CINCINNATI,OH – After winning the Kelly Cup, the Cincinnati Cyclones have high expectations for their title defense.
I’m very excited to be a part of the Cyclones organization,” said new head coach Jarrod Skalde. “It’s great coming into a place that has had tremendous success with ownership and fans that expect excellence. I’m really looking forward to the challenge and building on that.”
COACHING STAFF– The Chuck Weber and Dean Stork days are over at the Bank. Weber has moved on to coach the AHL’s Rochester Americans and Stork is director of hockey operations with the expansion Greenville Warriors of the ECHL.
Leading the Cyclones this season are Head coach Skalde and his assistant Scott Fankhouser.
Skalde, a native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, comes to Cincinnati after spending two years behind the bench of the Bloomington Prairie Thunder of the IHL. He has spend 19 years in pro hockey, 17 as a player. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Skalde went on to log 115 games with eight different teams in the NHL. He also played professionally in the IHL, AHL, Switzerland, Sweden and Japan during a career that spanned 1,071 games. In 1992-93, Skalde appeared in four games with the Cyclones – putting up three points (1 goal, 2 assists). He was the first player in Cyclones history to have been called up directly to the NHL.
Fankhouser was an 11th round draft choice of the St. Louis Blues and the 276th overall selection in the 1994 NHL draft. He played a total of 23 games with the Atlanta Thrashers between 1999-2001, posting a 3.20 goals against average and an .895 save percentage.
The Cyclones roster went through an extreme makeover during the off-season. Dylan Hunter, son of former NHL’er Dale Hunter joins the team after spending parts of the 2009-2010 with the Utah Grizzlies, the Milwaukee Admirals and the Rochester Americans. Matthieu Aubin, will be counted on to bring the scoring touch he showed during the 07-08 season where he amassed 30 Goals and 27 assists in 47 Games played. Adam Bartholomay who spent last season with the Tulsa Oilers has returned home to the ECHL.
Chris Morehouse and Matt Pierce round out the veteran contingent. Sam D’Agostino will also be suiting up for the Cyclones after four seasons with the University of Massachusetts Lowell Riverhawks.
Cincinnati’s defense will start the season with several ECHL veterans. Brock Sheahan and Brian O’Hanley are expected to be the leaders on the blueline for the Cyclones this year. Sheahan was a mainstay on the Cincinnati blue line, skating in 71 of 72 regular season games and all 24 postseason tilts. Sheahan was one of 12 Cyclones to log at least one game in the AHL last season, making his AHL debut with the Houston Aeros on February 6, 2010. J.C. Sawyer stays in the state of Ohio after suiting up with the expansion Toledo Walleye last season. Kevin Roeder is looking at becoming a mainstay on the blueline this season after an injury riddled season where he was forced to miss 32 games due to injury, but did manage 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in his shortened season.
The Cyclones will look to Jeremy Smith and Marc Cheverie to provide goaltending between the pipes at the Bank this season. Smith, a Dearborn, Michigan native, posted a 23-15-0-2 record during the 2009-2010 regular season with two shutouts, earning him a spot in the ECHL All-Star Game. In the postseason, Smith went 9-7-1 with a 2.67 GAA, a 90.7 save percentage, and one shutout. Upon the completion of the Kelly Cup Finals, Smith was awarded Co-Playoff MVP accolades. Cheverie joins the Cyclones for his rookie season after spending three seasons with the Denver Pioneers of the NCAA, during his three season with the Pioneers he posted a 48-6-8 record in 74 games played.
With a expectations high, Skalde and his troops will look winning back to back Kelly Cup Championships. PREDICTION: 1st in the North Division, Kelly Cup Championship and Coach of the Year honours for Jarrod Skalde Contact Mitchell.Tychynski@prohockeynews.com .
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