With Morris gone for now, the IceHogs are now carrying three goalies in Rockford, with Collin Delia, Arvid Soderblom and Malcolm Subban making up the goalie trio. In the first two games of the season, starts have gone to Subban and Soderblom. Subban was awful, allowing six goals on 17 shots, while Soderblom allowed three goals on 43 shots in the lone IceHogs victory so far this season.

Rockford continues on its six-game road trip this weekend against the Iowa Wild.

The post Rockford’s Cale Morris loaned to Indy Fuel appeared first on The Rink.

Date	The-Rink Division	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
4/2/21		Brad Morrison		Vince Hinostroza
4/8/21		Lucas Carlsson, Lucas Wallmark		Brett Connolly, Riley Stillman, Henrik Borgstrom, 7th round draft pick
4/9/21		2022 conditional seventh round pick		Riley Nash
4/9/21		2022 fourth-round selection		Patrik Nemeth
4/9/21		Greg Pateryn		Devan Dubnyk
4/10/21		David Savard and Brian Lashoff thru		2021 NHL Draft and a 2022 third-round pick
4/11/21		David Rittich		2022 third round pick
4/11/21		Nick Foligno and Stefan Noesen thru		2021 first round pick, 2021 fourth round pick and 2022 fourth round pick
4/12/21		Adam Gaudette		Matthew Highmore
4/12/21		2021 2nd and 2022 3rd round draft pick thru		Mattias Janmark and 2022 5th round draft pick
4/12/21		Josh Dickinson and Ryder Rolston		Carl Soderberg
4/12/21		2021 4th round draft pick		Madison Bowey and a 2021 fifth round draft pick
4/12/21		Antti Suomela		Alexander Barabanov
		Ben Hutton		2022 fifth round draft pick

Trade Analysis/Break Down:

• • • • Chicago Blackhawks acquired Vinnie Hinostroza from the Florida Panthers for Brad Morrison
      • Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Riley Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2022 conditional seventh round pick
      • Colorado Avalanche acquired Patrik Nemeth from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2022 fourth round pick
      • Columbus Blue Jackets/Detroit Red Wings/Tampa Bay Lightning 3-way trade:
        • Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Brian Lashoff from the Columbus Blue Jackets for 2021 first round pick and 2022 third round pick
        • Tampa Bay Lightning acquired David Savard from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2021 fourth round pick
        • Detroit Red Wings acquired David Savard from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Brian Lashoff
      • Colorado Avalanche acquired Devan Dubnyk from the San Jose Sharks for Greg Pateryn and 2021 fifth round pick
      • Columbus Blue Jackets/San Jose Sharks/Toronto Maple Leafs 3-way trade:
        • San Jose Sharks acquired Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Stefan Noesen
        • Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Nick Foligno from the San Jose Sharks for 2021 fourth round pick
        • Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Stefan Noesen from the Columbus Blue Jackets for 2021 first round pick and 2022 fourth round pick
      • Toronto Maple Leafs acquired David Rittich from the Calgary Flames for a 2022 third round pick
      • Chicago Blackhawks acquired Adam Gaudette from the Vancouver Canucks for Matthew Highmore
      • Chicago Blackhawks/San Jose Sharks/Vegas Golden Knights 3-way trade:
        • San Jose Sharks acquired Mattias Janmark from the Chicago Blackhawks for Nick DeSimone
        • Vegas Golden Knights acquired Mattias Janmark from the San Jose Sharks for 2022 fifth round pick
        • Vegas Golden Knights acquired Nick DeSimone and 2022 fifth round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for 2021 second round pick and 2022 third round pick
      • Colorado Avalanche acquired Carl Soderberg from the Chicago Blackhawks for Josh Dickinson and Ryder Rolston
      • Vancouver Canucks acquired Madison Bowey and 2021 fifth round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for 2021 fourth round draft pick
      • San Jose Sharks acquired Alexander Barabanov from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Antti Suomela
      • Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Ben Hutton from Anaheim in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round selection

Also, be sure to follow the entire The-Rink staff on Twitter for up to the minute updates, as well:

The Rink Official

Chicago Divison
The Rinkcast
John Jaeckel
Ray Napientek
Eric Andrews
Sean Fitzgerald
Eric Johnson

Colorado Divison
Aaron Goldschmidt
Marie Sexton
Owyn Cooper
Craig Jones
Karen Cherrett

Seattle Divison
Kraken Hostile Seattle Rinkcast
Jeff Osborn

Toronto Divison
Cristina Caruso

Columbus Divison

The post The-Rink.com 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker appeared first on The Rink.

To recap up to the present, the Fuel defeated their favorite opponent, the Wheeling Nailers, twice on Feb. 10 and Feb. 14. The Fuel sprinkled in a victory against the Ft. Wayne Comets on Feb. 17 before a three-game series against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

Friday, Feb. 19 — Greenville 4, Fuel 3

In the first of three games, the Fuel hosted the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. In the first period, Greenville took the lead late against the Fuel when right wing Jesse Schultz smashed a one-timer over the shoulder of Fuel goalie Billy Christopoulos.

Trailing by one goal in the second period, Indy’s Matt Marcinew weaseled his way through the Swamp Rabbits’ defense and snuck the puck through goalie Ryan Bednard’s legs for the tying goal. The tie was short-lived, as Greenville responded immediately with a goal from left wing Karch Bachman. Bachman fired a slap shot past Christopolous for the 2–1 game-leading goal.

Later in the second period, Greenville doubled its lead with a goal from forward Joey Haddad, who deflected a puck past Christopoulos. Before the end of the period, Nic Pierog cut into the Greenville lead with a power play goal to trim the gap to 3–2.

In the third period with the Fuel trailing by a goal, Schultz put the nail in the Fuel’s coffin. Schultz tapped in a back-door pass for the eventual game-winning goal. The Fuel’s Dylan Malmquist added a late goal to make the final 4–3.

The Indy loss snapped a Fuel four game-winning streak.

Peter Krieger signs with a professional tryout contract with AHL’s Manitoba Moose

Indy Fuel forward Peter Krieger signed a professional tryout contract with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Krieger currently has six goals and 10 assists as a member of the Fuel. Prior to joining the Fuel, he spent the 2019–20 season in Swedish Allsvenskan for the Västerviks IK. He appeared in 52 games with the Västerviks and tallied 12 goals, 10 assists and 48 penalty minutes.

Saturday, Feb. 20 — Fuel 4, Greenville 0

On Saturday, the Fuel bounced back against Greenville in a big way with a shutout victory. In the first period, Indy forward Mike McNicholas slapped a shot past Greenville goalie Ryan Bernard for the early lead. Indy doubled its lead late in the first period with a power play goal from Alex Rauter. Rauter deflected a shot from defenseman Willie Raskob for the second Indy goal of the game. Indy’s Mike Lee cemented the Fuel lead with a slapper past Bernard for the three-goal lead.

In the second period, Indy’s Dan Bakala was besieged for the first 10 minutes of the frame. Greenville’s best chance was reviewed by the officials and ultimately determined a no-goal. Having survived a hectic second period, Bakala just needed to hold down Greenville for one more period.

In the third period, Bakala held firm in net, standing tall by fending off eight Greenville shots. Rauter added an empty-net goal for the four-goal victory. Bakala earned his first shutout of the season and his third career ECHL shutout.

Sunday, Feb 21. — Fuel 4, Greenville 0

A new night and a new goalie equated to the same results for Indy. After Bakala shut out the Swamp Rabbits on Saturday night, it was Christopoulos’s turn for the whitewash.

After a scoreless first period, the Fuel unloaded on the Swamp Rabbits in the second period. McNicholas caught Greenville napping, as he jumped onto the ice, corralled a loose puck and snapped a wrist shot past Greenville’s goalie Jacob Ingham. The recently acquired Diego Cuglietta doubled the Fuel lead with a power play goal on Ingham. Cugiletta was acquired from the Utah Grizzlies for the rights to Connor McDonald.

In the third period, Greenville had their chances to come back with a power play chance, however, Christopoulos’s rose to challenge denying all of the Swamp Rabbits’ chances. The former Air Force Falcon stopped all 12 Swamp Rabbits shots in the period. With Greenville desperate to get back into the game, they pulled Ingham, which gave way to two more Fuel goals. Cedric Lacroix scooped up a loose puck for the third goal of the game. The 6-foot forward scored the first empty-netter. The second empty-netter was scored by Cuglietta.

It was the first shutout of the season for Christopoulos and he second shutout of his ECHL career. It was the second consecutive shutout for the Fuel. This was the first time in Fuel franchise history that two goalies earned back-to-back shutouts.

Bakala named Goaltender of the Week

Bakala was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Feb. 15–21. He went 2–0–0 with one shutout and a 0.50 goals against average. His save percentage was .985 in his two appearances.

The veteran goalie made 35 saves in a 4–1 win against Ft. Wayne on Feb. 17 and stopped all 30 shots on Saturday. The Canadian goalie is 10–0–1 in 11 appearances with the Fuel this season. He leads the ECHL in wins and ranks fourth with a 2.12 goals against average and is tied for fourth with a .926 save percentage.

During his tenure with Indy, the Calgary native is 17–6–4 in 28 games with 2.30 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Before joining the Fuel, he spent extensive time in Europe, playing for teams in Austria, Germany, Scotland and Sweden.

The Fuel currently have the best goaltending duo in the ECHL with Christopoulos having the second-best save percentage in the league.

Please stay tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news.

The post Fuel Tank: Shutouts in a back-to-back games appeared first on The Rink.

Matt Marcinew returns to the Fuel

On Jan 2, the Fuel announced that forward Matt Marcinew had returned to Indy following his professional tryout contract with the AHL Tucson Roadrunners. Marcinew had appeared in nine games with the Fuel, tallying five goals and seven assists. He also netted two ECHL Player of the Week awards during his prior stint with Indy.

Matt Thompson assigned to Indy

Matt Thompson has been assigned to Indy from the Rockford IceHogs prior to the start of the IceHogs’ season. Thompson split time between Indy and Rockford last season. He currently has 99 ECHL games under this belt and skated in 27 games with the Fuel last season.

Defenseman Cliff Watson named team captain

Cliff Watson will serve as the Fuel’s new captain this season. It the fifth captain named in Fuel history. Forward David Broll and defenseman Scott Savage will be alternate captains on the road and forwards Joe Sullivan and Nic Pierog will be alternate captains at home.

Watson was acquired by the Fuel last season in a trade with Kansas City. He appeared in 53 games between Indy and Kansas City last season.

Friday, Feb. 5 — Fuel 0, Rapid City 2

In their first of two meetings, the Fuel were manhandled by a physical Rapid City team. The first period would be slanted toward Indy in terms of shots, but Rapid City had the advantage on the scoreboard. Rush defenseman Butrus Ghafari wired a wrister past Indy goaltender Billy Christopoulos for the one-goal lead.

In the second period, Rapid City forward Peter Quenneville smashed a rebound home on Christopoulos to extend the gap to two goals. Indy had a chance to get back into the game with a 5-on-3 power play midway through the period, however, the Fuel never got going offensively and did not put shots on net. The second period ended with the Fuel trailing 2–0.

In the third period, Indy and Rapid city traded 5-on-3 opportunities with neither team scoring. After desperately trying to get on the score sheet, the Fuel fell to Rapid City. It was the first time the Fuel have been shut out this season.

Saturday, Feb. 6 — Fuel 6, Rapid City 3

In their second matchup, the Fuel needed a third-period rally to seal their victory.

In the first period, after failing to score on multiple chances, Indy fell behind Rapid City. Rush forward Avery Peterson flicked a wrister past Fuel goalie Dan Bakala for the one-goal advantage. The Rush lead was short-lived, as Indy’s Nick Hutichson buried a Peter Krieger feed for the game-tying goal. The first period ended with the score knotted at 1–1.

In the second period, the Fuel regained the lead, as Krieger streaked down the ice and beat Rush goalie David Tendeck. Indy increased its lead when Thompson scored his first goal of the season. With a 3–1 lead, the Fuel appeared to have things in hand; that was until Avery Peterson slapped his second goal of the game past Bakala. With the Fuel nursing a one-goal lead, the Rush’s Tyler Coulter snapped a wrister past Bakala to tie the game at 3–3 late in the second period.

In the third period the with the score tied, Pierog fired a shot that deflected past Tendeck for a 4–3 Indy lead. Later in the period, Watson seized the opportunity on an odd-man rush and fed Micheal McNicholas. McNicholas one-timed the puck past Tendeck for the Fuel’s fifth goal of the game. Pierog added the chef’s kiss with the Fuel’s sixth goal of the game and seal the Indy victory.

The Fuel sit atop the ECHL standings with a record of 13–2–1. Please stay tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news.

The post The Fuel Tank: Indy Splits two-game weekend series appeared first on The Rink.

Billy Christopoulos named Goaltender of the Week

The Fuel’s Billy Christopolous was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goalie of the Week for the week of Jan. 18–24. He went 2–1–0 with 1.65 goals against average and a .950 save percentage.

It is the second such honor for Christopolous; his first came as a member of the Toledo Walleye last season. Prior to his professional career, he appeared in 93 games for the Air Force Falcons, where he went 42–35–11 with a 2.29 goals against average and a save percentage of .913. He had eight career college shutouts.

Fuel goalie Taran Kozun traded to Rapid City

The Fuel traded goaltender Taran Kozun to Rapid City for future considerations. Kozun signed with the Fuel on Jan. 20 and appeared in one start against the Tulsa Oilers. He stopped 42 of 43 shots in the victory.

Kozun has appeared in 11 career ECHL games between Kansas City, Manchester, Utah and Indy. Through his 11 games, he has a career save percentage of .897 and a goal against average of 3.06.

Patrick McGrath signs a PTO with AHL Rochester Americans

The Fuel’s Patrick McGarth signed a professional tryout with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. McGarth signed with Fuel this offseason and appeared in seven games. For his career, McGarth has appeared in 162 ECHL games, tallying seven goals and eight assists. McGrath has also appeared in 95 AHL games between Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and the Iowa Wild. He has three goals and four assists in the AHL.

Indy signs forward Dylan Malmquist

The Fuel inked forward Dylan Malmquist to a standard player contract. Malmquist comes to the Fuel after starting this season with the Kansas City Mavericks. Prior to coming to the ECHL, Malmquist spent the 2019–20 season in the Elite Hockey League (EIHL) with the Nottingham Panthers. He tallied eight goals and 19 assists in 45 games.

Before turning pro, Malmquist skated in 150 NCAA games for the University of Norte Dame. He helped the Irish to back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 2017 and 2018.

Saturday, Jan. 30 — Fuel 5, Wheeling Nailers 4

The Indy Fuel took on a familiar opponent in their first game of a home-and-home series.

The Fuel’s Nic Pierog got the scoring started with a wrist shot past Wheeling goaltender Brandon Halverson. Less than a minute later, Pierog picked up his second goal of the game on a Fuel power play. To cap off the first period in style, Peter Krieger tripled the Indy lead by backhanding a puck past Halverson.

In the second period, Wheeling started to chip away at the Fuel lead. Kreiger committed the third Fuel penalty of the game. Nailers center Austin Fyten wristed a shot past Christopoulos to get Wheeling on the board. Fyten was fed by Matt Alfaro on the power play. The Fuel responded with a power play goal of their own, as Joe Sullivan buried a pass from David Broll to extend the Fuel lead back to three at 4–1.

With the Fuel still leading by three goals, the Nailers got an even-strength goal to cut the lead in half. Wheeling’s Aaron Thow fired a puck from the blue line that deflected off a Fuel player for the goal.  With the lead down to 4–2, the Fuel responded with a goal of their own, with center Michael McNicholas one-timing a Sullivan pass for the Fuel’s fifth goal of the game.

Onto the third period, Wheeling attempted a comeback. Fyten led the charge with his second goal of the game. A little more than a minute later, Wheeling cut the lead to one goal at 5–4 with a goal from Joshua Winquist. The Nailers’ barrage continued for the duration of the third, but Christopolus and the Fuel stood tall and emerged victoriously.

Sunday, Jan. 31 — Fuel 5, Wheeling Nailers 4

In the second game of the home-and-home, the Fuel struck first. Spencer Watson led the rush and started a tic-tac-toe passing play with a pass to Jared Thomas, who tapped the puck to Cedric Lacroix for the tap-in goal. With the Fuel leading 1–0, Wheeling defenseman Matt Miller went coast to coast and drew iron with a quality chance. The first period ended with the Fuel leading by one goal.

In the second period, Nailers center Cody Sylvester blasted a shot past Fuel goalie Dan Bakala for the equalizer. The lead changed hands when Watson stickhandled himself into some daylight. Waston then backhanded a shot for the goal. Watson continued on his scoring tear on the power play. Fuel defenseman Keoni Texeira found Watson in the right circle and blasted it past Halverson for the 3–1 lead.

With the lead, the Fuel should have been on easy street; instead their two-goal lead collapsed. Wheeling earned a power play three minutes into the period. On the power play, Sylvester blasted a shot from the blue line. The shot was fended off by Bakala, but the rebound was stuffed home by Wheeling’s Hayden Hodgson.

Wheeling tied the game on an even-strength goal from Winquist. With three periods in the books, Wheeling and the Fuel headed into overtime. In overtime, the Fuel felt the wrath of Sylvester, as he notched the game-winning tally. It was Sylvester’s second goal of the game and third point on the night.

Splitting the series with Wheeling pushed the Fuel’s record to a league-leading 12–2–1. Please stay tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news.

The post Fuel Tank: Indy splits home-and-home with Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

Indy adds forwards Michael McNicholas and Russ Olssen

The Fuel signed Michael McNicholas after he started the season with the Utah Grizzlies. In two games, McNicholas tallied one goal and earned a minus-1 rating with Utah. He comes to Fuel with 130 ECHL games under his belt between the Fuel, Grizzlies and Maine Mariners. For his career, McNicholas has 25 goals and 68 assists.

After being placed on waivers by the Kansas City Mavericks, Russ Olssen was claimed by the Indy Fuel on Jan. 14. The 6-foot-4 defenseman skated in six games before being waived. For his career, Olssen has appeared in 64 ECHL games, amassing 15 goals and 11 assists.

The Fuel sign forward Nick Hutchison and goalie Billy Christopoulos

The Fuel signed forward Nick Hutchison after he finished his college career at Canisius College. The New York native skated in 140 NCAA games, earning 60 goals and 53 assists. In his senior year, Hutchison scored 18 goals and recorded 32 points. After his senior year, Hutchinson signed with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, where he played one game.

In addition to signing Hutchison, the Fuel added another goalie to the mix in Billy Christopoulos. Christopoulos spent the majority of last season with the Toledo Walleye. He appeared in 30 ECHL games between South Carolina and Toledo, amassing a 2.30 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. His save percentage led the ECHL and was the single-season record mark for the Walleye. In addition, he was named to the ECHL All-Star Rookie Team. He comes to Indy with only six career losses.

Matt Marcinew inks a deal with Tucson

Matt Marcinew is the second forward from the Fuel to sign an AHL contract this year. Marcinew appeared in nine games with the Fuel, tallying five goals and seven assists. He also earned two ECHL Player of the Week awards during his tenure with the Fuel.

Before joining the Fuel, Marcinew appeared in 41 AHL games between the Ontario Reign, Springfield Thunderbirds and Stockton Heat.

Wednesday, Jan. 21 — Fuel 3, Tulsa Oilers 2

The Fuel finally got back to play after having a week off by facing off against the Tulsa Oilers. After shaking off the rust, Fuel forward Derion Plouffe whipped a wrist shot past Tulsa goalie Devin Williams to give the Fuel the lead. Plouffe returns to the Fuel after sitting out for two weeks due to testing positive for COVID-19. The first period ended with the Fuel leading 1–0.

In his first game as a member of the Fuel, Christopoulos held Tulsa scoreless. In the second period, that would change. Christopoulos was bulled over by a Tulsa forward and then was beaten by a quick wrister from Tulsa forward Brent Gates to even the score at 1–1. The Fuel then committed a costly turnover to spring Tulsa’s Adam Pleskach for the game-leading goal at 2–1.

With two periods in the books, the Fuel once again staged the third-period comeback. The comeback was started by Fuel forward Mike Lee. Lee blasted a one-timer past Williams for the equalizer. Two minutes later, Fuel forward Joe Sullivan capped off the comeback by cashing in a Williams rebound for the 3–2 victory.

Friday, Jan. 22 — Fuel 2, Tulsa 1

The Fuel squared off against the Oilers for the second of their three games in the series. In his second game as a member of the Fuel, Christopoulos was tested early and often in the first period. The former Air Force Falcon faced 20 shots in the first period. Christolpoulous saved 19 of 20 shots faced. He allowed the lone goal of the period on a 5-on-3 man advantage for the Oilers. Adam Pleskach scored the lone goal of the period for Tulsa, his second goal in two games against the Fuel.

In the second period, the Fuel held the Oilers to six shots while amassing 12 shots of their own in the frame. Midway through the second period, Fuel forward Nic Periog fired a puck into the back of the net for the apparent game-tying goal. Sadly, the goal was waved off by the officials due to the play being blown dead before the Periog shot. The Fuel did not let the controversy affect their play, as Lee buried a one-timer off a face off to tie the game at 1–1.

The third period came and went with no goals scored by either team. In overtime, Fuel forward Alex Rauter found the back of the net to send the Fuel off into the sunset with another overtime victory, this time a 2–1 outcome.

Saturday, Jan 23. — Fuel 4, Tulsa 2

In the final game of their three-game series, the Fuel were propelled to victory by three third-period goals. In the first period, Tulsa scored on their first shot of the game from Justin Hamonic. Hamoinc fired a loose puck past Fuel goalie Taran Kozun. Kozun had been signed by the Fuel on Jan. 20 and was seeing his first game action.

The Fuel struck back with nifty passing from Pierog to Michael McNicholas, who created a back-door chance for Fuel defenseman Willie Raskob. After tying the game, the Fuel dominated the rest of the first period.

In the second period, Tulsa took the lead on a goal from defenseman Alex Brooks, who played for the Fuel last season. After two periods, the Fuel trailed 2–1.

In the third period, the Fuel started off with a barrage of chances against Tulsa goalie Roman Durny. Durny held the Fuel at bay for most of the period. However, if you keep overwhelming a goalie, eventually the netminder is going to falter, and it took until five minutes left in the third period for the Fuel to break through. Pierog finally got a wrister past Durny for the game-tying goal. Three minutes later, Fuel forward Antoine Waked was left alone in the slot and beat Durny with a slapper. The Fuel capped off the victory with an empty-net goal from Joe Sullivan.

Sunday, Jan. 24 — Wichita 2, Fuel 1

All good things must come to an end. That is what happened for Indy unfortunately, as the Fuel’s six-game winning streak came to an end against the Wichita Thunder on Sunday.

In their first matchup of the season, the Fuel and Thunder played two scoreless periods of hockey. In the third period, Indy’s Jared Thomas finally broke the scoreless tie. Thomas toe-dragged the puck and slid a shot through the wickets of Thunder goalie Evan Weninger for a 1–0 advantage.

The Thunder responded with a goal from defenseman Garrett Schmitz. Schmitz slipped into the right circle and blasted a shot past Christopoulos to level the score at 1–1. Witchita found the net again as right wing Stefan Fournier wristed a shot past Christopoulos to put the Thunder ahead 2–1, a margin that would prove to last.

Despite the loss, it was another strong showing for Christopoulos. He saved 31 of 33 shots on the evening.

Please stay tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news.

The post Fuel Tank: Return to play yields three wins out of four appeared first on The Rink.

The Nailers currently have multiple players with confirmed cases of COVID-19 on their active roster. The ECHL has postponed the games to ensure the health and safety of all its players, staff and fans. The Fuel have rescheduled the series against Wheeling for April 2 and 3. The promotional nights that were scheduled will also be rescheduled for those dates.

Currently, the ECHL schedule goes through Feb. 11. On Feb. 12, teams can join the ECHL for the remaining 50 games of the season, which will end in June.

Please stay tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news.

The post Indy Fuel postpones weekend series against Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Jan. 9 — Fuel 6, Greenville Swamp Rabbits 5

After starting the season playing only the Wheeling Nailers and the Kansas City Mavericks, the Fuel got their first look at the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in their initial game of a home at home series. Indy would tally their seventh win of the season in an 11-goal overtime thriller.

In the first period, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits jumped on the score sheet early. Greenville right wing Greg Meireles capitalized on a costly neutral zone turnover by the Fuel, snapping off a wrist shot that beat Indy netminder Tom Aubrun for the first goal of the game.

In a little less than a minute, the Fuel knotted the score at 1–1. Forward Seamus Malone danced around the net and found forward Spencer Watson, who buried a shot past Swamp Rabbits goalie Ryan Bednard for the tying goal.

The score remained knotted for three minutes until the Fuel gave up a dreaded shorthanded goal. Greenville defenseman Karch Bachman retrieved the puck in his own zone and flew by the Fuel for the tally. Indy would not let their deficit stand for long, though, as Fuel forward Alex Rauter whistled a shot from the point that was deflected in by teammate DJ Busdeker to once again level the scoreboard, this time at 2–2.

With the goalscoring becoming fast and frantic, the Swamp Rabbits responded less than a minute later with the center Nick Poehling pushing a backhanded shot past Aubrun for the lead yet again. Poehling was assisted by his twin brother, Jack Poehling. The Poehling twins signed with the Ontario Reign out of St. Cloud State after finishing up their college careers. Both were assigned to Greenville to start the ECHL season. The wild first ended with the Swamp Rabbits leading 3–2 over the Fuel.

In the second period, the Fuel struck first, as Watson undressed a Swamp Rabbits defenseman and then found Willie Raskob for the slap shot goal. Immediately following the Raskob goal, forward Peter Krieger pulled a puck off the boards and feathered a pass to Nic Pierog for the top-shelf goal. Later in the period, Greenville’s Liam Peracario tied the game at 4–4 with a shot past Aubrun.

In the third period, Watson blasted a slap shot past Bednard from the point. That was Watson’s second goal of the game and third point of the night, putting Indy back on top at 5–4. But, Indy then committed a late-game penalty. Greenville capitalized on the Fuel mistake and tied the game at 5–5.  In the overtime frame, Rauter found forward Matt Marcinew for the game winner. It was the Fuel’s fifth overtime win on the season, as they remain unbeaten at home.

Saturday, Jan. 10 — Fuel 3, Greenville Swamp Rabbits 2

In the back half of the home-and-home series, the Fuel needed two late goals to tie the game and another overtime strike to seal the victory. However, this game was a stark contrast to the previous night’s wild ride.

In the first period, the Fuel squandered a great shot from Krieger, arguably the best opportunity of the frame. With neither team capitalizing on power plays, the Fuel and Swamp Rabbits remained scoreless after the stanza.

In the second period, the Fuel decided to let goalie Dan Bakala go through some target practice, as he saw 20 shots in the frame. Bakala did his best to keep Greenville off the scoresheet, however, with two minutes to play in the second the dam finally broke. Swamp Rabbits forward Max Zimmer found a hole in the Fuel defense and rocketed a shot past Bakala for the 1–0 lead.

In the third period, with the Fuel trailing by one, Swamp Rabbits center Matt Wedman fired a backhand shot that was pushed aside by Bakala, but Wedman had the wherewithal to scoop up the rebound and score, doubling the gap to 2–0. With time ticking away on the Fuel, Marcinew cleaned up a nice rebound for Indy’s first goal of the game to cut the score to 2–1. Seconds later, Watson put on his superman cape and scored the equalizer, ending regulation at 2–2.

