Solar Bears affiliation and a look ahead

Let's get caught up on some of the stuff that's gone on in Aerosland lately:

Orlando Solar Bears

The most noteworthy of the off-season news is the Wild/Aeros organization aligning with the former-IHL(1995-2001)-revived-as-ECHL(2012) Orlando Solar Bears.

Last season, the Aeros didn't have an ECHL affiliate (and I think that's probably fortunate for whoever would have been the affiliate because all that roster turnover might have trickled down and debilitated that club, too).

Here's a spiffy video from Rich Bocchini to tell you all about it:



And if you like press conferences, executives in suits, awkward jersey presentations, or deciphering echo-y audio, here's the presser in Orlando.

I don't know that this really changes much of anything, though I'm sure it has the potential to make life either easier or harder for GM Jim Mill depending on how the relationships go.

Oh, and thanks to Swamphockey for finding this Solar Bears fan blog and this Solar Bears Fan Forum.

Roster Moves (or lack thereof)

Icevet suggested in the comments of the last post that a better use for our blog than discussing whether we might have a team here in 2 years, would be to talk about the up and coming players for the Aeros. I thought it would be too early to get into that, but after combing the Wild's contracts, I think it's worth at least a high-level look right now.

The Aeros and the Wild had a number of free agents floating around (figuratively for most, but literally for Jeff Taffe) so a lot is still in the air. We'll have some real meat to chew on on or after July 1 when free agency opens.

But here's a quick look at who is definitely back (barring trades, etc.):

• Matt Hackett - Everything the Wild is saying suggests they want to either keep Harding or find a veteran backup for Backstrom, while letting Hackett get some more seasoning down here. 
• Darcy Kuemper - He will almost certainly continue his tandem with Hackett. The Wild are close to signing a goalie prospect, Johan Gustafsson, but have said he'll stay in Europe next season regardless. They just have to sign him by June 1 or lose his rights.

• Drew Bagnall - Last summer he signed a 2 year deal, so of the past two seasons' veteran core, he's the only one who will definitely be back. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see DiSalvatore back, but then I also wouldn't be surprised to see someone else make a better offer for him.
• Tyler Cuma - Another year on his contract before he's an RFA.
• Kyle Medvec - Another year for him before RFA, too.
• Steve Kampfer - One more year on his deal, but he might be up with the Wild all season.
• Marco Scandella - Same as Kampfer, except I'm almost certain he'll stick with the Wild out of camp.

• Justin Fontaine - One more year on his current contract. Will be an RFA.
• Kris Foucault - Two more years before he's an RFA.
• Joel Broda - One more year on his contract before turning RFA.

Here are the Restricted Free Agents, meaning the Wild get first dibs on re-signing them, but they don't have to. Generally RFAs do get re-signed. I won't make any assumptions either way on these guys and just give you the full list:

• Dennis Endras (I said I wasn't going to make assumptions, but I'm assuming this experiment is over. I haven't seen his name mentioned anywhere in the plans.)

• Chay Genoway
• Justin Falk - Likely will stay with the Wild all season.
• Kris Fredheim

• David McIntyre
• Nick Palmieri
• Jarod Palmer
• Cody Almond
• Carson McMillan
• Chad Rau

And then behind all these guys are a bunch of youngsters just starting entry level deals. Some of them are signed just to keep their rights (their contracts will push a year if they don't play more than 9 pro games with the Wild next season and are too young to be sent down to the AHL), and some are genuinely turning pro. But then some will stick with the Wild and others will spend some time in Houston. I really have no idea how these kids will shake out this season:

• Jonas Brodin
• Josh Caron
• Bjorn Krupp

• Jason Zucker
• Zack Phillips
• Charlie Coyle
• Brett Bulmer
• Johan Larsson
• Colton Jobke

Not being a student of non-pro prospects (except the goalies), I can't speak any further on any of these guys. The general sense in the organization is excitement for all the new blood after a few good years of drafting (FINALLY), but how much of that actually benefits the Aeros? I have no idea.

By the by, I used Capgeek.com for all the contract info here, so apologies if any of it is a little off. Nothing sent up any red flags for me, though, so hopefully it's accurate.

