Anchorage Daily News

On a wall in coach Keith McCambridge's cramped office at Sullivan Arena is a board that holds roughly two dozen magnetic name plates, each bearing the last name and jersey number of an Alaska Aces hockey player.

The name plates are arranged in a vertical pattern. At the top of the board, names are placed three abreast to represent forward line combinations. Below that are shorter rows, names two abreast, to signify defense pairings. Below that comes goalies, then assorted other players currently out of the ECHL team's lineup.

Between injuries, call-ups to the American Hockey League and a suspension, McCambridge has rearranged the names often enough to rate as a pucks puzzle master.

"Lot of movement,'' McCambridge said Thursday morning, nodding at the board of names above his head.

As the Aces prepare to entertain the Utah Grizzlies in a three-game series that opens tonight at Sullivan Arena, the roster juggling continues.

Winger Brett Hemingway, who suffered a cut to the inside of his left ankle when sliced by an opponents' skate as he delivered a hit against the boards in Idaho last Thursday, hasn't healed well after receiving seven stitches. That's why he was scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday afternoon to determine whether he suffered any damage to tendons or muscle.

"I tried to skate this week, but I couldn't stop or cross over,'' said Hemingway, who has been placed on the three-day injured reserve.

On the upside, first-line center Josh Soares, who still is tied for the league lead in goals (10) despite missing the last two games after getting his head slammed into the plexiglass in Idaho, will be back in the lineup tonight.

Out, though, is veteran defenseman Ed Hill. He's on the 30-day IR and rehabbing after suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee last Friday in Idaho.

And out for five more games is tough guy Robin Richards. He was suspended for six games by the league for an elbowing incident last Thursday and has served one game.

Still, with considerable depth available to McCambridge, those absences have opened up opportunities for guys who have not regularly been in the lineup. Rookie forward Jordan Foreman, who has played in six of 10 games, and rookie forward Erik Felde (three games) will be in the lineup tonight, as will defenseman Nick Tuzzolino (seven games).

"There's very good hockey players who have been in and out of the lineup, and they'll have the chance to earn ice time and prove themselves,'' McCambridge said.

Defenseman Lee Green, who played sparingly in Alaska's last game because of a banged-up shoulder, is good to go, McCambridge said.

And even though McCambridge was forced to go one player shy of the ECHL's 16-skater limit and move defenseman Bryan Miller up to forward in the team's last game in Idaho, the Aces still won. They produced a 2-1 victory that earned them five of a possible six points in the series and extended their unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1).

"Guys can bank that in their minds,'' McCambridge said. "We can still get it done.''

Shuffling the deck

• Welcome to the world, Linden Craig Keith, the son born Tuesday to Aces winger Cam Keith and his fiancee, Jenner Maher.

Jenner gave birth at 7:14 a.m. Linden weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and measured 22 inches.

Linden is named after Trevor Linden, the recently retired former captain of the Vancouver Canucks. He was Keith's favorite player growing up in British Columbia. And when Jenner attended the University of Portland, Keith said, she and friends occasionally went up to Vancouver to watch the Canucks. Turns out Trevor Linden was her favorite player too, Keith said.

• Aces winger Bo Cheesman, out since having preseason back surgery, is rehabbing. Cheesman, who scored 30 goals last season, said his target date to start skating is Dec. 1. He hopes to be ready to play Jan. 1.

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

UTAH GRIZZLIES

6-3-0

at

ALASKA ACES

7-2-1

WHEN: Tonight and Saturday night, 7:15; Sunday, 5:05 p.m.

WHERE: Sullivan Arena (cap. 6,251)

TICKETS: $12-28 www.alaskaaces.com; all Fred Meyer locations; Aces offices (15th and Gambell), or by phone, 562-4800

RADIO: Live, AM-750 KFQD

TRENDS: The teams split a series last month in Utah. The Grizzlies took the opener 7-3 and the Aces bounced back for a 5-0 win.

The Grizzlies include former UAA and Aces winger Justin Johnson (No. 49) of Anchorage. Former UAA goaltender Nathan Lawson started the season with Utah, but is up in the American Hockey League.

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