STOCKTON, Calif. – The Alaska Aces training camp is officially open and the 2012-2013 Aces season begins on the road in Colorado on October 12. The club will return home on Friday, October 19 at Sullivan Arena for their regular season home opener.
The Aces recently re-signed defensemen Russ Sinkewich and Danny Markowitz, and forwards Zach Harrison and Matt Ambroz for the 2012-2013 season.
Sinkewich, 27, is back for his third season with the Aces. The 6’4″, 219 pound defenseman split time last year between the Aces and a pair of AHL clubs. After opening the year with Alaska, Sinkewich was called up to Abbotsford Heat in December. Sinkewich had two goals and four assists and was plus-13 in 23 games with the Aces. He appeared in 21 games with the Heat before finishing the year with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The defensive-minded blue liner had an assist, 28 penalty minutes, and was a plus-4 in his 29 combined AHL games last season. He has played 192 career games, with 41 coming at the AHL level for four different teams. Prior to turning pro, the Westlake, OH native played four seasons of collegiate hockey at Bowling Green State University.
Markowitz, 24, re-signs with Alaska after joining the team in November and remaining with the club through the end of the season. Last season Markowitz played in 47 games for Alaska, registering a goal and three assists. He opened the season in the SPHL with the Fayetteville FireAntz, where he was among the highest scoring defensemen in the league. Markowitz had six points (2g, 4a) in his first five games of the season, before being summoned to Alaska. Prior to turning pro, the 6’0″, 182 pound, Jericho, New York native played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Dartmouth. He appeared in 80 games, before missing his senior year with an injury.
Harrison, 24, returns to Alaska for his third season in glacier blue. The Flint, Michigan native has spent his entire pro career with the Aces after being acquired in the second week of the 2010-2011 season. Harrison was one of the Aces most inspiring stories last season, overcoming a career-threatening injury to appear in 63 games and register 30 points (8g, 22a). On February 4, 2011 in a game in Victoria, British Columbia, Harrison went awkwardly into the boards, feet first, and broke his leg, ending his rookie season, and threatening his playing future. Following a long rehabilitation, Harrison rejoined the Aces almost eight months after the injury in time for the start of the 2011-12 campaign. In 104 career regular season games – all with the Aces – Harrison has 45 points (13g, 32a), 65 PIM and a plus-7 rating. Harrison also added one assist in eight playoff games last season. Before turning pro, the 5’11”, 180 pound. forward was a four-year member of the University of Minnesota-Mankato. In his time there, Harrison had 70 points (26g, 44a) in 152 games. As a senior, Harrison finished the season with career highs of 16 assists and 24 points, and finished the year just two points off the team lead.
Ambroz, 25, returns to Alaska after spending his rookie season with the club last year. Ambroz appeared in 48 games for the Aces last season, contributing 10 points (3g, 7a) and a team-high 88 penalty minutes. His 12 major penalties led the Aces and ranked tied for second among ECHL rookies. The 6’4″, 210 pound Ambroz made his pro debut as an amateur in the 2011 ECHL postseason. He appeared in one game during the Aces Kelly Cup run, playing in game four of the Western Conference Finals in Victoria, as the Aces clinched the conference championship. Prior to turning pro, the New Prague, Minnesota native completed a four-year collegiate career at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He totaled 90 points (43g, 47a) and 248 PIM in 154 games with UNO. As a senior, Ambroz led the team in goals and finished second in points posting 17 goals, 17 assists, and 34 points in 39 games. His 17 goals placed him in the top-10 most productive goal scoring seasons in Mavericks history. Last fall he attended training camp with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
The quartet of Aces returners gives Alaska 13 players under contract who were on last year’s Aces team. They are Matt Ambroz, Gerald Coleman, Tim Hall, Zach Harrison, Jordan Kremyr, Kane Lafranchise, Danny Markowitz, Nick Mazzolini, Garry Nunn, James Reid, Tyler Ruegsegger, Russ Sinkewich, and Steve Ward. The Aces have 20 total players under contract as training camp opened last weekend. Their roster consists of three goaltenders, six defensemen, and 11 forwards.
