(Frankin) MacDonald, David Brine and Adam Taylor were among 40 players invited to participate in the Survivor-like series Making The Cut. Filmed in August, it's basically Who Wants to be a Pro Hockey Player. Overseeing the actual hockey were Jack Birch, director of hockey operations for the Florida Panthers, and Mike Keenan, the Panthers general manager until his resignation earlier this month. The show was essentially the Panthers own little free-agent tryout camp.

MacDonald, Brine and Taylor all made the TV cut and signed contracts with the Panthers. MacDonald is now hoping to make another cut and stay with the Rochester Americans, rather than go to the ECHL's Florida Everblades.

Reality TV leads to deal for MacDonald

The Rochester Americans lost for the first time this preseason, dropping a 4-1 decision tonight to the Toronto Marlies at the ESL Sports Centre on the campus of Monroe Community College.

Rochester falls to 2-1-0-0, after opening the preseason with wins over the Syracuse Crunch. The Marlies improved to 2-0-0-0 with the road win.

Amerks drop first perseason game, Lose 4-1

Meanwhile Defenseman Alexei Semenov, who was optioned to Rochester on Thursday, was recalled by the Panthers on Friday following an injury to Mike Van Ryan.

Van Ryn Hurt

Rochester made their first cuts yesterday. Coming to Southwest Florida will be goaltender David Shantz, defenseman Steve Czech and Bret Nasby, and forwards Dustin Johner and Jonathan Lehun.

Also released were defenseman Christopher Trick and Gabriel Proulx, and forwards Austin Sutter, Branislav Fabry, J.F. Soucy, Darryl McKinnon, and Derek Damon. It is unclear where these players are being assigned.

The Blades also received Jon Jakus from the Albany River Rats where he was attending AHL camp. The forward from the University of Maine was signed by the Everblades in July.

Also cut from River Rats camp were defensemen Preston Briggs, Jacob Schuster and Andrew Winnik, and centers Brad Parsons.

Rats squander lead

In other ECHL news...

The ECHL will once again have a different number of teams in its two conferences for the 2006-07 season. The conferences will also play under distinct playoff formats.

The ECHL released its division and conference alignments, and playoff format for the 2006-07 season Friday afternoon.

For the most part, not much will change from last season. The Estero-based Florida Everblades will remain in the American Conference's South Division.

ECHL divisions stay uneven; playoff format set
also
ECHL conferences shuffled; playoff format revised

And the European exodus continues:

In addition to (Paul) Cabana and (Matt) Bannan, forwards Kevin Bergin (Basingstoke Bison of England’s Elite Ice Hockey League), Daniel Sisca (Italy’s HCJ Milano Vipers), Steve Saviano (Växjö Lakers of the Allsvenskan League in Sweden), defensemen Corey Neilson (GMB Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL) and Tyson Teplitsky (EIHL’s Cardiff Devils) and goaltender Phil Osaer (Cardiff Devils) have crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

Last season, Cabana scored 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) in 60 regular-season games, missing some time with a separated shoulder, and added seven points (5 goals, 2 assists) in seven playoff games. But Florida did not list him on the protected list or tender a qualifying offer, so he had to start exploring other options.

Cabana to play in Germany