Left winger Michael Ryan, who cleared NHL waivers over the weekend, scored one goal, and rookie forward David Booth scored the other, as the Rochester Americans closed their preseason with a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Marlies Monday afternoon.

The article mainly talks about the latest Sabres send downs.

Amerks lose preseason finale

Former Florida Everblades defenseman Grant McNeill was released on Monday by the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

According to a press release, McNeill is expected to attend the training camp of the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers.

There are no enforcers in the Panthers System -- I would have liked to have McNeill back. Still, the Canes have a fine crop of bruisers.

Ex-Blade McNeill cut by AHL club

Could the Panthers start the season with three goalies on the roster?

(Craig) Anderson likely will be sent down to the AHL affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., or traded/loaned to another AHL franchise in the coming days.

Healthy Belfour practices for Panthers

An interesting tidbit -- there are only six NHL players that are 40 years old or older. Three of them, Ed Belfour (41), Joe Nieuwendyk (40) and Gary Roberts (40), are on the Florida Panthers Roster.

The other three? Ex-Panther Scott Mellanby (40) now with the Atlanta Thrashers, Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios (44) and Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek (41).

Canes at Camp

The Panthers and the Amerks both open their season Friday Night. The Amerks will be holding a "Red Out" to kick off their season.

Amers to hold a 'Red Out' Friday in Season Opener.

"I think Anthony needs to go down and play," coach and general manager Jacques Martin said. "I don't think he's ready to play in the National Hockey League. It's unfortunate he missed three quarters of a season last year. He has some excellent skills and excellent talent. But he has to learn about the pro game."

Other cuts included former Michigan State standout David Booth; defensemen Alexei Semenov and Ari Vallen; and center Janis Sprukts. All five are expected to start the season with the Americans. Florida is required to send a minimum of nine players to Rochester, although that number could be more if the Americans request it.

Roster nearly set for opener
also
ROSTER MOVES
and
Panthers open up offense
and of course the actual Panthers Press Release

"There's three goalies for one spot," Pelletier said after practice. "Craig Anderson and myself can't get sent down to the East Coast (ECHL), so something has to give."

Ideally, the Panthers will loan Pelletier — or possibly Anderson — to another AHL team. That way the No. 3 and 4 goalies in the organization can play at the highest level outside of the NHL while Shantz learns the pro game with the ECHL's Florida Everblades.

No loan has been arranged, however. Most NHL teams believe they have adequate goaltending depth and want their young prospects playing in the AHL.

Pelletier's stay could stop short

Yesterday's big Blades headlines:

The Blades — who have 10 players signed for the 2006-07 regular season which will kick off in three weeks — are expecting to receive many players from their NHL affiliates, the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, and didn't have enough space for Aucoin on their roster.

"We do not have enough room for him unfortunately," Blades general manager Craig Brush said. "We're getting guys from the (American Hockey League) and we already signed too many players.

Aucoin no longer with Everblades

"Phil signed his qualifying offer at a time when we weren’t quite certain about how many players we were going to receive from our affiliates (Carolina and the Florida Panthers), and unfortunately for Phil, it looks like we’re going to get more than we originally had anticipated," Fleming said by phone while on his way to Albany, N.Y., to watch some of Carolina’s prospects at the Albany River Rats’ American Hockey League camp.

"So we just didn’t have the room to play him and Phil’s the type of player that has to play. We released him to give him the opportunity to go to Memphis, a team that he’s familiar with."

Aucoin joins CHL team after being released by Everblades

It looks like the duel affiliation is going to work out worse than ever for the Everblades in terms of call ups during the season. Albany is carrying 36 guys already and are expecting 11 more to join their camp this weekend.

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

More experienced players have already been cut from training camp. That includes three minor-leaguers who had short stints with the Panthers last season.

Rookie left winger David Booth, however, is still here. Wednesday, Booth skated on the fourth line and also saw ice time on the penalty kill. While this is the first pro camp for the 21-year-old out of Michigan State, there was a feeling after the first practice nearly two weeks ago that he'd hang around for a while.

"He definitely was our best player of rookie camp, and he looked like he didn't miss a beat," Martin said then, and added Wednesday that Booth has continued to have a strong camp.

One of 30 remaining players on the roster, Booth most likely will be assigned to Rochester of the American Hockey League before the start of the season. There's a slim chance he will stay with the Panthers if left-winger Ville Peltonen is placed on injured reserve because of an injured shoulder, though right-winger Anthony Stewart would be the likely candidate to be the 13th forward.

