Aces bring Gutierrez back home

The Alaska Aces needed a forward.

Both solved their problem Wednesday.

The ECHL hockey club signed the big, third-year winger from Anchorage with the expectation of immediately throwing him into the lineup when a three-game series with undefeated Idaho opens Friday night at Sullivan Arena.

The 6-foot-4 Gutierrez, 23, played most of his first two pro seasons in the ECHL and earned promotions in both seasons to the American Hockey League, where he played eight games. In 37 games with ECHL Elmira last season, Gutierrez earned 11-12--23 totals, 83 penalty minutes and a minus-4 rating.

Gutierrez, a sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2004, practiced with the Aces on Wednesday and said he's psyched to be home.

Gutierrez left Anchorage at 16 to play major-junior in the Western Hockey League and spent the next seven seasons Outside. His only hockey stop in Anchorage during that span was when he played as a rookie for ECHL Texas, which played two exhibitions against the Aces in October 2007.

"When this Aces opportunity came, I couldn't have jumped on that quicker,'' Gutierrez said. "I couldn't be more excited. It's a sweet deal. My family never gets to see me play.''

Gutierrez went to training camp with ECHL Utah, but said the Grizzlies had so many players under two-way, ECHL-AHL contracts he and the club "basically agreed to part ways'' and Gutierrez was released. Since then, Gutierrez said, he had feelers from ECHL clubs and from a Central Hockey League club, but felt the Aces' offer was stronger, particularly given they play in his hometown.

The Aces searched for a guy like Gutierrez because they have five forwards on the injured-reserve list and first-line center John Lammers earlier this week was loaned to AHL Manitoba.

"He's going to bring speed, a bit of an edge and a little bit of skill,'' said Aces coach Brent Thompson. "He's a big body who can win battles in the dirty areas.''

Thompson said Gutierrez will immediately get a chance to make an impression.

"If he plays well, he could be here a long time,'' Thompson said. "If he doesn't, he could be gone tomorrow. I expect him to play well and for it to be a long-term deal.''

Fair enough, Gutierrez said.

"I've got to play well this weekend,'' he said. "If you're playing well, the coach is going to play the best guys.''

The Aces (4-2-0) and Steelheads (5-0-0) play Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.