Condors wait on reinforcements from AHL
| Thursday, Mar 11 2010 11:10 AM
Last Updated Thursday, Mar 11 2010 11:10 PM
Condors at Las Vegas
When: Tonight, 7
Where: Orleans Arena
Radio: KGEO (1230 AM)
Condors record: 32-24-5
Wranglers record: 27-26-7
Series: Bakersfield is 5-3-1
Notes: The Condors finish up their regular season series with the Wranglers with three games in three days and Condors Coach Marty Raymond stressed the importance of the series with his players on Thursday. "These three games are important to us, really important." he said. "I told the team it's important to have a consistent effort. I told them they're pros and we need to win a minimum of two games. We have to start beating teams behind us." ... Gino Guyer and Andrew Ianiero have scored points in three straight games.
The American Hockey League Clear Day roster deadline certainly cleared the air as to when the Bakersfield Condors might be getting any players back from the higher league.
Well, not actually.
As expected, none of the former Condors now in the AHL are coming back for games this weekend as all but two made the Clear Day list, which is a list of players eligible to play the rest of the AHL season and playoffs.
But there is an asterisk to the list. Teams can also keep "in residence" players, who can play due to recalls, injuries or suspensions. Defenseman Sasha Pokulok in San Antonio and defenseman Mark Mitera in Abbotsford, are on those lists.
"It's a situation where if Pokulok or Mitera sit a game or two they will probably be back in Bakersfield," said Condors president Matthew Riley.
Pokulok has signed a Professional Tryout Agreement with San Antonio but remains property of the Condors at the ECHL level. Mitera and seven other players are property of the Anaheim Ducks assigned to various AHL teams.
Riley said it is his hope that when AHL teams are eliminated from playoff contention, some of the assigned Ducks players will be reassigned to Bakersfield.
"Once these teams we're talking about are either eliminated from playoff contention or their season ends, our hope is (the players) would have the opportunity to come back here."
The problem is, the AHL regular season ends a week after the ECHL season, meaning if the Condors have to wait for the end of the AHL season, the first round of the ECHL playoffs will be heading toward a conclusion.
"My hope is if they are eliminated a week, two weeks or a day before our season ends they have the opportunity to come back here," Riley said.
Toronto, where nine-year NHL vet Kyle Calder is playing, is nine points out of a playoff position and San Antonio, where Stu Brickel and MacGregor Sharp are playing in addition to Pokulok, is eight points our of a playoff spot.
"The guys here have battled and the fact is we're in first place and we are competing," Riley said.
Still, Riley said the Condors are trying to improve in any manner they can from trades to finding college players.
Forward Mathieu Aubin was sent to Cincinnati on Thursday to complete the "futures" portion of a trade which brought forward Mark Voskes and defensemen Scott Marchesi to the Condors. Voskes and Marchesi will be in action tonight.
Also playing this weekend on an Amateur Tryout Agreement will be forward Dan Kissel, who just completed play at the University of Notre Dame.
"Hopefully these moves will help us out," Condors coach Marty Raymond said. "I'm trying to pick up another college guy to help us out as well. We need more depth right now, especially at D."
