Sports

Aces re-sign Connolly, Coffman

One of the linchpins of the Alaska Aces' Kelly Cup-winning crew is back in the fold with today's announcement the club has re-signed veteran winger Brendan Connolly.

The Aces also announced the return of center Tim Coffman, who fortified their offense early last season before an injury shelved him for one-third of the season.

Connolly, 28, brings a combination of skill and sandpaper -- he earned 22-27--49 totals in 51 regular-season games and 3-16--19 totals in 19 playoff games, plus a combined 145 penalty minutes in those 70 combined games and a combined +28 rating. He also earned a call-up to the AHL, where he went 1-1--2 in six games with Abbotsford.

Basically, he's a pain in the ass for opponents.

Coffman, 26, earned 9-13--22 totals in 35 games. He was released late in the season when the Aces had a glut of forwards and had to trim bodies.

The Aces have now announced the signings of eight players for the upcoming season.

Look for more on the Connolly and Coffman signings later today at adn.com and in Friday's edition of the dead-trees publication.

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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