMASS Lowell. Blair was a plus player for his first 3 years for the Riverhawks before posting a -16 in his senior year. In his defense, looking at the rest of the teams numbers weren’t stellar either. It’s always hard to get what you’re going to get with rookies, some get it quickly and some take some time to come around.

Daniel Koger (F) – When training camp gets underway it will have a European flair for the 2nd year in a row. Last season, it was Russian Ruben Begunts  adding the flair, this year it will be Hungarian Daniel Koger. Koger spent last season in the CHL after spending 2 years playing in Austria. Koger put up 52pts last season, his 1st in North America. His production was fairly balanced (29g-23a) which is nice to see. The question with many European players is how well they can adapt to the North American game. Daniel has the size and skill to find success in the ECHL, perhaps even the AHL, time will tell how he adjusts to the additional physicality of the North American game. If you want to get an early look at Koger’s game you can check out his promotional video here. The sound track isn’t child friendly so turn the volume down if there are kids in the room (You have been warned).

Nathan Moon (F) -We aren’t even sure where to start on this guy. A quick Google search for “Nathan Moon Hockey” yields enough information to keep minor league hockey bloggers like us busy for days. The short story on the 2008  4th round pick of the Penguins is his positive offensive ability which consists of finishing ability and a quick first step. Apparently his overall skating ability hasn’t progressed much since being drafted and he lacks quick decision making during transition play like “give and go’s”. Statistically, Nathan put up some good offensive numbers during his OHL career (332 regular season points) but was -48. His numbers are almost Thomas Beauregard like, except despite his lack of defensive effort Beauregard was able to maintain a positive +/- in Juniors. Dig a little deeper into that Google search and you’ll find his Hockeyfights.com fight card. Based on it and the associated videos it seems like Moon plays a little on the chippy side. If Moon proves to be a solid 2-way player he’ll be a great addition, if not, Skalde better have something up his sleeve to generate offense while on the penalty kill.

Ryan Annesley (D) – Don’t be confused by hockeydb.com, the Cyclones haven’t signed a 29 year old left winger. The Cyclones instead signed another rookie defenseman. Annesley spent 5 years at Niagra University (Ryan only played 7 games during the 09-10 season) where he put decent points as far as defenseman go. The concern for us lies in his final year for the Purple Eagles was his best production wise but also saw his lowest +/- at -9. Skalde bills him as “a very good skater who I see playing on our power play and in offensive situations. I know he’s looking forward to making the next step in his career and I’m excited to have a guy who can make that first pass, join the rush, and be responsible defensively.” Well, isn’t the world just perfect? Time will tell is he can actually pull that off at the professional level.

Matt McIlvane (F) – McIlvane, a former Ohio State Buckeye captain, has had a tumultuous pro career. He’s spent time in Europe, played a few games in the AHL but has spent most of his pro career in the IHL/CHL, or whatever they’re calling it these days. He also missed out on much of last season due to injury. In an older write up the team over at Hockeyfutures.com consider Matt to be a power forward type of player with suitable finishing ability. He plays a physical game but needs to work on his passing and on ice vision. He could be a solid net front presence that the Cyclones have lacked in recent season. The question will be how well he has rehabbed from an injury which ended his 2010-2011 season very early which he took some time to discuss with Nick Brunker recently.

Mathieu Curadeau (F) – Curadeau is a name Cyclones fans might remember from the 2009-2010 season which he spent with Kalamazoo. Mathieu possesses an AHL upside picking up a game here and there but has spent most of his career in IHL/CHL, with the exception of 09-10 season. That season with Kalamazoo was arguably his best putting up 47pts and ending the season +20. He had some good seasons early in his career for the Fort Wayne Komets but that was back when the Komets basically ran the league so the question has to be asked, “Is he really that good, or is he a product of team he played for?” Last season he returned to the Komets, which were no longer in control of the league and registered just 33 points and was -24. We aren’t really sure what to expect from Mathieu. He’s been billed as a skilled forward everywhere he’s played and that’s what we’ve come to expect from a French Canadian who came up through the QMJHL.

Matt Pierce (F) – Pierce will make his return to the Cyclones after an injury shortened his 10-11 campaign. Matt is the type of player which should excel under Coach Skalde. He’s got good size, plays a physical game and has plenty of finishing skill. If he regains the form he had in his rookie season, he’ll probably get more than one look at the AHL.

Dan Eves (F) – Eves, a mid season addition last year, returns this season. Eves is a well rounded player who is capable of averaging just shy of a point per game. He skates well and plays a solid physical game. He played just 17 regular season games for the Cyclones last season, but we’re interested in seeing what Dan can do over a full season with Coach Skalde.

***

The Cyclones have traded the rights to late season addition and stand out Cory Conacher to Florida for the rights to Brad Snetsinger. Honestly, this isn’t a big deal. While Snetsinger has apparently, signed in Italy (he could return when that season is over), Conacher signed a one-way AHL deal with the Norfolk Admirals. The odds that Conacher laces them in the ECHL are slim at best.

***

According to Eliteprospects.com Brock Sheahan has signed with SC Riessersee of the German Second League. Since he received a qualifying offer the Cyclones will retain Bock’s ECHL player rights for the 2011-2012 season. Best of luck Brock in Germany Brock.

***

There still isn’t any news on the other players the Cyclones qualified. That doesn’t mean that Garrett Suter, Kevin Roeder, and Eric Kattelus haven’t been signed, just that it hasn’t been announced. However, if they haven’t signed, as of August 1st they were all free agents.

-Mike-