Auld Shines in Debut

(AP) Utah

The Colorado-Utah franchise recently acquired goalie Alex Auld from the Boston-Cape Cod organization for their '09 2nd round entry pick and blueliner Kyle Cumiskey. While Cumiskey was difficult to part with, he is organizational depth at this point in his career and the goaltending situation needed to be shored up a bit for next year.
That 2nd rounder is like a bad penny, it keeps coming in and going back out.
Upon reporting to the Utah Grizzlies as an introduction to the organization, Auld was installed as the starting goaltender on the 1st night! So much for easing into a new setting. Well, Auld showed the professional he is by going out and whitewashing the visiting Johnstown Jets 3-0! He turned aside 21 shots in all in out battling his counterpart on the Jets, netminder Mathieu Garon.
Lighting the lamp for the Grizzlies of the RSHL were Pony (6), Todd White (5) and the recently acquired Chris Higgins (4). Higgins now has 4g 7a 11pts in 7gp with the Grizz! If he keeps going like this it won't be long before he earns himself a spot in the show!
The Grizz currently have 14 pts in 16gp and are in 4th place in the Rose Divsion of the RSHL.
Over in the IHL, the parent Colorado Eagles sport a 10-6 record good for 20pts and are tied for 2nd in the Shore Division.
Recently portsider Jay Pandolfo returned from a minor injury. He has been assigned to Utah for rehab while he gets his skates under him. He'll be manning the left side on the 3rd line checking unit along with the #1 pk unit.

Reported by Grizz Adams...

Erat out - Higgins in

(AP) Colorado

Recently the Eagles sent winger Martin Erat (right) from their Utah affiliate to Hartford for portsider Chris Higgins (left).
Erat was promoted to the IHL by Hartford and is currently their 1st line left wing.
Chris Higgins was sent to Utah, initially being assigned to 2nd line duties with Legwand and Miettinen as his linemates. Well, the three clicked so well together that the entire line has been promoted to the 1st line for Utah.
In 4 games Higgins has registered 4g 3a for 7 points with a +3 rating along with one game winner. He has also registered 7 hits in the 4 games. He wasn't even seeing ice time in the Hartford organization!
Erat has also done well playing in the IHL with Hartford. He has continued his fine play that he had been performing for Utah in the RSHL. To date, the trade appears to be a win-win scenario for both organizations.
Coming along with Higgins was Colorado's 2nd Rd entry pick in '09 which had previously been traded to Hartford in the Brodeur deal early this season.

Reported by Grizz Adams

Doan Named Player of the Month

(AP) Colorado

The Colorado Eagles were extremely proud when it was announced today that right winger and alternate Captain Shane Doan had been named the IHL's Player of the Month for November 2008.
"We, as an organization, are proud that Shane has been awarded player of the month honors. It shows what hard work can lead to. Of course, we've always known of Shane's character and dedication to the IHL. He is one of the on-ice leaders of our franchise and also gives a lot of his free time to charitable efforts in the local community." GM Poelker said in a statement to the media.
Shane earned the award on the strength of 11 goals and 4 assists in 7 games. He also logged a +4 rating along with 2 power play goals and 2 game winners.
The Eagles are currently tied for 1st place in the Shore Division with the Gotland Gladiators. Each team at press time had 10 points in 7 games played.

Reported by Grizz Adams

Trade winds for the Eagles

(AP) Colorado

The trade winds blew into Colorado recently for both the Eagles and the organization's minor league affiliate Utah Grizzlies.
In three separate transactions over the course of three days, 10 players changed hands and two draft picks between the Colorado organization and three other IHL/RSHL organizations.

The first transaction with Hartford-Vancouver saw netminders Osgood, Sabourin and the 2009 2nd Rd Entry Draft Pick leave the organization for franchise goalie Marty Brodeur along with hard nosed checking line forward Jamie Langenbrunner and Hartford's 2008 5th Round Free Agent Pick which turned into Blair Betts.

The second with Quesnel-Portland saw netminder Andy Raycroft leave the Utah affiliate for blueliner Karlis Skrastins from Portland. This move provides much needed depth for the Grizzlies defense corps, while Raycroft provides Portland with a backup netminder.

The third and final transaction was with Commish R. AL McRae and his beloved Wellwood Wolverines-Philadelphia Flyers organization. This trade saw scrappy vet Owen Nolan and goalie Mikail Tellqvist leave Utah for hard nosed defensive forward Jamal Mayers and young blueliner Steve Eminger. Mayers will be utilized at RW in place of Nolan on the Grizzlies 1st line while Eminger is organizational depth at this point in his career. It is hoped that with the correct tutelage, Eminger can blossom as a top rearguard, not only in the RSHL with Utah to start, but with the parent club Colorado Eagles of the IHL.

Reported by Grizz Adams

'08 Free Agent Draft

Colorado (AP)

Recently the 2008 free agent draft of the Iron Hockey League (IHL) took place. The Colorado Eagles welcomed to the organization, which also consists of the minor league affiliate Utah Grizzlies of the RSHL, the following players:


Blueliner Jan Hejda who will be utilized on a 3rd line pairing with the parent club in Colorado.
Veteran netminder Brian Boucher who is slated to be the starter between the pipes for the Grizzlies in Utah.
Youngster Tyler Kennedy who plies his trade on right wing. He has been assigned to the Grizzlies.
Young netminder Curtis McElhinney who will serve as Boucher's backup in Utah.
Veteran defensive centreman Blair Betts who will perform a penalty killing role for the Grizzlies.
Veteran portsider Mathias Tjarnqvist was the last pick for the org in the 5th and final round. He will perform a defensive forward role and penalty killer for the Grizzlies. He will be paired with Betts.
Not a bad free agent draft for the organization considering the parent Colorado Eagles finished 2nd in the Shore Division to the Wellwood Wolverines last season and 3rd overall during the regular season with 90 points. As a result of the Eagles excellent season the organization was picking 10th out of 12 teams.

In addition to the mostly veteran players above, the organization also drafted four youngsters in the 2008 Entry Draft held earlier this year. These 4 players (one entry pick had been traded previously for Stephan Yelle) are hoped to form the future cornerstone for the organization. They were:

Centreman Joshua Bailey from the Windsor Spitfires.
Goalie Thomas McCollum from the Guelph Storm.
Defenseman Michael Del Zotto from the Oshawa Generals.
Goalie Peter Delmas from the Lewiston Maineiacs

We will try to provide reports periodically about the organization including not only the parent club Colorado Eagles of the IHL but also the minor league affliate Utah Grizzlies of the RSHL. By the way, RSHL stands for the Rock 'EM SOCK 'EM Hockey League.
It should be a barnburner of a 2nd season!

Reported by Grizz Adams