With overtime becoming a regular occurrence, Pierog tapped in a rebound for an Indy victory. It was the fifth overtime win in eight games for the Fuel.

Marcinew wins Inglasco ECHL player of the Week

Marcinew won Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 4–10, his second time receiving the award this season. Marcinew tallied three goals, including a pair of game-winning goals and four assists, in the pair of games against Greenville.

The Alberta native is now tied for fifth in the ECHL with 12 points in nine games this season.

Derek Barach signs with AHL’s Texas Stars

With the AHL season starting soon, the veteran Fuel team was bound to lose players. The losses commenced on Wednesday, as Derek Barach signed a deal with the Texas Stars. Barach signed with the Fuel this offseason after splitting the 2019–20 season between the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and ECHL Jacksonville IceMen.

Barach had three goals and four assists with the Fuel in seven games this season.

ECHL Adding Two New Franchises in 2021–22: Coralville, Iowa, and Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

The ECHL Board of Governors has approved the expansion applications for Coralville, Iowa, and Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. The two new franchises will enter play in the 2021–22 season. The owner of both franchises will be Dean MacDonald of Decon Sports and Entertainment. MacDonald also owns the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL.

The Fuel resume play on Friday, Jan. 15 against the Wheeling Nailers. Please stay tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news.

The post Fuel Tank: Indy keeps winning in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Dec. 18 — Fuel 4, Kansas City Mavericks 3

The Fuel needed a third-period comeback to stay undefeated.

In the first period, after trading high-danger chances, Indy defenseman Keoni Texeira blasted a shot at Mavericks goalie Taran Kozun. Kozun gave up a juicy rebound that Indy right wing Matthew Marcinew, who banged home the putback for the goal. The Fuel would retain a one-goal lead for the remainder of the period.

In the second period, the Mavericks got back into the game. Kansas City forward Ross Olsson snuck a long wrist shot past Fuel goalie Dan Bakala to level the score. This was the second goal for the veteran this year.

Later in the second period, Texeria struck again with a wrist shot goal. However, the Fuel lead was short lived. Nine seconds later, second-year Mavericks forward Bryan Lemos wired a shot past Bakala to tie the game at 2–2. After Indy defenseman Willie Raskob committed a hooking penalty, KC forward Rob Bordson diverted a shot into the Fuel net for a 3–2 Mavericks lead.

In the third period, the Fuel tried to hand the game to Mavericks, giving them seven minutes of power play time. Despite being shorthanded for most of the period, Indy would tie the game up on a nifty passing play. Marcinew saucered a cross-ice pass to forward Alex Rauter, who buried a wrist shot past Kozun.

Once again, the Fuel and Mavericks would proceed into overtime. With only one shot each in overtime, Indy forward Nic Pierog capitalized on their lone chance, beating Kozun with a wrister to give the Fuel the victory.

Marcinew named ECHL Player of the Week from Dec. 14–20

Macinew was named Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week. He recorded one goal and three assists against the Mavericks on Dec. 18. The veteran forward is tied for fourth in the ECHL with four points in three games.

In his career, Macinew has amassed 97 points in 130 games with Indy, Greenville and Manchester. He has also appeared in 41 AHL games, recording 14 points between Ontario, Springfield and Stockton.

Saturday, Dec. 26 — Fuel 2, Wheeling 1

The Fuel played their first game in a home-and-home series against the Wheeling Nailers. At Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indy would be donning Double Dare-themed jerseys for their Nickelodeon Night promotion.

Despite riding high on slime, the Fuel could not break through the Nailers defense. The first period would finish knotted at 0–0. In the second period, Indy finally got on the scoreboard with a goal from defenseman D.J. Busdeker. It was Busdeker’s first professional goal. He joined the Fuel after being reassigned from Rockford earlier this year. Immediately following the Fuel goal, Wheeling answered with a wrist shot goal from center Matthew Alfaro.

After swapping chances for 20 minutes in the third period, the Fuel and Wheeling went into overtime. It was the third time in four games that Fuel would need overtime to secure a victory. In overtime, after trading power play chances, the Fuel’s Tim Shoup sprung a streaking Peter Krieger on a breakaway. Kreiger’s first shot was denied, but his rebound struck gold. The Krieger goal secured the 2–1 win for the Fuel.

Sunday, Dec. 27 — Fuel 4, Wheeling 3

On Sunday, the Fuel finished their home-and-home with a victory over Wheeling. In the first period at WesBanco Arena, the Nailers jump on the scoresheet first. Nailers center Felix Robert blasted a one-timer past Fuel goalie Tom Aubrun. Less than four minutes later, Krieger, who scored the game-winner the night prior, whistled a power play goal past Wheeling goalie Brandon Halverson. After the power play, Marcinew took advantage of a poor Nailers line change and buried the puck for the Fuel’s second goal and a 2–1 Indy advantage.

In the second period, Nailers rookie Tyler Drevitch upper-decked a backhanded shot for the tying goal. The Fuel jumped back out to the lead again when Pierog swiped an errant puck in the Nailers zone and cashed it in for a shorthanded goal. Krieger would continue his scoring barrage with his second power play goal of the night. Kriger has three goals and two assists this season.

In the third period, Wheeling’s Matt Alfaro scored a backhanded goal to breathe life into the Nailer bench. Sadly for Wheeling, they could not complete the comeback, as the Fuel held on for the victory.

In addition to securing the victory for the Fuel, Indy also secured the first professional win for Aubrun. Aubrun had joined the Rockford IceHogs on an AHL contract this season and was reassigned to the Fuel prior to the beginning of the ECHL season.

The former Division III NCAA goalie figures to get a few more starts with Indy before the AHL season begins on Feb. 5.

The Fuel will end 2020 with another game against the Wheeling Nailers on Dec. 31. Stay Tuned to The Rink for all your Fuel and ECHL news!

The post The Fuel Tank: Indy keeps blazing a trail at 5–0–0 appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Dec. 11 — Fuel 4, Kansas City Mavericks 3

After nine long months of no ECHL hockey, the Indy Fuel hosted their home opener against the Mavericks in front of a socially distanced crowd. It was their seventh opening night in franchise history.

Three minutes into the game, Indy jumped out to a power play, however, the power play backfired as Mavericks defenseman Zach Osburn snuck down the backside and fired a slapper past goalie Dan Bakala.

Late in the period, the Fuel got into the contest with a goal from the big man, forward David “Let the Good Times” Broll.

After finishing the first period tied at 1–1, the Fuel earned two back-to-back penalties to start the second period. With Indy down two men, Mavericks center Giorgio Estephan wired a shot past Bakala for the Mavericks’ second goal of the game. Indy would respond with a goal of their own, as newly signed forward Peter Krieger fed an open Alex Rauter for a slapshot goal. Rauter is looking to build off an 11-goal campaign last season.

With the score tied at 2–2 and the second period winding down, the Fuel were caught napping by an odd-man Maverick rush. The rush led to a game-leading goal from veteran forward Lane Scheidl. Scheidl returned to the ECHL this season after spending two years in the Slovakia league with HK Nitra.

Onto the third with the Fuel trailing 3–2, it took all but 9.7 seconds left in the third period for Indy to tie the game. Recently acquired center Derek Barach tied the game with a tap in goal. Barach came to Fuel after spending most of 2019–20 with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL.

After a scoreless overtime, the game processed into a shootout. Bakala stonewalled all three Maverick shooters and Fuel forward Peter Krieger broke the scoreless drought and secured the Indy victory.

Saturday, Dec. 12 — Fuel 3, Wheeling Nailers 2

The Fuel picked up their first road victory of the season against the Nailers. After two stong periods, the Fuel hung on for the victory.

In the first period, forward Derian Plouffe danced his way through Nailers defense to find Barach on the top of the left circle. Barach fired the puck past Wheeling’s goalie, Shane Starrett, for the early lead.

It did not take long for the Fuel to extend their lead, as Broll tipped in a Seamus Malone shot from the point. That was Broll’s second goal of the season and Malone’s first point of the season.

In the second period, Wheeling finally got on the scoresheet with a goal from defenseman Chad Duchesne. Duchesne fired a wrist shot past Bakala for the Nailers’ first goal of the game. Later in the second period, Rauter found recently acquired forward Jared Thomas to give the Fuel the lead for good.

With the lead 3–1 in the third period, Wheeling would attempt a comeback behind a breakaway goal from right wing Michael Joly. For Fuel fans, that was all the comeback Wheeling would mount, as the Fuel won 3–2.

Rockford sends three players to Indy

The Rockford IceHogs have assigned three players to Fuel in forwards Riley McKay and DJ Busdeker as well as goalie Tom Aubrun.

Busdeker comes to Fuel from Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit. The Michigan native appeared in 62 games recording 22 goals, 35 assists and a plus-46 rating.

McKay joins Indy after playing for the Western Hockey League Saskatoon Blades, earning 19 goals and 19 assists. The 6-foot forward skated in 243 games between the Spokane Cheifs and Saskatoon Blades in four seasons.

Aubrun was assigned to the Fuel after he completed his collegiate career at Norwich University (NCAA III). He earned a 3.61 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. The 6-foot goaltender helped the Cadets earn the 2017 NCCA National Championship. He also earned back-to-back NEHC Goaltender of the Year Honors.

Fuel add free agent Nic Pierog

The Fuel dipped back into the free-agent pool, adding Nic Pierog. The 27-year-old forward spent last season between American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers and ECHL’s Worcester Railers. The Ontario native has 118 ECHL games under his belt between the Railers and Manchester Monarchs, registering 54 goals, 35 assists and 87 penalty minutes.

In corresponding roster moves, the Fuel have released forward Cody Payne and goaltender Ryan Ruck.

Upcoming schedule

The Fuel are playing the Kansas Mavericks on the Road on Friday. It will be the last game before the Christmas holiday. In addition to playing on Friday, the Fuel have added six games to their existing schedule. The Fuel will now play in the second window of games starting on Jan. 15 and 16 against the Wheeling Nailers.

For all your Indy Fuel and ECHL news, stay tuned to The Rink.

The post Fuel Tank: Indy starts season with hot 2–0 weekend appeared first on The Rink.

The Fuel will be one of 13 ECHL teams to begin their season in December, while the Toledo Walleye and Ft. Wayne Comets will join the league in February. The rest of the league has decided to suspend their franchise for this season, which includes division rivals in the Cincinnati Cyclones, Idaho Steelheads and Kalamazoo Wings.

With the season beginning on Friday, let’s recap a longer-than-normal offseason from start to end.

Here is the breakdown of the Fuel offseason signings:

Protected roster list

At the end of the 2019–20 season, ECHL teams must submit their protected roster list. The list gives the ECHL team the power to retain the rights of their players. The Fuel’s list comprised of 13 forwards, 10 defensemen and two goalies for a total of 25 players. ECHL teams can protect as many players as they want, assuming they meet the league requirements.

Forwards (13): Bobby MacIntyre, Cody Payne, Alex Rauter, Ryan Van Stralen, Derian Plouffe, Spencer Watson, Joe Sullivan, Mathieu Foget, Michael Doherty, Alex Krushelnyski (V), Matt Rupert (V), Woody Hudson, Jordy Stallard (R)

Defensemen (10): Tim Shoup, Keoni Texeira, Cliff Watson, Craig Wyszomirski, Alex Brooks, Connor McDonald (R), Ben Youds (V), Eric Schurhamer, Reggie Traccitto, Louis Belisle (R)

Goaltenders (2): Charles Williams, Dan Bakala

Now that the protected list has been submitted, the Fuel must go about re-signing their protected players.

July 8 — Forwards Joe Sullivan and Alex Rauter re-sign with the Fuel

The 22-year-old Sullivan joined the Fuel prior to the 2019–20 season. He had spent the prior season with head coach Doug Christiansen as a member of the Manchester Monarchs. In 51 games with the Fuel last season, the 5-foot-10 forward recorded seven goals and eight assists. Sullivan has appeared in 106 ECHL games for his career, amassing 13 goals and 22 assists.

In addition to bringing back Sullivan, the team also inked forward Alex Rauter to a standard player contract. Rauter was acquired from Rapid City in December of 2019. During his tenure with the Fuel, he appeared in 27 games collecting 11 goals and nine assists. In three ECHL seasons, the 6-foot-1 forward has played in 110 ECHL earning 31 goals and 41 assists.

July 9 — Fuel add forward Cody Payne

The Fuel re-signed Cody Payne from the 2019–20 campaign. After being acquired via trade, Payne only appeared in one game due to the pandemic. Before joining Indy, the former 2012 fifth-round pick of the Boston Bruins played in 41 games with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL. Payne scored seven goals and nine assists. Prior to being drafted, Payne spent three years at the University of Prince Edwards Island, where he earned 39 goals and 31 assists.

July 13 — Goalie Charles Williams returns for a second season

Charles Williams returned to Indy on a standard player contract. Despite splitting time with Chase Marchand and Dan Bakala, he earned a 2.81 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. The Detroit native has appeared in six AHL games between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Ontario Reign, earning a 2.59 goals against average and .897 save percentage. During his ECHL portion of his carrier, Williams has appeared in 121 ECHL games in four seasons. He has earned a career 2.72 goals against average and .914 save percentage.

Prior to turning pro, Williams spent four years at Ferris State before transferring to Canisius College for his final season. In his lone season at Canisius College, Williams stood on his head putting up a 1.82 goals against average and a .943 save percentage. He was named a Hobey Baker Finalist in 2017.

The 5-foot-10 goalie figures to play in a tandem with Bakala this season.

July 21 — Defensemen Tim Shoup returns to Indy

The Fuel took their first step in shoring up their defense for the 2020–21 season in re-signing Tim Shoup. Shoup joined the Fuel last season after spending the entire 2018–19 season with the Manchester Monarchs. The 6-foot, 190-pound defenseman scored three goals and seven assists.

In three ECHL seasons, he has appeared in 73 games tallying five goals and 18 assists. Prior to turning pro, Shoup spent four years at Dartmouth College. He appeared in 107 games for Big Green, earning seven goals and 18 assists. He served as an alternate captain his senior year.

July 28 — Forward Derian Plouffe re-signs with Indy

The Indy Fuel will bring back Derian Plouffe for his third ECHL season. With Indy last season, the 5-foot-10 forward appeared in 49 games, registering 13 goals and 16 assists. The dynamic forward has appeared in 105 ECHL games during his short tenure. Before spending his sophmore campaign with the Fuel, Plouffe helped lead the Newfoundland Growlers to the Kelly Cup Championship with 13 goals and 10 assists.

After an accomplished collegiate career at Niagara University, Plouffe signed an amateur tryout contract with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. He appeared in three games with Marlies, earning three assists in 2017–18.

Aug. 6 — Defenseman Connor McDonald returns

The next name on their protected list to re-sign was Connor McDonald. While only appearing in 11 games last season, McDonald appears to big part of the future. After finishing up his collegiate career at Bowling Green, the 6-foot-1, 181-pound defensemen signed an amateur tryout contract with the Ontario Reign of the AHL.

During his tenure at Bowling Green, the Ohio native appeared in 161 games over four years. Prior to college, McDonald played in the USHL with the Chicago Steel and Youngstown Phantoms for 114 games.

Aug. 13 — Forward Mathieu Foget re-signs

The 23-year-old Mathiew Foget inked a standard player contract to return to the Indy Fuel. Foget was acquired via trade last season from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in late January. In 21 games with the Fuel, he scored three goals and recorded 14 assists. The 5-foot-11 forward has appeared in 110 ECHL games, earning 27 goals and 49 assists.

The Ontario native appeared in 100 OHL games and 47 collegiate games at Merrimack College before turning pro. His first pro team was the Allen Americans of the ECHL, where he appeared in two games, recording one goal in the process.

Aug. 19 — Defensemen Jake Ryczek returns to Indy

The former Blackhawks seventh-round draft pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Jake Ryczek returns to Indy for his second season. After signing an AHL contract with Rockford IceHogs, Ryczek was assigned to the Fuel prior to the 2019–20 season. Appearing in 46 games, he earned four goals and 13 assists.

Prior to joining the Fuel, Ryczek played two seasons with Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. The 5-foot-11 defenseman tallied 16 goals and 44 assists in 84 games.

At this point during the offseason, the Fuel had five forwards, three defensemen and one goalie under contract.

Aug. 27 — Indy dips into the free agent pool and signs forward Thomas Ebbing

The Fuel added their first free agent in forward Thomas Ebbing. Ebbing split the 2019–20 season with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Reading Royals. In 49 ECHL games last season, Ebbing recorded 12 goals and 15 assists. The 5-foot-11 forward has also played in the AHL, appearing in 51 games over the last two seasons with Laval Rocket of the Montreal Canadiens organization. During his AHL stints, he has recorded two goals and four assists.

Prior to starting his professional career, Ebbing spent four seasons at Michigan State. With the Spartans, he appeared in 143 games earning 14 goals and 14 assists. Before his days at MSU, he played one season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, in which he scored 16 goals and 10 assists. His USHL numbers earned him a spot in the 2012–13 USHL/NHL Top prospects game.

Sept. 2 — Forward Patrick McGrath signs with Indy

Wading into the free agent waters again, the Indy Fuel signed veteran forward Patrick McGrath. The 27-year-old McGrath appeared in 18 ECHL games last season with the Utah Grizzles. During his seven-year career, McGarth has skated in 155 ECHL games, earning seven goals and eight assists.

In addition to appearing in the ECHL, he appeared in 95 total AHL games contests with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Iowa Wild. McGrath tallied three goals and four assists.

Prior to beginning his professional career, the 5-foot-10, 201-pound forward played two seasons with the Prince Edward Island Rockets.

Sept. 10 — Fuel add forward Colton Leiter

The Fuel continued to build their roster by signing collegiate free agent Colton Leiter. After finishing his collegiate career at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the 6-foot-1 forward will begin his professional career with the Fuel. Appearing in 137 NCAA games over four seasons, Leiter earned 28 goals and 35 assists.

Prior to his college career, the Edmonton native played three years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Spruce Grove Saints. In 139 games, Leiter notched 37 goals and 49 assists helping the team to back-to-back AJHL championships in 2014 and 2015.

Sept. 17 — Goalie Dan Bakala returns for his second season

The Fuel re-signed a familiar face in goalie with Dan Bakala. The 5-foot-11 goalie joined the Fuel on New Years Day 2020 and appeared in 17 games. During his 17 games, he earned a 2.43 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

Prior to signing with the Fuel last season, Bakala played five games with Mora IK in the Swedish Allsvenskan league. He recorded a 4.26 goals against average and a .854 save percentage.

Bakala is a veteran of many European leagues, spending time in the German DEL, Austrian EBEL and the Swedish SHL. He helped the Frolunda Indians of the SHL win the 2016–17 Champions Hockey League title.

Oct. 1 — Fuel sign veteran forward David Broll

Once again, the Fuel added a veteran free agent forward, this time it was David Broll. The former sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maples Leafs in 2011 has appeared in five NHL games for his career. He also spent plenty of time in the AHL playing 274 games over six seasons between the Toronto Marlies, Syracuse Crunch, St. John’s IceCaps, Laval Rocket and Providence Bruins.

For his ECHL career, the power forward has skated in 45 ECHL games between the Orlando Solar Bears and the Jacksonville Icemen. He has recorded eight goals and 14 assists. At 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, Broll adds some size to the Fuel forwards for this upcoming season.

Oct. 7 — Indy agrees to terms with defenseman Willie Raskob

After spending the 2019–20 season with Rungsted Seier Capital in the Denmark Metal Liagen, Willie Raskobs returns to the United States with the Fuel. In 48 games last season, Raskbob registered seven goals and 23 assists.

The 5-foot-10 defenseman has appeared in 139 ECHL for his career between the Worcester Railers, Quad City Mallards and Kansas City Mavericks. During the 2017–18 season, Raskob recorded three goals and 34 assists, earning himself a spot in the 2018 ECHL All-Star game.

Oct. 22 — Fuel add forward Peter Krieger to the mix

The Fuel added another forward who spent last season overseas in Peter Krieger. The 26-year-old forward spent the 2019–20 season with the Västerviks IK in the Swedish Allsvenskan. The 5-foot-11 forward skated in 52 games last season, registering 12 goals and 10 assists.

Prior to his pro career, Krieger spent 85 games with Minnesota-Duluth, earning 20 goals and 34 assists while helping the Bulldogs to an NCHC championship in 2019 and back-to-back NCAA championships in 2018 and 2019. Prior to college, he helped the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL to a Clark Cup Final.

Oct. 27 — Fuel acquire forward Jared Thomas from Florida

The Fuel continued to add to their roster, this time via trade. Indy completed a three-team trade with Florida and Tulsa. Indy received Jared Thomas from the Florida Everblades and sent defenseman Alex Brooks to the Tulsa Oilers.

The 29-year-old Brooks spent the last two seasons with the Fuel, appearing in 108 games and earning eight goals and 29 assists. The 6-foot, 181-pound defenseman appeared in 43 games with Fuel last season.

The 26-year-old Thomas’s journey to Fuel is unique. This offseason, he signed with Florida after spending the 2019–20 season with the Tulsa Oilers. Appearing in 50 games for the Oilers last season, Thomas earned seven goals and 24 assists.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward played his college hockey with Minnesota-Duluth prior to turning pro. He appeared in 163 games, scoring 21 goals and 39 assists.

Nov. 13 — Defenseman Cliff Watson returns to Indy

Defenseman Cliff Watson was acquired by the Fuel in January from the Kansas City Mavericks. The 6-foot-2 defenseman appeared in 53 games between the Fuel and Mavericks. He earned five goals and 26 assists last season.

A Wisconsin native, he has appeared in 122 ECHL games tallying 24 games and 51 assists. Other accomplishments include helping the Colorado Eagles to the 2018 Kelly Cup championship.

Watson was a former sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2012. He has also appeared in 37 AHL games for his career between the Utica Comets, San Jose Barracuda, Stockton Heat, Hershey Bears, Ontario Reign and Chicago Wolves.

Nov. 18 — Fuel sign forward Seamus Malone

The 5-foot-10 Seamus Malone joins the Indy forward group for 2020–21. Last season, Malone skated in 35 games with the Utica Comets of the AHL, earning four goals and one assist. In February of last season, he was assigned to the Kalamazoo Wings. He recorded one goal and two assists before being recalled.

Before starting his pro career, Malone spent four years at the University of Wisconsin, where he played in 143 NCAA games. With the Badgers, he recorded 33 goals and 71 assists.

Nov. 20 — Fuel sign college free agent defenseman Medric Mercer

The Fuel dipped in the college free agent pool again by signing defenseman Medric Mercer. The 24-year-old defenseman signed his first pro contract after spending three years at the University of Ottawa. Mercer skated in 73 games, tallying 17 goals and 20 assists.

Prior to college, Mercer played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League between the Soo Greyhounds and Oshawa Generals. In three full OHL seasons, the 6-foot-3 defenseman earned 20 goals and 59 assists.

Nov. 24 — Fuel re-sign leading scorer Spencer Watson

Spencer Watson returns to the Fuel after scoring a franchise record 31 goals in the 2019–20 season. The 5-foot-10 forward skated in 54 games with the Fuel last season and earned 59 points. Watson finished the year with a league-leading 11 goals on the power play and earned a 2020 ECHL All Star bid.

After finishing tied for 11th in the ECHL with 59 points, Watson was awarded the ECHL Sportsmanship award for the 2019–20 season. The award is presented to the player who is judged to have exhibited the best sportsmanship combined with a high standard of play.

A former seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2014, he has appeared in 152 ECHL games between the Fuel and Manchester Monarchs. The London, Ontario, native has skated in 28 AHL games with the Ontario Reign and Rockford IceHogs. For his career, he has two AHL goals and three AHL assists. In the ECHL, Watson has 78 goals and 73 assists for his career.

With Watson in the fold, the Fuel are now at 13 forwards, six defensemen and two goals signed for 2020–21.

Nov. 27 — Fuel add forward Antoine Waked

Indy continued to scoop up former AHL players, this time with Antoine Waked. Waked spent all of last season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. He appeared in 32 games with the Rocket, tallying two goals and three assists. The 6-foot-1 forward was assigned to the ECHL in early October, appearing in six games while earning one goal and two assists before being recalled.

For his career, the power forward has appeared in 122 AHL games, earning 11 goals and 10 assists. In the ECHL, he has appeared in 13 games, recording two goals and five assists.

Prior to going pro, Waked played four seasons in the QMJHL with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He played in 224 games, earning 68 goals and 89 assists and helped the team to a QMJHL championship in 2015–16.

Dec. 1 — Defenseman Keoni Texeira returns to Indy for a second season

The power play captain returns for his second season in Indy. In 59 games with the Fuel last season, Keoni Texeira totaled four goals and 27 assists and finished second in the ECHL in power play assists.

Entering his third pro season, Texeria has appeared in 129 ECHL games, totaling 11 goals and 66 assists. Before going pro, the 6-foot, 209-pound defenseman appeared in 344 WHL games with Portland Winter Hawks.

With Texeira in the fold, the Fuel roster stands at 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies signed for 2020–21.

Training camp began on Dec. 2. Stay Tuned for more ECHL and Fuel news to come!

The post The Fuel Tank: Offseason recap appeared first on The Rink.

Maatta, 26, was acquired last summer from the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward Dominik Kahun. Maatta had 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 65 games last season with the Blackhawks. In nine postseason games, he had six points (three goals, three assists). It was widely speculated that Maatta would be bought out by the Blackhawks to free up the significant salary cap room needed to re-sign unrestricted free agent Corey Crawford and restricted free agents Drake Caggiula, Slater Koekkoek, Dominik Kubalik and Malcolm Subban.

In return for Maatta, Hawks General Manager Stan Bowman acquired a name that might be familiar to Indy Fuel fans. The 6-foot, 170-pound Morrison is a former New York Rangers 2015 fourth round draft pick. He played 17 games with the Ft. Wayne Komets of the ECHL in 2019–20, scoring 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 17 games. Prior to that, he played 50 games with the AHL Ontario Reign during the 2018–19 season, where he had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists).

Make no mistake, this is purely a salary dump for Bowman and the Blackhawks. Rather than suffering the cap repercussions of a buyout for the next four years, the team will only have to eat $750,108 in this deal each of the next two seasons. That said, Maatta’s value is much higher than that of Morrison, who will likely never see time with the Blackhawks, but Bowman was backed into a corner with no room to maneuver.

So, if the #Blackhawks would have simply bought out Maatta, they would have been on the hook for roughly $680K per year over 4 season.

With this trade they are on the hook for just over $750K for 2 seasons. The actual relief and benefit doesn’t really come for two full seasons

— Puckin Hostile (@PuckinHostile) October 4, 2020

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks trade Olli Maatta to LA in salary cap dump appeared first on The Rink.

