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| SportsFriday, September 7, 2007 9:12 PM CDT |
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Thunder roster taking a new shape with veterans
BLOOMINGTON — With just over a month remaining before the Oct. 8 start of training camp, it’s becoming clear the 2007 Bloomington PrairieThunder won’t look much like the 2006 last-place expansion team. Second-year Thunder coach Derek Booth has signed 12 of the approximately 24 players he hopes to bring to camp, and the only returnees so far are left winger Jamison Orr and defensemen Casey Handrahan, Sam Miller and Tim Schneider. Some familiar names that will be missing for the Oct. 20 International Hockey League opener at Flint are retired team captain Tyler Rennette and promising youngsters Mike Zbriger and Jarad Bourassa, who have signed to play in Germany and Italy, respectively. “(Bourassa and Zbriger) were two players we would have loved to have had back and we offered them contracts,” Booth said. “But some players like to try that European experience. That’s the whole thing in these leagues. It’s a one-year deal and, boom, the next year you have to battle to get these guys signed. “You’re battling with the Central, East Coast and European leagues. There are so many options for these players at the end of the year to go to other places.” Booth, who expects to announce several more signings next week, is confident the addition of centers Jarrod Skalde and Leo Thomas and high-scoring left winger Don Parsons will offset any personnel losses. The 36-year-old Skalde, a 17-year veteran who also will serve as player-coach, played 115 games in the National Hockey League from 1990 to 2002. Parsons, 37, holds the record for the most goals scored professionally by an American-born player. “Skalde is an all-around player and he should be by far one of the top guys in the league,” Booth said. “Don Parsons is a top goal-scorer on the AA level and that’s important to have. When you sign a guy like Jarrod he’s got to be dishing to somebody, and to be able to dish it to Don Parsons is a nice little set-up for us. “Leo Thomas was a huge pick up for us. This guy can dominate when he wants to dominate. To have Skalde and Thomas as your 1-2 centers is nice for me as a coach.” Booth specifically has targeted veterans such as Skalde and Parsons. “This year I’ve gone after more veteran guys,” Booth said. “They understand how to play 76 games, and that’s some of the issues we had last year. When the older guys start getting tired, they can still make those smart decisions.” In response to IHL rule changes that will encourage more physical play, Booth re-signed the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Schneider while adding brawny newcomers Ken Patzack (6-foot, 228) and Vince Malts (6-3, 215). “I think it’s going to be a situation where you’re going to have one or two more tough guys in your lineup, but tough guys that can play,” Booth said. “That is the key to a championship team. You have to have grit and toughness, but they’ve got to be able to play. If they can’t play, they sit on the end of the bench and what have you got? Nothing.” Booth hopes to avoid the endless roster changes he had to make last year, especially early in the season when the Thunder got off to a disastrous start. “It’s a new league and it’s different rules,” Booth said. “We’re going in thinking it’s one way and it might go another way so it’s kind of a wait-and-see situation with players. I feel very confident with what we have right now, but again it’s all on paper and until it hits the ice you never know. “You feel you’ve recruited top guys and all the sudden they’re not the top guys you hope for. That’s just the nature of the beast. But I think we’re ahead of the curve and we’ve signed some outstanding players.” Who’s hereHere are the 12 players who are under contract with the Bloomington PrairieThunder ahead of the Oct. 8 opening of training camp: Centers — Jarrod Skalde, Leo Thomas Wingers — Don Parsons, Ken Patzack, Brett Holmberg, Jamison Orr Defensemen — Tim Schneider, Sam Miller, Casey Handrahan, Pascal Bedard, Vince Malts Golatender — Derek Dolson Get area high school sports scores and statistics at Varsity Sports. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.
Fanner wrote on Oct 7, 2007 9:23 AM:
Team wrote on Sep 19, 2007 3:02 PM:
Rozanne wrote on Sep 19, 2007 2:59 PM:
bluenoteman wrote on Sep 12, 2007 8:41 AM:
dante wrote on Sep 7, 2007 12:33 PM:
bloomington will be better off wrote on Sep 7, 2007 12:02 PM:
thanks Dante wrote on Sep 7, 2007 11:25 AM:
dante wrote on Sep 7, 2007 10:33 AM:
any word? wrote on Sep 7, 2007 10:13 AM:
t. wrote on Sep 7, 2007 9:42 AM:
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