The 2000/2001 edition of the Trenton Titans is ready to take to the ice ! With 32 players attending the Trenton Titans' training camp, tough decisions needed to be made in building the 2001/2002 edition of the Trenton Titans. At one point early in the Summer, it appeared that very few players would return from the Trenton Titans' 1999/2000 inaugural season roster. Surely, well-deserved promotions would be doled out to many of our heroes. We expected new Head Coach Troy Ward and returning Assistant Coach Mike Haviland to have a small handful of Trenton veterans mixed with a lot of new prospects on their training camp roster. One by one, the IHL and AHL teams made their cuts, and one by one, familiar faces appeared at Ice Land in Hamilton, New Jersey. In all, fifteen Titans from the 1999/2000 season were back in camp. Unfortunately, five of them didn't make the cut. The new Titans roster features an even split with 10 familiar faces and 10 new recruits.
The 2000/2001 Trenton Titans offense is anchored by last season's three top scorers: left wing Scott Bertoli (21 Goals, 44 Assists, 65 Points in 65 Games), right wing Cail MacLean (34-25-59 in 50 Games), and center Jed Whitchurch (22-37-59 in 65 Games). Each returned to Trenton after AHL/IHL training camp appearances: Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), Grand Rapids Griffins (IHL), and Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL), respectively. All three players are young and could very well improve upon last year's production, if they stay in town long enough. Bertoli, MacLean, and Whitchurch also happen to be 3 of only 4 returning members of 1999/2000's Opening Day Roster. The remaining three 'veterans' on Trenton's offense are right wing Sasha Cucuz (3-5-8 in 9 games), right wing Stewart Bodtker (2-5-7 in 8 games), and left wing Benoit Morin (2-4-6 in 7 games). Cucuz joined the Titans late in the season from York University and showed strong potential, but remains relatively untested. Entering his third year in the pros, Bodtker needs to step up and become a more consistent scoring threat as he was in his sophomore and junior years at Colorado College. His production tailed off (3-2-5 in 13 games) in last year's playoffs with Trenton. Morin will probably fall into the much needed role of enforcer among the Titans forwards. While he has scoring potential, he's a little more willing to play rough than the other five returnees. The offense will be rounded out by left wings Todd Barclay and Sandy Cohen, centers Paul Spadafora and Alain St. Hilaire, and forward Eric Silverman. Barclay, a former Dubuque Fighting Saint, is entering his first full year in the pros after playing for Northeastern University. Sandy Cohen is another Hockey East grad (Merrimack College) who will get his first full taste of professional hockey. Both tallied goals in the brief preseason (Cohen's was in a shootout) and have impressive potential. Spadafora comes to Trenton following three strong years in the QMJHL with the Hull Olympiques (77-137-214 in 181 games) and should add some punch (both types) to the Titans offense. St. Hilaire enters his second full season in the pros after playing for Rensselaer Polytechnic. He posted 19 goals and 40 assists in 53 games with the UHL's Missouri River Otters last season. The dark horse candidate for the Titans offense, Silverman, made a strong impression in training camp with a shootout goal and some assists. He played college hockey for two seasons with the WCHA's University of Alaska - Anchorage followed by two at Division III Plattsburgh State (and I can't seem to track down where he was in 1999/2000). With so much young unproven talent on the offense, don't be surprised if all five newcomers don't stick around for long. It will be fun to watch who emerges from the pack as a bonafide weapon on offense. Troy Ward and Mike Haviland have a lot of work ahead of them to mold this crew into a playoff caliber offense.