• Rockford IceHogs defenseman Joni Tuulola signed with KooKoo of the Finnish Liiga. Tuulola was not likely to see time with the Blackhawks and probably did not want to spend yet another season in the AHL. The Finland native played 114 games with Rockford over parts of the last three seasons and had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists). Chicago will retain his rights, but we have likely seen the last of the 24-year-old blue liner.
• Rockford IceHogs forward Tim Soderlund was loaned to Almtuna IS of the HockeyAllsvenskan league. The 22-year-old Swede split last season between Rockford and the Indy Fuel during an injury-plagued season. He was limited to 36 games and scored nine points (three goals, six assists).
• Blackhawks 2019 fourth-round draft pick left wing Michal Teply was loaned to BK Mlada Boleslav of the Czech League. Teply was signed to an entry level deal on April 4 after playing last season with the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL. He had a very successful year in Winnipeg, scoring 63 points (29 goals, 34 assists) in 53 games. He is likely slated to spend the 2020–21 season with the Rockford IceHogs if/when the NHL and AHL seasons open. Since he was initially drafted out of the Czech Republic, he can avoid the NHL/CHL agreement that would normally force players to return to the CHL rather than playing in the AHL.
• Rockford IceHogs center Philipp Kurashev was loaned to HC Lugano in Switzerland’s National A League. The 20-year-old 2018 fourth-round draft pick also suffered through an injury-plagued season on Rockford last season. Kurashev only appeared in 36 games and scored 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists).
• Recent Blackhawks signee Pius Suter was loaned to GCK Lions of Switzerland’s National B League. Suter was signed as a free agent on July 16 and is expected to compete for a roster spot with the Blackhawks when training camp eventually takes place.

The post Blackhawks news and notes — Sept. 8, 2020 appeared first on The Rink.

In his statement, Crelin said the following:

With that said, however, as each passing day raises additional concerns for the safety of those in the ECHL community and as we take precautionary measures in conjunction with our local authorities across the continent to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it has become apparent that this is the prudent decision. Our game and our product are based on our fans and their ability to cheer on their favorite ECHL team and players at one of our many facilities around the continent. Without that social environment and game atmosphere, the ECHL simply isn’t the same.

The effect on the Fuel

The Fuel last played on Wednesday against Kalamazoo, winning 1–0. Spencer Watson scored the game winner on a power-play goal. Watson finished the year with the third-most goals in the ECHL at 31.

When the season was suspended on Friday, the Fuel were in fourth place in the Central Division and on pace for a playoff birth. The Fuel’s first-round opponent would have been the division winner Cincinnati Cyclones. It would have been the second playoff appearance for the Indy Fuel franchise. The franchise’s lone playoff appearance was in 2017–18, in which they lost in the first round.

The effect on the players

While the AHL has announced that players will be paid for the remainder of their season, there was no official word from Crelin on wages for his players. Reports have surfaced that ECHL players will only be paid until Monday.

Have heard from a handful of ECHL players I’ve worked with at various levels now, including some still there from when I left in 2013. The PHPA will provide health insurance into June, but with games stopping, so do the paychecks. Tough time for many.

— Mike Ashmore (@mashmore98) March 15, 2020

Multiple sources: The ECHL is totally cancelled for the rest of the season. Salary will be paid through Monday. They will have insurance through June 30.

— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) March 15, 2020

Fuel drops

• Forward Bobby Macyintre appeared in every Fuel game this season
• Forward Tim Soderlund recorded six points in six ECHL games (two goals and four assists)
• Watson finished third in the ECHL with 31 goals. Watson was on pace to break the franchise record in points, set by Ryan Rupert (64). Watson tied the franchise record of goals in a season.
• Goalie Charles Williams started in a team-high 31 games, recording 18 wins, a 2.81 goals against average and .908 save percentage.

With the season ended, the players can return home and take a step toward their future.

The post The Fuel Tank: ECHL cancels season and Kelly Cup Playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, Feb. 28 — Kalamazoo 1, Fuel 0

Zeroed out, whitewashed, nothing! These were the words used to describe both the Fuel and Wings on Friday. There were no goals scored through regulation and overtime despite multiple chances by both teams.

The stars of this game were the netminders. It was a duel between the current Fuel goaltender and a former Fuel goaltender. The Fuel’s goalie, Dan Bakala, and Wings goalie Jake Hildebrand fought off everything each team threw at them through regulation. Hildebrand stonewalled the Fuel on several power play chances throughout the game. 

In overtime, both Bakala and Hildreband fought off breakaway chances to keep the game scoreless. Despite the Fuel outshooting the Wings 4–3 in overtime, the game proceeded to the shootout. The shootout went three rounds with the Fuel and Wings each scoring once. The game was decided by 5-foot-11 Wings forward Justin Kovacs, as Kovacs beat Bakala on a five-hole wrist shot. 

Saturday, Feb. 29 — Fuel 4, Greenville 3

The Fuel returned to the ice in their second game at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum and their first in a back-to-back against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Saturday. The Fuel, after being shut out in their last game, jumped on the Swamp Rabbits early. Six minutes into the first period, Fuel defenseman Craig Wyszomirski blasted a slap shot past the Swamp Rabbits goaltender, Jeremy Helvig, for the first goal of the game and a 1–0 Indy lead. Despite getting three power play chances in the first period, the Fuel lead was only one goal at the end of the first period. 

In the second period, the Fuel doubled up the Swamp Rabbits, as Fuel forward Alex Rauter whizzed a shot past the 6-foot Helvig for the second Fuel goal of the game. After taking the 2–0 lead, Indy had a problem staying out of the penalty box. The recently sent-down Tim Soderlund committed a penalty to give the Swamp Rabbits their first power play of the game. With the Fuel shorthanded, the Swamp Rabbits’ Mason Baptista capitalized on the Soderland penalty. Baptista beat Fuel goalie Chase Marchand for Greenville’s first goal of the game, cutting the score to 2–1 Indy. 

Following the Greenville goal, the Fuel committed three more penalties. Smelling blood in the water, Greenville pounced on the Fuel and took the lead, as Greenville’s Nathan Perkovich deflected a wrist shot by Matt Marcinew in for the game-tying goal. Greenville then took the lead on a slap shot from Liam Pecararo. The second period ended with the Fuel trailing 3–2. 

The third period started with the Fuel firing up the comeback machine. Rauter sped down the ice past the Swamp Rabbits’ defense and beat Helvig for the game-tying goal, leveling things at 3–3. 

WIFI GOALLLLLLL

Alex Rauter gets his second of the night and we are tied 3-3 with 16:24 left to go! pic.twitter.com/jeqgMTPoIs

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) March 1, 2020

Just 16 seconds later, the Fuel struck again, taking a 4–3 lead, as Joe Sullivan blasted a shot past Helvig’s shoulder. Despite a furious comeback attempt from the Swamp Rabbits, the Fuel pulled out the 4–3 victory.

Sunday, March 1 — Greenville 4, Fuel 3

In their second game of the back-to-back with Greenville, the Fuel fell victim to the third-period comeback. Indy once again jumped out to the early lead, as Liam Coughlin got the Fuel on the board early for a 1–0 advantage. Coughlin threw a puck at the net and followed his shot for the put-in goal. With the Fuel lead at one, Bobby MacIntrye doubled the lead with a breakaway goal, pushing the score to 2–0 Indy.

MAC ATTACK GOAL

Bobby MacIntyre RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX WITH THE WHEELS MAKES IT 2-0 pic.twitter.com/thWFbUhCPZ

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) March 1, 2020

The two-goal lead did not last long, as Greenville’s 24-year-old Kamerin Nault fired a puck past Bakala to cut the Indy lead in half at 2–1. After drawing a penalty, MacIntyre wired a puck past Greenville’s goalie, Ryan Bednard, for another two-goal Fuel lead at 3–1.

With a two-goal lead in hand, the Fuel looked to be on their way to victory and then the collapse happened. It started with Baptista deflecting in a shot past Bakala, making the score 3–2. With Greenville down by one goal, Baptista completed a spinorama pass to Patrick Bajkov. Bajkov buried a shot past Bakala to tie the game at 3–3. The Fuel relinquished the lead with under four minutes to play on a goal from Swamp Rabbits forward Michael Pelach, as the 6-foot-3 forward scored the game-winner to give Greenville a split of the weekend series with a 4–3 victory.

Trades

Fuel acquire Cody Payne from from the Worcester Railers for future considerations

Fuel deal Christian Horn to the Utah Grizzlies for future considerations

The Fuel complete two trades on Thursday. The first trade was acquiring Cody Payne from the Worcester Railers. The 26-year-old Payne played in 40 games with Worcester Railers, recording seven goals and nine assists. Before playing the ECHL, The 6-foot-2 forward spent three seasons at the University of Prince Edward Island, posting 31 goals and 46 assists.

In a separate trade, the Fuel traded Christian Horn for future considerations. Horn appeared in five games with the Fuel after being acquired from the Norfolk Admirals on Jan. 15. Horn has registered four goals and five assists in 21 games between the Fuel and Admirals this season.

Fuel Drop

• Forward Alex Rauter has scored two goals in the last three games since returning from injury
• Forward Tim Soderland recorded his first point as a member of the Fuel on Feb. 28. Soderland had been sent down from the Rockford IceHogs last week.
• Defenseman Jack Ramsey was reassigned to the Fuel. Ramsey is the son of Mike Ramsey from the 1980 Miracle on Ice team. Ramsey had appeared in 40 games with the Fuel this season.
• After being assigned to the Fuel on Feb. 21, the Rockford IceHogs recalled Dylan McLaughlin from the Indy on Feb. 26. The forward appeared in one game with Fuel while in Indy. McLaughlin has appeared in a total of 19 games with the Fuel this season, tallying 13 goals and 10 assists.

The Fuel will return to action on Friday, taking on the Toledo Walleye at 7:35 p.m.

The post The Fuel Tank: Three of a different kind, as Fuel lose two and win one appeared first on The Rink.

In their third annual Education Day game, the Indy Fuel hosted a critical central division rival, the Fort Wayne Komets. The Komets came into the Indiana Farmers Coliseum brimming with confidence after they bested the Fuel twice last week.

Indy needed to get off to a good start after losing all three games the previous week. The notoriously fast-starting Fuel got off to yet another fast start. Recently acquired left-wing, Ryan Van Stralen got the party started off right.  Van Stralen danced his way in off the half board and fired a shot past the Komets goalie, Cole Kehler, for the Fuel’s first goal.

In the final minute of the first period, Bobby MacIntrye extended the Fuel lead. MacIntrye received a backdoor pass from center, Derian Plouffe, for the tap in goal. This was MacIntrye’s sixth goal in seven games.

In the second period, the Komets went from trailing to taking the lead in a matter of minutes. Fort Wayne forward, Brad Shaw fired a puck past the screened Fuel goalie, Dan Bakala. The Komets immediately tied the game with a goal from right-winger Shawn Szydlowski. Szydlowski had somehow gotten lost in the shuffle and was able to beat Bakala with a wrister.

The tie was short-lived as Komets center Drake Rymsha one-timed a shot past Bakala to give the Komets a 3–2 lead after two periods.

In the third just past the six minutes into the period, Van Stralen blasted a one-timer past Kehler for the game-tying goal.

POWER PLAY GOAL

Van Stralen scores his second of the night and ties the game at 3! pic.twitter.com/wKnAxJLOkl

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 18, 2020

Van Stralen was set up beautifully by 6’8″ forward Alex Krushelnyski for the game-tying goal. The Fuel relinquished the lead late on a deflection play. Komets defenseman Gabriel Verpaelst threw a puck toward the Fuel net and it deflected off an unsuspecting Fuel defender for the goal.

With the Fuel trailing late, once again, Van Stralen completed his hat trick and tied the game with a poke-in goal. Despite the heroic effort from Van Stralen, the lead did not last. Komets forward Anthony Petruzzelli delivered the death blow to the Fuel with deflection goal to seal the victory for the opposition.

This lost was the Fuel’s fifth in a row.

Friday, February 21st, Fuel 5, Kalamazoo 4.

In desperate need of a win, the Fuel took on the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday, February 21st. Coming into the contest, the Fuel had won the only matchup against Kalamazoo this month.

This first period was a free-wheeling period with six goals scored between both teams. The Fuel uncustomarily trailed to start this contest. Wings’ defenseman Aaron Throm dumped in a shot that ricocheted off Fuel defenseman Craig Wyszomirski for a flukey Wings goal. 

The Fuel tied the game with a league-leading 28th goal from forward, Spencer Watson. Watson’s goal was in part to the faceoff win and assist from center Derian Plouffe. The lead from Watson’s goal did not last very long as Wings forward Brennan Sanford smacked a bouncing puck past Fuel goalie Charles Williams. 

Trailing by one, Fuel defenseman Jake Ryczek seized the moment shooting the puck from the blue line. The puck bounced off a Wings defenseman for the game-tying goal. 

Jake Ryczek knotting the game at two each! pic.twitter.com/WREdUwkkah

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 22, 2020

With the game tied 2–2, the Fuel looked to take the lead on the Wings. Plouffe blasted a shot toward the Wings, the shot yielded a rebound that Fuel defenseman Cliff Watson banged home.

After a scoreless second period, the third period saw the Fuel’s lead crumble away. Following an Alex Krushelnyski interference penalty, Wings forward (and Illinois native) Austin Farley snapped off a wrist shot that was deflected in by former Rockford Icehogs forward, Garett Ross. With the game tied a barrage of shots came from Wings Eric Kattelus who eventually broke through the Williams wall and took the lead. 

With the game on the line, Fuel center Derian Plouffe rose to the occasion. After receiving a pass from linemate Mathieu Foget, Plouffe wristed a shot past Wings goalie Jake Kielly to tie the game. Plouffe heroism did not stop in regulation. In overtime, Plouffe completed his four-point night with a game-winning goal. The victory for the Fuel ended their four-game losing streak. 

Saturday, February 22nd, Fuel 1, Fort Wayne 2.

With the Fuel winning on Friday night, they were looking to continue their momentum against the Fort Wayne Komets. In the first period, the Komets capitalized on a penalty committed by the Fuel. Komets center, Brad Morrison rifled a shot from the blue line that beat a screened goalie, Charles Williams. The Fuel received multiple chances at redemption, however, the Fuel failed to score. The period ended with Fuel trailing 1–0.

Two minutes into the second period, Komets left wing, Alan Lyszczarczyk ambushed a rebound from Fuel defenseman Olivier Galipeau and beat goalie Charlie Williams for the second Komets goal. After a lengthy review, the goal was confirmed as a good goal. After two periods, the Fuel trailed the Komets 2–0. 

In the third period, the Fuel finally broke through on the power play. Defenseman Cliff Watson one-timed a pass from Dylan McLaughlin to cut the Komets lead in half.

One goal down, one more to go pic.twitter.com/JHF127NfP4

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 23, 2020

After the Watson goal, the Fuel let loose shot after shot on Komets goalie Patrick Munson. However, Munson was able to withstand the Fuel barrage and secure the win for the Komets. The Fuel winning streak ended at one game. 

Nathan Noel Traded to Philadelphia

The Indy Fuel, Chicago Blackhawks, and Rockford Icehogs affiliate traded Nathan Noel to Philadelphia Flyers for TJ Brennan. Noel appeared in 39 games with the Fuel this season. He tallied six goals and 11 assists during his tenure with the Fuel. The 5’11 forward had signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in the 2017-18 season. Before joining the Fuel, Noel spent four seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). For his career, he appeared in 60 ECHL games recording 10 goals and 18 assists. Noel also appeared in eight games with the Rockford Icehogs this season. 

Fuel Drop:

• Forward Dyland McLaughlin was returned to the Indy Fuel on February 21st. The 5’10 forward was recalled by the Rockford Icehogs on January 1st. He appeared in 25 games scoring two goals and four assists.
• Forward Tim Söderlund was assigned to the Indy Fuel on February 21st. The smallish forward skated in 29 games with the Rockford Icehogs this season. He tallied one goal and two assists during his tenure with the Icehogs. 
• Defenseman Jose McArdle was recalled by the Rockford Icehogs. This is his second recall by the Icehogs this season. In his first stint, he failed to appear in a game. The 6’1 defenseman had appeared in 44 games with the Fuel this season. He tallied two goals and eight assists this season.
• Defenseman Jack Ramsey recalled by the Rockford Icehogs. Despite being recalled multiple times this season, Ramsey has failed to appear in an AHL game. The former seventh-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2014 has appeared in 40 games with the Fuel this season.
• Forward Spencer Watson is the league leader with goals with 28.
• Defenseman Cliff Watson has scored goals in three of four games.

The Fuel return to action Friday, February 29th against the Kalamazoo Wings at 7:35et at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

The post The Fuel Tank: Two out of three is bad, as Fuel fall twice appeared first on The Rink.

Date	The-Rink Division	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
2/19/20		Mason Marchment		Denis Malgin
2/19/20		Aaron Luchuk and a conditional 2021 6th round draft pick		Max Veronneau
2/22/20		Miikka Salomaki		Ben Harpur
2/24/20		Michael Hutchinson		Calle Rosen
2/24/20		Erik Gustafsson		Third round draft pick
2/24/20		Vladislav Namestnikov		2021 fourth round pick
2/24/20		Part 1 Robin Lehner		Malcolm Subban, Slava Demin and a 2nd round pick
2/24/20		Part 2 Robin Lehner and Martins Dzierkals		2020 5th round draft pick
2/24/20		Nathan Noel		TJ Brennan
2/24/20		Markus Hannikainen		conditional 2020 seventh round pick
2/24/20		Sonny Milano		Devin Shore
2/24/20		Jordan Schmaltz		Matt Lorito

Trade Analysis:

• Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Denis Malgin from the Florida Panthers for Mason Marchment
• Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Max Veronneau from the Ottawa Senators for Aaron Luchuk and conditional 2021 sixth round pick
• Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ben Harpur from the Nashville Predators for Miikka Solomaki
• Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Calle Rosen from the Colorado Avalanche for Michael Hutchinson
• Colorado Avalanche acquired Vladislav Namestnikov from the Ottawa Senators for a 2021 fourth round pick
• Chicago Blackhawks trade Erik Gustafsson to the Calgary Flames for a third round pick
• Chicago Blackhawks trade Robin Lehner to the Vegas Golden Knights for Malcom Subban, and a second round pick.
• Chicago Blackhawks trade Nathan Noel to the Philadelpia Flyers for T.J. Brennan.
• Arizona Coyotes acquired Markus Hannikainen from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional 2020 seventh round pick
• Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Devin Shore from the Anaheim Ducks for Sonny Milano
• New York Islanders traded Matt Lorito to Toronto Maple Leafs for Jordan Schmaltz

Also, be sure follow the entire The-Rink staff on Twitter for up to the minute updates, as well:

The Rink Official

Chicago Divison
The Rinkcast
Jeff Osborn
John Jaeckel
Mario Tirabassi
Ray Napientek
Juliana Nikac
Eric Andrews
Matt Csakai
Ron Luce
Sean Fitzgerald
Lenny Arquilla
Eric Johnson

Colorado Divison
Aaron Goldschmidt
JJ Seaward
Lucas Rozell
Marie Sexton

Toronto Divison
Cristina Caruso

Columbus Divison

The post The-Rink.com 2020 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker appeared first on The Rink.

Friday, February 14th, Fuel 3, Fort Wayne 5

On Valentine’s Day, The Fuel once again jumped out to a lead, forcing an early defensive turnover. The puck found Bobby MacIntrye who turned on the afterburners en route to the game’s first goal.

MAC N CHEESE SCORESSSSSS

Bobby MacIntyre makes one stick and the Fuel are up 1-0! pic.twitter.com/eeLAjWA5zR

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 15, 2020

MacIntrye was not done scoring in the first period, though. He found Derian Plouffe for the easy tap in goal to increase the Fuel lead to 2—0.

In the second period, Spencer Watson weaseled himself some space on the right circle and blasted a wrister for the 3—0 lead. That was the last lead of the game for the Fuel. Indy had been playing with fire whole game and they finally got burned in the third period.

The flood gates did not open until 7:37 gone by in the third period. The Komets’ Olivier Galipeau snuck in a shot from the point for their first goal. Less than a minute later the onslaught continued as Max Gottlieb blasted a shot in from the blue for the Komets second goal. With the momentum firmly in their corner, Shawn Szydlowski smacked a one-timer from the left circle, mid-way through the third period.

After the Fuel committed a penalty, Anthony Petruzzell delivered the back breaker from the left circle to give the Komets their first lead. The Komets did not relinquish the lead and tacked on an empty-net goal for good measure, outshooting the Fuel 43—19 in the contest.

The Fuel collapse was reminiscent of the Chicago Blackhawks’ collapse against the St. Louis Blues. on December 14th, 2019. Both teams blew three-goal leads in their respective games.

Saturday, February 15th, Fuel 2, Cincinnati 5

After suffering through their own version of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Fuel looked to rebound against the Cyclones.  To quote Aerosmith, ” It’s the same old story, same old song, and dance, my friend”. After a scoreless first period, the Fuel had two power-play opportunities to break open the scoring haze, unfortunately, Indy came up empty.

After failing to score, Cincinnati seized an opportunity and took a 1—0 lead. Luckily for the Fuel, the Cyclones went back to the penalty box two more times in the second period and on both occasions Indy made them pay.

The Fuel’s first goal was scored by Alex Krushelnyski on juicy rebound surrendered by the Cyclones. After drawing another penalty, the Fuel once again capitalized on a juicy rebound, this time it was Derian Plouffe.

Go to the net good things happen kids pic.twitter.com/r26BbxNQuO

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 16, 2020

Sadly the Fuel lead did not last long as the Cyclones’ Cody Milan got a pass in the deep slot and buried to tie the game. With the game tied, Cincy’s Jesse Schultz capitalized on an Indy turnover for the game-winner. Cincy tapped in another late empty-net goal to finish off the Fuel 5—3.

Sunday, February 16th, Fuel 5, Cincinnati 6

An Indy comeback was thwarted due to the lack of time, in their final contest of the weekend as they once again took on the Cincinnati Cyclones. After falling to the Cyclones 5—3 in the previous contest, the Fuel looked to get off to a good start. That good start came courtesy of Joe Sullivan. Sullivan received a pass from  Ryan Van Stralen deep in the creased and slammed it home for the game’s first goal.

The lead was later extended by Cliff Watson. Watson fired a puck from just inside the blue line for the Fuel’s second goal of the game.

FUEL POWER PLAY GOALLLLLL

Cliff Watson finds the back of the net to make it a 2-0 game with 5:48 left to go! pic.twitter.com/85dP6MaMJm

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 16, 2020

Cincy answered the Watson goal with one of their own from defenseman Tobie Bisson. Bisson slapped a shot from the high slot past Indy goaltender Charles Williams. The first period ended with the Fuel up 2—1.

Unfortunately, the second period was a different story for the Fuel, as Cincinnati exploded for three goals in a little over five minutes. Mason Mitchell fired the puck past Williams for the second Cincy goal. The third Cincy goal was scored by Nate Mitton after corralling a wrap-around pass from Brady Vail. The fourth Cyclones goal in the period came from Pascal Aquin. He snuck a shot past Williams for a two-goal lead. Bobby MacIntrye brought the Fuel somewhat closer with a top-shelf goal of his own, but Brady Vail racked up his second point of the game with another goal.

With the lead at 5—3, the Cyclones looked to be close to snuffing out the Fuel but Indy wasn’t done just yet and attempted to mount a comeback.

First, Spencer Watson tipped in his 27th goal of the season with ten minutes to play to cut the lead to just one goal. Three minutes later, veteran wing Jesse Schultz chipped in the final Cincy goal of the night to extend the Cyclones lead to 6—4. Indy’s Josh McArdle knifed the puck into the net with less than five minutes remaining, however, the Fuel eventually fell 6—5.

The Fuel name Craig Wyszomirski Captain.

The team announced that Craig Wyszomirski will serve as the new team captain. Wyszormiski joined the Fuel in November after splitting time with the ECHL Manchester Monarchs and both the AHL’s Utica Comets and Ontario Reign. He has appeared in 24 games with the Fuel this season. 

Fuel Dump:

• Forward Jay Dickman was traded to the Wichita Thunder in exchange for future considerations. 
• Left wing Bobby McIntyre has scored five goals in his last six games.
• This is the first time Indy has lost three in a row since December 27th through the 29th.
• Center Mathieu Foget has three goals and 10 assists in his 13 games with the Fuel since being acquired from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on January 20th.

The Fuel will return to action on Friday, February 21st  against the Kalamazoo Wings.

The post The Fuel Tank: Indy goes winless on Valentines Day weekend appeared first on The Rink.

Tuesday, February 4th, Fuel 3 vs Cincinnati 2

In a rare weekday matchup- the Fuel took on the Cincinnati Cyclones. In typical Fuel fashion, the team jumped out to a first-period lead. Three minutes into the first period, Keoni Texeira dangled in the Cincinnati zone and then found Alex Rauter for the impressive finish.

POWER PLAY GOAL

Alex Rauter gives us the first goal of the game and puts us up 1-0! pic.twitter.com/kDhuwyCtM5

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 5, 2020

Rauter was not done on the score sheet. He sent Mathieu Foget streaking on a stretch pass. Foget delivered the goods and a two-goal lead. After the Cyclones cut the lead in half to end the first period. In the second period, the Fuel’s Josh McArdle found Foget on three-on-one breakaway, and he cashed in his second goal of the game to give the Fuel a 3-1 lead. The Fuel never relinquished the lead and won 3-2 over Cyclones. 

Friday, February 7th: Fuel 6, Tulsa 2

On Hockey Fights Cancer Night, the Indy fuel ravaged the Tulsa Oilers. Despite the final score being very lopsided, the first period was a whitewash for both teams. In the second period, the Fuel broke open the scoring drought. Keoni Texeira turned on the hyperdrive and scored the game’s first goal. 

TEX BE ZOOMIN pic.twitter.com/ccJgmPS4rU

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 8, 2020

The lead provided by Texeira was short-lived as Tulsa’s Jared Thomas scoring the tying goal on netminder Dan Bakala. The Fuel regained the lead on a goal from Joe Sullivan, who received a beaut of a pass from McArdle for the goal. Less than a minute later, Spencer Watson feathered a back door pass to Bobby MacIntyre for the third goal of the game. The flood gates of empty-net goals came after the Tulsa scored a goal of their own. MacIntyre, Nathan Noel, and Ryan Van Stralen added empty goals to seal the victory. 

Saturday, February 8th: Fuel 4, Kalamazoo 2

Saturday’s game was the second game in three days for the Fuel. Indy didn’t have a middle game in let down. Early in the first period, Fuel’s Van Stralen capitalized on a cross-ice pass from Alex Krushelnyski to score the first goal of the game. The Van Stralen goal was scored against former Fuel goalie Jake Hildebrand. The Wings responded quickly, Justin Kovacs snapped wrister in for the equalizer. 

The Fuel regained the lead on a Michael Doherty goal. The goal was generated by the forechecking of Van Stralen. In the third period, MacIntyre delivered the death blow to the Wings. He channeled his inner Tom Berenger from the movie Sniper. 

Don't leave @bmacintyre13 alone pic.twitter.com/gIaVynmtka

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 9, 2020

The Wings did not go quietly into the night and scored a late goal. However, the goal from the Wings proved to futile as Doherty’s empty-net goal clinched the victory. 

Sunday, February 9th: Fuel 5, Fort Wayne 2

Perfect weeks are hard to achieve but not impossible. Finishing out their third game in three days and their fourth game of the week, the Fuel started off like a fatigued team. Indy found themselves down two to one after the first period. In the second period, the Fuel would get back into this game with a tying goal from Sullivan. Finishing tied after two periods, the Fuel finally found their legs in the third period. Nathan Noel brought the funk and third goal of the game for the Fuel. Shortly after the Noel goal, Jake Ryczek gave the fans on Sunday funday another reason to celebrate.

JAKE RYCZEK GOALLLLLLLL

*KISSES FINGERS*

And now we are up 4-2! pic.twitter.com/dTgbcQunGF

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 9, 2020

Van Stralen chipped in a power-play goal from the point to cement the victory and perfect week.