Regardless, "This has been some of the best couple weeks of my life," said Booth, who scored his only goal this preseason at Chicago last Thursday.

Also

Cats' rookie Booth making impression*

From the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle:

Rookie defenseman Franklin MacDonald strengthened his chances of staying with the Rochester Americans by scoring once in regulation and then twice in the shootout in a 4-3 win over Syracuse Wednesday night at the ESL Sports Centre.

In regulation, David Brine scored one goal and assisted on the other by Jonathan Lehun.

Goalie David Shantz stopped 35 shots.

MacDonald, Brine, Taylor and Shantz have all been projected to start the season with the ECHL Florida Everblades. Lehun played part of last season with the Blades.

also

Amerks beat Syracuse 4-3 in sudden-death shootout

Jean-Marc Pelletier may be the odd man out in the Panthers goaltending situation. Yesterday, the Miami Herald reported:

General manager and coach Jacques Martin said defenseman Alexei Semenov and goalies Craig Anderson and Jean-Marc Pelletier cleared waivers Tuesday, with Pelletier sent to the team's minor-league affiliate in Rochester, N.Y.

Semenov and Anderson will remain with the team for the time being, although the Panthers can send them to the minors without having to clear waivers again within the next 30 days.

Anderson and Pelletier are competing for the Panthers' No. 3 job, which means starting the season in Rochester. Pelletier, who looks like the odd man out, gave up one goal in two preseason games. Florida could lend either Pelletier or Anderson to another AHL franchise.

"They did what they had to do, so it puts me and them in a strange position," Pelletier said. "There are five goalies for four spots. Something has to give. All I can do is what I do on the ice."

Naples Daily News reporter Andy Kent seems to feel that Pelletier may be coming to Southwest Florida:

Pelletier has never played at the ECHL level, and wasn’t too keen on the idea when it was mentioned as an option if he wanted to remain with the Panthers organization.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, however, it’s not in my contract so I’d have to accept (the assignment),” he said. “I’m an educated man. I’ve got two years of college done (at Cornell) and I always told myself when somebody told me that I wasn’t good enough to play I’d just move on to other things. But I think I’m still good enough to play and we’ll see where that leads me.”

Kent also thought Southwest Florida was in the Frankie Liriano lottery as well, but Liriano made his rehab start earlier this year with Rochester.

And finally:

Hurricanes Night among Blades' many promotions

I am scheduled for surgery on October 26th, and will be stuck in bed for Hurricane night. Oh well...




* Requires registration. Try <a href="http://www.bugmenot.com>www.bugmenot.com</a> if you do not wish to register.</i>

Four former Florida Everblades were among nine players deleted Saturday from the training camp roster of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Goaltenders Craig Kowalski and Kevin Nastiuk and forwards Vince Bellissimo and Kevin Estrada will report to the American Hockey League's Albany River Rats early next week for the start of their training camp. Forwards Mike Angelidis, Joe Barnes and Stephen Peat and defenseman Brett Carson will be joining them.

-- Former Blades reassigned by Hurricanes

Before heading out on the road for a pair of preseason games, the Hurricanes trimmed their roster by nine Saturday morning; sending Mike Angelidis, Joe Barnes, Vince Bellissimo, Brett Carson, Kevin Estrada, Craig Kowalski, Kevin Nastiuk and Stephen Peat to Albany (AHL), and returning Harrison Reed to his junior team in Ontario.

No surprises in that group, with forwards Patrick Dwyer and Scott Kelman and defensemen Derrick Walser, J.D. Forrest and Tim Conboy avoiding the axe.

-- Canes at Camp

Peters will be moving on as well. It was no doubt his only opportunity of the preseason, with John Grahame expected to start tonight and Cam Ward and Grahame certain to split the final two games next weekend.

But there will be other chances for him in the years to come, his future as bright as ever even after a dark night in the net.

"The only way to get better prepared is experience," Peters said. "Tonight was an experience."

-- Canes' Peters lets in seven goals

In related news, the Florida Panthers lost their Exhibition game in Pueto Rico to the New York Rangers, 3-2.

Florida Panthers goalie Alex Auld made 38 saves and defensemen Steve Montador scored the first NHL goal on Puerto Rican ice. New Panthers defenseman Ari Vallin also scored for Florida.