Generally, my mindset is to not get too excited about the rookies (except the goalies). They're going to develop at whatever pace they develop, while the leadership of the Aeros locker room is what really matters in terms of whether it's an enjoyable season for fans. If a rookie contributes to that enjoyment, hey, the more the merrier, but I tend to expect those guys to just learn the ropes the first year. Or if they're THAT good, they'll just go on up to Minnesota.

So, what I'm looking for is who Mill can snag from the AHL veteran ranks. Who's the glue going to be? Even if DiSalvatore comes back, I think we've seen that he and Bagnall can't "raise the kids" alone.

Equipment Sale

In case you've missed the news thus far, the Aeros are doing their equipment sale Memorial Weekend Saturday (May 26). Get to Sugar Land Ice early if you want some stuff, as lines form before the doors open at 10 a.m. There's a tournament going on that weekend, too, so you can get your hockey itch scratched, too, if you like.

Things that make you go, Hmmmmmmm

Famous Song? Yes ... Famous catch phrase, yeah ... that, too.
But recent news in the minor league hockey world has to make you think a little bit about where Wild prospects might end up after 2012-13.

SUX (Airport code for Sioux Falls) has a nice arena. 

The Toyota Center lease is up after next season, and Aeros president David Burke confirmed to me late during the season that the team is working with the building to hammer out a new lease. They do play in one of the league's nicest facilities ... and they pay a pretty penny for that.

They are also exploring other places for the team to play ... in Houston. Hey, you're not smart if you're not looking for the best deal, right?

Last week, a minor league sports ownership group (Sioux Falls Sports, LLC) in Sioux Falls announced that it sold out to former the Wild's former owner and that the current COO for Minnesota Sport Entertainment (who own the Aeros) was joining that group, too.

Then, today, SF Group announced the hiring of Tom Garrity as their President and CEO. Who is Tom Garrity? Nobody except the former two-time President of the Aeros.

No, I am not saying the Aeros are going to pack up and get moved to Sioux Falls. But all of this is not a coincidence. Tom Garrity is one of the very best on this planet at putting butts in seats and he has the resume to show that. He also has a good repoire with that group, and I am sure that helped Tom land that pretty sweet gig.

From a business standpoint, the Wild-owned Aeros would benefit tremendously from lowering their operating costs AHL hockey is for-profit hockey. The Wild have every right to get the best deal for their product. But the Aeros are in the top 10 in attendance every year, and because of IAH, they can get their prospects to just about any city in North American before Noon central.

The flight time from IAH to MSP is just 140 minutes, and 1,094 miles is not that big of a deal when you consider relationships like Worcester/San Jose.

Sioux Falls has a brand new hockey arena, seats about 12,000 and would be an attractive proximity facility for the Wild. But it is Sioux falls and long term, I think it would be a complete fail for the AHL.

Moline didn't work, Omaha didn't work, Des Moines didn't work, Abbotsford is not working, OKC is not working ... and the list goes on and on.

Right now is not the time to worry about the Aeros leaving, but the next few months will be key. If the Wild and Toyota Center don't get something worked out before Christmas, then it might be time to get a little nervous.

And That's All, Folks!

The end had to this Aeros season had to come sometime. And it came tonight.

The Aeros lost 5-2 to the Barons, losing the series 3-1. I don't think anybody should be really shocked by that result. The Barons were just that good, the Aeros just that depleted. Mike Brodeur was in goal again tonight and Matt Hackett was scratched.

We'll all probably come in later with a few thoughts on this season just gone by -- I'll try to throw up more tomorrow. But this has been a really tough season for the team. Brodeur was the seventh goalie to start between the pipes for the team this season. It's not because the goalies were bad, but because they were either called up to Minnesota, disappeared to Europe, or were injured.

The team didn't have the offense it did last season, and once Casey Wellman was traded in mid-season the team's ability to score hit about 10 on the difficult scale. As it was, with the injury situation in Minnesota, and with the way that team cratered, most any Aero with any skill found himself with the Wild at some point, making it near impossible to getting any continuity with the lineups, which probably doomed the team more than anything. And frankly, I think the absence of Jed Ortmeyer and Warren Peters, who were key guys both on the ice and the locker room for this team were heavy factors in how this season ended up.

So that's it. The Aeros won't be playing into June this season, but if it means anything, there's this: the Aeros were the only one of the final four Calder Cup teams to actually make the playoffs this season.