Fuel Dump:

• Ryan Van Stralen has a goal in his last three games.
• Jake Schultz has been released for the roster.
• Josh McArdle was recalled by the Rockford Icehogs.
• Mathieu Foget is on a four-game point streak.
• The Fuel have now won five games in a row going back to last week.

The Fuel will return to action on Friday, February 14th against the Fort Wayne Comets.

The post Fuel Tank: The Indy Fuel Are Streaking! appeared first on The Rink.

Game 1- Thursday, January 30th, Fuel 3 vs Kalamazoo 5

The Fuel went back and forth with the Wings in this contest. Indy jumped out to the early lead with a slap shot goal by Keoni Texeira. The lead was short-lived as Kalamazoo answered with a goal from Zach Diamontoni.  Diamontoni cashed in some loose change given up by Fuel goalie Dan Bakala. 

The tie did not last long as the Wings’ Luke Sandler snuck a wrister past Bakala. The Fuel trailed 2-1 until Alex Rauter committed an act of thievery for the Fuel’s second goal. The Fuel took back the lead with a goal from an old friend.

OG WATTY GOAL

We are up 3-2 with 8:39 left to go thanks to Spencer Watson! pic.twitter.com/FniJeKD5YJ

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 31, 2020

After the Spencer Watson goal, Fuel never led again. The Wings received back to back goals anded regained the lead 4-3. Former Indy Fuel Foward, Mattheson Iacopelli exacted his revenge on the Blackhawks organization with the fifth and final goal of the game.

Game 2- Friday, January 31st, Fuel 3 vs Cincinnati 4

In their second contest of the weekend, the Fuel jumped out to another early lead. Liam Coughlin won out a board battle and then feathered a back door pass to Michael Doherty for the first goal of the game.

Coughlin –> Dots –>

Fuel are up 1-0 at 16:56 in the game! pic.twitter.com/SxG5cB1n5A

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 1, 2020

The back door plays were working for the Fuel early on, with Rauter finding Spencer Watson for another tap in goal. After being staked to a two-goal lead, the Fuel started to stumble along. The Cyclones tied the game up with two goals of their own. With the score knotted at two, Jake Ryczek was gifted a squeaker by Michael Houser. The Cyclones’ Ben Johnson netted the equalizer at 10:09 past in the third period. After the game finished deadlocked at three, the Cyclones’ Tobie Bisson notched game-winner two minutes into overtime.

Game 3- Saturday, February 1st, Fuel 3 vs Toledo 2

The weekend ended for the Fuel on a positive note. Alex Rauter continued his scoring streak by delivering a goal on a two on one opportunity.

FUEL GOALLLL

Now THAT is what we like to see, Alex Rauter puts us up 1-0! pic.twitter.com/fl2UoYXbfA

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) February 1, 2020

Toledo knotted the game up at one goal with a deflection goal by Troy Loggins. After a scoreless second period, Spencer Watson continued his scoring ways with the Fuel, firing a shot past goalie Billy Christopoulos. Cliff Watson put the finishing touches on the victory with a wrap-around goal. This was Cliff Watson’s first goal in a Fuel uniform and Indy finished the weekend on a winning note.

Fuel Dump:

• Alex Rauter is riding high on a four-game point streak.
• Liam Coughlin was recalled by the Rockford Icehogs on February 1st.
• Indy is 20-7-3 when scoring first.
• Spencer Watson leads the ECHL with 9 power play goals.

The post The Fuel Tank: One’s are Wild as Fuel go 1-1-1 over the Weekend. appeared first on The Rink.

Game 1 — Friday, Jan. 24: Indy Fuel 1, Fort Wayne Komets 2,

In the Fuel’s first match-up since the ECHL All-Star game, they took on division rival Fort Wayne Komets.  In their previous meeting, the Komets bested the Fuel 5-2. This match up was a hotly contested bout between both teams, but the Fuel found themselves on the losing end of the score once again.

The Fuel’s lone goal came from the recently acquired Ryan Van Stralen. Van Stralen seized a juicy rebound from Goalie Cole Kehler and buried it for his first Fuel goal of the season.

NEW GUYYYYYYYY

Van Stralen makes it 1-0 on the power play! Not a bad start to your first Fuel game. pic.twitter.com/hKR3QQoJHY

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 25, 2020

The game remained deadlocked at one until the eventual shootout.  In their second shootout of the season, the Fuel fell to Fort Wayne.

Game 2 — Saturday, Jan. 25: Indy Fuel 6, Atlanta Gladiators 1

The Indiana Farmers Coliseum turned into the Roman Colosseum for this Saturday night affair. The Fuel slayed the Gladiators with such unrelenting fury that the Gladiators were lucky enough to limp out of the arena. In their series finale, the Fuel and Gladiators were tied after the first period. In the second period, the Gladiators did their best Oprah impression giving out goals at a freewheeling rate.

Van Stralen started off the scoring by wiring a shot past Chris Nell. Spencer Watson kept the scoring parade moving along with wristing a shot past Nell.

OG WATTYYY

Spencer Watson makes it 3-1 for the squad with 6:20 left in the second! pic.twitter.com/MKOiTAHVXO

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 26, 2020

Alex Rauter joined in the fun and cashed in the fourth goal of the game for the Fuel. Watson then jumped back into the scoring pool with his second goal of the game. Derian Plouffe dished an impressive pass to Watson who finished off a 2-1 scoring chance. The chef’s kiss on the Fuel’s masterpiece was provided by Liam Coughlin. Coughlin cleanup a juicy rebound and deposited it in the Gladiator’s net. 

With the win, the Fuel reached 20 wins faster than they did last season.

Fuel dump:

• Fuel completed their trade with Greenville Swamp Rabbits sending Karl El-Mir as consideration owed in the Mathieu Foget on January 20th.
• Bobby MacIntrye continued his point streak with one goal and four assists in the last five games.
• Indy is fifth on the power play at 20.8 percent (33-for-159).

The Fuel will return to action on Thursday, January 30th against the Kalamazoo Wings.

The post Fuel Tank: The Fuel Take Three Points over the Weekend appeared first on The Rink.

Van Stralen comes to the Fuel after recording 11 goals and nine assists with Kansas City this season. The 6-foot-3 forward spent the prior season with the Wichita Thunder, where he tallied eight goals and 11 assists. Van Stralen has appeared in 106 ECHL games, recording 27 goals and 27 assists.

Watson comes to Indy with one goal and 15 assists in 32 games with the Mavericks. A sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2012, Watson spent the 2018–19 season in the AHL and the ECHL with 27 games between the Stockon Heat, Hershey Bears, Utica Comets and Ontario Reign. For his career, Watson has skated in 101 ECHL games registering 20 goals and 40 assists. 

For all breaking Indy Fuel news, please stay tuned to The-Rink.com.

The post Indy Fuel trade for Cliff Watson and Ryan Van Stralen appeared first on The Rink.

Game 1 — Thursday, Jan. 16: Indy Fuel 2, Florida Everblades 4

In their first matchup, the Indy welcomed in an unfamiliar foe in the Florida Everblades. This was the second time the Fuel hosted the Everblades in Indianapolis. Indy opened the game with a goal from Connor McDonald. McDonald rocketed his shot past Florida Goalie Ken Appleby. This was McDonald’s first pro goal.

OLD McDONALD GOT HIS FIRST PRO GOAL

G-O-A-L pic.twitter.com/XQ4oslCZDz

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 17, 2020

The Fuel are 18–6–1 when scoring first, however, Thursday’s game would be one of the six losses when scoring first. The Everblades would pour it on the Fuel scoring three goals of their own in the first period. The mountain of goals were too much for the Fuel to overcome and they fell to the Everblades 4–2. This was the only meeting between the Fuel and Everblades this season.

Game 2 — Friday, Jan. 17: Indy Fuel 3, Rapid City Rush 5

The first period of this game was madness, it’s punches and counter punches started the first period. Jack Ramsey started the scoring by snapping a wrister past Rapid City Goal Tender, Gordon Defiel. The lead would be short-lived as Tyler Coulter counter with a blazing wrist shot past Dan Bakala.

The Fuel got two goals from Jake Schultz to tie the game but, sadly, the Rush jumped on the Fuel quickly.

SCHULTZY HAS DONE IT AGAIN

TIE GAME YET AGAIN pic.twitter.com/kVaXp6rFfk

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 18, 2020

Rapid City would pull away for good with a slap shot goal from Stephane Legault. The fate of his game was all but decided when Tanner Karty of Rapid City dumped in an empty netter. The final score was 5–3 in favor of Rapid City.

Game 3 — Saturday, Jan. 18: Indy Fuel 4, Wheeling Nailers 1

The weekend three-game homestand ended a positive note for the Fuel. After dropping the first two games in a disappointing fashion, The Fuel finally got back into the business of winning. Indy would score late in the first period and never relinquish that lead.

On Blackhawks night, the Coliseum was electric with United Center style energy and Liam Coughlin made sure to amp up the crowd. Coughlin dangled into the Wheeling zone and finished with style.

CHELSEA DAGGER ON BLACKHAWKS NIGHT

Yup. It just feels right.
We are up 1-0 thanks to Liam Coughlin! pic.twitter.com/LOXUpJxaPV

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 18, 2020

The party that started with Jim Cornelson’s anthem would not end until the Indy Fuel tacked on three more goals to win by a final of 4–1. The Fuel got goals from Craig Wyszomirski, Christian Horn, and Bobby MacIntyre in addition to Coughlin. After the victory, the Fuel are still on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. 

Fuel dump:

• Bobby MacIntrye has appeared in every Fuel game this season at 39. He holds the longest current point streak at three games.
• Christian Horn scored his first goal in an Indy Fuel uniform on Saturday.
• Connor McDonald scored his first professional goal on Friday night. McDonald signed with the Fuel earlier this month. 

The post The Fuel tank: The Fuel drop two of three on homestand appeared first on The Rink.

Watson signed a professional tryout contract with Rockford after scoring 20 goals and 19 assists in 33 games with the Fuel. Watson currently holds the franchise longest point streak with eight goals and 12 assists in 14 games. In his time with Rockford, Watson had no points in five games. For his career, he has appeared in 23 AHL games between the Ontario Reign and the Icehogs.

The Fuel also got Nathan Noel back from Rockford. Noel appeared in eight games after being recalled on December 20th. He recorded zero points in his appearance with the Hogs. With the Fuel this season, Noel has tallied four goals and eight assists in 24 games. The fourth-round pick from 2016 signed an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in 2017.

The Fuel return to action on Friday against Fort Wayne Komets.

The post Spencer Watson and Nathan Noel Reassigned to Indy appeared first on The Rink.

Before joining the Fuel this season, Foget split time between the Brampton Beast and Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He appeared in 19 games this season recording two goals and seven assists. The 2nd year pro had appeared in 89 ECHL games between the Allen Americans, Florida Everblades, Orlando Solar Bears, Brampton Beast, and Greenville Swamp Rabbits. For his career, he has tallied 24 goals and 35 assists. 

The Fuel will return to action against the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday and Atlanta Gladiators Saturday at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

The post The Fuel acquire Mathieu Foget from Greenville appeared first on The Rink.

The 5’11, 176-pound forward comes to the Indy Fuel after playing 16 games with the Norfolk Admirals. Horn had three goals and four assists with Admirals this season. For his career, Horn has appeared in 56 ECHL games between the Admirals and South Carolina Stingrays, earning 11 goals and 18 assists.

In addition to the trade, the Fuel announced that forward Sam Kurker has signed a Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) with the AHL’s Stockon Heat. Kurker came to the Fuel in October after splitting time with the Manchester Monarchs, Ontario Reign, and Binghamton Devils last season. The 6’2, 203-pound forward recorded four goals and nine assists in 32 games with Indy this season. Karker has appeared in 105 ECHL games, scoring 32 goals and earning 40 assists. The former second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues also has appeared in 54 AHL games between the Cleveland Monsters, Springfield Thunderbirds, Ontario Reign, and the Binghamton Devils.

The Fuel next three games are at Indiana Farmers Coliseum 16-18. Their opponents are Florida, Rapid City, and Wheeling.

The post Indy Fuel Acquire Christian Horn appeared first on The Rink.

In their first contest on January 10th against the Walleye, the Indy Fuel would score two goals in the first period and pad their lead in the second period.

The Fuel got on the score sheet with fortunate positioning by Jay Dickman.

Right place, right time @Dicky26Jay pic.twitter.com/yYmeKAZSGM

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 12, 2020

After Dickman got the scoring started, and the Fuel started burning up the score sheet. Joe Sullivan would receive a pass from Liam Coughlin and blast the puck past the Walleye goalie for the second tally of the game.

The first period ended with the Fuel-burning white-hot and leading 2-0.

In the second period, the Fuel poured more gas on their fire with a dazzling move from Alex Rauter.

"thank you very much"

Alex Rauter, probably pic.twitter.com/WIHkitcT3n

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) January 12, 2020

The 3-0 lead did not last as the Walleye mounted a roaring comeback scoring two goals. Justin Buzzeo cut into the Fuel lead with the first goal and Braden Trook slashed the lead with the second goal. Recently acquired Goalie Dan Bakkla would survive the onslaught from the Walleye and preserve the first victory of their back-to-back games.

Game Two: January 11th

In their second matchup, the game followed much of the same script. The Fuel would get up big with a two-goal lead entering the third period, however, the Walleye would counter with two goals in the third period. After both teams were unsuccessful in their attempts to end the game in overtime, the game moved forward to the shootout. In the shootout, the Fuel cashed in two goals from Alex Krushelnyski and Bobby MacIntyre. While in their net, Charles Williams stopped both Walleye shots. The Fuel achieved victory by the final score of 4-3. 

Fuel Tank

Liam Coughlin – With Spencer Watson being recalled by the Rockford IceHogs, the Fuel needed someone to step up offensively and Coughlin has been that guy. He has two goals in two games after having only one goal in his previous 22 games.

Dan Baaka – The recently signed Baaka has been dynamite since joining the Indy Fuel. In his three starts, he has 1.72 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.

The Fuel next three games are at Indiana Farmers Coliseum 16-18. Their opponents are Florida, Rapid City, and Wheeling.

The post The Fuel Tank: The Fuel Take Two Important Games from the Toledo Walleye appeared first on The Rink.

The 6’1″, 181 lbs defenseman from Westerville, Ohio finished his college career after appearing in 161 games recording seven goals, 25 assists, and a plus 40 +/- rating.  In his senior season, he tallied one goal, seven assists, and a plus 17 +/- rating. Upon finishing his college career,  McDonald signed an amateur tryout contract (ATO) with the Ontario Reign, but appeared in no games for the team.

Prior to playing to his college career, McDonald played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for 114 games between the Youngstown Phantoms and the Chicago Steel.

The Fuel will return to action on Friday, January 10th  and Saturday, January 11th  against the Toledo Walleye on the road before returning home for a three-game homestand.

The post Indy Fuel sign defenseman Connor McDonald appeared first on The Rink.

Watson was a seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. He was acquired by the Blackhawks organization for Matheson Iacopelli in 2019. During his career, Watson has spent 131 games in the ECHL between the Indy Fuel and Manchester Monarchs, earning 67 goals and six assists.

Roster Update:

The #IceHogs have signed forward Spencer Watson to a PTO. Watson is currently 2nd in the ECHL in goals and T-3rd in total scoring with his 39 points (20g, 19a) in 33 games.

Info https://t.co/GBJl0Y64KK pic.twitter.com/aVK7iH3rZC

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) January 5, 2020

This will not be Watson’s first stint in the AHL. In 23 AHL contests with the Ontario Reign and Rockford IceHogs, he has tallied two goals and three assists.

The Fuel will resume play on January 10 against the Toledo Walleye.

The post Indy Fuel’s Spencer Watson Signs a PTO with the Rockford IceHogs appeared first on The Rink.

Bakala has spent the first half of this season with the Mora IK in the Swedish Allsvenskan. He appeared in five games with Mora IK recording 4.26 goals-against average and .854 save percentage. Before his stint with Mora IK, Bakala played in the EBEL (Austria) for 49 games with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 2018–19.

The Candian, Bakala spent five seasons in the EBEL (Austria), DEL (Germany), SHL and Allsvenskan (Sweden). During his time in the SHL, Bakala helped the Frolunda Indians to the Champion League Championship in 2016–17.

To make room for Bakla, the Indy Fuel released goalie Gordon Defiel. Defiel appeared in two games with the Fuel this season. He appeared in nine games with the Fuel over the last two seasons.

The Fuel will begin three games in three days on Thursday against the Toledo Walleye.

The post Indy Fuel sign goaltender Dan Bakala appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com host “Gatekeeper” is joined by staff members Mario Tirabassi, Aaron Goldschmidt, Eric Andrews, Juliana Nikac and Ron Luce to talk in-depth about Blackhawks prospects.

• The Blackhawks sit at 2-1-1 with two preseason and an exhibition game remaining.
• Roster is not finalized but is starting to shape up.
• We take a long look at the six prospect tiers and why the writers rated players the way they have.
• Don’t miss the hot takes.
• We wrap with Rinkrat PuckBag segment.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 3, Episode 1 – Prospect tier wrap special appeared first on The Rink.

Parts of the series

Introduction

Tiers one and two

Tier three

Tier four

Tier five

Tier six

Complete tier listings with our panel’s original average tier ratings (* represents a unanimous rating from the panel)

Tier one

Adam Boqvist (1*)
Kirby Dach (1*)

Tier two

Ian Mitchell (1.833)
Nicolas Beaudin (2.333)

Tier three

Alex Vlasic (2.833)
Alex Nylander (3)
Dominik Kubalik (3.167)
Philipp Kurashev (3.167)
Chad Krys (3.333)
Jake Wise (3.5)
Alexis Gravel (4)

Tier four

Evan Barratt (3.5)
MacKenzie Entwistle (3.667)
Aleksi Saarela (3.833)
Josiah Slavin (3.833)
Dennis Gilbert (4)
Matthew Highmore (4)
Kevin Lankinen (4)
Niklas Nordgren (4)
John Quenneville (4*)
Michal Teply (4)
Lucas Carlsson (4.167)
Tim Soderlund (4.167)
Alexandre Fortin (4.333)

Tier five

Brandon Hagel (4.333)
Antti Saarela (4.333)
Dominic Basse (4.5)
Artur Kayumov (4.5)
Josh Ess (4.667)
Jakub Galvas (4.833)
Mikael Hakkarainen (4.833)
Reese Johnson (4.833)
Cole Moberg (4.833)
Andrei Altybarmakyan (5.167)
Ivan Nalimov (5.167)
Joni Tuulola (5.167)

Tier six

Mathias From (5.333)
Roope Laavainen (5.333)
Ryan Shea (5.333)
Parker Foo (5.5)
Jake Ryczek (5.5)
Nathan Noel (5.667)
Graham Knott (5.833)

Note: Our panel discovered at a later date Jack Ramsey had been omitted from the series and agreed Ramsey falls into tier six.

The post RECAP: The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers appeared first on The Rink.

Our series continues today with tier three, defined as a prospect seen as a middle six forward, second pairing defenseman or backup goalie.

As explained in the introduction piece, each eligible prospect in the system was rated by our staff panel before ultimately being debated to agree on a tier. Each prospect’s original rating average is listed in parentheses after their name, along with a brief synopsis of why they fell in the tier they did.

Players are listed in order of original rating average, with any ties being sorted alphabetically by last name.

Alex Vlasic (2.833)

The cousin of San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the Wilmette, Illinois, native was selected by his hometown team in the second round this June. Vlasic boasts a massive frame for someone his age being listed at 6-foot-6 and 198 pounds. Vlasic has shown an ability to use his size to his advantage, especially in terms of breaking up plays with his reach and blocking shots. As part of the high powered US National Team Development Program over the past two years, Vlasic was relied on more so as a defensive defenseman. However, the big blue liner does have the ability to chip in from the back end thanks to his good vision and slap shot. Vlasic will head to Boston University to join the Terriers, where he will likely spend at least a couple of years before turning pro. Vlasic, who some considered to be a bit of a steal at the draft, could slot into Chicago’s top four in the future if he can develop into a bonafide shutdown defenseman. While he has a bigger frame than former Blackhawk Niklas Hjalmarsson, Vlasic could be the long awaited replacement for the three-time Stanley Cup champion.

The Blackhawks selected Wilmette, Illinois, native Alex Vlasic in the second round in 2019. Vlasic will play at Boston University in 2019–20. (Photograph courtesy of Hickling Images)

Alex Nylander (3)

Nylander, who is the brother of William Nylander of Toronto and son of former Blackhawk Michael Nylander, was acquired by Chicago earlier this summer from Buffalo in exchange for 2017 first round pick Henri Jokiharju. Alex was the eighth overall selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the majority of his time since then playing for the Rochester Americans in the AHL. The Calgary-born Swede possesses an undeniable amount of offensive skill and flair, but has been surrounded with questions about his intensity and desire. Nylander joins a growing list of recent reclamation projects for Stan Bowman, who hopes the Nylander experiment will turn out more like Dylan Strome than David Rundblad. Nylander’s style is clearly suited for a top six role, but, if he is unable to put his game together, could end up being more like Dylan Sikura has been recently in not quite being able to handle the top six load but also not fitting in as a bottom six player. Though the Blackhawks have a wealth of young talent on the back end, Nylander will need to prove his services were worth jettisoning Jokiharju, who seems primed for a lengthy career as a top four NHL defenseman.

Chicago acquired Alex Nylander from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Henri Jokiharju this summer. (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

Dominik Kubalik (3.167)

Kubalik joins Chicago’s organization for 2019–20 after being acquired in January from Los Angeles in exchange for a fifth round pick. Originally a 2013 seventh round pick of the Kings, Kubalik tore up the Swiss National League in 2018–19, leading the league with 57 points in 50 games. The Czech Republic native will look to translate his production to North America, where he has not played since 2013–14 in the Ontario Hockey League. Kubalik has been a mainstay on Czech teams at international tournaments, including representing his country in the 2018 Winter Olympics. The 6-foot-2, 179-pound winger also enjoyed a breakout showing at the 2019 World Championships, scoring six goals and adding six assists in 10 games. Kubalik, who is on a one year contract with the Blackhawks, is expected to be in Chicago’s lineup this season. While he could become a standout player if he is able to produce as he did in Switzerland, Kubalik will likely be more along the lines of this year’s Dominik Kahun if he pans out, being someone who can play up and down the lineup and contribute offensively in a supporting role.

Dominik Kubalik will make his North American professional debut in 2019–20 after dominating the Swiss National League in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of Getty Images)

Philipp Kurashev (3.167)

Kurashev has been a pleasant surprise thus far in his development, quickly rising up the ranks in Chicago’s system. The Blackhawks drafted Kurashev in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and the Switzerland native has since done nothing but impress regardless of the level of play. In 59 games for the Quebec Remparts, he scored 29 goals and added 36 helpers for career best marks in both goals and points in his junior career. Kurashev particularly stood out on the international stage, with the World Junior Championships highlighting his showings for his country. A regular for Swiss national teams, Kurashev lit it up to lead the tournament with six goals in seven games and finished with seven points. Following his junior season coming to a close, Kurashev made the jump to Rockford, where he played three games for the IceHogs. Kurashev is expected to return to Rockford’s lineup for 2019–20, where he will likely be among the team’s go-to offensive weapons. Though Kurashev has not yet proven himself professionally, his development is trending in the right direction and it appears he could have a successful middle six role in the NHL down the road.

Philipp Kurashev will play in his first full professional season in 2019–20 after finishing last season with the Rockford IceHogs. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Chad Krys (3.333)

Like a couple of other players already covered in the series, Krys may be a player who would best be suited by moving to another organization. The offensive defenseman was once at the top of Chicago’s blue line prospects, but has since dropped down the list with the drafting of other high end defensemen who excel offensively. Drafted in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Krys spent three seasons playing at Boston University to continue his development. In his time as a Terrier, the Connecticut native posted 58 points in 105 games, including 20 points in 30 games last season as an alternate captain. Upon finishing his collegiate season, Krys signed with the Blackhawks and joined the Rockford IceHogs, playing nine games while tallying four assists. The 5-foot-11, 185 pound defender boasts strong skating and passing abilities, but would likely need to be paired with a reliable partner at the NHL level to cover for his defensive deficiencies. The majority of our panel believes Krys will become an everyday NHL player, but, as mentioned previously, his path would likely be easier in another organization. Krys will return to Rockford for the 2019–20 season on a stacked IceHogs blue line.

Chad Krys joined the IceHogs late in the 2018–19 season after spending three years at Boston University. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Jake Wise (3.5)

Wise is among the Blackhawks’ most intriguing forward prospects both because of his skill but also because of a seeming mystique around him. The Naples, Florida, native has missed time with injuries in each of his last two seasons—2017–18 with the US National Team Development Program and 2018–19 at Boston University—which has prevented him from showing what he is capable of when at full health. Once considered a potential first round pick option in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Chicago scooped up Wise in the third round. Wise is hard to miss on the ice for that reason: He is good at making defenders miss. He uses his speed and high end stickhandling to elude defenders in tight spaces. Additionally, Wise is responsible defensively, which will help his cause as he moves up the ranks. While our panel was a bit mixed on Wise, his talent is undeniable, and, if he can stay healthy and progress in his development, could turn into a draft day steal in a middle six type of role in the future. The 5-foot-10 centerman will return to the Terriers for 2019–20.

Jake Wise will return to Boston University for 2019–20 looking to put together a full season after playing just 12 games last year. (Photograph courtesy of Boston University Athletics)

Alexis Gravel (4)

Gravel’s initial vote rating indicates a spot in the fourth tier, but upon reconsidering our tiers in terms of goaltenders, our panel decided Gravel was better suited for tier three, as the group believes Gravel will be in NHL blue paint in the future. Once considered a top goaltending prospect for the 2018 draft class, the Blackhawks snagged the German native in the sixth round after a somewhat disappointing 2017–18 season with the Halifax Mooseheads. However, Gravel has done nothing but impress since being drafted, putting together a breakout 2018–19 campaign with Halifax, posting a goals against average of 2.49 and save percentage of .913, both of which were career best marks. Gravel then upped his game in the postseason, recording a .917 save percentage in 23 games, guiding his squad to second place finishes in both the QMJHL’s President’s Cup and the Memorial Cup. Boasting massive size in the goal at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, Gravel is still quick and tracks pucks well in addition to being technically sound. Though still relatively early in his progression, Gravel looks as though he could be among the better goaltenders the Blackhawks have drafted and developed in the 21st century. The right handed netminder will return to the Mooseheads in 2019–20.

Alexis Gravel will return to the Halifax Mooseheads for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Vincent Ethier/CHL Images)

Stay tuned as The-Rink progresses up the ladder in its Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers.

The post The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers, part four appeared first on The Rink.

Our series continues today with tier five, defined as a prospect seen as a fringe forward, fringe defenseman or AHL goalie with a chance to play in the NHL.

As explained in the introduction piece, each eligible prospect in the system was rated by our staff panel before ultimately being debated to agree on a tier. Each prospect’s original rating average is listed in parentheses after their name, along with a brief synopsis of why they fell in the tier they did.

Players are listed in order of original rating average, with any ties being sorted alphabetically by last name.

Brandon Hagel (4.333)
The majority of our panel agreed Hagel would be a fringe NHL player who has the capabilities needed to contribute in a depth role, but one member felt Hagel’s upside could be as high as a middle-six role. The most valuable player of the Blackhawks’ development camp scrimmage possesses a variety of skills in his game, but will need to fine tune them to get to the next level. Hagel will likely spend the 2019–20 season with the Rockford IceHogs after a breakout 2018–19 campaign with the Red Deer Rebels.

