IceDogs Pre-Season Schedule

The Niagara IceDogs will play a seven game pre-season schedule starting August 30 in Jamestown, New York. The Dogs will play Erie, Oshawa and Saginaw home and home, while traveling to Sudbury for the lone match-up between the two teams before the season begins.  

August 30 in Jamestown NY vs. Erie Otters 7:30PM
August 31 vs. Oshawa Generals 2:00 PM
September 5 in Sudbury 7:30 PM
September 7 in Oshawa 6:05 PM
September 11 vs. Erie Otters 7:30 PM
September 13 vs. Saginaw Spirit 7:05 PM
September 14 in Woodstock vs. Saginaw Spirit 2:00 PM

IceDogs deal Barry Sanderson

 Barry Sanderson has been dealt to the Saginaw Spirit for a fourth round draft pick in 2009. 

 You can find the article at the IceDogs web site.

 I don't think you can call this a surprise move. Young players like David Pacan obviously made a great impression on the team during the rookie camp. They obviously felt they could add some size up front and that would have made Barry expendable. 

 No doubt fans will miss his tenacious play, Barry may have been small but he didn't play like it, and his attitude off the ice. Best of luck to him in Saginaw. Also, hats off to GM Dave Brown for moving the Michigan native back closer to home. I'm sure that influenced the deal as well. 

Sanderson will always be the answer to the question, who scored the IceDogs first ever playoff goal?

2008/09 Niagara IceDogs Schedule

Here is the full Niagara IceDogs schudule as released by the OHL today.