The 2000/2001 Trenton blueline has a heart comprised of four solid veteran (relatively speaking) defensemen: Eric Brule, Sergei Skrobot, Kam White, and Vince Williams. While Skrobot was the only one on 1999/2000's Opening Day roster, they each spent most of last season playing for the Titans and need no introduction. White is an established enforcer, Brule brings additional offensive production, and Skrobot and Williams provide solid defense. Joining the Fab Four for the 2000/2001 season is Ian Forbes, Sean Molina, and Steve O'Brien. Forbes is a Philadelphia Flyer's draft pick (3rd choice, 51st overall in 1998) who trickled down from their camp to the Philadelphia Phantoms, and then to Trenton. He is a towering (6'6"), punishing stay-at-home defenseman who spent the last three seasons bruising opponents for the OHL's Guelph Storm. Molina is another recruit from Head Coach Troy Ward's Dubuque days. He developed a reputation as a solid stay-at-home defenseman playing the last four seasons with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. O'Brien is a University of New Hampshire grad who compiled respectable numbers (especially given his locale) as a rookie on the Arkansas RiverBlades last season. A solid defense should be the hallmark of the Trenton Titans this season, provided that call-ups don't decimate the ranks and upset the chemistry.
The Titans' goaltending situation was basically pre-determined by the affiliates. The Philadelphia Phantoms assigned 2-year veteran minor league netminder Brian Regan, who should provide steady goaltending. He posted a 29-12-4 record with a 2.51 goals against average and a .914 save percentage for the UHL's Missouri River Otters last season, and respectable numbers in the ECHL and IHL in 1998/1999. The Lowell Lock Monsters assigned Brown University netminder Scott Stirling, who made a couple of impressive plays in camp with the AHL's Rochester Americans. The buzz surrounding Stirling is much better than his numbers from fours seasons of college hockey, although his team wasn't very good. It will be up to him to determine whether he is a backup goalie or platoons with Regan since Lowell reportedly signed him just to have a netminder to assign to the Titans. In either case, it appears that the 2000/2001 Trenton Titans will have strong goaltending to compliment a solid defense.
The biggest question mark entering the season will be whether the rookies will help complete a mediocre or high caliber offense. The defense and goaltending should provide sufficient cover while Ward and Haviland make adjustments and General Manager Brian McKenna works to fill the gaps. There is little doubt based on the starting roster and McKenna's track record that the Titans are playoff bound once again. The timing and extent of callups, the performance of rookies, and inevitable trades will combine to determine whether the Titans can improve upon their impressive debut season.
It's only fair to provide a look at the 12 players who missed the cut in Titans training camp. Perhaps the toughest cuts for Titans fans to stomach are the five veterans from 1999/2000: center Bob Thornton, defenseman Scott Kelsey, right wing Kurt Mallett, center Keith Dupee, and defenseman Mike Marostega. That's not to say that some of the rookies (forwards Ryan Davis, Roger Holeczy, Mike Pietrangelo, and Joe Ritson, defenseman Mike Herrera, and goaltenders Robert Silvia and Francois Bourbeau) didn't already attract a fan following in training camp. Thornton's minor league career has made many stops in four seasons: San Diego, Alaska, Tacoma, Tucson, and Bakersfield in the WCHL followed by Dayton, Chesapeake, Jackson, Jacksonville, and Trenton (3-5-8 in 24 games) in the ECHL. Unfortunately, the highlights have been few and far between in his coast to coast journey. Kelsey is a local player who proved very valuable when the Titans came up short on defense last season. If he stays in game shape and near the phone, we may see Scott resume that role sometime this season. Mallett is a seasoned ECHL veteran coming off of a sluggish year (4-4-8 in 13 games with Trenton, 12-19-31 in 52 ECHL games overall). He can be a defensive liability at times, and ran out of gas in the postseason for Trenton (0-1-1 in 13 games). Hopefully, Kurt can rebound and relive his finer days in the ECHL (26-36-62 in 60 games with the Jacksonville Lizard Kings in 1997/1998). Dupee provided a glimpse of potential with Trenton (1-3-4 in 4 games) last year after completing his senior year playing for Rensselaer Polytechnic, but simply failed to make a strong enough impression in training camp. What made his cut surprising was that he wasn't mentioned as being on the bubble when the second-to-last round of cuts were made. Marostega appeared in 3 games with the Titans last season out of Colgate University, but failed to demonstrate his full potential then or in training camp.