Brandon Hagel played in eight games for the Rockford IceHogs at the end of the 2018–19 season after scoring 102 points with Red Deer in the Western Hockey League. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Antti Saarela (4.333)
The 2019 fourth-round pick will be a project, but showed flashes of his ability in development camp. The younger brother of fellow Blackhawk prospect Aleksi Saarela possesses a good shot, but will need to improve his skating to be effective in the NHL. Saarela will stay in Finland for the 2019–20 season, where he will join Ilves after spending his entire career thus far with Lukko.

Antti Saarela will join Ilves for the 2019–20 season after spending all of his career with Lukko in Finland. (Photograph courtesy of Lansi Suomi)

Dominic Basse (4.5)
Basse adds impressive size to the Blackhawks’ prospect pool in the blue paint, measuring 6-foot-6 at just 18 years of age. Basse dominated in 2018–19 for the Selects Hockey Academy 18U team, compiling a 1.91 goals against average and .924 save percentage in 42 games played. The Colorado College commit has not yet announced his plans on where he will play in 2019–20, but perhaps the most likely scenario would see him join the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL, as the Phantoms hold his USHL rights. Basse will be an interesting project to keep an eye on in the future.

Dominic Basse provides the Blackhawks’ system with size at the goaltender position. (Photograph courtesy of Colorado College)

Artur Kayumov (4.5)
Kayumov is among the most polarizing prospects in the Blackhawks’ system. A skilled and passionate left winger, Kayumov has yet to break out in his time playing in the KHL in his native Russia, tallying just 13 points in 46 games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in 2018–19. Despite this, his skill set would likely allow him to be a contributor in the NHL, though this looks less and less likely with each passing season for the 2016 second-round pick. Kayumov will return to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for 2019–20.

Artur Kayumov will stay in Russia for yet another season in 2019–20. (Photograph courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

Josh Ess (4.667)
Ess has made strides since being selected in the seventh round in 2017. In his time since being drafted, Ess has established himself as a steady presence on Wisconsin’s blue line. The Minnesota native moves the puck well, but needs to keep working on his overall game to have a chance at playing in the NHL. Even if Ess can take the next step in his development with a big year for what is expected to be a potent Badger lineup in 2019–20, he would need to jump over a slew of other young defensemen in the system to don the Indian head down the road.

Josh Ess posted career-high totals of five goals, eight assists and 13 points as a sophomore at Wisconsin in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of the University of Wisconsin)

Jakub Galvas (4.833)
Galvas is known as a puck-moving defenseman, something the Blackhawks have plenty of in their system. Despite having others ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, Galvas could break through for NHL playing time if he rounds out his game. The 2017 fifth-rounder has become a mainstay on international tournament teams for his native Czech Republic, including a pair of appearances in the World Junior Championships. A longtime member of the HC Olomouc organization, Galvas will head to Finland to play for Jukurit for the next step of his development.

Jakub Galvas will leave the Czech Republic to play in Finland for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Miroslav Chaloupka / CTK Photo)

Mikael Hakkarainen (4.833)
Hakkarainen dominated the USHL last season, tallying 19 goals and 28 assists in 42 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks after leaving Providence College following just one game at the beginning of the season. With little left to prove at the junior level, the 2018 fifth-rounder will turn pro to likely join the Rockford IceHogs for the 2019–20 season. At times, the Finn looks like he has a promising future in a depth role, but he will need to transfer his scoring ability at the junior level to the pro ranks—or adjust his style of play—in order to earn a regular NHL spot.

Mikael Hakkarainen will join the Rockford IceHogs for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Justin Berl / Getty Images)

Reese Johnson (4.833)
After spending the majority of the 2018–19 season as the captain for the Red Deer Rebels, Johnson finished the year in Rockford. Johnson improved his offensive numbers in his final year playing juniors, nearing a point-per-game pace with 27 goals and 26 assists in 67 games. The undrafted free agent signing then posted four assists in his six games with the IceHogs. Though Johnson finally started showing his offensive ability last season, he will likely be relied on as a more defensive forward should he make it to the NHL. Johnson will return to Rockford for the 2019–20 campaign.

Reese Johnson joined the Rockford IceHogs late in the 2018–19 season after playing for Red Deer of the Western Hockey League. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Cole Moberg (4.833)
The 2019 seventh-round pick broke out in a big way for a bad Prince George Cougars team in 2018–19, blowing away his previous career-high marks with 13 goals, 27 assists and 40 points. Our panel was relatively split on the 6-foot-3 defender, as some felt he could become a regular bottom-pairing option in the NHL down the road, while some feel it is too early in his development to project a ceiling of that nature. Moberg will return to the Cougars for 2019–20, where he will be relied upon as a leader on and off the ice for Prince George.

2019 seventh-round pick Cole Moberg was among the few bright spots for the Prince George Cougars in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of the Prince George Cougars)

Andrei Altybarmakyan (5.167)
Another wildcard within the Blackhawks’ system, Altybarmakyan boasts an impressive offensive skill set. However, the 2017 third-rounder has yet to put it together in the KHL, posting just six points in 38 games last season with HK Sochi. Of course, the Russian factor is also in effect here, as Altybarmakyan may very well never play in North America. Even if Altybarmakyan does play in North America, he would likely need to prove he can be somewhat reliable defensively to earn a chance at regular NHL ice time.

Andrei Altybarmakyan will stay in Russia for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of the KHL)

Ivan Nalimov (5.167)
Another Russian with dwindling likelihood of playing in North America, Nalimov has been the ultimate hit-or-miss goaltender in the KHL. At times looking like a legitimate NHL goaltender while resembling a headcase piece of Swiss cheese at others, the 2014 sixth-round pick will enter his sixth KHL season in 2019–20 with his sixth team. While Nalimov has expressed an interest to come play in North America in the past, the Blackhawks have not reciprocated the desire. It appears likely at this point Nalimov will not have a future in the NHL unless his rights are dealt and another team gives him a chance.

Among the more intriguing prospects in the Blackhawks’ system, Ivan Nalimov will join his sixth team in the KHL for the 2019–20 season. (Photograph courtesy of Kunlun Redstar)

Joni Tuulola (5.167)
Tuulola played his first full season of North American hockey for the IceHogs in 2018–19, posting four goals and 10 assists in 52 games. The 2015 sixth-round selection has generally been a defense-first blueliner, but has shown an ability to chip in offensively as well. However, with as many offensive defensemen as the Blackhawks have in their system already, Tuulola will need to focus on being rock-solid in his own end if he wants a chance to play in the NHL. Tuulola will return to Rockford’s defensive core for the 2019–20 season.

Joni Tuulola will return to Rockford for 2019–20 after posting four goals and 10 assists for the IceHogs in 2018–19. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Stay tuned as The-Rink progresses up the ladder in its Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers.

The post The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers, part two appeared first on The Rink.

Our series kicks off today with tier six, defined as a prospect seen as an organizational depth player or goalie with little to no chance to play in the NHL.

As explained in the introduction piece, each eligible prospect in the system was rated by our staff panel before ultimately being debated to agree on a tier. Each prospect’s original rating average is listed in parentheses after their name, along with a brief synopsis of why they fell in the tier they did.

Players are listed in order of original rating average, with any ties being sorted alphabetically by last name.

Mathias From (5.333)
To some, From feels like he could be a fourth-liner in the NHL. Others believe he will never even set foot on professional North American ice. From has shown skill in the Blackhawks’ development camps he has attended, but not enough to put himself in a higher tier. A fifth-round pick in 2016, From tallied 16 points in 45 games last season with AIK in Sweden. The Denmark native will join Blackhawks 2014 fourth-round pick Fredrik Olofsson on MODO for the 2019–20 season.

Mathias From scored 16 points in 45 games for AIK last season. (Photograph courtesy of Sportbibeln)

Roope Laavainen (5.333)
Laavainen is an intriguing piece within the prospect pool because the organization seems to think he can be a player moving forward. While one member of our panel felt similarly, thinking Laavainen could be a bottom-pairing NHL defenseman in the future, the majority did not see anything to justify a spot on a higher tier. The 2017 fourth-rounder will return to play with HPK in Finland this season.

Roope Laavainen will return to play for HPK in Finland this season. (Photograph courtesy of Jukka Rautio/Kuva Europhoto)

Ryan Shea (5.333)
The 2015 fourth-rounder has been a steady presence for Northeastern University in his three seasons with the Huskies, the first two of which he played with Dylan Sikura. Shea will return to Northeastern for his senior season, where he will captain the Huskies. Should the Blackhawks choose to sign Shea in the future, he would likely have to jump a number of other young defensemen in the system for a shot at playing in the NHL.

Ryan Shea will captain Northeastern University this season. (Photograph courtesy of Northeastern University)

Parker Foo (5.5)
The Blackhawks are likely hoping Foo can follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Spencer, in becoming a good-looking prospect who had success at the collegiate level, but until further notice, the 2017 fifth-rounder might have nothing more than a future in the minor leagues. Foo will return to Union College this fall for his junior season after posting 15 points in 35 games as a sophomore with the Dutchmen.

Parker Foo will return to Union College for his junior season with the Dutchmen. (Photograph courtesy of Robert Morris University)

Jake Ryczek (5.5)
Ryczek will turn pro this season after spending two years playing for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. While he could still develop into a serviceable player, 2019 first-round pick Kirby Dach did nothing to help Ryczek’s cause at this year’s development camp, making the 2016 seventh-rounder look more like a pylon than a future NHL defenseman. Ryczek would also have to jump over a glut of other young defensemen to get his shot at the NHL level, which seems unlikely.

Jake Ryczek will turn pro this season after spending two years with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. (Photograph courtesy of Katie Whitty)

Nathan Noel (5.667)
A fourth-round pick in 2016, Noel has struggled to put up numbers since turning pro in 2017, scoring just seven goals and adding 11 assists in 84 games split between the Rockford IceHogs and Indy Fuel. At this point, Noel, who struggled to stay healthy last season, will likely be nothing more than a depth player in the minors.

Nathan Noel will enter his third professional season with the Blackhawks’ organization this fall. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Graham Knott (5.833)
Needless to say, Knott looks to be among the biggest disappointments in the Blackhawks’ prospect pool since Kyle Beach. Originally a second-round pick in 2015, Knott has scored just eight goals in 126 professional games over two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs. Short of a miraculous turnaround, it would be safe to write off any chance of Knott making it to the NHL moving forward.

Graham Knott posted four goals and nine assists last season with the Rockford IceHogs. (Photograph courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs)

Stay tuned as The-Rink progresses up the ladder in its prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers.

The post The-Rink’s Blackhawks prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers, part one appeared first on The Rink.

After another season of hockey, the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and July’s development camp for the Blackhawks, The-Rink has assessed where each prospect in the system stands in terms of their ability to make an impact moving forward.

Many outlets piece together a prospect rankings list to show who may be next in line for NHL stardom. However, The-Rink believes a mere rankings list proves inadequate of truly judging a prospect’s ability to make a mark at the game’s highest level. As such, The-Rink has developed a system of placing prospects into tiers based on their potential.

To be clear, this project has been a group effort. Six of The-Rink’s staff members most in tune with prospects—Eric Andrews, Aaron Goldschmidt, Ron Luce, Ray Napientek, Juliana Nikac and Mario Tirabassi—poured many hours of thought, discussion and compromise into the development of the tiers.

The process began with determining which players would be eligible. After some debate, The-Rink settled on skaters 24 and under with 40 or less NHL games played and goaltenders with 10 or less NHL games played.

From there, tiers needed to be established to place the eligible prospects in. Again, after some debate, The-Rink decided on six different tiers, ranging from high-end NHL players to minor league depth players. The complete list of tiers is as follows:

Tier one = First-line forward, top-pairing defenseman, elite goalie

Tier two = Top-six forward, No. 2 or 3 defenseman, starting goalie

Tier three = Middle-six forward, second-pairing defenseman, backup goalie

Tier four = Bottom-six forward, third-pairing defenseman, fringe goalie

Tier five = Fringe forward, fringe defenseman, AHL goalie with a chance to play in the NHL

Tier six = Organizational depth player or goalie with little to no chance to play in the NHL

The six staff members involved in the project then placed the prospects into the tiers they felt were most appropriate. Of course, each staffer’s ratings varied, resulting in the necessity to debate where players belonged. In fact, just three players received an identical rating from each of the six staffers involved—those players will be denoted when their tier is released. The final tiers reflect the agreed-upon consensus following a debate about each player.

In the coming weeks, The-Rink will be unveiling its prospect tiers along with a brief synopsis of each player and why they fell into the tier they did, starting with tier six and building up to tier one.

Stay tuned to see how each prospect fared in The-Rink’s prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers.

The post Introducing The-Rink’s prospect pyramid: Blood, sweat and tiers appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” and “JJ” step back into the dusty Rink podcast studio to discuss the prospect camp and the Blackhawks fan convention with staff writers Mario Tirabassi and Aaron Goldschmidt.

• Blackhawks traded Artem Anisimov to Ottawa for Zack Smith
• Thoughts on Development camp
• Fan convention came and went.
• Chris Kunitz retires and joins the Blackhawks player development staff
• New jersey leak?
• Ian Mitchell corner, Brent Seabrook’s trial, Gus’s garage, Sekac street.
• We are only scratching the surface.  Many good things and guests to come!!!!
• We wrap with The-Rink #RinkratPuckBag segment.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 56 – Gus bus to Camp Colliton appeared first on The Rink.

“We are very excited to have Doug join the Fuel organization,” team owner Jim Hallett said in a press release. “We were overwhelmed by the number of applicants during our extensive search for the next head coach. The top qualities we looked at were leadership, experience and the ability to recruit top talent. With Doug’s experience both as a winning coach in Manchester and his ability to build relationships with players while serving as Director of Recruitment for the USHL, we are confident he will build a victorious tradition in Indy and serve as a pillar in the community.”

Christiansen was the head coach of the now defunct Manchester Monarchs last season, going 39-29-4 and making it to the second round of the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Monarchs were eliminated by the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Newfoundland Growlers in six games. Fuel fans will recall that key scorer Kevin Dufour was traded to Manchester in the latter half of last season. It will be interesting to see if Christiansen lures Dufour back to Indy.

“I am thrilled to join the Indy Fuel and Chicago Blackhawks organization,” Christiansen said in a press release. “The Fuel have a tremendous foundation from which to grow. Jim Hallett and the front office are committed to bringing a winner to Indy and I am thankful for the opportunity to coach the Fuel.  I am looking forward to building a winning culture that will bring exciting hockey to the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.”

Prior to joining Manchester, Christiansen coached for four years in the U.K. with the EIHL. While there, he was a two-time EIHL Coach of the Year, won a league championship in 2012 with the Belfast Giants, and won a conference championship with the Giants the following year.

Season-ending rosters are due to the ECHL league office on June 15 at 3 pm ET. The opening day of the ECHL free agency period is June 16, which is when Christiansen will begin his tenure.

The post Doug Christiansen named third head coach in Indy Fuel history appeared first on The Rink.

Brown joined the Fuel in a trade that sent former Fuel forward Quentin Shore to the Wichita Thunder for his ECHL rights. At the time, the 25-year-old defenseman was under contract with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the Thunder.

The Winnipeg native appeared in just one game with the Rampage in the 2018-19 season, while spending the majority of his time in the ECHL with the Thunder. Brown then appeared in 29 games with the Wichita club, tallying ten goals and 19 points in that span.

A power-play specialist, Brown joined the Fuel defensive corps in the latter half of the season, recording 13 points in 17 games. Out of his 32 total points in the season, 18 of them came on the power-play, including nine goals.

Many questioned the trade that sent Shore to the Thunder and brought Brown to Indy, as Shore was a quality point-producer for Indy, racking up close to a point-per-game, but was unable to appear in many games due to injury.

Although Brown only appeared in a short stint with Indy, he was able to silence doubters as he made his presence know with the Fuel. His offensive prowess was crucial and something the Fuel have lacked since the days of Mathieu Brisebois.

Not only was he effective on the attack, but his defense was solid as well, finishing his time with the Fuel with a +1 rating. Brown also had an edge to his game that sparked the team in key moments, especially with enforcer Anthony Collins out at the end of the year due to suspension. He was the league’s top defenseman on the man advantage and scored many key goals, including Indy’s only two goals in a 2-1 win at the end of the season against the Kalamazoo Wings, a division rival.

The post JUST IN: Indy Fuel Defenseman Travis Brown Headed to Denmark appeared first on The Rink.

Johnson missed most of the 2015-16 season and all of 2016-17 with a serious shoulder injury, but has battled back to returned to form. Last season, in 72 games, he put up 39 points (23G, 16A) and has already put up 45 points (22G, 23A) in 62 games this season. He is second in scoring on the Red Dear team behind Blackhawks prospect Brandon Hagel, who was also signed as a free agent October 30th.

Of his 22 assists this season, 18 of them are primary assists, which would suggest he has good play making ability at the pivot position.  It remains to be seen whether the Blackhawks intend on using him at center or on the right wing.

Johnson signed a 3-year entry-level contract worth $925,000 per season and will stay in Red Deer with the Rebels for the remainder of the season but, as Mario / Aaron / Ron mentioned yesterday, he could potentially find his way to Rockford once his Western Hockey League season commences.

The post Who is New Blackhawks Prospect Reese Johnson? appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John “Double J” Jaeckel are joined by The-Rink NCAA expert Aaron “A-A-Ron” Goldschmidt and convene to talk about the Blackhawks west coast road trip.

• Once again, we start off with the positives (we know, we’re shocked too)
• What happened on the road trip?
• Suddenly the mainstream media is reporting some very familiar sentiments
• John has some Blackhawks rumors!!
• The NBCSN poll.
• Evan Miller gives us an indy report
• Ward hurt, Delia recalled
• We wrap up by answering some listener and reader questions

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

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The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 46 – Fading Slowly Away appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John “Double J” Jaeckel are joined by returning Rinkcast guest Tyler Cameron aka Justin Lowe from www.HockeyBuzz.com to talk about the Blackhawks latest streak and the trade deadline.

• The triumphant return of the Warpigs report with Mario Triabassi.
• Let’s start off with some positive thoughts.
• The Blackhawks made a small trade.
• We go through Tyler’s bold and not-so-bold predictions.
• Crawford might be back soon, now what?
• Carl Dahlstrom hate?
• Gate brings up Jesse Puljujärvi, as a wild swing
• We wrap up by answering some listener and reader questions

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 44 w/ Justin Lowe from HockeyBuzz appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John “Double J” Jaeckel are joined by the great Forklift from www.HockeeNight.com to discuss what is going on with this Blackhawks franchise and their 5 game winning streak.

• • Fork tells some HockeeNight history, has many quips in the middle and a tells a few stories at the end.
    
  • Has the 5 game winning streak made a difference in where the Blackhawks should be looking long term?
  • Why these silly theories are just that; silly theories.
  • Erik Karlsson and Artemi Panarin.
  • We answered some great listener and reader questions

New for 2019, the Rinkcast is also available on YouTube

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 43 w/ Forklift From HockeeNight appeared first on The Rink.

7:35 PM Eastern

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Watch Live: ECHL.TV

Team Statistics:

Power Play

Indy (16.9%, 15th)

Fort Wayne (15.1%, 22nd)

Penalty Kill

Indy (86.2%, T-1^st)

Fort Wayne (82.7%, T-14^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game

Indy (28.46, 26^th – 32.56, 18^th)

Fort Wayne (30.93, 20^th – 30.18, 8^th)

Shooting%

Indy (11.2%, 5^th)

Fort Wayne (10.3%, 13^th)

Avg. Height/Weight

Indy – 6’1”, 193 lbs

Fort Wayne – 6’1”, 199 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are returning to Indiana Farmers Coliseum following a 4-2 loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

Josh Shalla recorded the only two tallies for the Fuel in the game, scoring twice on the man advantage. Logan Nelson, Kevin Dufour, Mathew Thompson, and Quentin Shore also recorded assists on both Shalla goals.

Forward Olivier Labelle is expected to miss his 12^th straight game with a neck injury, while defenseman Miles Liberati is also projected to miss his seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury.

The Fort Wayne Komets are entering tonight’s matchup on a four-game losing streak. Their most recent game was a shootout loss at the hands of the Toledo Walleye at the Huntington Center in Toledo. The Komets’ goal scoring came from J.C. Campagna and Marco Roy. Roy recorded a goal and an assist, while forward Brady Shaw added two assists.

The Fuel are 2-4-1 against Fort Wayne this season. Indy most recently defeated the Komets 3-2 in overtime in Fort Wayne on Jan. 18. Matt Rupert tallied the overtime winner for the Fuel, while also adding two assists. All three goals came from the Matt Rupert, Ryan Rupert, and Nelson line, with all three striking for Indy.

Fort Wayne’s leading point scorer Justin Hodgman was placed on Injured Reserve yesterday, retroactive to Jan. 12. Hodgman recently skated in the 2019 ECHL All-Star Game as the captain of the Western Conference All-Stars on Jan. 21. The 30-year-old forward is also the Komets’ leading scorer against the Fuel this season with seven points in six games.

Players To Watch

Indy: Matt Rupert, Ryan Rupert, and Logan Nelson

Matt Rupert has tallied six points in his last four games. His line consisting of himself, Ryan Rupert, and Nelson has 17 points and 34 shots on goal in those four games. Nelson is also on a five-game point streak with four goals and two assists in that span. The Minnesota native tallied a goal in four of those five games. Ryan Rupert has two goals and three assists in his last four games.

Fort Wayne: Marco Roy

Roy is tied for the Komets’ lead in points (5) against the Fuel with Hodgman out of the lineup. He is also on a five-game point streak. In that span, he has registered two goals and five assists. It will be interesting to see if the Komets’ offense can continue its firepower it has shown this season without its leading point scorer and All-Star out of the lineup.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Fort Wayne Komets (01/25/19) appeared first on The Rink.

The Fuel check into the halfway point with a 20-18-2-1 record, totaling 43 points and achieving fourth place in the Central Division. The top four teams in each division will move on to the Kelly Cup Playoffs, which means that the Fuel currently hold a postseason berth.

This berth is not guaranteed, though, as third through fifth place is separated by a mere three points. Those three teams include the Fort Wayne Komets in third, the Fuel in fourth, and the Wheeling Nailers in fifth.

There has been a lot of rotation of the defensive front, with leading defensive point scorer Neil Manning now playing for the EC Kassel Huskies in the DEL2 league in Germany.

On the positive end, defensive points leader Alex Brooks just appeared in his first ECHL All-Star game in Toledo. Brooks registered an empty-net goal and two assists to Kansas City Mavericks forward Jared VanWormer at the event.

Defenseman Miles Liberati has been battling plenty of injuries lately and has been out the past six games. The 23-year-old defenseman has missed 14 of 34 games since the Indy club acquired him on Oct. 30.

As a replacement, the Fuel have recently acquired defenseman Brandon Rumble. They received Rumble from the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the SPHL, but he never appeared in a game for them. He did appear in 13 games with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL. In those 13 game, the 26-year-old defenseman recorded a goal, an assist, five penalty minutes, and a -7 rating.

Also on the injury report is forward and assistant captain Olivier Labelle. Labelle has been out since December 31 with a neck injury. The 33-year-old veteran injured his neck on Dec. 27 in a game against the Nailers. Labelle complained of dizziness and seeing stars after he took a check and snapped his head back while falling. Labelle battled through the injury the next two games but re-aggravated it on Dec. 29 against the Brampton Beast. He traveled with the team to Kalamzoo on New Years’ Eve but was unable to participate in the matchup.

The Fuel just recently acquired goaltender Gordon Defiel in a trade with the South Carolina Stingrays. Defiel will replace Jason Pawloski as Matt Tomkins’ backup in goal. The 25-year-old goaltender was very serviceable for the Stingrays, posting a 6-6-0 record with a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage.

Head coach Bernie John made the decision that Pawloski was not a suitable backup in goal for Indy, as the former Indiana Ice netminder backstopped the Fuel to a miserable 0-5-0 record alongside a 4.65 goals-against-average and an .840 save percentage.

In an interview following a 5-2 loss to the Beast on Dec. 29, John said this about Pawloski, “He doesn’t get to play a lot and he’s just been buying his time. For the time being, what he’s been doing, he’s been doing fine. He’s just got to make sure to keep practicing hard the way he does and keep doing the things he has to do and keep himself ready. It’s hard when you’re not playing to do that and just really practicing.”

The Fuel can gain an all-important two points tomorrow at Indiana Farmers Coliseum against the third-place Fort Wayne Komets. The game will be the first game back against the Fuel for Komets’ forward Taylor Crunk, who was suspended four games for sucker punching Radovan Bondra. We can also expect the return of forward Justin Hodgman from his hand injury from punching Zach Miskovic.

We’ll see if the Fuel can make the same second half push they made last season to clinch a postseason berth.

The post Indy Fuel 2019 Mid-Season Roundup appeared first on The Rink.

Matt Tomkins got the starting call for the Fuel. Tomkins entered the matchup with a 16-11-2 record along with a 3.08 goals-against-average and a .907 save percentage.

At the other end, Michael Houser got the start for the Cyclones. Houser stepped onto the Indiana Farmers Coliseum ice with a 13-2-3 record alongside an astounding 1.78 goals-against-average and a .936 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Radovan Bondra-Quentin Shore-Kevin Dufour

Robert Powers-Alex Brooks

Matt Tomkins

An eventful first period got started with a Cyclones goal by former Fuel forward Alex Wideman. He wired one past Tomkins on the first shot of the game to give Cincinnati an early 1-0 lead.

A mere 34 seconds later, Matt Rupert tipped home his team-leading 17^th of the season on the power play.

A minute and a half after the Matt Rupert goal, Justin Vaive roofed a shot in close on Tomkins on Cincinnati’s second shot of the game. His 15^th of the season re-took a one-goal lead for the Cyclones.

Spencer Dorowicz was the next goal scorer for the Cincinnati club. His fifth of the season put the Cyclones up 3-1 in the first period.

Logan Nelson continued a four-game goal streak with a puck that deflected off his torso and into the net for the Fuel’s second power play goal of the night. That was the lone strike of the second period.

Ryan Rupert tied the game for the Fuel in the third period, scoring while sliding into the net. Matt Rupert and Nelson got the assists on the tying tally.

The game wasn’t solved in 65 minutes, so it was taken to a shootout, where Mike Marnell scored for Cincinnati. All three Fuel shooters were stopped, and the Cyclones won 4-3 in Indy.

Quotebook

Matt Rupert on his line clicking: “I think it’s a little bit of luck. A lot of hard work in practice. A little bit of both, really. We work hard every game and sometimes the puck doesn’t come to us but this whole weekend it showed. The puck’s been coming our way and we’ve been getting good bounces.”

Bernie John on coming back from 3-1 down: “I thought we played well the whole game. Maybe we deserved a little bit better. Overall, it was a good performance. This is the top team in the league. They’ve got 12 guys under [AHL] contracts. Our guys battled. A bit of injuries and we’ve got some SPHL guys but they’re all playing the right way. We’re getting pucks north and putting some pressure on them and we’ve got to find a way to go win more.”

By The Numbers

17 – Number of goals for Matt Rupert and Kevin Dufour (team-lead)

3 – Number of overtime games in the past five games

Injury Report

Forward Olivier Labelle is expected to be out for an extended period with a neck injury suffered on Dec. 27 against Wheeling. He is continuing to be evaluated by doctors.

