Anchorage Daily News

The Alaska Aces took a hit Tuesday, losing both quality and depth when 30-goal right winger Bo Cheesman underwent back surgery and stalwart defenseman Derick Martin was promoted to the American Hockey League.

Cheesman, the ECHL team's second-leading goal scorer last season, suffers from a disc injury, Aces trainer Matt Seamon said.

Both the extent of Cheesman's injury and an estimate of how much time he is likely to miss is uncertain. Cheesman will begin the season on the 30-day injured reserve list, Aces coach Keith McCambridge said.

Cheesman injured his back in last Wednesday's exhibition game against South Carolina, leaving the ice after one period. He has suffered back ailments in the past and often received treatment last season, although he never missed a regular-season game. McCambridge said he thought Cheesman's current injury initially flared as a result of a collision while the fourth-year winger was in training camp with the AHL's Peoria Rivermen.

With captain Scott Burt day-to-day with a strained groin, Cheesman's move to the IR leaves the Aces with 13 forwards. ECHL teams routinely dress 10 forwards for games. Still, 30-goal scorers are rare -- only 17 ECHL players, including Aces forward and All-ECHL pick Josh Soares (36 goals), bagged 30 goals or more last season.

"Any time you take out of your lineup a guy who put 30 pucks in the net, you go from being real deep on that right side to having just enough guys there,'' McCambridge said.

Martin, one of Alaska's alternate captains, was called up by the AHL's Providence Bruins, who are short on blueliners. He flew out of Anchorage on Tuesday morning, bound for the East Coast. Martin attended training camp with the Baby Bruins -- the Boston Bruins are Providence's NHL affiliate -- before reporting to the Aces' training camp.

Martin last season spent two games with Peoria, taking a red-eye flight out of Anchorage after a Thursday night game and dressing for the Rivermen the next night in a game in San Antonio.

He's so competitive that last week he tried to talk McCambridge into playing him in both exhibition games. McCambridge played Martin once so he could get a look at defensemen on the bubble to make the roster.

The Aces now have two defensemen in the AHL -- Bryan Miller is in Peoria -- and six on their roster, although rookie winger Erik Felde has a deep background on the blue line. Teams customarily dress six defensemen for games.

"Defensemen -- you cannot have enough of them,'' said McCambridge, the former Aces blueliner and captain. "They're always at a premium.''

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

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