honorroll

Join us as we welcome this year’s inductees to the Acadia Hockey Honour Roll!

DATE: Saturday, November 8, 2014

TIME: 11:30 a.m.

LOCATION: The Sheldon L. Fountain Learning Commons, Acadia campus

The 2014 inductees to the Acadia Hockey Honour Roll are:

Darren Burns (’95)

Denis Sproxton (’98)

Kevin Knopp (’95)

Paul Bailey (’75)

Tickets to the event are $20. To purchase and for more information, please contact Sandra Symonds at: sandra.symonds@acadiau.ca

Former Axemen Captain to play with Detroit’s Top Farm Club

Bruton1Former Acadia Axemen captain Chris Bruton will be suiting up this season for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The Griffins are the top farm team of the Detroit Red Wings. Bruton attended the team’s training camp on a tryout and has made tonight’s opening day roster.

Bruton, who played last season with the New York Islanders AHL team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, is coming off an injury which limited him to just 41 games; during that time he did manage to rack up 91 penalty minutes and wore the Captaincy for Bridgeport. He skated alongside former Axemen teammate Andrew Clark with the Sound Tigers, while Andrew was called up from the East Coast League.

Chris was also named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Fairfield County community during the 2013-14 season, which includes participating in all types of community events, including hospital visits, on-ice hockey lessons and trips to local schools to discuss financial responsibility.

Prior to last season the hard nose, pesky forward spent a season and a half with the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL, notching 200 PIM’s in 107 games to go along with 15 points. At the time Peoria was the St. Louis Blues farm club. He had spent the first half of 2011-12 with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces before being recalled to the Rivermen.

Now age 27, the 5-foot-11 200 pound, Bruton, spent three season with Acadia from 2008-2010, playing a total of 69 regular season games and scoring 74 points for the Axemen, splitting the captaincy with Phillippe Bertrand.

Prior to joining the Axemen, the Calgary, Alberta native, was the captain of the 2008 Memorial Cup winning Spokane Chiefs.

To follow Chris’ season, check out griffinshockey.com, Best of luck this year for a great season Brutes!

Mallards Sign Prolific Veteran Kevin Baker

By: Mallards Communications Staff on http://myqcmallards.net

Former Axemen Kevin Baker signs with the Quad City Mallards of the Central Hockey League after his previous team the Arizona Sundogs abruptly folded last month.
Former Axemen Kevin Baker signs with the Quad City Mallards of the Central Hockey League after his previous team the Arizona Sundogs abruptly folded last month.
The Quad City Mallards have signed forward Kevin Baker, the Mallards announced today.
Baker, 35, scored 34 goals- tied for third most in the Central Hockey League- and totaled 64 points in 65 games with the Arizona Sundogs last season. Β The Kingston, Ontario native also finished fifth in the CHL in power play goals (11) last year. Β He went on to score five more goals and tack on nine points in 11 playoff games while pushing the Sundogs to an opening round upset of top-seeded Missouri and a berth in the semi-finals.
β€œWhen Arizona and Denver players became available, Kevin was one guy I really wanted to get,” said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski. Β β€œHe’s not just a good player, he’s also a good person, someone who can provide leadership for our younger guys. Β He’s someone we can count on to come through when the chips are down.”
The 6’ 1, 192-pound Baker joins the Mallards for his eleventh professional season having produced 276 goals and 327 assists for 603 points in 686 career games. Β Along the way, Baker was named 2008-09 ECHL Most Valuable Player and 2005-06 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Player of the Year and twice (in 2006-07 and 2008-09) made the All-ECHL First Team.
Baker has scored 30 or more goals in back-to-back seasons and rung up 27 or more each of the last three years. Β In all, he has found the net 30 or more times in a campaign on five occasions and scored at least 27 goals in six of his last seven seasons in North America.