GOALTENDERS:
Gerald Coleman
Mark Guggenberger
James Reid
DEFENSE:
Sean Curry
Kane Lafranchise
Danny Markowitz
Todd Orlando
Russ Sinkewich
Steve Ward
FORWARDS:
Matt Ambroz
Tim Hall
Zach Harrison
Bobby Hughes
Jordan Kremyr
Nick Mazzolini
Tommy Mele
Garry Nunn
Matt Robinson
Tyler Ruegsegger
Jarred Smith
In addition, the Aces have added four NHL veteran players to their camp roster including forwards Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Gomez, Joey Crabb, and Nate Thompson. The quartet of NHL players are all natives of Anchorage, Alaska. Dubinsky Gomez and Thompson have signed professional tryout agreements (PTO), and Crabb signed a standard player contract. All four players are currently under NHL contracts, but due to the recent NHL Lockout are not playing.
Dubinsky, 26, has played in nearly 400 NHL games in his career. The Anchorage, AK native is a former second round selection (60th overall) of the New York Rangers in the 2004 NHL Draft. He had spent his entire pro career with the Rangers organization before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this off-season. Dubinsky has 213 points (81g, 132a) in 393 NHL games. He spent his rookie season with the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL, where he had 43 points (21g, 22a). Dubinsky represented Team USA in the 2008 and 2010 World Cup. His most productive pro season came two years ago in 2010-2011 when he had 54 points (24g, 30a) in 77 games and led the Rangers in scoring.
Gomez, 32, is a veteran of more than 900 NHL games, and is the most decorated Alaskan-born hockey player ever. Gomez has 686 career NHL points (169g, 517a) and won Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003 with the New Jersey Devils. In 2000 he won the NHLs Calder Trophy, presented to the Rookie of the Year. A current member of the Montreal Canadiens, Gomez is making his second appearance with the Aces. During the last NHL lockout in the 2004-2005 season, the 5’11”, 200 poind center returned home to suit up for the Aces. Gomez was outstanding with Alaska, leading the league in scoring with 86 points (13g, 73a) in 61 games. He led the Aces to a division championship and was voted the ECHLs Most Valuable Player. Before his pro career, Gomez was twice named the Alaska High School Player of the Year, and as a sophomore, won a state championship with East. The year after he left the Aces, Gomez had a career-best season with New Jersey, tallying 84 points (33g, 51a) in 82 games. Gomez is a two-time NHL All-Star and member of Team USA in the World Cup and the 2006 Olympic Games.
Crabb, 29, signed with the Washington Capitals this offseason after the most productive NHL season of his career. Last season the 6’1″, 190-pound Crabb earned a call-up to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he notched a NHL career-high 26 points (11g, 15a) in 67 games. Prior to his call to the Leafs, Crabb was on a torrid pace in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, where he registered 15 points (7g, 8a) in nine games. He represented Team USA in the 2012 World Cup this past summer. In 2008, Crabb won an AHL Championship with the Chicago Wolves. Crabb has played in 144 career NHL games for the Maple Leafs, and Atlanta Thrashers and has 50 points (18g, 32a). He has played in 299 AHL games for the Wolves and Marlies and has 172 points (73g, 99a). Crabb was a seventh round pick (226thoverall) of the New York Rangers in the 2002 NHL Draft and attended Colorado College before turning pro.
Thompson, 27, is in his eighth season of pro hockey, split between the AHL and NHL. Since 2008 the 6’0″, 210-pound, Thompson has played exclusively in the NHL for the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning. In 265 career NHL games, Thompson has 54 points (23g, 31a) and 155 PIM. He has 80 points (35g, 45a) in 216 AHL games. Thompson was a 2003 sixth round pick (183 overall) of the Boston Bruins in the NHL Draft. He spent two seasons playing for the Providence Bruins. Thompson captained the P-Bruins in 2006-2007, the same year he made his NHL debut with four games with Boston. Prior to turning pro, Thompson played four years in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds. He was an alternate captain this summer for Team USA in the World Cup, where he scored two goals in eight games. He is currently under contract with the Lightning.
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