IceCaps return to action tonight
Seven-game roadtrip continues as St. John’s faces Manchester Monarchs
Patrice Cormier hopes the third time’s a charm, and the versatile forward finally sees his first bit of NHL action this season. Cormier’s recall by the Winnipeg Jets this week marks the third time the Cap Pele, N.B. native has been summoned to the National Hockey League club since October, although he’s yet to play in Winnipeg this year. He dressed in nine games for the Jets last season, 10 in 2012-13 and nine in 2011-12.
Cormier’s most recent recall came about with Evander Kane going on the injured list. Kane is expected to miss the entire month of January, which could mean good news for Cormier. Not so much, however, for the St. John’s IceCaps, who kick off the post-Christmas portion of their American Hockey League schedule with a New Years Eve game starting 8:30 (NL time) tonight against the Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings).
In addition to Kane, the Jets are missing four other regulars at the moment — defencemen Zach Bogosian, Toby Enstrom, Mark Stuart and Jacob Trouba. Enstrom could be back by mid January, and Bogosian not long after that. Trouba and Stuart are looking at February before they’re ready to go again.
That means Ben Chiarot, who appears to be fitting into Winnipeg’s lineup nicely, logging between 17 and 20 minutes per game, and Julien Brouillette probably won’t be back in St. John’s for a while. Brouillette has yet to appear in a game since being recalled by Winnipeg Dec. 4.
To help out on the blueline, the IceCaps recalled Ralfs Freibergs from the ECHL’s Ontario Reign, and signed former NHL secondround draft pick Yann Sauve to a professional tryout contract.
Freibergs, a Latvian who attended the IceCaps’ training camp, made four starts for St. John’s after he was recalled Dec. 5. He was sent back to Ontario before the IceCaps went on their 11-day Christmas break.
As for Sauve, a 24-year-old from Montreal who was the 41st overall pick by Vancouver in the 2008 draft, he was playing in the ECHL this season with the Orlando Solar Bears where he had a goal and an assist in five games. Sauve appeared in eight NHL games with the Canucks, and has played 195 career AHL games with the Manitoba Moose, Chicago Wolves and Utica Comets.
The game tonight at the Verizon Wireless Arena marks the continuation of a road trip that began Dec. 13 with a pair of games each in Toronto and Hamilton (the IceCaps are 2-2). St. John’s winds up the road swing with back-toback games in Hartford against the Wolf Pack Friday and Saturday.
A two-game series against the Monarchs next Tuesday and Wednesday marks the start of seven straight games at home. Of the remaining 44 games on the IceCaps’ schedule, 24 will be at Mile One.
Entering Tuesday’s slate of games, St. John’s was 13th in the Eastern Conference at 12-14-5-1, but only four points out of a playoff spot.
Suiting up for the Monarchs is Zach O’Brien of St. John’s, who has seven goals and 15 points in 26 games. O’Brien is eighth in Monarchs’ scoring.
In other AHL news, former two-time NHL 50-goal scorer Dany Heatley cleared waivers Tuesday and was assigned to the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals from the Anaheim Ducks.
Heatley signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Ducks in the off-season, but was sidelined by a groin injury for most of the season.