Belated Woo! Aeros escape elimination with 1-0 win

Yep, our bad. I was going to post last night and saw Andrew had a draft of something started, so I assumed he was writing something on last night's surprising (at least to me) 1-0 win to avoid elimination.

My apologies for the delay, because indeed, the Aeros (and you guys) deserve a little snuggle for pulling out a win in what my Negative Nelly mind was certain was going to be a resounding sweep. I didn't think, even if the Aeros played their best, that the Barons would get shut out. But they did and that's what it took for the Aeros to win last night.

First, tremendous kudos to Brett Bulmer on his first professional playoff goal. He played 8 games during the Aeros' run for the cup last season, but had no points for it. This year, he has 2 points (1g, 1a) in just 3 games. Gotta love when a kid can come right out of juniors and make a difference like that.

You also have to love Mike Brodeur, who's played literally just 4 or 5 games this season due to recovering from hip surgery all year, coming in and pitching his first playoff shutout AND first playoff win. Bob Mason told me a few games back that they basically just took a flyer on him, not really knowing what kind of goaltending they'd get if he was called upon.

Well, as it did with Fallon, the dice rolled the right way and Brodeur basically saved the season with his 31 saves.

Not to give too much credit where it should actually be spread around better, because it is a team game after all, and the Aeros did a good job in the first two periods keeping shots close and respectable (11-11 and 7-9 OKC in the first two periods respectively). In the third, the Aeros got slammed with a full 2 minute, 5 on 3 to kill off, and then another 2 minute minor, so that tilted the shots in OKCs favor quite a bit in that period (3-10).

But Brodeur told Joe afterward that the boys kept shooters wide and the posts helped him out quite a bit, too. An inch in the wrong direction and I think we would have see a whole different outcome. Which is to say, the Aeros need to get penalties under control by Tuesday because the hockey gods are only so generous with the bounces.

Back at it at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, and the Barons are probably kicking themselves for missing out on the R&R they could have been having the next few days if they'd done their jobs Sunday. Do it right and you can golf AND be in the playoffs. Sorry, Oak City. (Not sorry.)

Aeros Lose Game Two, Face Elimination Sunday Night

Last night it was hard to tell just how much of the loss was on the Aeros not showing up to play the game, and how much of the loss was due to the Barons being the superior team. Tonight we know the answer.

The Aeros lost Game Two of this opening round Best of Five series to the Barons by the score of 4-1. Yes, the Aeros actually did find a way to score a goal on Yann Danis. And they actually appeared to make more of an effort, holding the Barons to only 37 shots tonight while totaling a stupendous 20 shots of their own. (Cody Almond scored at 3:48 of the third period.)

But though the Aeros effort factor was noticeably improved, it just didn't matter, so superior was the play of the Barons, proving tonight, perhaps even more than last night, why it is that they're the number one seed in the Western Conference.

Matt Hackett made a valiant effort to play tonight, stopping 19 of 21 shots. But he played injured, and whatever injury he suffered last night he aggravated horribly on the second goal, leaving the ice bent at his waste, not to return.

But even if Hackett wasn't injured, it would be difficult to see the Aeros finding a way to contend on Sunday and take this series to a fourth game. And frankly, if the Aeros were able to win Sunday and take it to game four on Tuesday, does anybody think they're healthy enough, or talented enough, to make it to game five on Wednesday?

It was an ugly day in Houston today. Massive storms that caused power outages throughout the city as the afternoon moved into evening. And the Aeros game tonight was just as ugly as the weather outside.

There's Ugly, Then There Are The Aeros In Game One

There's ugly, and there's ugly. And damn, there was this game one 5-0 loss to the Oklahoma City Barons.

Andrew covered it pretty well below. And I'll have more in the Press tomorrow, but let's just say this: if Matt Hackett continues to be the only player showing up to play, then the Aeros Calder Cup run ends on Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

Here's how bad it was. In just over 36 minutes of play, Hackett faced 37 shots. That's over a shot a minute. That he only let in four goals was, in my estimation, rather remarkable. And I know what John Torchetti said after the game -- we were all down there -- but it sure looked like Hackett got injured before the third goal, and he really had trouble moving around before the fourth goal. Then again, when you're having to carry an entire team on your back because they're refusing to play, you're probably going to feel some pain.

