Defenseman Jeremy Swanson and center Dustin Johner were with the Amerks for parts of last season, when the franchise's streak of 16 consecutive playoff appearances came to an end.

The other 21 players will be new to the Amerk scene, though several will be required to make big contributions in the upcoming American Hockey League season.

While veterans Craig Anderson and Jean-Marc Pelletier may very well be assigned to the Amerks from the Florida Panthers, kids will be in goal for now.

David Shantz, coming off a mediocre final season of junior hockey, is still viewed as a top prospect for the Panthers.

Erm.....I wrote in my Blog, Last year with the Petes, Shantz posted a 31-14-3 record with a 2.87 GAA. He also appeared in 19 playoff games for the Petes, who won the OHL Eastern Conference Championship, the OHL title and berth in the CHL Memorial Cup.

This is mediocre?

Anyway....

Mostly new Amerks open training camp

Four lonely hockey souls have taken over the ice on one of the recreational rinks at Germain Arena for a little over an hour each morning, trying to gain an edge.

Reggie Berg, Ryan Brindley, Ernie Hartlieb and Brent McDonald occupy all four veteran spots on the Florida Everblades roster for the upcoming ECHL season. So while the younger players and prospective assignees from the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are sharpening their skills at NHL and American Hockey League training camps, these four have to rely on themselves.

"It's been a grind but it's been boring. We've been here every day, every morning three hours a day skating for an hour-and-a-half and working out," said Hartlieb, who was fourth on the Everblades in scoring last season with 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 55 games. "It's basically been a 2-on-2 battle between myself, Reggie, Brindley and B-Mac. We have no goaltenders so we're shooting at goalposts, so it's got to the point where we're just waiting for everybody to get here so we can have a goalie and have some other guys we can play full ice with."

I'm sorry? You couldn't dig up Shieldsy or Cam to act as your goalies? Whatever is this world coming to?

Blades veterans gearing up for training camp

With a protective wrap keeping his right shoulder immobile, Florida Panthers rookie prospect Martin Tuma tried to manage a smile as he took a break from his recent workout at Germain Arena.

Tuma, who turned 21 last week, would rather be with his Panthers teammates either in Rochester, N.Y., where Florida's American Hockey League affiliate opens training camp today, or in Detroit or Puerto Rico for some more NHL exhibition games (the Panthers play the New York Rangers tonight in San Juan and the Red Wings on Sunday). But a dislocated right shoulder suffered in the first period of an exhibition game two weeks ago against rookies from the Montreal Canadiens has set him back.

"You work hard all summer and then you play one game, one period and all the hard work is not gone, but it makes you mad that stuff like that happens," said Tuma, who had six assists in 48 regular-season games last year with the ECHL's Florida Everblades. "It's part of the game but I guess I have to handle it and work hard to come back. Hopefully, I won't have to have surgery on it, which would be the worst thing that could happen."

Dislocated shoulder sets Tuma back

Less than a month before the start of the 2006-07 hockey season, the Florida Everblades' home rink is without its vice president of operations.

Steve St. John, who replaced Frank Lapsley three years ago, confirmed his resignation Friday and said his last day will be next Thursday. He has taken a job with SMG, one of the world's largest entertainment and conference venue management corporations, and will be running the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Ky., starting Oct. 2.

"I think career wise, SMG is a company that has many more opportunities for me to advance my career," St. John said. "So it's a career move strictly. I love Southwest Florida and had an awesome time here, a good go. There's nothing wrong currently with my situation, it's just strictly a career move looking long-term."

St. John resigns as Germain Arena's VP of operations