Read more »

Former Axemen to play in Central Hockey League

Former Axemen Dustin Ekelman joins the Brampton Beast for the 2014-15 season (Photo By Josh Schaefer/CIS University Cup)
Former Axemen Dustin Ekelman joins the Brampton Beast for the 2014-15 season (Photo By Josh Schaefer/CIS University Cup)
09/29/2014 9:54 AM – original post on http://www.bramptonbeast.com
BRAMPTON, ON – The Brampton Beast announced today that Grant Rollheiser will be playing between the pipes for a second year. The Beast also agreed to terms today with forwards Dustin Ekelman and Linden Bahm for the 2014-15 season.
Rollheiser was 6th round draft pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Β The 6 foot 225 pound goalie had 871 saves in 30 games, with a .906 save percentage in the Beast’s inaugural year. In early November of last season β€˜Rollie the Goalie’ led the Central Hockey League in save percentage at .956 and was second in goals against average with a 1.62 mark.
β€œI enjoyed being in Brampton last year,” said Rollheiser. β€œThe fans, my teammates and our staff were great and I had a great experience with the organization last season.” Prior to the Beast, the Chilliwack native played for the Wichita Thunder and had his first professional appearance with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL. Rollheiser played four years at Boston University and helped champion the nationals in his freshman year.
Linden Bahm is a new addition to the Beast this year. Β The right-winger played four years at Carleton University and finished his career with a total of 68 points in 119 games. The Kinburn, Ontario native is excited to get back on the ice and make his first professional appearance with the Beast.
Dustin Ekelman will also be joining the Beast this upcoming season. Originally from Whitby, Ontario, the rookie forward played four years at Acadia University and had 48 points in 113 games. Ekelman played alongside recent Beast signing Matt McCready in his first year of junior with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors. The 25-year old looks to contribute energy and physical play to the Beast lineup this year.
The Beast start their season on Friday, October 24th at 7:30PM at the Powerade Centre. Individual game tickets are now on sale. Season tickets and group pricing is available for purchase. Visit bramptonbeast.com or call for more information. For media inquiries or questions, please contact Mallory Dayot, Manager of Marketing at ext. 214 or mdayot@bramptonbeast.com.

Training Camp is Here

Originally posted on http://lumberjacks-hockey.ca 2014-08-28

coach_youngThe first in a series of blogs by coach Travis Young.

Hello Lumberjack fans, and welcome to another exciting season of MHL action.Β  Training camp is less than a week away, and I know I speak for everyone in the organization when I say that we are very excited to see what the 2014-2015 season brings.Β  For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Travis Young and I have been the Head Coach of your Lumberjacks since January of 2014.

It has been a very busy off-season for the organization, highlighted by an exciting draft in Summerside where many future Lumberjacks were selected.Β  We look forward to seeing many of these draft picks, along with a very hungry group of returning players and some exciting free agents, compete at our training camp.

Personally, I am looking forward to my first full season behind the Jacks bench.Β  The last 6 weeks of the 2013-2014 season provided me with a wonderful opportunity to evaluate our team and address some areas of weakness.Β  I thought that as a group we made great strides, and competed extremely hard during a difficult part of the season.Β  The goal now, is to bring that mindset into training camp and carry it over throughout the upcoming season.Β  In speaking with both our returning players and incoming prospects, I know they have put the work in during the summer and are all focused on doing whatever it takes to bring a successful season to the South Shore.Β  Read more »

Campbellton Tigers Jr A Coach returning to familiar territory

Story by Will MacLaren – posted originally on themhl.ca 2014-08-27

troy_ryanThe bench boss of the Campbellton Tigers has been named an assistant coach for Team Canada East at the 2014 World Jr.A Challenge. This year’s tournament takes place from Dec.14-20 in Kindersley, Saskatchewan.

Ryan, the 42 year old Halifax native, will be making his fifth appearance as assistant in the tournament, previous serving in the same role from 2006-2009. As well, the long time MHL and CIS coach and executive served as the Canada East’s General Manager in 2010.

Despite being there before, the chance to participate in the event is one that never gets old for Ryan.

β€œAnytime you have the opportunity to work with Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League it is a privilege and honour,” he said. β€œI am looking forward to representing the Campbellton Tigers and the Maritime Hockey League on an International stage. I would like to thank the selection committee, the Maritime hockey league, and the Campbellton Tigers organization for helping provide this opportunity.”

Ryan has more than a decade of coaching experience in the MHL and university hockey, winning MHL Coach of the Year and Hockey Nova Scotia Coach of the Year in 2007-08, and leading the Pictou County Crushers to an appearance at the RBC Cup in 2008.