I have not yet received word on defenseman Miles Liberati.

The post Recap: Fuel Fall in Shootout to Central Division-Leading Cyclones appeared first on The Rink.

7:35 PM Eastern

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Watch Live: ECHL.TV

Team Statistics:

Power Play

Indy (15.6%, T-20th)

Cincinnati (12.7%, T-25th)

Penalty Kill

Indy (85.4%, T-6^th)

Cincinnati (86.4%, 1^st)

Shots For/Against Per Game

Indy (28.36, 26^th – 32.56, 18^th)

Cincinnati (30.66, 21^st – 28.26, 4^th)

Shooting%

Indy (11.4%, 5^th)

Cincinnati (12.4%, 2^nd)

Avg. Height/Weight

Indy – 6’1”, 194 lbs

Cincinnati – 6’0”, 191 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are riding into Indiana Farmers Coliseum with a 3-2 overtime win over the Fort Wayne Komets last night.

The line of Matt Rupert, Ryan Rupert, and Logan Nelson accounted for all three Indy goals last night. All three forwards put the puck in the back of the net last night, with Matt Rupert netting the game winner in overtime.

The Cincinnati Cyclones are on a five-game point streak, including a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings last night. Forwards Mike Marnell and Justin Vaive each recorded a goal and an assist in the Cyclones’ victory.

The Fuel are 3-2 this season against the second-place Cyclones. All three wins for the Fuel against Cincinnati this season have come at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The lone home loss for the Fuel against the Cyclones was a 3-0 shutout loss on Nov. 23.

Players To Watch

Indy: Logan Nelson

Nelson is currently on a three-game goal streak, tallying his sixth, seventh, and eighth goals of the season during his streak. Nelson has three assists in four games against Cincinnati this season.

Cincinnati: Myles Powell

Powell has six points in his last five games and eight points in his last eight games. In four games against the Fuel, Powell has three goals and a +2 rating.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Cincinnati Cyclones (01/19/19) appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John “Double J” Jaeckel are joined by NHL Network Radio Blackhawks correspondent Uncle Al Cimaglia to discuss what we can expect from this Blackhawks franchise.

• • There is actually some positivity (contrary to some beliefs)
  • More “Gus”. (We know, we’re sick of it too)
  • We cover the Blackhawks from stem to stern with Uncle Al for almost an hour!
  • NCAA head writer Aaron Goldschmidt comes on to discuss his much maligned Patrick Kane trade article
  • We answered some great listener and reader questions

New for 2019, the Rinkcast is also available on YouTube

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 42 w/ Al Cimaglia appeared first on The Rink.

3:05 PM Eastern

WesBanco Arena

Watch Live: ECHL.TV

Team Statistics:

Power Play

Indy (16.0%, 18th)

Wheeling (20.4%, 4th)

Penalty Kill

Indy (85.5%, 6^th)

Wheeling (83.7%, 14^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game

Indy (28.05, 26^th – 32.46, 17^th)

Wheeling (32.22, 11^th – 28.44, 5^th)

Shooting%

Indy (11.6%, 5^th)

Wheeling (10.9%, 6^th)

Avg. Height/Weight

Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs

Wheeling – 6’1”, 194 lbs

Analysis:

This is the second game of a back-to-back at WesBanco Arena between the Indy Fuel and the Wheeling Nailers. The Fuel fell to Wheeling last night 3-2 in a tightly contested battle. Brett Welychka and Logan Nelson scored for Indy, but both were followed up no more than 30 seconds later by Nailers goals.

The Fuel and Nailers are even at three wins a piece for the season series. Defenseman Alex Brooks is the leading point scorer for the Fuel against Wheeling with seven points in six games.

Players To Watch

Indy: Brett Welychka

Welychka looks to stay on fire, as he has collected four goals and an assist in his last five games. In four games against the Nailers this season, he has netted two goals.

Wheeling: Zac Lynch

Lynch added a goal to the scoresheet for the Nailers last night for his ninth point (1G, 8A) in six games. The 26-year-old is Wheeling’s leading point getter against Indy with seven points in six games.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

To protect this winning record against Wheeling, Jason Pawloski backstopped the Fuel in net. Pawloski entered the game with an 0-3-0 record along with a 5.57 goals-against-average and an .806 save percentage.

At the home team’s end, Matt O’Connor was in the starter’s crease. O’Connor entered with a 7-4-1 record alongside a 2.93 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Kevin Dufour-Mathew Thompson-Brett Welychka

Alex Brooks-Robert Powers

Jason Pawloski

The Fuel and Nailers ended a bland first period scoreless. That was the second night in a row the Fuel finished a first period with no score.

Brett Welychka tipped in a point shot from Robert Powers just 17 seconds into the second period for his eighth of the season. With the goal, Welychka now has points in his last five games.

Just 30 seconds later, Zac Lynch buried his tenth of the season on an international goal with assists by Renars Krastenbergs and Yushiroh Hirano.

With two minutes remaining in the middle frame, in his first professional game, Alec Butcher tallied his first pro goal to give the Nailers their first lead of the game at 2-1.

Logan Nelson tied the game up at 2 for the Fuel 6:39 into the third period with his sixth of the season.

Again, 22 seconds later, Craig Skudalski answered for Wheeling with just his second of the year. That turned out to be the game winner, as the Nailers hung on for a 3-2 victory.

By The Numbers

5 – Number of points for Welychka in as many games

16 – Number of shots the Fuel allowed in the second period

30 – Longest amount of time that the Fuel had the lead (in seconds)

The post RECAP: Fuel Unable to Maintain Lead, Fall in Wheeling 3-2 appeared first on The Rink.

7:05 PM Eastern

WesBanco Arena

Watch Live: ECHL.TV

Team Statistics:

Power Play

Indy (16.5%, 14th)

Wheeling (20.9%, 4th)

Penalty Kill

Indy (85.2%, 7^th)

Wheeling (83.2%, 15^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game

Indy (28.19, 26^th – 32.58, 17^th)

Wheeling (32.34, 10^th – 28.60 – 5^th)

Shooting%

Indy (11.6%, 4^th)

Wheeling (10.9%, 7^th)

Avg. Height/Weight

Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs

Wheeling – 6’1”, 194 lbs    `

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are traveling to Wheeling following a 3-2 overtime loss in a bloodbath match against the Fort Wayne Komets.

Zach Miskovic was sucker punched multiple times by Komets forward Justin Hodgman and had to be taken off for eight stitches to his forehead. Radovan Bondra was also sucker punched at the bottom of a doggy pile by Komets forward Taylor Crunk.

Crunk was suspended four games and fined, along with Hodgman, who was also fined an undisclosed amount.

The Wheeling Nailers are coming off a 3-0 loss to the Utah Grizzlies at WesBanco Arena the night prior. Don’t sleep on this team though. In their last divisional game against the powerhouse Toledo Walleye, the Nailers beat the Walleye at Huntington Center in Toledo 8-2.

The Fuel are 3-2 this season against the Nailers. In Indy’s last game against Wheeling on Jan. 4, they defeated the Nailers 3-2 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Fuel defenseman Alex Brooks recorded a goal and an assist, while Ryan Rupert tallied two assists.

Wheeling’s leading point scorer against the Fuel, Nick Saracino, is still in the AHL with the Binghamton Devils. Saracino has recorded three goals and four assists in three games against Indy this season.

Players To Watch

Indy: Alex Brooks

The defenseman is Indy’s leading point scorer against the Nailers this year, with three goals and three assists in five games this season against Wheeling. Brooks was paired with Robert Powers last night against the Komets, amidst a depleted Indy defensive corp.

Wheeling: Renars Krastenbergs

This rookie has had a great season, thus far. Krastenbergs has five points in four games against Indy, and 21 points in 28 games overall, this season. We’ll see if Brooks and the Indy defense can stop this Wheeling offense.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John Jaeckel are joined by HockeyBuzz Blackhawks writer Tyler Cameron aka Justin Lowe to discuss the team’s return to earth.

• • The Blackhawks trade Jan Rutta and a pick to Tampa for Slater Koekkoek and a pick
  • The roast of Erik “future Norris Trophy winning Defenseman” Gustafsson
  • We discuss some draft ideas
  • Who should and shouldn’t the Blackhawks target via trade or free agency?
  • The Panarin thing will not go away.
  • Some goalie talk
  • We answered some great listener and reader questions

New for 2019, the Rinkcast is also available on YouTube

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 41 w/ Justin Lowe appeared first on The Rink.

7:35 PM Eastern

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Watch Live: ECHL.TV

Team Statistics:

Power Play

Indy (15.8%, T-17th)

Fort Wayne (15.7%, T-19th)

Penalty Kill

Indy (84.8%, 10^th)

Fort Wayne (85.5%, 7^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game

Indy (27.94, 27^th – 32.71, 17^th)

Fort Wayne (30.15, 21^st – 28.76, T-5^th)

Shooting%

Indy (11.9%, T-3^rd)

Fort Wayne (10.0%, 16^th)

Avg. Height/Weight

Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs

Fort Wayne – 6’1”, 200 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are entering Friday’s game coming off a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Mavericks on Tuesday. Fuel goaltender Matt Tomkins was riding a shutout until the 17:41 mark of the third period. Kansas City added another goal with 11 seconds remaining in the game, when afterwards, Tomkins broke his stick on the crossbar.

Radovan Bondra was one of three multi-point performers in Tuesday’s game. Bondra tallied three assists, while Quentin Shore recorded a goal and two assists and Josh Shalla added a goal and an assist. Mathew Thompson and Brett Welychka also netted a goal each to round out the scoring for Indy.

The Komets ousted the Fuel in their last matchup 3-2 in Fort Wayne on Jan. 5. This also happened to be the last game the Komets have participated in. The Fuel are 1-4 this season against the Komets and 12-26-3-4 all-time.

Players To Watch

Indy: Matheson Iacopelli

Iacopelli has returned to the Fuel, after being sent down to Indy from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday. The winger appeared in ten games with the Fuel last season, recording nine goals and an assist in that span. In 25 games this season with the IceHogs, the 24-year-old has tallied two goals and two assists.

Fort Wayne: Justin Hodgman

Hodgman is Fort Wayne’s leading scorer against the Fuel this year. In five games, he has recorded three goals and four assists, along with a +5 rating. The Fuel have had defensemen Neil Manning and Josh McArdle called up to Rockford recently, so we will see if this temporarily assembled defensive corps can stymie a potent Komets offense led by Hodgman.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Fort Wayne Komets appeared first on The Rink.

Matt Tomkins was the man in net to backstop the Fuel. Tomkins entered with a 13-10-0-0 record along with a 3.19 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage.

At the other end, Jordan Ruby got the call for Wheeling. Ruby entered with a 3-1-1 record along a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Avery Peterson-Ryan Rupert-Logan Nelson

Miles Liberati-Zach Miskovic

Matt Tomkins

Kevin Dufour got the Fuel on the board first, just 4:13 in. A pass from Mathew Thompson put Dufour in all alone on Ruby, as he backhanded it home. That was Dufour’s 17^th of the season, which is tied for second in the ECHL.

Just 19 seconds into a Fuel power play, Alex Brooks wristed one past Ruby for the defenseman’s third goal in six games.

Renars Krastenbergs’ ninth of the season cut the Indy lead in half as he buried his second goal in as many games. His goal came from a sharp angle that just beat Tomkins on the short side after skating around the zone a while by himself.

Brett Welychka’s short side snipe on Ruby doubled the lead for the Fuel at 3-1. That was his fifth of the season.

Nailers forward Mark Petaccio made it 3-2 with five seconds left as they tried to mount a literal last-second comeback.

Quotebook

Welychka on the success of the special teams: “Special teams was a huge part of our success tonight. For us to put two in the back of the net on the power play is a huge confidence booster for us, especially going into Fort Wayne tomorrow. Obviously, a divisional rival and a tough rink to play in. You know that we’re going to get power plays [and] opportunities tomorrow. For us to capitalize tonight, [we’re] glad we did it but we’re looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully we can do the same.”

Head coach Bernie John on holding Wheeling to only three shots in the second period: “I think even the first period, I know they got nine or ten shots, but I don’t think they generated much. They might’ve been tired from…driving all day. But we took advantage of it, and we’re supposed to, and I think we were better than we were last night. Now, our whole goal is to win every week, so we’ve got an opportunity to go 3-1 for the week this week and put ourselves in a good spot after the week.”

By The Numbers

3 – Number of shots on goal for Wheeling in the second period

2 – Number of points for Brooks tonight. He has three goals in his last six games.

The post RECAP: Fuel Dominate Nailers in Huge 3-2 Victory appeared first on The Rink.

Team Statistics:

Power Play
Indy (15.2%, T-19th)
Wheeling (22.2%, 3rd)

Penalty Kill
Indy (83.3%, 17^th)
Wheeling (83.6%, T-13^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (27.91, 26^th)
Wheeling (32.94, 6^th)

Shooting%
Indy (12.0%, 3^rd)
Wheeling (10.7%, 8^th)

Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs
Wheeling – 6’1”, 195 lbs

Analysis:

The Fuel are coming off a 4-1 loss at the hands of their in-state rivals, the Fort Wayne Komets.

Matt Rupert and Miles Liberati both left the game with injuries. Both players had a bad limp after the game. It remains to be seen if there will be any roster moves made by head coach Bernie John ahead of tonight’s game.

The Nailers fell to the Toledo Walleye last night 6-2. Renars Krastenbergs and Troy Josephs got the lone goals for Wheeling.

The Fuel have split the season series with the Nailers so far, going 2-2 against the Wheeling club. The Fuel took the previous game against Wheeling, winning 5-2 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Dec. 27.

Wheeling’s top three point scorers (Nick Saracino, Cam Brown, and Kevin Spinozzi) are currently employed by AHL clubs.

Players To Watch

Indy: Josh Shalla

Shalla is Indy’s leading scorer against Wheeling this year and the team’s leading point-getter. Five of Shalla’s 29 points this season have come against the Nailers. The 27-year-old has only played in three of the Fuel’s four games against Wheeling this year.

Wheeling: Renars Krastenbergs

Krastenbergs is on a four-game point streak, tallying five points (1G, 4A) in that span. The 20-year-old rookie has a goal and three assists in three games against Indy so far this season.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

Matt Tomkins got the starting call in net for Indy. The second-year pro was just named ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season and was named an ECHL Goaltender of the Month runner-up. Tomkins entered the matchup with a 13-9-0-0 record alongside a 3.16 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage.

At the other end, Zachary Fucale got the start for the Komets. Fucale entered the game with an 8-5-0-1 along with a 2.99 goals-against-average and an .896 save percentage. Fucale just returned from a stint with Team Canada in the Spengler Cup.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Josh Shalla-Quentin Shore-Radovan Bondra

Robert Powers-Dmitry Osipov

Matt Tomkins

Justin Hodgman got the scoring started early for Fort Wayne as he roofed one over the shoulder of Tomkins. This gave the Komets an early 1-0 lead.

Former Komets forward Logan Nelson potted his fifth of the season just 1:32 into the second period. He picked up his own rebound after the initial shot was blocked by a Komets defender and ripped the puck five-hole on Fucale.

A pair of J.C. Campagna goals gave the Komets a two-goal lead as he netted his 15^th and 16^th of the season, one of which coming on the man advantage. Hodgman picked up primary assists on both Campagna goals.

Mason Baptista sealed the victory for the Komets on a breakaway, as his fourth of the season led the Komets to a 4-1 victory.

Quotebook

Nelson on the offense getting more shots on net lately: “It’s definitely something that we notice in the [locker] room. We talk about getting the puck on the net more and being heavy in the shot department. It creates offense and offensive zone faceoffs, which could lead to a penalty and a power play, you never know. It’s something that we talk about in the [locker] room and that we try to bring to our game.”

By The Numbers

40 – Number of shots on goal for the Komets

2 – Number of players that left with injures for the Fuel (Miles Liberati and Matt Rupert)

The post RECAP: Fuel fall 4-1 to Komets in big Central Division matchup appeared first on The Rink.

Team Statistics:

Power Play
Indy (15.6%, 18th)
Fort Wayne (16.1%, T-14th)

Penalty Kill
Indy (83.8%, 15^th)
Fort Wayne (84.3%, 12^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (27.71, 27^th)
Fort Wayne (30.23, 22^nd)

Shooting%
Indy (12.3%, T-1^st)
Fort Wayne (10.0%, T-15^th)

Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs
Fort Wayne – 6’1”, 201 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are coming off a 6-2 win over a Central Division opponent, the Kalamazoo Wings, on New Years’ Eve.

The Fuel exploded for four goals in the second period, collecting goals from four different players. Forward Ryan Rupert recorded a four-point outing and brother Matt Rupert netted two goals in the Monday matinee.

The Fort Wayne Komets are entering Thursday’s game with a 4-3 loss to the Brampton Beast on their minds. The Komets were trailing the Beast 4-0 going into the third period and attempted a third period comeback but fell just short.

The Fuel defeated the Komets 5-2 in Fort Wayne in their last outing to improve their head-to-head record to 1-2 this season. The last time the Komets visited Indiana Farmers Coliseum, they defeated the Fuel 3-1 in Indy’s home opener.

The Komets’ top three scorers against the Fuel are not currently on their roster. Forwards Phelix Martineau and Marc-Olivier Roy are employed by AHL teams while forward Garrett Ladd was traded to the Jacksonville IceMen.

It’s also worth noting that the Fuel’s most penalized game was their home opener against the Komets, in which they totaled 32 penalty minutes and a season-high two major penalties.

Players To Watch

Indy: Radovan Bondra

The 21-year-old has many places to improve in, but he has been showing his potential as of lately. Bondra has six points in his last five games, including two assists in the Fuel’s last game in Kalamazoo. We’ll see how he fares against Indy’s top rival tonight.

Fort Wayne: Justin Hodgman

Hodgman played in his first game following a two-game suspension on New Years’ Eve after he took a baseball swing at a Kalamazoo player on Dec. 27. The veteran is the top scorer in active players for the Komets against the Fuel this year with three points in three games.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Fort Wayne Komets appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John Jaeckel get together to talk about the  Blackhawks and their happenings over the holidays.

• Our Indy Fuel beat writer Evan Miller gives us the first Indy Fuel report.
• The Blackhawks lose to Boston in the 2019 Winter Classic.
• Blackhawks trade Manning and Norell to Edmonton for Caggiula and Garrison
• Where does Caggiula fit in the lineup?  Does anyone get sent down or waived?
• Goalie talk with the Gatekeeper
• We answered some great listener and reader questions

As a new year gift, we close out with “On My Side” from The-Rink friend and huge Blackhawks fan Patrick Judge with his bandmates in Demon Hunter.

New for 2019, the Rinkcast is also available on YouTube

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 40 – Winter Classic appeared first on The Rink.

Matt Tomkins was back in the starter’s net Monday after resting in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Brampton Beast. Tomkins entered the matchup with a 12-9-0 record with a 3.21 goals-against-average and a .904 save percentage.

At the other end, former Fuel goaltender Jake Hildebrand backstopped the Wings club. Hildebrand had an 8-12-0 record along side a 3.66 goals-against-average and an .885 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert-Ryan Rupert-Logan Nelson

Alex Brooks-Neil Manning

Matt Tomkins

Kalamazoo got the scoring started first, as Chris Collins sniped Matt Tomkins from a sharp angle for his 13^th of the season.

Logan Nelson tied it for Indy as he snapped the puck past Hildebrand from the slot on the power play for his fourth of the season.

Reid Gardiner’s red-hot play scorched the Fuel as the defenseman collected his 15^th goal of the season 12:08 into the opening frame.

The second period was where the Fuel’s engine started to rev. Josh Shalla scored his 12^th of the season for Indy’s second power play goal of the afternoon.

The next three Indy goals came in less than five minutes, as Ryan Rupert, Matt Rupert and Avery Peterson all found the back of the net.

Ryan Rupert’s ninth of the season came on a feed from the corner by Josh Shalla, where he one-timed it past Hildebrand in the slot.

Matt Rupert was also unchecked in front of the net and was found by his brother Ryan less than four minutes later.

Avery Peterson picked up a rebound in front of the Kalamazoo net and buried his first professional goal to give the Fuel a 5-2 lead.

Tyler Biggs attempted to spark a late Kalamazoo comeback in the third period with a fight, but Dmitry Osipov was able to take him down.

Six minutes after the fight, Matt Rupert sealed the Fuel victory on a breakaway pass from his brother for his second goal of the night and Ryan Rupert’s fourth point.

To finish 2018, Avery Peterson squared up with Wings defenseman Ben Wilson and struck Wilson with an uppercut that dropped him to the ice.

By The Numbers

2 – Number of power play goals for the Fuel

4 – Number of points for Ryan Rupert in the afternoon

1 – Peterson scored his first professional goal and engaged in his first professional fight

The post RECAP: Ryan Rupert has four-point afternoon, Fuel romp Wings 6-2 appeared first on The Rink.

Team Statistics:

Power Play
Indy (15.0%, 21st)
Kalamazoo (15.6%, T-16th)

Penalty Kill
Indy (83.5%, 14^th)
Kalamazoo (83.2%, 15^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (27.60, 27^th – 32.73, 17^th)
Kalamazoo (30.16, 22^nd – 33.48, 19^th)

Shooting%
Indy (12.1%, T-2^nd)
Kalamazoo (10.6%, 11^th)

Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs
Kalamazoo – 6’1”. 193 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are coming off a tough 5-2 loss at the hands of the Brampton Beast. This loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Fuel.

The Beast went off for a four-goal third period, including two from forward Nathan Todd to snap their six-game losing streak

The Wings are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Toledo Walleye at home. Kalamazoo forward Chris Collins had a two-point night but it was not enough for the Wings, as newly acquired Walleye defenseman Connor Schmidt recorded two goals.

The Fuel are 3-1 against Kalamazoo this season, as they look to end 2018 with a win in Michigan. The last time out in Kalamazoo, Kevin Dufour recorded two goals as the Fuel defeated the Wings 5-4. Quentin Shore also added a goal and two assists.

In the same game, Fuel captain Zach Miskovic was boarded by Wings forward Zach Saar. Miskovic was taken off on a stretcher and treated at a local hospital. Miskovic rejoined his teammates at Wings Event Center later that night and thanked the medical staff for their help on Twitter. Miskovic remains out until he is cleared by doctors. Saar was issued a boarding major and a game misconduct on the play. He was also suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by the league.

Players To Watch

Indy: Olivier Labelle

Labelle was my player to watch in the last game, but for good reason. He now has nine points in his last seven games. The 33-year-old had two assists in the Fuel’s last game in Kalamazoo and has three goals and three assists in four games against the Wings this season. Look for him to have a solid game today in Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo: Chris Collins

Collins is Kalamazoo’s leading scorer with 32 points in 31 games. He also happens to be their leading scorer against the Fuel with six points in four games. The 26-year-old has five points in his last four games. Collins is a rookie so it’s even more impressive given the season he has had so far. We’ll see if he can continue his great start to the season on New Years’ Eve.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Kalamazoo Wings appeared first on The Rink.

The big piece of the deal for the Blackhawks is Caggiula, and Garrison will slot in with the plethora of bottom pair defenseman that they are carrying. The benefit to essentially acquiring Garrison for Manning, though, is that Garrison only makes $650,000 for the remainder of this season as opposed to Manning’s $2.25M salary cap hit for next season, as well..

The 24-year-old Caggiula was signed by the Oilers as a free agent out of North Dakota (teammate of Nick Schmaltz) in the summer of 2016, and signed a 2-year $3M extension this past summer, according to Puckpedia. He has amassed 49 points (27G, 22A) in 156 National Hockey League games.

Garrison is a 6’1” 218lbs, 34-year-old veteran defenseman that was signed as a free agent on October 2, 2018. He has played 17 games with the Oilers and scored one goal.

The Blackhawks signed Brandon Manning as (potentially) their biggest free agent acquisition, in July. Manning’s slow foot speed eventually led to healthy scratch situations and, ultimately, falling out of favor with former coach Joel Quenneville and current coach Jeremy Colliton.

Robin Norell is a familiar name for fans of the Rockford Icehogs. The 23-year-old Swedish defenseman played 136 games with Rockford and collected 18 points (3G, 15A). Norell signed a 3-year entry level deal with the Blackhawks in 2016, but wasn’t able to secure a long term position in Rockford.

After losing favor in the organization, the frustrated Swede elected to go back home to play for Djurgårdens IF this season (originally reported by The-Rink in August)

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks Acquire Caggiula, Garrison for Manning appeared first on The Rink.

Jason Pawloski saw action for just the third time this season. Pawloski was off to a shaky start to the season coming into their game against the Beast. The rookie netminder was 0-2 with a 6.00 goals-against-average and a .778 save percentage.

Austin Lotz got the start in net for the Beast. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native entered with a 1-6-1 record alongside a 3.92 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage. Those eight games were split evenly between the Reading Royals and the Beast.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Olivier Labelle-Mathew Thompson-Kevin Dufour

Robert Powers-Dmitry Osipov

Jason Pawloski

Just 54 seconds in, Alex Brooks found the back of the net for the Fuel for his third of the season. Brooks’ shot went off Lotz’s pad and deflected in to give Indy the early lead. The assists on the goal were credited to Quentin Shore and Josh Shalla.

With 1:45 left in the opening frame, former Fuel forward Anthony Beauregard buried his sixth of the season on a cross-crease pass from Francois Beauchemin. Beuaregard’s late goal tied the game at one.

After a quiet second period, the Beast exploded with four goals in the third period. The Canadian club got two goals from Nathan Todd and one each from Matt Petgrave and Austin McEneny.

Mathew Thompson got one back for the Fuel with 1:18 remaining in the game. That made the defeat look a little less embarrassing at 5-2.

Quotebook

Fuel head coach Bernie John on Pawloski’s performance: “He was fine. He doesn’t get to play a lot and he’s just been buying his time. For the time being, what he’s been doing, he’s been doing fine. We’ll evaluate everybody, but he’s okay. He’s just got to make sure to keep practicing hard the way he does and keep doing the things he has to do and keep himself ready. It’s hard when you’re not playing to do that and just really practicing. Sometimes we’ve had three goalies here when [Kevin] Lankinen’s down and stuff like that. It’s a tough process for a goaltender but that’s the way this league is.”

By The Numbers

8 – Number of losses for the Fuel against Brampton all-time. That also happens to be the number of meetings the two teams have had.

1 – Number of games left for the Fuel in 2018. They face the Kalamazoo Wings on New Year’s Eve at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The post RECAP: Beast Score Four in Third Period, Rout Fuel 5-2 appeared first on The Rink.

Team Statistics:

Power Play
Indy (15.2%, 19th)
Brampton (15.4%, 18th)

Penalty Kill
Indy (83.2%, 16^th)
Brampton (82.8%, 20^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (24.79, 26^th – 32.79, 17^th)
Brampton (33.74, 5^th – 32.97, 18^th)

Shooting%
Indy (12.2%, 2^nd)
Brampton (9.3%, 19^th)

Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 195 lbs
Brampton – 6’0”, 193 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are coming off a couple of huge 5-2 wins over division rivals, including the ECHL-leading Cincinnati Cyclones.

Ryan Rupert struck twine twice for Indy in the third period to seal the three-goal victory. That was the fifth straight game in which the Fuel had scored five goals.

This is the first meeting between these two clubs this year. They have met seven times before and the Fuel have failed to win any of them, going 0-6-1-0.