Torchetti put the loss on himself, saying it's his fault for not getting the team properly prepped to play. There might be something to that, but it looked like they didn't even give a damn out on the ice. And frankly, if the Barons hadn't of taken their feet off of the gas in the third period, I could've easily seen the final score being about 10-0.

They'll give it a go again on Friday for game two. Torchetti says that Hackett's healthy and that he'll be playing. But frankly, if the rest of the team fails to show up again, it's probably not even going to matter.

View from the Pressbox - Aeros don't show for Gm.1

Well, what can you say about that?

If you are going to play one game that poorly, go ahead and get it out of the way, right? It's happened before, and we've seen it in Game 6 a few years ago in Milwaukee, and even though the score wasn't as bad, the Aeros played a couple of duds during last season's Cup run.

But they just didn't show up for Thursday's Game 1 against the OKC Barons at home.

Matt Hackett kept them in the game for the first period, but when the sorriness continued in the second, there just wasn't a whole lot he could have done to keep the puck out of the net.

And even though he was named the No. 3 star of the game and kept the Aeros from losing 8- or 9-0, I really cannot excuse his loss of temper after the fourth goal. When I thought he was injured, it seemed a bit OK to for him to crack his stick over the cross bar, break it and then kick the remains into the back of the net.

I get it; you're hurt and want to keep going ... and you're mad about busting your groin and being out for the rest of the playoffs. But when Torchetti confirmed that not only was he not hurt but that he was going to be playing tomorrow, I realized the only reason he did all of that is because he was mad.

Hackett is a fiery guy, he plays with passion and feeds off that. But he is going to see these kind of games again and again and again ... He's got to learn to control his emotions when the defense is nowhere to be found and Kris Fredheim can't find a loose puck the defenseman should have cleared.

Hackett will be an NHL goalie sooner or letter, and he needs to stay even and use a poker face when things are spiraling out of control both in front of and behind him. He's responded well to these situations in the past, and now he is going to have to do it again to save the Aeros' season.

The Aeros played three must-win games in the last two weeks (Peoria, San Antonio and Texas) and they won all three. They'll need to make it four in a row to give themselves a shot against the Barons in OKC.

Hey Look, It's Playoff Media Day

Joined some of my fellow media members out at SLICE for practice today. For what it's worth, the guys looked loose, I saw laughs and smiles, and the beginnings of playoffs beards were evident all around, except for Jon DiSalvatore, who we discovered last season can't really grow a beard, and John Torchetti, who was clean shaven.

The Aeros were a team that struggled this season. They struggled at times because of injuries in Houston. They struggled often because of injuries with the Wild. The team's best scorer was traded at mid-season and not replaced. The emotional leaders of the team, Jed Ortmeyer and Warren Peters spent most of the season with the Wild (where they weren't quite appreciated by that team's fandom).

Matt Hackett was good in goal, when he was here, but he spent lots of hours on airplanes between Houston and Minneapolis-St.Paul. But amazingly, even when Hackett was gone, the goaltending excelled. And if the Aeros are going to make a run for it this season, the key is going to be the play of Hackett. The players know it, Torchetti knows it, and Hackett knows it.

"He’s going to probably be the key [the Barons are] going to focus on as well," DiSalvatore told us today. "He’s got to be a huge leader for us in the playoffs. We’re going to lean on him. He knows what it takes to get all of the way there. It’s not going to be a surprise for him. Maybe he’ll be a little more comfortable in that setting right now. He’s a guy that’s got to be determined to outplay [Barons goalie Yann] Danis, and I think he’s up for the challenge and excited about it. It’s another year of maturity for Hackett, so I think you can expect good things out of him."

John Torchetti was big with the Hackett praise, as well: "He’s a big reason why we got in. That third period [Sunday], he won us the playoff spot. He was fantastic in every situation. And last year his experience, coming through as a rookie playing all of the way to the finals. And we all know what a hot goaltending can do to a team."

And Hackett gave his thoughts on taking what he went through last season and using this time around: "Playoffs are always the same. It’s always intense, everything’s a lot more amped. I played a lot last year. I played 24 games, something like that. I have experience. I know what to expect. Last year I was a little nervous starting off, but I’m sure I’ll be fine this year."

To a man, they're convinced that all of the roster shakeups during the season will play to their advantage. The young kids had to play in big situations, get big minutes they hadn't been expected to get. And with the rosters set, with the Wild unable to take anymore players away, the guys will get to experience some continuity.