In addition to Ryan, Team Canada East will feature head coach Marty Abrams (Wellington Dukes – OJHL) and assistants Mark Grady (Smith Falls – CCHL) and Marc Lafleur (Kirkland Lake – NOJHL). The staff is hoping to help Team Canada East rebound from a disappointing sixth place finish at the 2013 tournament in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.Read more »

Moyer playing for Karlskrona in Sweden

RussMoyerAcadia Alumnus Russ Moyer is back across the pond for another year of hockey. This season Russ will be suiting up for Karlskrona HK of the Allsvenskan hockey league in Sweden. The Allsvenskan league is the second highest level of hockey in Sweden and consists of 14 teams playing a 52 game regular season.

The former Acadia University defenceman, known for his offensive prowess, was an Axemen from 2003-2007, winning an AUS championship with the Axemen in 2006. Following his time with Acadia, Moyer played in the IHL, AHL, and CHL with North American teams before moving overseas to play in Denmark and in the Swedish Division 1 league, before playing last season in the Allsvenskan with current rival Oskarshamn.

Here is an interview Russ did this month after a preseason game.

Good luck on the upcoming season Russ!

Owens gets invitation from IceCaps

John Browne

Published on August 12, 2014 in Newfoundland’s paper The Telegram

St. John’s native and AUSβ€ˆall-star will attend AHL team’s training camp

Chris Owens is ready for the next step in his hockey career. The 24-year-old St. John’s native who helped the Acadia Axemen win the AUS championship in his final year of university hockey, has been invited to the American Hockey League’s St. John’s IceCaps training camp, scheduled for Sept. 28-29 at Mile One Centre.

Defenceman Chris Owens, shown playing with the Acadia University Axemen last season, has received an invitation to attend the training camp of the American Hockey League’s St. John’s IceCaps next month. Β© Photo by Peter Oleskevich/Acadia University
Defenceman Chris Owens, shown playing with the Acadia University Axemen last season, has received an invitation to attend the training camp of the American Hockey League’s St. John’s IceCaps next month.
Β© Photo by Peter Oleskevich/Acadia University

β€œI’m looking forward to it,” Owens said Monday. β€œI grew up here, so it’s cool to get a shot with a professional team at home.”

Owens said top-notch conditioning is a priority with him and he’s been working out all summer to be in the best shape possible.

β€œYou need to be ready to compete,” said the 5-10, 190 pound defenceman who was a first-team conference all-star last season

Busy times

He’s also helping out at four Newfoundland and Labrador hockey schools, including the Danny Cleary Hockey School at Jack Byrne Arena and the Atlantic Ice Warriors Hockey School in Clarenville, both running this month.

Owens says he brings β€œa pretty good offensive upside and strong defensive game” to the table for those teams interested in his services.

β€œI’m smart with the puck and I make a pretty good first pass,” he added.

Owens had 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 28 games with the Axemen last season andΒ averaged almost a point per game in his four years at Acadia with 104 points (30 goals, 74 assists) in 109 games.Read more »

Former Acadia coach helped guide tiny nation Latvia to successful Olympics

Halifax native Tom Coolen, an assistant coach with Latvia, draws up a play on the bench during a third-period timeout in his team’s Olympic hockey quarter-final against Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Wednesday. (MARK HUMPHREY / CP)
Halifax native Tom Coolen, an assistant coach with Latvia, draws up a play on the bench during a third-period timeout in his team’s Olympic hockey quarter-final against Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Wednesday. (MARK HUMPHREY / CP)
Tom Coolen has climbed from the AUS to the NHL.

The former Acadia Axemen hockey coach was named one of four assistants to Buffalo Sabres’ head coach Ted Nolan earlier this week.

The Sabres announced Aug. 4 he would join Nolan’s staff in Buffalo, along with Bryan Trottier, Danny Flynn and goaltending coach Arturs Irb.

Coolen, 60, was born and raised in Halifax and is best known around Nova Scotia for building an AUS dynasty at Acadia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He guided the Axemen to their first-ever national hockey championship in 1993 and you could even go so far as to say he helped raise the profile of the entire conference on the CIS landscape.
Read more »