Riverkings captain closing in on milestone

SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi — In the world of hockey, defensemen are usually not known for scoring points. That’s what makes Mississippi RiverKings captain Derek Landmesser’s story even more impressive.  
 
Landmesser has been known for years by CHL fans to be a feisty defender who is not afraid to get involved when things get rough. The area of his game that many overlook is his passing ability.  
 

The veteran defenseman is closing in on a milestone that most current Central Hockey League players can only dream of one day approaching. As the Riverkings prepare to take the ice against the rival Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on Thursday, one assist is all that separates Landmesser from his 400^th CHL assist.
 
In doing so, he will become only the tenth player in CHL history to reach that mark.
 
“What can I say? Mess has great skill and vision. He always seems to find the open guy,” said Riverkings head coach Kevin Kaminski. “400 assists is a great accomplishment for a D-man.”
 
This season is Landmesser’s ninth in a Riverkings sweater. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native has averaged 48 helpers in his previous eight seasons, and contributed a career-high 64 during the 2005-06 campaign.
 
Landmesser currently ranks third among defensemen in assists with nine. Odessa’s Alex Dunn and Philippe Plante are tied at first with ten assists each. He has never had fewer than 41 assists in a season. In 2002-03 his 44 assists helped the RiverKings claim the Ray Miron President’s Cup.
 
The RiverKings have dropped two of their last three as they prepare to invade the CenturyTel Center on Thursday to meet the Mudbugs again. The two heated rivals have split their two previous meetings. The Mudbugs won the Halloween matinee contest in Southaven 2-1, while the RiverKings won 4-1 on November 13. After their game on Thursday, both teams will board their buses and continue the series at the Desoto Civic Center on Friday.
 
RiverKings fans will also see another milestone on Friday.
 
Center Louis Dumont will play in his 1,000^th professional game. Dumont is in his fourth season with Mississippi and is tied with Landmesser for the team lead in assists with nine. Dumont has scored 64 goals and 119 assists for 183 career points as a RiverKing. Dumont, who began his professional career with the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks of the ECHL in 1994-95, is also just 10 goals shy of reaching 400 career professional goals.
 
Contact the author at john.hall@prohockeynews.com
 
Contact the photographer at les.stockton@prohockeynews.com