Among the rookies who were cut was 1996 Buffalo Sabres draft pick (6th, 142nd overall) Ryan Davis. He followed four seasons in the OHL with a year at Saint Mary's University (Canada), notching 19 goals and 21 assists in 26 games last year. He passed through the Philadelphia Phantoms and Trenton Titans training camp without finding anchor. Roger Holeczy, a Dubuque recruit and Northeastern University alum (Todd Barclay's teammate both places) lost a tight race for the roster despite having the potential for a respectable ECHL career. We probably haven't seen the last of him in Trenton. Philadelphia native and former Nittany Lion standout Mike Pietrangelo was an early cut who just wasn't up to par with the competition. Since a quick debut (2-0-2 in 4 games) with the Wheeling Nailers in 1998/1999, he hasn't been able to elevate his game to the pro level with appearances in Peoria, Toledo, Jacksonville, and Abilene (WPHL). University of Denver products Mike Herrera and Joe Ritson neglected to make a significant impact in training camp. Ritson wasn't actually cut, instead he was traded to the Greensboro Generals for the rights to Notre Dame grad Aniket Dhadphale (currently playing for the AHL's Providence Bruins). Great trade, but the Titans are more likely to see Mike Mader return from Providence (if cut, they could still assign him somewhere else) than Dhadphale (27-22-49 in 66 games between the Express and Generals last year and already making an impact with the Bruins) --- that would be okay too. As for Herrera, he just didn't seem to bring much to the table in terms of experience or potential. Meanwhile, Jersey native Robert Silvia, a junior hockey netminder, was originally welcomed into camp as a placeholder for Regan and Stirling and was cut upon their arrival without a serious evaluation. The last of the contenders, Francois Bourbeau, is a solid goaltending prospect who led Division III Middlebury College to 4 consecutive National Championships (1994-1998), followed by an impressive pro debut with the WPHL's El Paso Buzzards in 1998/1999. If he's still interested, Bourbeau could get another shot if Regan or Stirling becomes unavailable due to injury or call-up.
Several former Titans have started the 2000/2001 season at higher levels, proving that Trenton is a stepping stone for success. Here's the run down: Head Coach Bruce Cassidy is the new Head Coach of the IHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. Assistant Coach Kjell Samuelsson is an Assistant Coach with the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. Former Titans Captain Mike Hall is with the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters. Goaltenders Bujar Amidovski and Stephen Valiquette are with the IHL's Cincinnati Cyclones and AHL's Springfield Falcons, respectively. Sniper Mark Murphy is playing for the AHL's Portland Pirates. Forward Mike Mader is on the AHL's Providence Bruins' roster. Left wing Matt Henderson is playing for the AHL's Norfolk Admirals. The AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms roster included five former Titans at the start of the season: Francis Belanger, Jesse Boulerice, Todd Fedoruk, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Sergei Skrobot (who has rejoined Trenton after playing in 1 game for the Phantoms). However, the long distance award goes to Titans center Jerry Keefe, now playing for the Belfast Giants of the United Kingdom's Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague. But wait! The promotions didn't stop there! Titans' Box Office Manager Jeanne Gallagher is now on the front office roster of the NHL's New York Islanders! Check out A Letter From Jeanne Gallagher. For the scoop on where other former Titans are, check out Where Are They Now ? (also available via the "Former Titans" link on the main roster page).
So what exactly is this 'Titanomachia' that I mentioned on the homepage ? The term Titanomachia comes from classic Greek Mythology. It was the 10-year war between Zeus and the Titans (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys). It also happens to be the title of a "Titanic" Crossword Puzzle that will debut on The Unofficial Web Site later this month. It's not exactly New York Times material, but it should prove quite challenging for the hardcore Trenton Titans fans in the audience. Like its namesake, it may very well take ten years for you to complete. Here's a sneak peak at Titanomachia. I am currently editing the clues and hope to have them posted by the end of October.
