Plenty of Alaska Aces news Thursday ahead of their pivotal two-game ECHL series at Utah on Friday and Saturday that will heavily dictate which club gets the Pacific Division's last playoff spot. The Aces lead the Grizzlies by one point, and each club has five games left.
Anyhow, the news begins with Aces leading scorer, veteran winger Brendan Connolly, who the league named the Player of the Month for his blistering March. All Connolly managed in nine games was 11-7--18 totals, a +9 rating, two hat tricks, two four-point games, five multiple-point games and at least one point in eight of those nine matches. So, decent month. Connolly leads the Aces in goals, assists and points with 31-46--77 totals in 58 games, and also leads with nine power-play goals. He's +18 overall.
Also on Thursday, the ECHL named Aces rookie defenseman Evan Renwick co-winner of the circuit's Plus Player of the Month award -- he shared it with former Robert Morris teammate Adam Brace of Florida at +17. Renwick did that in just 10 games, including consecutive games of +4. He owns 2-9--11 totals and a +20 rating in 21 games.
The Aces evidently have added another blueliner -- the WHL's Tri-City Americans announced their captain, Justin Hamonic, is going to join the Aces in Utah after the Americans were eliminated Wednesday night in the playoffs. The 6-4, 210-pound Hamonic, 21, looks like a defensive defenseman -- he had 1-18--19 totals and a -24 rating in 72 regular-season games this season. He's durable -- three straight regular seasons of the maximum 72 games. Also, he's right-handed, and right-handed D are something of a premium.
Because Hamonic will join the Aces from major-junior, he does not have to play the five minimum games to be eligible for the postseason. Pros must have at least five regular-season games with an ECHL club in-season to be eligible for the Kelly Cup playoffs. But that restriction does not apply to players coming out of major-junior or college hockey.
Lastly, the Aces waived center Michael Markovic (1-3--4 in 13 games, +1), presumably to make roster room for Hamonic.