17 Ex-Wildcatters On Reign Protected List
Reign roster beings to take shape; season ending roster deadline June 15
ONTARIO, Calif. – The Ontario Reign of the ECHL, proud affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings,
announced today that they have submitted their Protected List for the 2008-09 season. The Reign opted to select 17 eligible players to protect from the 2007-08 Wildcatter roster that tied for the best regular season record and second all-time in the ECHL.
On February 26, 2008, the ECHL announced that the Board approved a transfer of the Membership from the Texas Wildcatters of Beaumont, Texas to the Ontario Reign of Ontario, Calif., for the start of the 2008-09 season. The transfer of membership included rights to the former Texas Wildcatter players.
Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:
- Signed a Standard Players Contract in 2007-08, and has not been traded or released, OR
- Signed Standard Players Contract in 2007-08, and was recalled to the National Hockey League, the American Hockey League or an International Ice Hockey Federation team, and has not been traded or released, OR
- Received a 2007-08 Qualifying Offer for the current season, and DID NOT sign a Standard Players Contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
- Has been suspended by the team or League, and has not been traded or released, OR
- Signed Standard Players Contract on or after the first day of the 2007-08 regular season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
- Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form, and has not been traded or released
The following are the 17 players on the Reign Protected List:
- John Adams (D)
- Peter Aubry (G)
- Brandon Benedict (C)
- Danick Bouchard (RW)
- Scott Champagne (LW)
- Tim Cook (D)
- J.F. David (D)
- Mike Grenzy (D)
- Jonathan Paiement (D)
- Ryan Pottruff (D)
- Jordie Preston (F)
- David Schulz (D)
- Max Taylor (C)
- Kris Tebbs (G)
- Dan Welch (W)
- Matt Yeats (G)
- Steve Yetman (C)
The Reign also has the rights to a player to be named later as part of a Future Considerations deal from the Dayton Bombers during the 2007-08 season.
The Protected Lists may exceed 20 players and the deadline for teams to complete all Future Consideration trades is June 13 at 3 p.m. ET. All teams must submit their Season-Ending Roster, which may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2007-08, to the League by 3 p.m. ET on June 15.
ECHL
The ECHL opens its 21st season on Oct. 17, 2008 with eight games played in seven states from Alaska to Florida.
Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 24 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 864 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009. Nineteen of the 24 teams have played at least five years in their current city.
The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game last season, marking the fourth year in a row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. The league has drawn over four million fans each of the last five years and 11 times in the past 12 seasons.
REIGN DROPS
The Ontario Reign inaugural season is just around the corner! The Reign suit up against the Bakersfield Condors on October 18 in Bakersfield with the Reign home opener slated for October 25 at 7:00 PM at the state-of-the-art Citizens Business Bank Arena.
Season tickets for the Ontario Reign’s Inaugural season presented by the Mission Inn (www.missioninn.com) are now on sale and offer an affordable entertainment option for families and residents of the Inland Empire. All season tickets include parking and access to all thirty-six home games starting at only $332, a savings of up to 25% off regular ticket prices! For more information about Reign season tickets contact the Reign office at (909) 941-PUCK (7825).
Do you want to experience the game like no one else? Act fast! There are less than 40 seats right on the glass remaining for the upcoming season!
Visit the Reign on the web at www.ontarioreign.com for all of the latest news surrounding Ontario Reign Professional Hockey.
