Around The Rinks: The Aces' best defenseman resides in Toronto

The Alaska Aces' best defenseman and erstwhile captain has lived in a Toronto hotel room for the last three months.

If that strikes you as particularly perplexing, well, William Wrenn's situation truly is an odd one — and a good one for Wrenn, though not so much for the Aces.

So it goes in hockey's minor leagues, where circumstances are often fluid.

Wrenn, 25, re-signed with his hometown Aces of the ECHL in the offseason, intent on returning to the club he captained last season. He was invited to training camp with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, made that club out of camp and has remained with the Marlies for the first half of the season.

Wrenn has been a healthy scratch more often than not — he has played in 16 of Toronto's 37 games and has racked one goal and a plus-1 rating — but he's in the AHL, one step above the ECHL and one rung below the NHL.

"I get treated really well,'' Wrenn said last week. "Obviously, it's frustrating not be playing every game, but I'm trying to stay patient and hoping something will work out my way and I'll be in the right place in the right time.''

With Toronto, Wrenn said he earns a "significantly'' better salary than he does with the Aces. Plus, he's living in a hotel, so he doesn't have to rent a place. He receives per diem. And he's in the 'A.'

Wrenn, a former second-round NHL draft pick, is currently on his second professional tryout agreement, and each of those can last 25 games. And, sure, his situation is somewhat tenuous.

"All sorts of thoughts go through your head,'' Wrenn said. "My dream is always to play in the NHL, and this is one step closer.''

Wrenn stays current on the Aces by watching highlights, checking out game summaries, occasionally talking on the phone to Alaska coach Rob Murray and occasionally texting with Aces equipment manager Mike Burkhead. He also talks to Aces center Stephen Perfetto, who is from the Toronto area and is Wrenn's go-to guy when he needs some tips about the city.

The Aces are off to a strong start in the first half of the season after failing to qualify for the playoffs each of the last two seasons. The one glaring hole in their lineup is a No. 1 defenseman, which is what Wrenn would be. He was voted second-team All-ECHL last season after earning 4-37—41 totals in 57 games.

The aim of ECHL teams is to develop players and, hopefully, send them up the North American hockey ladder. Wrenn's promotion fits that ambition, but the Aces miss him.

"I've got a high concern he will not be back,'' Murray said. "It's getting to the point where we've maintained and got by with the D corps we have. Potentially, it's time to look at other options, if Toronto remains status quo and keeps him up there.''

In the meantime, Wrenn practices, occasionally plays, and continues to take online classes through UAA for a degree in business. He attended the University of Denver for a year and a half before heading to major junior hockey.

"When I have the amount of down-time I do, I might as well embrace school,'' Wrenn said.

Wrenn got home to Anchorage for five days during the holiday break and his girlfriend visited him last week in Toronto.

He said he's enjoying life with the Marlies and simply taking things day-to-day.

"There are ups and downs, pros and cons,'' Wrenn said. "At the end of the day, you want an opportunity, and this is a great opportunity.

"The word of the day is patience. (Things) could completely go 360 in 24 hours.''

DeGeorge is golden

Anchorage's Clair DeGeorge furnished two assists Saturday, including the principal helper on the game-winning goal, to help Team USA seize the Women's World U-18 Championship in the Czech Republic.

The Americans beat Canada, 3-1, to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to their rivals in pool play.

In five tournament games, DeGeorge, 17, delivered five assists, a plus-3 rating and 11 shots on goal.

She knows a little something about winning. DeGeorge has won three USA Hockey national championships at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota, where she is a senior. She ranks third in scoring on the Sabres prep team with 16-26—42 totals in 34 games.

DeGeorge has signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Minnesota State-Mankato.

RIP, Doug Andrews

The Alaska Aces conducted a moment of silence before their home game Friday night to honor the memory of locker room attendant Doug Andrews, who died last week of liver cancer shortly after being diagnosed.

Andrews was a friendly, helpful man who helped out equipment manager Mike Burkhead and frequently rescued a certain bumbling hockey writer by tracking down players for postgame interviews.

He was also very proud of his son, Tyler, who is a sophomore defenseman at Division III St. Norbert and a former Aces stick-boy.