The Beast are on a cold stretch right now, losing their last six games in regulation. Their most recent loss came at the hands of the Toledo Walleye at Huntington Center in Ohio. They attempted a comeback in the final period but came up short in a 7-4 loss.

Beast goaltender Jake Paterson was called up to the AHL’s Belleville Senators two days ago. Paterson went 4-9-1 with a 3.52 goals-against-average and an .896 save percentage.

Players To Watch

Indy: Olivier Labelle

Labelle is due for a breakout game. The 33-year-old has been the Fuel’s gritty goal-scorer all year but hasn’t had the show-stealing type game. I think he’s going to be very physical against Brampton and he’s going to try to knock their offensive-style game off-center. His veteran presence is going to be very crucial as Brampton is a very experienced team. With Zach Miskovic out, it is up to Labelle to rally the team against a very skilled Beast team.

Brampton: David Pacan

Pacan has been a thorn in many ECHL team’s sides over the years. He is doing it once again this year, with 16 goals and 15 assists in 31 games. The improved Fuel defense should have their hands full with Brampton’s offensive firepower, including Pacan and Brandon Marino. Pacan has scored twice in his last five games.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Brampton Beast appeared first on The Rink.

Jonas Johansson got the start at the other end for the Cyclones. Johansson came into the game red-hot, leading the Cincinnati club to points in his last six starts. He boasted a 10-3-1-2 record to go with two shutouts coming into Friday’s match. He also had a 2.53 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert-Ryan Rupert-Logan Nelson

Neil Manning-Alex Brooks

Matt Tomkins

A fast-paced first period got started early as former Indy Fuel forward Alex Wideman got the scoring started for the Cyclones 8:30 in. He took a drop pass from defenseman Arvin Atwal and sniped it over Tomkins’ right shoulder to give Cincinnati an early 1-0 lead.

Less than four minutes later, Quentin Shore sniped one bar down on a pass from Brett Welychka to tie the game at one for Indy.

A minute and a half later, Radovan Bondra dangled around a Cincinnati defender and fed a pass to Matt Rupert where he shot his 12^th goal of the season over the shoulder of Johansson to give the Fuel a one-goal lead.

Just over two minutes in, Welychka was able to sneak past the Cyclones defense and slip the puck through Johansson’s pads on a breakaway to give the Fuel a two-goal lead.

Jesse Schultz’s ninth of the season came 7:05 into the period on a feed from Wideman to cut the Fuel lead back down to 3-2.

Ryan Rupert added two goals himself in the third period to seal a 5-2 victory for the Fuel over the league-leading Cyclones.

Quotebook

Welychka on the Fuel’s three-game winning streak and momentum moving forward: “Any time you put a couple wins together, it’s definitely huge, especially in the locker room. The mentality and morale in the room changes completely. Any individual and athlete will tell you that. I think our leaders and our core group do a good job of not letting us get too antsy and just try to keep humble and chip away at it.”

Fuel head coach Bernie John on trying to finish the homestand 3-0: “Obviously, it’s big. The crowds have been phenomenal the last two nights and I know it’s going to be phenomenal again tomorrow. It’d be nice to be able to give them some smiles to go home with. We know it’s going to be hard work. We know Brampton’s got a good offensive hockey team, they’ve got some skill and they’re going to be hungry. They suffered a loss in Toledo the other night, so they’re going to be ready to go. We’ve got to play the same way and not change anything. I liked our depth tonight. The Thompson line doesn’t score but then the Shore line scores a couple and Rupert’s line scored a couple. That’s how we’re going to win, everybody’s got to contribute.”

By The Numbers

5 – Number of consecutive five-goal outings for the Fuel

26 – Point totals of Kevin Dufour, Olivier Labelle, and Josh Shalla; all three are tied for the team lead in points

The post RECAP: Ryan Rupert scores two, Fuel defeat first-place Cyclones 5-2 appeared first on The Rink.

Team Statistics:
Power Play
Indy (14.6%, 21st)
Cincinnati (13.1%, 23rd)

Penalty Kill
Indy (82.8%, T-17^th)
Cincinnati (88.0%, 1^st)

Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (27.96, 26th – 32.82, 17th)
Cincinnati (31.34, 18th – 28.93, 5th)

Shooting%
Indy (11.9%, T-3^rd)
Cincinnati (12.0%, 2^nd)

Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 194 lbs
Cincinnati – 6’0”, 191 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are entering the second game of a three-game home stand with a 5-2 win over the red-hot Wheeling Nailers the night before. That was the club’s fourth straight five-goal outing.

Kevin Dufour recorded his third straight multi-goal game on Thursday with two goals, while Olivier Labelle, Alex Brooks, and Neil Manning added two points to their stat lines.

The Fuel are 2-2-0-0 against the Cyclones this year. This will be the third matchup between the two clubs in Indiana this year. Cincinnati has yet to win a game against the Fuel in Indy this season.

In their first meeting this year, the Fuel defeated Cincinnati 4-1 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Matt Tomkins made 39 saves in that matchup. The last time out against the Cyclones, goaltender Jonas Johansson shutout the Fuel 3-0 on Indy’s home ice. That was the Fuel’s first time being shutout in over two years.

The Fuel have another tough task on Friday as the Cyclones are currently leading the ECHL with a 20-5-2-2 record. Two of the five Cincinnati regulation losses have come from the hands of the Fuel, though.

This is the Cyclones’ first game since before the holiday break. In their last outing, they defeated the Allen Americans 4-3, led by a 48 save performance by Johansson.

Cyclones forward Vasili Glotov was called up by the AHL’s Rochester Americans on Wednesday. Glotov is one of the hottest rookies in the ECHL so far this season and one of Cincinnati’s leading scorers, with 21 points in 29 games. The 21-year-old Russian scored the game-winner for the Ohio club in their last game against the Americans. The center is also one of Cincinnati’s leading scorers against Indy this season, with four assists in four games against the Fuel.

Players To Watch

Indy: Kevin Dufour

The 26-year-old has been on fire lately, tallying nine points (7G, 2A) in his last five games. The Quebec native is also the Fuel’s leading scorer against the Cyclones this season, with a goal and three assists in three games.

Dufour is now tied with Labelle for the team-lead in points (26) and leads the team in goals (16). Dufour’s 16 goals is tied for fifth in the ECHL.

Cincinnati: Brady Vail

Vail is second on the Cyclones in points (27) and is tied with Justin Vaive for the team lead in goals (12). The four-year ECHL veteran is on a four-game point streak, tallying four points in that span.

The product of Hendersonville, North Carolina is Cincinnati’s leading scorer against the Fuel this season with three goals and two assists in four games.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Cincinnati Cyclones appeared first on The Rink.

At the other end for the Nailers, Matt O’Connor got the start. The 26-year-old netminder boasted a 7-2-1 record and a 2.48 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Josh Shalla – Quentin Shore – Brett Welychka

Alex Brooks – Neil Manning

Matt Tomkins

Olivier Labelle got the goal-scoring started early, as he put home a bouncing puck 51 seconds in to give the Fuel an early 1-0 lead. That was Labelle’s 11^th of the season and the assists went to Shalla and Neil Manning.

And just like that Olivier Labelle makes it 1-0 Fuel on a bouncing puck in front. 51 seconds in.

— Evan Miller (@evanfmiller) December 28, 2018

Just over halfway through the opening frame, the Nailers tied it up at one. Josh Couturier buried his first professional goal on a cross-crease one-timer from Zac Lynch.

Defenseman Alex Brooks re-took the one-goal lead for the Fuel just over two minutes later, as he made his way down the wing to tally his second goal of the season. Manning recorded his second assist of the first period on the goal.

Alex Brooks re-takes the Fuel lead. 2-1.

— Evan Miller (@evanfmiller) December 28, 2018

Kevin Dufour continued to stay hot as he dangled his way past the Wheeling defense and stuck with the play by burying his own rebound while falling. Dufour’s team-leading 15^th goal of the season gave the Fuel a 3-1 lead.

3-1 Fuel. What. A. Goal. Kevin Dufour is filthy ladies and gentlemen.

— Evan Miller (@evanfmiller) December 28, 2018

The second period came and went as it began, as the Fuel were able to hang on to a 3-1 lead. A quick skirmish between Labelle and Mark Petaccio was the most action see in the middle frame.

The final frame started with yet another beautiful goal from Dufour to make it 4-1 Indy. Dufour’s 16^th of the year came on a goal where he blew around the Nailers’ defenseman and tucked it past O’Connor.

And another two-goal game for Kevin Dufour. Wow. Speed. 4-1 Fuel.

— Evan Miller (@evanfmiller) December 28, 2018

Yushiroh Hirano tipped in a Renars Krastenbergs shot from the left circle on the power play to cut the Fuel lead in half 13:33 into the third period.

An empty netter sealed the deal for the Fuel as Ryan Rupert shot home his sixth of the season to lead the Fuel to a 5-2 victory over the hottest team in the ECHL.

Ryan Rupert puts in an empty netter. 5-2 Fuel with 16.9 remaining.

— Evan Miller (@evanfmiller) December 28, 2018

Quotebook

Brooks on playing with five defensemen: “Going into it, we just tried stay simple, keep people in front of us, get pucks going north and just really not try to get running around too much. We simplified our game and I think it showed with a nice 5-2 win there.”

John on the consistency of the Labelle-Thompson-Dufour line: “It’s good. They’re playing at a high level right now. Dufour’s feeling it. He’s feeling confident. I think Thompson’s taken a big step here. He’s been playing the right way. Then, you’ve got a grinder like Labelle.  I think what we’ve done here, you look at our lines, we’ve got three lines that can contribute. We’ve got, I think, a guy on each line that has double-digit goals, if not more and they’re all doing the same thing. So, if we can keep that and that’s what we want to have, that balance because you want to be able to put one line out there and they can shut it down. We know if [the other team] puts their top line out there against the Dufour line, we’ll be all right with the other lines we’ve got. They can compete and score goals for us, so we’ve got to keep doing that.”

By The Numbers

3 – Number of consecutive multi-goal games for Dufour

16 – Number of goals for Dufour this year (T-5^th in the ECHL)

4 – Consecutive 5-goal outings for the Fuel

The post RECAP: Dufour continues multi-goal streak, Fuel defeat red-hot Nailers 5-2 appeared first on The Rink.

Team Statistics:

Power Play
Indy (15.1%, 21st)
Wheeling (20.7%, 3^rd)

Penalty Kill
Indy (83.1%, 20^th)
Wheeling (85.7%, 8^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game
Indy (28.0, 26^th – 32.7, 17^th)
Wheeling (32.8, 8th – 28.5, 4^th)

Shooting%
Indy (11.6%, T-3rd)
Wheeling (10.9%, T-8^th)

Avg. Height/Weight
Indy – 6’1”, 194 lbs
Wheeling – 6’1”, 195 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are looking to keep rolling following a 5-4 victory in Kalamazoo against their division rivals, the Kalamazoo Wings.

In that game, captain Zach Miskovic was taken off on a stretcher following a hit from behind that was delivered by Wings forward Zach Saar. Saar was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by the ECHL.

Miskovic was released from the hospital and rejoined his teammates at Wings Event Center after the game. The veteran defenseman thanked the trainers and medical staff on Twitter for their help that night.

Thank you to all the medical staff and hospital staff that took care of me this evening. https://t.co/ZNh80j2vdH

— Zach Miskovic (@ZachMiskovic) December 23, 2018

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The Fuel are 1-2 this season against the Wheeling club. In their first game in Wheeling, the Fuel spoiled their home opener with a five-goal second period which carried them to a 5-3 victory.

The last two meetings in West Virginia went in Wheeling’s favor as they defeated the Fuel by a four-goal margin both times.

The Wheeling Nailers continue to be one of the hottest teams in the ECHL. They are coming in to Indiana Farmers Coliseum riding an eight-game point streak and winning eight of their last nine. They are also on a three-game road winning streak which is going to make this an even bigger challenge for the Fuel.

If there is a silver lining in all this, it would be that Nailers forward Nick Saracino just got sent up to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Saracino is second in the league in points (37) and was just named ECHL Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.

Players To Watch

Indy: Labelle-Thompson-Dufour line

There is more than one player that is feeling it right now for the Fuel. This whole line has been on fire and is responsible for Indy’s five-goal outings in their last two games.

The line was first put together two games ago when they faced the Toledo Walleye on Dec. 21. Forward Mathew Thompson had just returned from injury and replaced newly acquired forward Avery Peterson as center on the line.

The line has combined for 12 points in the last two games.

Forward Kevin Dufour has scored two goals in each of the last two games and has seven points (5G, 2A) in his past four games.

Thirty-three-year-old Olivier Labelle has showed no signs of slowing down this year. He has six points (2G, 4A) in four games.

To cap it off, Thompson had a four-point outing (2G, 2A) when the line was first formed by head coach Bernie John in their game against the Walleye.

Wheeling: Cam Brown

It’s hard to tell if Brown’s success has been because of Saracino’s presence on the ice. Nevertheless, Brown has been red-hot lately.

The 25-year-old is the active point leader on the Nailers with 32 points in 28 games. Brown has six straight multi-point games and at least one point in his last ten games. In three of those ten games, he has three or more points. In two of those three games, he has had four-point outings.

The Fuel’s defense, along with goaltender Matt Tomkins, is going to have to be sharp tonight in front of a blazing hot Nailers’ offense.

The post PREVIEW: Indy Fuel vs. Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

Kaden Fulcher got the start in goal for the Walleye on Friday. It was the first time that the Fuel had faced the 20-year-old netminder. Fulcher came into the game with a 7-2-1 record with a 2.74 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert – Ryan Rupert – Logan Nelson

Zach Miskovic – Josh McArdle

Matt Tomkins

The Walleye got off to a fast start in Indy as defenseman Ryan Obuchowski buried his second of the year on a nice feed from TJ Hensick. That goal came just 42 seconds after the opening puck drop.

Less than a minute later, Mathew Thompson got it right back for the Fuel for his fifth goal of the season. Defensemen Alex Brooks and Neil Manning got the helpers on Thompson’s first goal back from an injury.

The Rupert twins joined the first period goal scoring party next less than two minutes after the Thompson goal. Ryan Rupert ripped his fifth of the season home on a pass from his twin brother, Matt Rupert.

Kevin Dufour’s 11^th of the season came on a breakaway pass from Thompson. The puck squeezed through Fulcher’s pads to make it 3-1 8:49 into the game.

Greg Wolfe got one back for the Walleye as he tallied his eighth of the season on a one-timer from Hensick.

Kevin Tansey capitalized on a Fuel turnover and evened the game up for Toledo as the 25-year-old wired home his sixth of the season while falling to the ice.

The most impressive play of the night, though, was not recorded on the scoresheet. Fuel winger Kevin Dufour chased the puck down from the opposite blue line to beat out Kelly Cup winning defenseman Matt Register to negate a sure-fire icing call.

The Walleye caught fire late in the third period, however, as they scored three goals in a matter of 1:54, including a penalty shot from AJ Jenks and an empty netter by Hensick. Dufour answered back with 54 seconds to make it 6-5 Toledo but the last-minute comeback fell short as the Walleye took their first game in Indy in the 2018-19 season.

Quotebook

• Thompson on his return from a minor injury: “It was good. [We] got a lot of chances. [Olivier Labelle] and [Dufour] definitely helped me out. We were able to get a lot of offensive zone time, which makes the game easy. It was only two games, so I didn’t feel too rusty or anything. It was easy to bounce back.”
• Thompson on his line mate Dufour’s speed: “He’s got next-level speed. It makes the game easy for me. You can put the pucks in certain areas and certain spots and you know he’s going to win those races. It makes the game easier for everyone around him and certainly easier for himself. He utilizes it well and he definitely did tonight.”
• Fuel head coach Bernie John on Tomkins’ play and the lack of help he has had: “None of that is on Tomkins. It’s all on everybody else. We’re not playing well defensively and we’re not doing the right things. We’re just getting away from our game. We make ourselves defend so much. We have the puck and instead of getting it to our forwards and getting it out, we want to try to make an extra D-to-D pass and then there’s a fumble and something happens along the boards or a bad bounce and now we’re defending in our zone and now we have to play in our zone for another 30-40 seconds. That’s not the way we play. We play pucks north and we just got to get it through [the players’] minds that that’s the way we play.”

By The Numbers

• 4 – Number of points for Thompson on Friday against Toledo
• 12 – Shots on goal for the Fuel after two periods
• 2 – Number of goals for Dufour and Thompson

The post RECAP: Fuel’s Third Period Breakdown Leads to Devastating 6-5 Loss to Walleye appeared first on The Rink.

At the other end, John Muse got the start for the Wheeling Nailers. Muse had started in two games for Wheeling, prior to Saturday. Coming into the Nailers’ home opener on Saturday, the 30-year-old had posted a 1-1-0 record with a 2.89 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Matt Rupert-Ryan Rupert-Olivier Labelle

Alex Brooks-Neil Manning

Kevin Lankinen

The Fuel got out to yet another shaky start on Saturday. Wheeling got out to a 1-0 lead 16:48 into the opening frame on an unassisted tally by Troy Josephs.

About two minutes later, Zac Lynch ripped a shot over the shoulder of Lankinen as the Fuel found themselves in yet another first-period deficit.

On the ensuing faceoff after the Lynch goal, Anthony Collins and Brad Drobot had a much-anticipated heavyweight fight. This seemed to have spark Indy in the second period.

Fuel captain Zach Miskovic found himself in the box to start the middle frame as he was called for a slashing penalty at the end of the first.

This did not seem to faze the Fuel penalty kill. Connor Moynihan netted his second shorthanded goal of the season on a 2-on-1 rush with Mathew Thompson. This cut the Nailers’ lead in half early.

Kevin Dufour recorded his first of two goals in the game just 40 seconds after the Moynihan tally to tie the game up at two early in the second period. Josh Shalla tallied an assist on the goal which allowed him to continue a season-long point streak, which extends nine games.

A little over four minutes later, Dufour found the back of the net again for his third of the season on a feed from Brooks. This gave the Fuel a 3-2 lead, their first lead of the game.

The Fuel’s power play was the next unit to find the back of the net for Indy. Labelle was able to bury a cross-crease pass from Shalla for his team-leading fifth goal of the season to double the Fuel lead.

Next up on the goal queue was Shalla. Moynihan was able to feed him on the rush to extend the Fuel lead to 5-2.

This is the second time this season that the Fuel were able to net five goals in one period, which is the most goals in a period in the ECHL this season.

Josephs quickly responded to Shalla’s tally on the power play for Wheeling. This was his second goal of the game and it cut the Fuel lead to 5-3.

The chippiness picked up a bit more in the third period with scattered scuffles after whistles. The Fuel were still able to spoil the Nailers’ home opener with a 5-3 victory.

This was Wheeling’s first regulation home opener loss since 2010. They were 6-0-1 in their past seven home openers and 18-5-1 all-time in opening games at home.

By The Numbers

• 9 – The length of Shalla’s point streak. The 27-year-old has 14 points (4G, 10A) in nine games.
• 2 – The number of wins and games played for Lankinen. The netminder has played outstanding in his past two starts and the Finnish goaltender has a bright future.
• 5 – The number of goals Labelle has. The 13-year veteran took the team lead in goals on Saturday with a power-play goal. This turned out to be the game-winner.

The post RECAP: Fuel’s Second-Period Surge Leads to Impressive 5-3 Win appeared first on The Rink.

7:05 PM Eastern

WesBanco Arena

Watch Live: ECHL.TV

Team Statistics:

Power Play

Indy (19.4%, 8^th)

Wheeling (23.5%, 3^rd)

Penalty Kill

Indy (84.6%, 13^th)

Wheeling (81.3%, 19^th)

Shots For/Against Per Game

Indy (28.9, 24^th – 33.4, T-18^th)

Wheeling (37.5, 2^nd – 31.3, 16^th)

Shooting%

Indy (12.2%, 2^nd)

Wheeling (6.0%, 27^th)

Avg. Height/Weight

Indy – 6’1”, 192 lbs

Wheeling – 6’1”, 192 lbs

Analysis:

The Indy Fuel are looking to bounce back from a 5-2 loss at the hands of their in-state rivals, the Fort Wayne Komets. This is the Fuel’s third game in as many days and their fourth in five days.

The Fuel go into this game at .500 for the second time this season. The last time they were at .500 was on Thursday when they defeated the Utah Grizzlies 4-1.

The Wheeling Nailers are looking to recover from a 5-2 loss themselves to the Reading Royals.

The Nailers are playing in their home opener tonight, as they look to improve on a 1-3 record, which is good for last in the league. Their lone win came in a shootout against the Royals.

Players To Watch

Indy: Josh Shalla

Shalla is going to look to continue his season-long point streak, in which he has recorded 11 points (3G, 8A) in eight games. He is currently tied for ninth in the league in points.

Wheeling: Winston Day Chief

Day Chief has always had the Fuel’s number. The 30-year-old played with the Cincinnati Cyclones last season, which meant that he saw Indy quite a lot in Central Division matchups.

The forward has recorded a goal and an assist in three games with the Nailers so far this season. Last season with the Cyclones, Day Chief put up 22 goals and seven assists in 60 games.

The post Preview: Indy Fuel vs. Wheeling Nailers appeared first on The Rink.

Tomkins has led the Fuel to a 3-1 record so far this year, all over divisional opponents, including two this past weekend against the Cincinnati Cyclones and the Toledo Walleye.

SAVE OF THE WEEK (powered by @IPLPower) – The Goalie of the Week gave us plenty to choose from over the weekend, but how could you not pick a breakaway in overtime? pic.twitter.com/UiuhI4M4UU

— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) October 23, 2018

The 24-year-old from Edmonton, Alberta, finished the week with a 1.92 goals-against-average and a .947 save percentage.

In four games so far this year, Tomkins has recorded a 2.47 goals-against-average and a .926 save percentage while facing the 10th-most shots against per game (34.00).

Matt Tomkins with a big stop to keep @IndyFuel tied with @ToledoWalleye at 2 midway through the third period pic.twitter.com/YDuEh87sYo

— ECHL (@ECHL) October 21, 2018

The Fuel and IceHogs are in a bit of a logjam currently goaltender-wise. Check out Mario Tirabassi’s article on the goaltending situation here.

The post Fuel’s Matt Tomkins Named ECHL Goaltender of the Week appeared first on The Rink.

In those three games, the Fuel have averaged just over four goals per game. Despite averaging four goals per game, the Fuel are averaging only 24 shots per game.

“Even if you listen to the NHL guys, it’s not all about shots,” Indy Fuel Head Coach Bernie John said. “It’s about getting grade-A chances and we’re getting grade-A chances. Do we want more shots? Yes, we want more shots. We want to get pucks to the net, put pressure on goaltenders to make saves and on teams to defend but we like our chances when we get the right grade-A’s.”

It’s not just forwards that are scoring for the Fuel either. Rookie defenseman Robert Powers has four points in three games for Indy, which puts him tied for second in defenseman points and tied for third among rookie scorers in the ECHL. The offensive defenseman has found himself in on the rush while doing his job defensively to allow goaltender Matt Tomkins to play his game.

Tomkins has looked greatly improved since last season, most notably putting up a 39-save performance in their Friday night victory and earning the first star of the game. Tomkins wasn’t quite ready to take all the credit for his performance, though.

“Yeah, that was huge,” Tomkins said when asked about how his defense contributed to his performance. “Obviously, we were on our heels a little bit to start the game there but once we got rolling it was good.”

The first period has not been the Fuel’s friend to start the season. In their first three games, the club has been outscored 4-3 and outshot 32-22 in the opening frame.

“[It’s been] two games in a row where we’ve laid an egg a little bit in the first period and then we come back [in] the second and third and it’s more of an even game and it’s a little bit better,” John said.

The Fuel’s power play has been far from stellar as well, but their penalty kill has proved to be a key reason for their recent success. The power play has gone 3-for-15 (20.0%), with all three goals coming in their 8-4 rout over the Kalamazoo Wings. The penalty kill, on the other hand, has gone 17-for-19 (89.5), which is second behind many teams that have yet to allow a power-play goal.

The Fuel have even started to see an edge to their game that they haven’t seen in previous years. Big bodies, such as Anthony Collins, Connor Moynihan, and Dmitry Osipov were brought in to protect some of their young studs.

“We’ve got a couple of big boys, we got a lot of guys who like to stand up for the team, and that’s huge because it gives us other guys that are a little softer some extra space,” Fuel forward Josh Shalla said.

The Fuel take on the Toledo Walleye (1-1-0-0) Saturday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum for another Central Division matchup at 7:35 PM.

The post What’s Been Clicking: Indy Fuel Continue Hot Start to Season appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John Jaeckel discuss the start to the Blackhawks regular season.

• A new podcast review from JDofNations
• 2-0-1 is about as good as it gets for the start of the season
• Is it sustainable?
• The Corey Crawford inaccuracies.
• Toews is back, Kahun looks good
• Alex Fortin makes his NHL debut as we record
• Chris Kunitz stinks and so does the powerplay
• John is always wrong and ruins everything, maaaaaan
• We wrap up the episode with some great listener/reader questions.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 32 – Parade Planning appeared first on The Rink.

The 22-year-old netminder attended Minnesota State University, where he backstopped their team for three seasons. Most recently, as a junior in 2017-18, he boasted a 6-3 record with two shutouts, 2.57 goals against average, and a .895 save percentage.

Kyle Hayton got the starting call for the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday but ended up splitting time with two-time Kelly Cup Championship winner Lukas Hafner. Hayton came to Fort Wayne following a stellar college career at St. Lawrence University and the University of Wisconsin. The Denver, Colorado native was a Hobey Baker nominee and named the ECAC Goaltender of the Year in 2016-17.

Hafner’s ECHL career began in 2015-16 when he played five games with Alaska, coming straight out of Western Michigan University. The 26-year-old most recently won a Kelly Cup with the Colorado Eagles last year.

FUEL STARTING LINEUP

Josh Shalla–Quentin Shore–Radovan Bondra

Neil Manning–Alex Brooks

Pawloski

It is possible that Fuel head coach Bernie John told his players to come out of the gates swinging. Fuel forward Anthony Collins took that message to heart and started swinging his fists with Chase Stewart just three minutes into the period for the first fight of the Fuel’s season.

Shortly after a Komets penalty expired, the Fuel found the back of the net for the first time in the 2018-19 season just under 13 minutes into the game. 13-year veteran Olivier Labelle was able to bury a backdoor pass from Ryan McGrath to give the Fuel a 1-0 lead.

Less than three minutes later, the Fuel’s powerplay struck twine on a strike from Shalla. The 27-year-old winger is the Fuel’s all-time leading goal scorer, netting 50 goals in 90 games with the club.

The Komets quickly struck back, though, as Charley Graaskamp cleaned up a rebound from a Kevin Gibson point shot to cut the Fuel’s lead in half and end the first-period scoring.

The Komets struck first early in the middle frame, as Taylor Crunk buried one past Pawloski. The play was set up by defenseman Jeff King as he dangled past the Fuel defense to feed Crunk in the goalmouth.

The power play success did not bleed over into the second period. After a slashing penalty called on the Komets, the Fuel’s power-play unit saw themselves chasing the Komets’ penalty kill all over the ice until Shalla took a penalty of his own 50 seconds into the man advantage.

Back and forth play continued, with a bit of an aggressive edge occurring in the third period by both teams. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in regulation, though, to break the 2-2 tie. This tie commenced 3-on-3 overtime at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

The best look of the overtime period came from Shalla who dangled between a Komet defender’s legs but was unable to corral the puck after. After some solid chances from both teams in the five-minute period, the final buzzer sounded to send the two teams to a shootout.