The puck drops for ECHL Season Number 13 ! On Thursday, October 12th, the pucks will drop for the East Coast Hockey League's 13th season. The Kelly Cup Champion Peoria Rivermen will be looking to defend their title with teams like the Trenton Titans and Louisiana IceGators out for revenge. Missing from the league roster: the Hampton Roads Admirals, the Huntington Blizzard, and the Jacksonville Lizard Kings. The Admirals have ceased operations at the Norfolk Scope to make room for the AHL's Norfolk Admirals. Their ECHL franchise will resurface at the Atlantic City (New Jersey) Boardwalk Convention Center in 2001/2002 as the Atlantic City Admirals. The Blizzard franchise, gone due to a weak fan base and subsequent financial problems, hopes to return for 2001/2002 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Lizard Kings are waiting for a new arena and hope to return to the ECHL in 2002/2003. With the loss of three teams and no new franchises in 2000/2001, the ECHL has reduced the number of teams competing in the league for the first time since 1994/1995, after icing a league high of 28 teams last year.
Among the changes in the ECHL this season: a new overtime format and an altered Southern Conference playoff scheme. Games that are tied after regulation with now feature an NHL-style four-on-four, 5-minute, sudden-death overtime period. If the overtime doesn't resolve the tie, the familiar shootout will be used to decide a winner. The team that wins the game receives two points with an overtime or shootout loser receiving one point. One exception to the rule: if a team pulls their goaltender during the overtime for an extra attacker, they forfeit the point in the event that the plan backfires and they are scored upon. The second major change affects the postseason for the Southern Conference. With two fewer teams in the conference, only ten will receive postseason seeds this year (down 1 from 1999/2000). The seventh/tenth and eighth/ninth seeded teams will play a unique "best-of-two" wildcard series. If Game Two ends in a series tie, the teams will take an intermission and then play a 10-minute mini-game, followed by an overtime period if necessary. The eventual wildcard winners will be reseeded seventh and eighth for the Southern Conference Quarterfinals.
What's in store for the future? The Atlantic City Admirals are a definite addition for the 2001/2002. The Memphis resurfacing of the Blizzard is probable, although their has been concern about the viability of that market. The expansion Columbia (South Carolina) Inferno will be joing the ECHL in 2001/2002 after much delay, probably joined by a Reading, Pennsylvania team (the revival of the Columbus Chill franchise). Best case scenario for 2001/2002 appears to be a net gain of 4 teams, but the financial woes of several franchises will leave the door open for some to close shop. Further down the road: an arena is buing built in Gwinnett County, Georgia with an interest in attracting an ECHL franchise. Bloomington-Normal, Illinois and Mrytle Beach, South Carolina have also been mentioned as possible contenders for future ECHL franchise.
Will the reign of the Sutter Brothers come to an end this season ? Nepotism is not alive and well in San Jose. Ron Sutter, whose brother Darryl was his Head Coach, has been cut by the San Jose Sharks (the decision was actually taken out of Darryl's hands to avoid a conflict of interest). Unless another NHL team signs him, this will be the end of a great era in the NHL. Ron is the last of six NHL Sutter Brothers to remain playing in the league. There has been at least one and as many as six on the NHL ice every season since 1976/1977. Check out The Sutter Brothers Tribute for more information about the NHL's most amazing family.
What's new on "The Unofficial Web Site of the Trenton Titans" this month ? With the 2000/2001 East Coast Hockey League season hours away, I will be working on various pages to keep up with the Trenton Titans and the rest of the league. You'll find new stuff all over the place (and a few cob webs in other places). Wish me luck in keeping pace with another awesome Trenton Titans season!
As always, The Unofficial Web Site of the Trenton Titans is open to suggestions, corrections, contributions, and even criticism. You can send feedback to trentontitans@yahoo.com