Sat. Sep. 20 

Ottawa at Niagara 7:00 

Thu. Sep. 25 

Oshawa at Niagara 7:30  

Fri. Sep. 26  

Niagara at Oshawa 7:35 

Sat. Sep. 27 

Brampton at Niagara 7:00 

Thu. Oct. 2 

Belleville at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Oct. 3 

Niagara at Mississauga 7:30 

Sat. Oct. 4 

Plymouth at Niagara 7:00 

Thu. Oct. 9 

Kitchener at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Oct. 10 

Niagara at Guelph 7:30 

Mon. Oct. 13 

Peterborough at Niagara 2:00 

Wed. Oct. 15 

Niagara at Erie 7:00 

Fri. Oct. 17 

Niagara at Plymouth 7:05  

Sat. Oct. 18  

Niagara at Saginaw 7:11 

Thu. Oct. 23 

Erie at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Oct. 24  

Niagara at Mississauga 7:30 

Sat. Oct. 25 

Saginaw at Niagara 7:00 

Thu. Oct. 30 

Guelph at Niagara 7:30  

Fri. Oct. 31  

Niagara at Sudbury 7:30  

Sat. Nov. 1 

Niagara at Barrie 7:30 

Thu. Nov. 6  

Barrie at Niagara 7:30  

Sat. Nov. 8  

Peterborough at Niagara 7:00 

Thu. Nov. 13 

Owen Sound at Niagara 7:30  

Fri. Nov. 14 

Niagara at Kitchener 7:30  

Sat. Nov. 15 

Niagara at Peterborough 7:00  

Wed. Nov. 19  

Niagara at Belleville 7:15 

Sat. Nov. 22 

Sudbury at Niagara 7:00 

Sun. Nov. 23 

Kingston at Niagara 2:00 

Thu. Nov. 27 

Brampton at Niagara 7:30 

Sat. Nov. 29  

Niagara at Barrie 7:30 

Sun. Nov. 30 

Niagara at Brampton 2:00 

Fri. Dec. 5  

Sarnia at Niagara 7:30  

Sat. Dec. 6 

Windsor at Niagara 7:00 

Fri. Dec. 12  

Niagara at Mississauga 7:30 

Sat. Dec. 13 

Mississauga at Niagara 7:00 

Sun. Dec. 14 

Niagara at Brampton 2:00 

Wed. Dec. 17 

Niagara at Belleville 7:15 

Fri. Dec. 19  

Sudbury at Niagara 7:30  

Wed. Dec. 31 

Erie at Niagara 7:00 

Fri. Jan. 2 

Niagara at S.S. Marie 7:30 

Sat. Jan. 3  

Niagara at Sudbury 7:00 

Thu. Jan. 8 

Barrie at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Jan. 9 

Niagara at Ottawa 7:30 

Sun. Jan. 11 

Niagara at Kingston 2:00 

Thu. Jan. 15  

Mississauga at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Jan. 16 

Niagara at Erie 7:00 

Thu. Jan. 22 

London at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Jan. 23  

Niagara at London 7:30  

Sun. Jan. 25  

Mississauga at Niagara 2:00 

Thu. Jan. 29  

Erie at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Jan. 30  

Niagara at Sudbury 7:30 

Sat. Jan. 31 

Niagara at Barrie 7:30 

Thu. Feb. 5 

S.S. Marie at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Feb. 6 

Niagara at Sarnia 7:30  

Sat. Feb. 7 

Niagara at Windsor 7:05 

Wed. Feb. 11 

Niagara at Erie 7:00 

Sat. Feb. 14 

Niagara at Owen Sound 7:30 

Sun. Feb. 15  

Kingston at Niagara 2:00 

Thu. Feb. 19 

Belleville at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Feb. 20  

Niagara at Kingston 7:30 

Sun. Feb. 22 

Niagara at Ottawa 2:00 

Thu. Feb. 26 

Mississauga at Niagara 7:30 

Fri. Feb. 27 

Niagara at Brampton 7:30 

Sun. Mar. 1 

Ottawa at Niagara 2:00 

 

Thu. Mar. 5  

Brampton at Niagara 7:30 

Sat. Mar. 7  

Niagara at Peterborough 7:00 

Thu. Mar. 12 

Barrie at Niagara 7:30  

Fri. Mar. 13  

Niagara at Mississauga 7:30 

Sat. Mar. 14 

Sudbury at Niagara 7:00 

 Four Niagara IceDogs were invited to the Team Ontario U-17 camp. Freddie Hamilton, Shayne Rover, Mark Visentin and Keith Maisonville will all be headed to Thunder Bay for camp. IceDogs Head Coach Mario Cocchillo will also be there as the assistant coach. Camp runs from June 26th to the 29th. For more information go to the IceDogs web site.  

To Build or Not to Build

 St. Catharines Council discussed the new spectator facility for the city again Monday night, here is the Standards take on the debate. 

 IceDog fans would all like to see the facility built and secure the teams future in the Niagara Region but it looks like council will proceed slowly and cautiously with this. I think it will also take fans letting council know how much they want the facility to make it happen. 

The Standards story on rookie camp

 Here is the story in the St. Catharines Standard about this weekends rookie camp.

2008 Niagara IceDogs Rookie Camp

 Over the weekend the Niagara IceDogs held their 2008 rookie camp. There was a good mix of draft picks and free agents on the ice looking to make a good impression on the coaching staff and earn a shot at making the club in August. Twenty five drafted players in all attended the two day event including this years top three picks, Freddie Hamilton, Shayne Rover and Mark Visentin as well as 2007 draftees Johnson Andrews, Jay Gilbert and David McMullen.  

 The IceDogs will have some holes to fill the the departure of players like Michael Swift, Luca Caputi, Jordan Foreman, Stefan Legein and Sebastian Dahm. However, overall management should be happy with the prospects the have in the organization. Players like Andrews, Hamilton, McMullen, Gilbert and Mike Schwindt really separated themselves from the group and showed they may be able to contribute this season. Cameron Stewart, Nik Knezic and Shayne Rover played well but may have to wait for next season to be a regular in the IceDogs line-up. 

 There were also some pleasant surprises on the weekend. David Pacan a 14th round pick in 2007 was one of the top three players on the ice and is certainly someone IceDog fans will get to know this season. He has good speed, great hands and likes to be physical. He may be the type of forward GM Dave Brown is looking for this off-season.  By first indications Chris Ardell and Cohen Adair will push some of the veteran players in training camp but unfortunately they may fall victim to the numbers game. 

 Brown had indicted that the team would be looking for a goalie during the summer and it doesn't look like he found him this weekend. None of the goalies played particularly poor but at the same time none of them stood out either. 

 There will be a number of players at this weekends camp that will get a second chance to impress the IceDogs in August when training camp begins.