The Komets struck first in the shootout, as defenseman Ryan Lowney was able to put the puck through Pawloski’s five-hole to give the Komets a 1-0 shootout lead after the second round.

After a goal from Shore for the Fuel, Justin Hodgman ripped a slap shot past Pawloski to seal a 3-2 comeback victory for the Komets.

What We Learned

• Brett Welychka had a fantastic game after being sent down from Rockford. He has unlimited potential and could be a top AHL player or depth NHL player in the next couple of years with the right development.
• Pawloski had a great game, stopping 25 of 27 Fort Wayne shots. He will be a solid backup behind Matt Tomkins when he is here and can also be a great starter in the rotation or if Tomkins gets recalled to the IceHogs.
• Kevin Dufour was a great offseason acquisition from the Wichita Thunder. He is a solid second line winger who can create odd-man rushes.
• Robert Powers is still raw. It is just one preseason game, after all, but in the small sample size we have, Powers didn’t play up to potential. He missed a couple of passes and needs to work on his puck control but a lot of that has to do with the chemistry of the team right now. His development will come with time.
• Not sold just yet on Shore. The Fuel acquired him late in the offseason. He had his moments for sure, ending his first game with the club with an assist, five shots on goal, and the lone shootout goal for Indy. He still has room for growth, but something about his game just didn’t click. Like the situation with Powers, it is still a very small sample size, limited chemistry, and it was just the first game of the season.
• Labelle and Bondra bring an intensity to the game that the Fuel need. When Matt Rupert and Ryan Rupert enter the lineup, it will be interesting to see how they mold with the playing styles of Labelle and Bondra. Along with an aggressive behavior on the ice, all four are capable of scoring, with Bondra and the Ruperts putting a little more emphasis on defense.

The post RECAP: Fuel debut new-look roster, fall 3-2 to Komets appeared first on The Rink.

Anton Forsberg will not be in the lineup tonight. He was injured at morning skate. Collin Delia will fly in to be tonight’s backup goalie. #Blackhawks

— Eric Lear (@BHTVeric) October 4, 2018

Corey Crawford was able to handle the backup goalie duties for the morning skate, but still is not ready to be activated from injured reserve.  As a result, Collin Delia was recalled from the AHL and will hop on a flight from Cleveland Ohio, where he was preparing to open the AHL season against the Cleveland Monsters, Friday.

Barring some kind of flight issues, he should be there in time to meet the Blackhawks in Ottawa for tonight’s season opening game.

To fill the spot left by Delia’s departure, the Rockford Icehogs will recall goaltender Matt Tomkins from the Indy Fuel to back up Kevin Lankinen.

Matt Tomkins to be recalled by the @goicehogs ahead of tomorrow’s @IndyFuel preseason game against the Fort Wayne Komets.

— Evan Miller (@evanfmiller) October 4, 2018

The Blackhawks open their season tonight in Ottawa at 6:30PM Central on WGN. The Rockford Icehogs and Indy Fuel both open their seasons tomorrow, October 5, in Cleveland and Indianapolis respectively.

The post REPORT: Forsberg Hurt at Morning Skate, Delia Recalled appeared first on The Rink.

Last year, the Jeremy Colliton led team won the championship with players like Debrincat and Delia then taking big steps in their first pro seasons.

Watching the streams of a few games, some things came to mind regarding Blackhawks prospects:

• The organization clearly pushed the initiative on a few players. Dominik Kahun, Dylan Sikura, Victor Ejdsell, Alexandre Fortin and Nicolas Beaudin saw significant playing time in all situations.
• Dominik Kahun was the primary center and certainly has higher end skill, but where does he fit in the Blackhawks plans with Toews, Schmaltz, Anisimov and Kruger already slotted in?
• Graham Knott wore the “C” for Colliton’s squad. It seems strange to call him a veteran at 21, but he has been around the organization for three-year, and played 70 games with the Icehogs last year.
• Another “veteran” Alexandre Fortin wore the “A“.
• Adam Boqvist played three games (even though he is listed as playing all four), and was pretty invisible.  He is raw and made some pretty egregious mistakes.  Going to London is the best thing for him.
• In that same vein, Henri Jokiharju was held out of the third place game and did not stand out in his three games.
• Goalie Alexis Gravel looked to be the best Blackhawks goalie in the tournament. He had a very impressive 23 save win vs the Hurricanes and replaced Kevin Lankinen vs the Blue Jackets for the third period, making 11 saves. Gravel earned a shot at playing in the game last night, but they went with Lankinen instead. That decision looks to have possibly cost them a win.
• As far as the scoring went Ejdsell, Sikura, Knott and Beaudin each had two goals to lead the team. Point leaders were Ejdsell, Sikura, Beaudin and Lucas Carlsson with three each.
• The top two lines were very quiet when needed in crucial times, but the bottom six players like Knott, Bondra and even Nathan Noel came up with goals when needed.
• Despite their power play goal last night, the power play looked awful. The announcers mention several times how the Hawks looked like they were in disarray.  They could not connect on simple first passes to break out of their own zone. Of the eight other team, only Carolina had a worse power play percentage (11.26% to 12%).
• The Blackhawks penalty kill was not much better. They were in the bottom three at 77.78%

These are the lineups and links to the score sheets for each game:

4-3 Loss vs. CBJ (9/7)
Sikura(1)-Kahun-Fortin(1 – Penalty Shot)
Nilsson-Entwistle-Ejdsell
Moynihan-Knott-Noel
Willms-Kurashev-Maksimovich

Beaudin (1)-Boqvist
Hillman-Jokiharju
Carlsson-Tuulola

Lankinen/Gravel (3rd)

5-2 Win vs CAR (9/8)
Sikura-Kahun(1)-Fortin (1)
Nilsson-Entwistle-Ejdsell(1)
Knott-Kurashev-Maksimovich
Moynihan(1)-Noel-Boomhower

Beaudin(1-EN)-Boqvist
Gilbert-Jokiharju
Carlsson-Tuulola

Gravel

4-3 OT Win vs STL (9/10)
Sikura (1)-Kahun-Fortin
Nilsson-Entwistle-Ejdsell
Knott (1)-Kurashev-Bondra
Willms(1)-Noel(1)-Boomhower

Beaudin-Tuulola
Hillman-Jokiharju
Gilbert-Carlsson

Marchand

Lines vs MIN 3-2 Loss(9/11)
Sikura-Kahun-Fortin
Nilsson-Kurashev-Ejdsell
Moynihan-Knott(1)-Bondra(1)
Willms-Maksimovich-Boomhower

Beaudin-Carlsson
Hillman-Boqvist
Gilbert-Tuulola

Lankinen

The post Blackhawks Traverse City Tournament Notes appeared first on The Rink.

Of the players on the list, there are 30 forwards, 20 defensemen, and seven goalies.  Several roster spots could be up for grabs, with players like Dylan Sikura, Henri Jokiharju, Victor Ejdsell, Dominik Kahun, Dennis Gilbert, Blake Hillman , Lucas Carlsson  Joni Tuulola and Jacob Nilsson all making their full-time move to the North American pro game.

Training camp begins Friday September 14th and runs through the remainder of the month of September.  The preseason games begin this Tuesday, September 18, in Columbus and the first regular season game will be Thursday, October 4, in Ottawa against the Senators.

The post Blackhawks 2018 Training Camp Roster Released appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John Jaeckel get together in this short and sweet episode to discuss the scraps of Blackhawks news.

• What is a Puckpedia?
• John McDonough, Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks circus are still peddling the snake oil
• The Blackhawks convention ends, mercifully
• The we talk a little about the big hammer, John Scott, and his brand new podcast “Dropping The Gloves with John Scott”
• What is all this Artemi Panarin nonsense?
• RIP, Stan Mikita
• What upcoming guests might be joining us soon?
• We wrap up the episode with some great listener/reader questions.

thanks to @Wm_J_Lepetomane on Twitter for this fine creation

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 28 (Farewell to Stosh) appeared first on The Rink.

The fans were treated to a scrimmage with the first full-ice five-on-five action of the week, a full period of four-on-four play, three-on-three overtime, and eventually a shootout. The scrimmage ended with the red team taking the win on shootout goals by Mackenzie Entwistle and free agent Princeton forward Ryan Kuffner (pictured above).

Don’t forget to listen to Thursday night’s Rinkcast to hear us talk more about what we saw.

Photo by Jeff Osborn/The-Rink

Below are some observations Eric Andrews and I made during today’s sessions:

• Alexandre Fortin wrapped up his week as the clear cut best forward on the ice, exuding confidence and polish throughout the session.
• As mentioned above, Ryan Kuffner had himself a nice scrimmage, scoring in the second period and then icing the win with one of the only two shootout goals.
• Tim Soderlund was not nearly as noticeable as he was last summer, but he flies with the puck and is fearless.  That said, the coaching staff had him playing right wing instead of center.  He looked to have really nice chemistry with Mathias From, who also had a very solid camp.
• Freddy Olofsson, Liam Coughlin and free agent Connor Moynihan had the best chances in the first period and it is no surprise that they were also three of the bigger players on the ice.
• Speaking of bigger players, Josiah Slavin certainly didn’t look like a late round draft pick this week.  He seemed to be everywhere.
• We saw a lot of Adam Boqvist, but he was much more interested in the offensive side of the rink than his own.  During a couple of plays, he insisted on making one too many fancy moves and turned the puck over both in his own zone and at the far blue line..  To anyone with delusions of this kid playing for the Blackhawks at 17/18 years old, just reel your hopes back in right now.  He did have a really nice assist on Olofsson’s goal in the second period.
• Henri Jokiharju spent a good deal of time on the ice and continued to get a nice push, especially on the power play.  The coaching staff was clearly comfortable with having him on the ice in all situations.
• Similarly, Chad Krys was out on the ice in the same situations.  His anticipation was very noticeable.
• Beau Starrett was one of the few centers to stand out.  His big frame and long strides allowed him to blow around defencemen on a couple of occasions.
• Niklas Nordgren did not skate because of a lower body injury, Jacob Nilsson took an early flight back to Sweden, and Blake Hillman just sat out.
• Jack Ramsey made his return to the ice and was awarded the camp trophy for his team’s win.
• Free agent Kyle Maksimovich had a goal and was around the puck all day.
• As far as the goalies go, Alexis Gravel and Mathew Robeson held the teams scoreless in the first period.  Wouter Peeters had much more favorable results in his period of play than he was the previous four days, but was still unimpressive overall.  Free agent from St. Francis Xavier University and USports Goaltender of the Year Chase Marchand (cousin of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand) played the third period, the overtime and the shootout without allowing a single goal.

Check out over 120 photos from the week at the Rink’s Official Facebook page:

The post Blackhawks Prospect Camp: Day 5 appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John Jaeckel are joined by Rink prospect expert Eric Andrews to wrap up Blackhawks Prospect and Development Camp.

• The Blackhawks trade Marian Hossa’s contract, Vinnie Hinostroza and Jordan Oesterle for some prospects and the corpse of Marcus Kruger.
• What about Tobias Enström?
• Stan Bowman has another virtually useless press conference regarding trades and Corey Crawford full of more fluff, empty words and lisp service
• Lots of prospect talk but did any really stand out?
• RIP, Ray Emery
• We wrap up the episode with some great listener/reader questions.

thanks to @Wm_J_Lepetomane on Twitter for this fine creation

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 27 (Prospect Camp) appeared first on The Rink.

McInnis, 28, returns to the Fuel after joining the club last season in November. McInnis tallied 18 goals and 34 points in 57 games with Indy last season, playing on the third line alongside last season’s team MVP Ryan Rupert and Matt Rupert. The gritty forward was also the recipient of the Fuel’s 2017-18 Game Changer award. The award was selected by head coach Bernie John and assistant coach Ryan McGinnis. The Boston, MA native brings four seasons of ECHL experience to the Fuel, playing for five other teams around the league. McInnis played three seasons in Orlando, serving as the Solar Bears’ assistant captain in 2016-17 before being traded to the Utah Grizzlies just 13 games into the season.

McInnis brings a great two-way game to the Fuel for this coming season. One play that sticks out in my mind is when McInnis blocked two shots at the end of the last game of the regular season against the Kalamazoo Wings. Those two blocked shots saved the game and perhaps the season for Indy. Not only can he play on the defensive end, but he brings a gritty play to the offensive zone. He puts his body in front of the net to screen the goaltender for shots coming in from the point, something the Fuel have not done much of in the past.

Dufour, 25, will be coming to Indianapolis for the first time in his career, after playing for three other ECHL teams in the past. The Bowling Green State University alum is entering his second full season in the league, playing for the Wichita Thunder for most of the season last year. In 43 games with Wichita, the Quebec City native tallied 15 goals and 15 helpers to send the Thunder to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

I can imagine Dufour being a solid second-line winger alongside Thompson for next season. Dufour’s playmaking abilities will be a huge addition to the organization’s strong forward core already. Not only can Dufour find his teammates but he has no problem putting the puck in the back of the net. Dufour has a strong ability to put home rebounds and can clean up in the dirty areas, much like McInnis. Hopefully, both Dufour and Thompson will feed off each other’s playmaking abilities and will be the origin point for each other’s growth next season.

For more Indy Fuel news, updates, and analysis follow @evanfmiller on Twitter.

The post BREAKING: McInnis, Dufour Sign with Fuel for 2018-19 Season appeared first on The Rink.

According to an agreement between ECHL and all its parent clubs, teams must provide housing to all their players. The Indy Fuel have done just that with fully furnished apartments for members of the club. The apartments sit right next to the Fuel Tank at Fishers, an ice rink owned by an affiliate company of the team. Despite the recently renovated rink being feet away from the player’s housing, Fuel President Larry McQueary told The-Rink that practices would continue to take place at the home of the team, Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

When asked about how these apartments would attract players to Indy, McQueary replied, “They’re brand new. No one else has new housing right now in the league. They can walk directly next door to work out, do a little stick and puck, it’s all right there.”

Apparently, the apartments were attractive enough to bring back forwards Logan Nelson and Mathew Thompson for their second seasons with the Fuel.

Logan Nelson

Nelson came to the Fuel in a mid-season trade with the Fort Wayne Komets that saw defenseman Anthony Cortese get sent up the interstate from Indy to Fort Wayne. The Rogers, MN native played in 21 games with Indy, tallying seven goals and 19 points, but boasts a fantastic defensive game as well.

“We brought him in last year to be a two-way guy,” Fuel assistant coach Ryan McGinnis said, “He plays a 200-foot game and a brand of hockey that we like.”

Nelson brings three seasons of ECHL hockey to the Fuel, his seventh different team in that span. With that experience comes leadership and that is exactly Nelson brings.

“He brings a good component to the locker room, which the guys like, and that helps at this level tremendously. If you can bring in enough locker room character guys like himself, the rest will take care of itself.”

It’s also worth noting that Nelson left Game 1 of the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs in Toledo with an injury. The 24-year-old never returned to the playoff series. According to McGinnis, “he is rehabbing” and “taking care of himself.”

Mathew Thompson

Bernie John and his staff brought in some key components to the team this season, but none of them overshadowed the signing of Adrian College captain Mathew Thompson. The Fuel brought the rookie in to close out the regular season and he sure did stand out.

Thompson suited up in seven games with Indy and netted two goals and six points, while also enjoying a +4 rating. The 2017-18 NCAA Division III Player of the Year also played in all four playoff games with Indy, scoring the first home playoff goal in the team’s four-year history. Along with that goal, Thompson added an assist to his playoff stat line.

When asked how much he thinks Thompson is going to help the team this coming season, McGinnis replied, “I think he’s going to help tremendously. We were able to get a good look at him last year in his seven-game sample during the regular season and that was enough for us. We’re glad to have him and he’ll add some great depth to our team.”

The Goaltending Situation

As of right now, the Fuel have no goaltender for the upcoming season. Standout rookie goaltender Etienne Marcoux signed with the Laval Rocket of the AHL this offseason and Matt Tomkins signed an AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs, Indy’s AHL affiliate. Tomkins is currently the frontrunner for the starting job with Indy, but the backup position is still up in the air.

“When you get contracted players like [Marcoux and Tomkins] who are affiliated with Rockford and Laval, first and foremost it runs through them,” McGinnis said. “If we see them, we don’t know that. It’s going to be up to Rockford and Laval and their situations. You usually get guys like that at the end of the summer.”

The Chicago Blackhawks, the Fuel’s NHL affiliate, just announced the signing of goaltender Cam Ward, which would then push someone down to the Fuel through Rockford, barring any more roster moves.

The post Catching up with the Indy Fuel: Housing and the Upcoming Season appeared first on The Rink.

These are the trades that affected the selection and draft position:

The post 2018 Blackhawks Entry Draft Ticker appeared first on The Rink.

First of all, According to the ECHL rulebook, a team may not have more than four veterans on its roster at any time during the season. The ECHL website states that “A veteran shall mean a player, other than a goaltender, who has played in at least 260 regular season games of professional hockey.”

The Fuel currently have five players that meet that veteran threshold on the active roster: captain Michael Neal, defenseman Zach Miskovic, and forwards Josh Shalla, Ryan Rupert, and Darian Dziurzynski. Of the five players, four of them finished in the top five on the team in points.

At 32 years old, Miskovic might have seen his last season with the Fuel. The ECHL veteran has played the most games in a Fuel sweater in club history (186). In those 186 games, he has registered 55 points. The point total is not bad for a defenseman, but he is not producing like the Fuel need.

Miskovic seems to be far past his prime and unable to keep up with the speed of today’s ECHL game. In the three seasons that Miskovic has played with the Fuel, he has also had a -32 rating. A reasonable progression for Miskovic to continue his association with the Fuel might be a move behind the bench as an assistant coach.

Strengthening the defensive core is also something the Fuel could concentrate on in their long offseason. Defense has always been a weakness of the team and bringing in a solid offensive defenseman would be great. One of the best defenseman in team history, Robin Press, will most likely see more time with Rockford than he does with Indy next season. That would leave the team with only Brandon Anselmini, which would be fine, but he’s not the type of player you build your defense around.

Bringing in a legitimate goal scorer is something the Fuel have yet to do in their four-year history. Former Adrian College captain Mathew Thompson might be a player who would be worth bringing back for next season. He showed great potential after being brought in at the tail end of this past season. Thompson’s speed, skill, and a hint of physicality comprise just the type of skill set Indy has missed. Playing him along side Shalla and Dziurzynski could be a lethal option for the Fuel next season—if they all return.

Goaltending will also be an issue for the Fuel going forward. Unexpected breakout Etienne Marcoux may end up in the AHL with a team like the Chicago Wolves next season.  Based on his outstanding performance between the pipes in Indy, teams will take a look at him as a potential backup. Matt Tomkins might be back for another season, but it should be a priority for the team to find a backup goaltender over the offseason.  The Fuel’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, have an abundance of goaltenders now with four on their active roster.

Something that differentiates the rest of the remaining teams in the playoffs from the Fuel are smart decisions in their own end, and not turning the puck over. In the defensive end, the Fuel seem to struggle with execution, such as making one simple pass to get it out of the zone or having the confidence skate the puck out past the blue line.

All too often, the defense either just ices the puck or blatantly turns it over in the slot. Focusing on these details early on in training camp and the preseason should help the Fuel get out to an early lead in the standings.

If the Fuel continue to make smart decisions in the front office and make the moves that will help the team in the long run, they could build on the playoffs this season make a deep run in the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The post Armchair GM: Indy Fuel Offseason Edition appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com host Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and co-host John Jaeckel answer mailsack questions and chat with PUCKHCKY CEO Matt Marini about the release of The-Rink.com PUCKHCKY apparel line

• The connections with The-Rink, PUCKHCKY and heavy metal
• The Rockford Icehogs can close out the Chicago Wolves as we record, and Mario Tirabassi gives us a “War Pigs” report.
• The Indy Fuel season ended as we wrapped up last podcast
• Gate and John go through the mailsack.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 21 w/ Matt Marini from PUCKHCKY appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com host Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and co-host John Jaeckel are back to wrap up the Blackhawks season and the release of The-Rink.com PUCKHCKY Merch line.

• The Blackhawks season ends mercifully
• The Rockford Icehogs start their playoff season on Saturday vs the Chicago Wolves
• The Indy Fuel are currently in the middle of their playoffs, down 0-2.
• Gate and John talk about what needs to happen this summer.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 20 – Year End Swag Bag appeared first on The Rink.

A Fantastic Rebound Season

This season’s campaign was quite a turnaround from the result the team had the previous year, though. Last season, the Fuel finished with an abysmal 23-42-7 record, which placed them third to last in the league. They also boasted a -94 goal differential in that season.

The Fuel enjoyed a great bounce-back year, setting franchise records in wins (36), points (77), and road wins (16) this season. The beginning of the year started off on the wrong foot, as the team won just two games in the month of October. One of those two wins came against the future Brabham Cup champion, Florida Everblades, however.  In that game, future Rockford Icehogs starting goaltender Collin Delia backstopped the Fuel with 36 saves in a 5-2 victory. Delia would go on later to eventually start in two games in Chicago with the Blackhawks, as well.

Player Analysis

The Fuel started to finally find their stride once they acquired power forwards Darian Dziurzynski and Logan Nelson, sniper Josh Shalla, two-way forward Johnny McInnis, playmaker Mathew Thompson, and shutdown defender Jaynen Rissling.

Dziurzynski turned out to be a crucial piece to the team’s Kelly Cup Playoff puzzle. Since joining the club from Rapid City, the power forward played in 47 games with the Fuel, recording 24 goals, five of which came on the man advantage. Along with his stellar goal scoring ability, It is also worth noting that Dziurzynski appeared in ten games with the Toledo Walleye, the Fuel’s first-round opponent in the playoffs. During his brief stint with the Walleye, Dziurzynski recorded three assists.

Logan Nelson has been anything but quiet during his brief time with the Fuel.  He was acquired in what was, arguably, the best trade in Indianapolis’ four-year history. The Fuel acquired Nelson in a trade with their in-state rival, the Fort Wayne Komets. Fuel Head coach and head of Hockey Operation Bernie John sent defenseman Anthony Cortese to Fort Wayne for Nelson. Cortese, coincidentally, did not make the Komets’ final playoff roster.

Nelson, however, has not been afraid to throw the body around and he seems to have great chemistry with teammates on the ice. He has 12 assists in the 21 games he has been in the lineup with the Fuel.  Along with his offensive production, Nelson has also shown terrific defensive ability. He has put pressure on the opposing forwards every time down the ice.

Fuel fan favorite Josh Shalla was fantastic, once again, this season. Shalla joined the team in a trade with the Wheeling Nailers last season and finished with 42 points in 48 games with the Fuel. Shalla later joined the EIHL but eventually returned to the Fuel this season. The sniper finished the 2017-18 season with the team lead in goals (28), despite re-joining the team after the New Year. Shalla earned himself the nickname “Komet Killer” after earning 26 points in 15 games against Fort Wayne  over the last two seasons. It seems that Shalla finds the back of the net in almost every game against the Komets.

Johnny McInnis could be the most underrated player on the Fuel this season.  The defensive-minded forward joined the team from the South Carolina Stingrays early in the seasonand has found a home on the wing alongside the pesky Rupert twins, Matt and Ryan.  McInnis has shown balanced scoring ability at times, posting 34 points in 56 games with Indy, including 18 goals.

McInnis’s defensive ability was in full force during the final seconds of the Fuel’s playoff-clinching victory over the Kalamazoo Wings, as he sprawled on the ice to block a couple of shots from the Wings’ defensemen. These blocked shots secured the 2-1 Fuel victory and their inaugural playoff berth.

Mathew Thompson is another brand new addition to the Fuel, hailing from division-III Adrian College. Thompson only appeared in seven games with the Fuel this season, but when he played, he had flashes of brilliance. He recorded six points and a +4 rating during those seven games. In every game the young playmaker has dressed, the Fuel have earned at least one point, which have proven to be very important down the stretch.

Jaynen Rissling has been a welcome addition to a less than stellar defensive unit this season. Rissling came to the Fuel in another trade with Wheeling, which sent defenseman Nolan Descoteaux and forward Stephen Collins to the nailers in return. There is certainly room for improvement in the big defenseman’s physical game.

Regardless, Rissling has done a lot for this team, and it shows in the +/- category. During his 21 games with Indy, Rissling had a +7 rating, good for second on the team. The shutdown defenseman showed that he could add some offense too, dishing out 11 assists and netting three goals.

The Fuel have generally had a sub-par defensive unit, but this year they have shown potential to build on. Obviously, there is still room for improvement, as primary goaltender Etienne Marcoux had to be leaned on heavily, making the ninth most saves in the league.

The Fuel’s best defensive pairing of Brandon Anselmini and Robin Press produced for the Fuel when they needed it most. Both have spent some time with the IceHogs and it has been apparent. Press was named ECHL Player of the Week and was the first defenseman to be named the award winner in 15 years.

Along with Press showing his silky smooth moves on the point, Anselmini played more of the pest role.  Together, Press and Anselmini also led the team with +8 and +6, respectively.

On to the ECHL Playoffs

The Fuel will be entering their inaugural playoff campaign with some positive momentum after their emotional 2-1 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings in the final game of the regular season, which clinched the playoff berth.

The Fuel are also riding hot goaltender Etienne Marcoux. The surprising rookie netminder finished the season 22-12-1 with a GAA of 2.94 (18th) and a save percentage of 0.918 (9th).  The 24-year-old seemingly had to stand on his head at times, making superb saves to either keep the Fuel in games or sustain a slim lead.  His strong play also earned him tryouts with Laval, Springfield and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL.

Next Up

The Fuel begin  the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday, April 13 in Toledo against the Walleye. Puck drop for Game 1 is 7:35 PM EDT.

The post Indy Fuel Season Wrap-Up appeared first on The Rink.

From this list of all the finalists, representatives from IOA/American Specialty and the AHL will choose the winner of the 2017-18 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupre.

Delia Honored As IceHogs “Man Of The Year”

Delia has had quite the rookie season this year, starting back in the Summer when he signed his first professional deal with the Blackhawks out of Prospect camp. He began his pro career with the ECHL Indy Fuel and made 10 appearances before making his full-time jump to the AHL in December. With the IceHogs this season, he has made 24 appearances with a 14-6-4 record, 2.68 GAA, and a .904 save-percentage.

On Thursday evening, Delia made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks against the Winnipeg Jets. Anton Forsberg was the originally scheduled starter for Chicago, but suffered an injury during his pregame warmup and forced Delia into the starting role.

Collin Delia waves to some fans before the IceHogs and Penguins game. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)

Delia played 45:59 in his debut, making 25 saves on 27 shots faced, but left the game early in the third period due to cramping issues and the Blackhawks had to play their emergency backup, Scott Foster, for the final 14 minutes of the game. Foster was able to save all seven shots he faced and played the “closer” role (on MLB Opening Day, no less) to Delia’s first career NHL win in his first career start.

The Blackhawks are in Colorado to take on the Avalanche for a Friday night contest and Delia is expected to make the start. Friday night’s game against the Avalanche was originally scheduled to be his NHL debut and thankfully he will not miss that start.

After the conclusion of the Blackhawks season on April 7 against the Jets, the IceHogs’ season still has three games to be played and it would be expected that Delia will return to Rockford at that point and help the IceHogs complete their regular season and into the Calder Cup Playoffs, if they are to qualify.

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