Former first-round draft pick to join Condors
| Thursday, Aug 27 2009 11:44 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Aug 27 2009 11:46 PM
Defenseman Sasha Pokulok, a first-round draft choice of the Washington Capitals in 2005, will be joining the Condors this fall.
The team announced on Thursday the signing of Pokulok as well as rookie Sal Peralta.
Pokulok, 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, has split time over the past three seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League and the South Carolina Stingrays, who won the 2009 ECHL championship.
The 23-year old was the 14th overall pick in the 2005 draft and will become just the third first-round draft choice to play for the Condors and their predecessor, the Bakersfield Fog.
He suffered a concussion in his first pro game with Hershey and missed most of his rookie season due to that and another injury, playing just 16 games for South Carolina. He spent most of the next season in Hershey (44 games, 7 points) while playing in five regular-season games with South Carolina to become eligible for the ECHL playoffs.
He played in just 31 regular-season games last season -- eight in Hershey and 23 in South Carolina.
"His agent is a friend of mine," Condors coach Marty Raymond said of how he came into contact with Pokulok. "He's a first-round pick looking for a bit of redemption. There's a reason he got picked in the first round. He wants to go back up to the next level and do well."
Pokulok will have another shot at the AHL before coming to Bakersfield as he will be in training camp with the Hartford Whalers on Sept. 17.
"We'll see what happens (in Hartford) but if they don't sign me I'll be in Bakersfield," Pokulok said in a telephone conversation on Thursday. "I spent the whole summer trying to figure out where I was going to play and I really liked what Marty Raymond had to say. I think Bakersfield is a perfect fit."
Prior to turning pro, Pokulok won a gold medal with Canada at the 2006 World Junior Championship in Vancouver, and had two standout seasons with Cornell University.
Peralta, 26, played the past five seasons in the Canadian college ranks (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, where he captained his team to the CIS championship game in 2009, losing to University of New Brunswick.
Peralta (a 6-2, 200-pound right wing) finished first or second on the Mustangs in scoring four times, including two team scoring titles.
"Sal is a big man with very good speed," Raymond said. "He had a great career in the OHL and I expect he will do the same at the pro level."
The Condors, who announced a renewed affiliation with the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, now have 12 players under contract.
