From: Ryan Stanzel, Vice President of Communications/Administration
Scott Henninger, Communications Manager
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
Wednesday, August 23, 2007

HOUSTON AEROS SIGN DEFENSEMEN JON AWE AND BRANDON ROGERS

HOUSTON, Texas - The American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros announced Wednesday it has agreed to terms with defensemen Jon Awe and Brandon Rogers for the 2007-08 season. 

Awe, 27 (4/30/80), split seven AHL games last season between Chicago and Wilkes-Barre Scranton tallying four points (1-3=4) in five games with Chicago. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound native of Memphis, Tenn., spent a majority of the 2006-07 season playing for the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators scoring 56 points (24-32=56) and 65 penalty minutes (PIM) in 60 games. At the ECHL All-Star Game he launched 102.2 mph shot in the Hardest Shot competition, obliterating the old mark by 2.9 mph. Awe played four years at Northeastern University from 2001-05 tallying 32 points (6-26=32) and 90 PIM in 111 games for the Huskies. He led team defensemen in the 2003-04 season with 13 points.

Rogers, 25 (2/27/82), played the last two seasons with AHL Omaha and Norfolk tallying a total of 27 points (3-24=27) and 144 PIM in 133 AHL games. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound native of Rochester, N.H., scored nine assists and 92 PIM in 64 games last season with Norfolk. Rogers played all four of his collegiate seasons with Michigan in the CCHA tallying 77 points (18-59=77) in 159 games with the Wolverines. Rogers captained Michigan in 2004-05, his senior season. He ranked second in scoring by team defensemen with 27 points (5-22=27) the same year. Rogers was also named to the CCHA All-Tournament Team in both 2003 and 2005 and to the Second All-Star Team in 2004. He was originally selected by Anaheim in the fourth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

-- HOUSTON AEROS --