Cuts were expected to be made after the game, but none have been announced by the Panthers, who now fly to Detroit for an exhibition game against the Red Wings. The Panthers are 0-for-5 in the 2006 preseason.

Meanwhile...

The Rochester Americans opened their 2006 training camp Saturday night at the ESL Sports Centre on the campus of Monroe Community College.

The teams treated fans to a red-white scrimmage. The red team was led by forward Mark Mancari, as he assisted on one goal and scored the shootout game-winner in a 2-1 red team win. The white team was led by a goal from Bret Nasby.

The Amerks will return to the ice on Sunday, September 24th from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the ESL Sports Centre. The session is free and open to the public.

Rochester opens the season against the Albany River Rats on Friday, October 6th at 7:35 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial.

-- Amerk Press Release

Former Panther prospect Wade Flaherty was named the starting goaltender for the 2006 Canadian AHL All-Star team.

None of the current Florida prospects were named to either the Canadian or to the Planet USA team.

Despite regularly facing up-and-coming stars more than 15 years his junior, Wade Flaherty has had a terrific 2005-06 campaign, cracking the AHL’s top 10 in wins, goals-against average and save percentage and leading the entire circuit with five shutouts in 26 games.

The MVP of the 2004 Calder Cup Playoffs and veteran of 120 NHL games is making the first AHL All-Star Game appearance of his 17-year professional career.

A former 9th round Buffalo Sabres draft pick, Flaherty was in the Cats system for two years, playing 45 games with AHL Utah Grizzlies in the 2001-02 season and 20 games with the San Antonio Rampage in the 2002-03 season. Flaherty also appeared in four games for the Florida Panthers during the 2001-02 season, posting a 2.94 GAA and a .919 save percentage.

It should be noted that none of the Panthers prospects in the ECHL made their respective All-Star team either.

Cats First in The Hockey News Future Watch - Three Players among Top 50 Prospects

SUNRISE, FLA. ­ The Florida Panthers have been selected by The Hockey News as the top team in the 2004 "Future Watch," in its annual issue that ranks the players 21 years of age or younger from all 30 National Hockey League teams. The Panthers have vastly improved their organizational depth under General Manager Rick Dudley, who joined the club on May 10, 2002.

Florida was ranked 18th two years ago in the Future Watch, jumped up to the fourth spot in last years poll, and then grabbed the top spot this year. Dudley, Director of Scouting Scott Luce, and the Panthers scouting staff have drafted players who have quickly stepped into the lineup and contributed, such as 20-year-old D Jay Bouwmeester and 18-year-old C Nathan Horton.

Because they are currently in the NHL, Bouwmeester, Horton, and 20-year-old C Stephen Weiss were not included in the poll or its rankings.

"It¹s an honor to receive that recognition from The Hockey News and a tribute to the excellent work of our scouting staff," said Dudley. "We scour the world in search the best talent and we¹re proud of our work over the last couple of seasons. It¹s also a reflection of the hard work by the players themselves who have had the commitment and dedication to continue to improve since we drafted them. Additionally, it¹s a reflection of some of the fine work of Bryan and Tim Murray, who are now with Anaheim."

The Panthers have had three 21-and-unders with them throughout the season: Weiss, the No. 4 overall pick in 2001; Bouwmeester; 2002's No. 3 overall pick, and Horton, the No. 3 overall pick last June. Also with the Panthers is 20-year-old D Lukas Krajicek, the No. 24 overall pick in 2001. Krajicek is one of three Panthers ranked in the Top 50 prospects, a list compiled by polling head scouts, assistant general managers or directors of player personnel. RW Anthony Stewart, picked 25th overall in 2003, is No. 17 in the Top 50, Krajicek is 36th and C Vaclav Nedorost ranks 40th.

Rossiter and Scott reassigned to San Antonio

SUNRISE, FLA. ­ Florida Panthers General Manager Rick Dudley announced today that the Panthers have reassigned D Kyle Rossiter and G Travis Scott to San Antonio (AHL).

Rossiter, 23, joined the Panthers on February 9, 2004, but did not see any action in his most recent call up.

Scott, 28, was recalled yesterday on an emergency basis to back up G Roberto Luongo.

Earlier this season, Rossiter appeared in four games with the Panthers, recording no points. In nine career NHL games, he has been held without a point, while recording nine penalty minutes. The Edmonton, Alberta native has 10 points (4-6-10) and 61 penalty minutes in 37 games with the San Antonio this season.