Scouting the Houston Aeros

The Aeros come into the 2005-6 campaign with new experience at the helm: Rob Daum,a new coach to the AHL, has lots of great experience and it will be exciting to watch. Rob was formerly an assistant with Team Canada, and has a great record coaching the University of Alberta Golden Bears. His record there since 2001 is 120-9-11. WOW! The Golden Bears under Daum won 3 back-to-back national titles and six Canada West titles in ten seasons.

He’s backed by Matt Shaw. Shaw coached for the Wolves, though most locals will remember his time with the Quad City Mallards, where he led the team to a 53-15-5 season in 1999-00.

It should be apparent that Daum has an ability to motivate young players and the AHL has lots of them this year. The Aeros most exciting young prospect is the unlikely fellow in the adjoining photo. He’s a Belarus named Roman Voloshenko. Voloshenko played in Russia’s Krylja Sovetov last season. He played on the silver medal Russian U-18 team. He scored 9 points in 8 games so far this year.

Josh Harding is in goal. Two seasons out of the juniors, where he played most recently for the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Regina Pats, he had a 2.01 GAA in the previous season.

The back-up goalie is Czech Miroslav Kopriva.

Kurtis Foster, a one time Wolf, is back playing D. He was traded for Niclas Havelid. Foster 42 points in the 2002-3 Wolves campaign, 30 points in the 2003-4 Wolves campaign and 42 points in the Cincy Ducks final season.

Here’s a rundown of the rest of the youngsters. Adam Courchaine is fresh from the Vancouver Giants where he scored at least 78 points in each of the last three seasons. Patrick O’Sullivan from the Mississauga Ice Dogs
Last four seasons where he scored 92, 81 82 and 90 points in each of the last four seasons. Clayton Stoner is fresh from the Tri-City Americans. He scored 31 and 46 points in the last two seasons there. Petr Taticek is two years out of the Sault-Ste.-Marie Greyhounds where he scored 63 points and 53 points in the last two seasons. Last year in San Antonio he scored 22 points.

Joel Ward is fresh from the University of Prince Edward Island. Bill Kinkel has played for the Kingston Frontenacs in the 2003-4 campaign. More recently he has taken on the role of goon, racking up 180 Pims in 30 ECHL games in 2004-5, 41 Pims in the 2004-5 Aeros season of 12 games and 28 Pims so far this year. Peter Olvecky last year in Slovakia Dukla Trencin. Ryan Stokes played with the Mississauga Ice Dogs in the 2003-4 campaign.

Finally there is Curtis Murphy who won two Eddie Shore (old time hockey) D man awards in the AHL. He earned 53 points with the Admirals in their championship season, last year he played in Russia for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. And, Chris Heid is two years out of the Spokane Chiefs. He had 45 points in the 2002-3 campaign.

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