"We’ve been talking about this all year," DiSalvatore said. "It’s been a struggle for guys that come in and out of the lineup to get comfortable. That’s what you have to do. You have to try to get guys as comfortable as possible. Guys that might not have played high-end minutes, they’re getting the opportunity. They’ve grown. We have a lot of guys who have grown and matured this year, so we feel like that experience is going to help them with this next level of pro hockey, which is playing in the playoffs. So we feel like that’s going to help them. And hopefully they feel comfortable enough, and they feel confident enough, that they can just go out and do their job."

"I just think that there’s been a lot of opportunity here this year," Drew Bagnall added. "We’ve obviously had to deal with a lot of injuries, most teams do, and we’ve had guys kind of benefit from it. They’ve been able to play in pressure situations that, maybe without those injuries they wouldn’t have been able to play in, so hopefully moving forward that can help them to contribute more in the playoffs when there is more on the line and they have to assume an even bigger role."

Bagnall also pointed to something that everybody senses. The guys love playing at Toyota Center, and they love the crowds, but as great as the crowds are -- more on that in a minute -- it's the conditions inside of Toyota Center which are the biggest help for the Aeros.

"Also, I think the fact that it’s a warmer building, it’s not an easy rink to play in, conditioning-wise, that might give us an edge, too," he said. "We’re used to it. We know the kind of preparation you need to have going in, and if we can get even that little bit of an edge on them – if they’re not ready, that could really help us. So we have to be prepared and take care of ourselves."

And the players are all depending on the folks in attendance to help out.

"I really like the fact that we got to play here at the Toyota Center," Bagnall said. "I love playing there. The atmosphere is great. We’ve had terrific support all year, and last year in the playoffs, it was almost deafening in the building, and for a  building that size to be that loud, it was really impressive."

"I think we have the best fans in the league," DiSalvatore said. "The support I’ve experienced here in Houston has been phenomenal. They are an extra player. I look at them as an extra player for us. They bring an energy to our team. They lift us up; they keep us going. We use them. It’s a major advantage for us to be able to start out at home and maybe jump out ahead in this series right off the bat."

 So I get the feeling they're hoping for a packed building tomorrow night.

My Fearless Playoff Predictions

Are you ready for some Calder Cup hockey? Are you still shocked the Aeros made it in at the very last moment? With the playoffs starting tomorrow, I thought I would throw out some Western Conference playoff predictions. So, here goes...

1.  I see Chicago taking out San Antonio in a sweep. The Wolves have been a steady team this season, and I just think they're more talented than the Rampage.

2.  Abbotsford takes out Milwaukee in four games. Except for Jeremy Smith, I'm not sold on the Admirals. Plus, I'll always pick a team coached by former Aeros coaches (Troy Ward's the head coach and Luke Strand's a assistant and both were assistants here to Kevin Constantine). Plus, the Heat have Krys Kolanos.

3.  Toronto sweeps Rochester. I haven't really seen these teams as often as I've seen the others, so I'm just basing this on the records.

4. And for the one all Aeros fans care about, I'm seeing the Barons taking out the Aeros in four games. I don't think the Aeros have the offensive talent of the Barons, and the Barons have the psychological advantage, having lost only one game in this season's series. But I do think the Barons will be a bit rusty, and Matt Hackett can keep the Aeros in every game. I think the Aeros win one of the two in Houston before losing the series in Oklahoma City. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong, because nothing's more fun than covering a team on the roll in the playoffs.

Playoffs? Playoffs?

In which I share a few thoughts on the Aeros waiting until the last possible moment to make the playoffs. So please, go give it a read.

And one further note I thought I would share here (have to save something for you guys): the Aeros are the only one of last season's AHL final four teams to make the playoffs this season. Binghamton and Hamilton were eliminated pretty early on, and the Aeros win kicked Charlotte out.

So they've got that going for them.

I'll be back with my playoff series prediction later this week.

Oh, one more thing: if you're wondering why the Aeros are opening at home, the answer is that's what the Barons wanted. In the five game format where several hundred miles of travel is involved, i.e., the higher seed in round one gets the option of starting with two home games then going on the road for three, or it can open on the road for two and play at home for the final three. The Barons chose to open on the road and close things out on home ice.