From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Friday, October 29, 2004
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Houston Aeros (2-3-1-0) at
Edmonton Road Runners (5-1-1-0), 8 p.m.

Click here to listen to Ken Double's broadcast. You need Real Player to pick up the broadcast. If you do not have Real Player, click here to get it. Aeros.com will also have updates all night long.

Aeros Game Day



Five things you need to know

Tonight will mark the first time brothers Mark (Houston) and Joe Cullen (Edmonton) have faced each other on the ice. They were teammates at Colorado College for three seasons. A third brother - Matt, now property of the Carolina Hurricanes, went to St. Cloud State, as did cousin Jon, currently playing overseas. Mark is 28 months older than Joe.

Two coaches from each team, eight Aeros and four Road Runners squared off against each other in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals. The Aeros bested Hamilton, then a partial affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, in a thrilling seven-game series.

The Aeros are 12-8-6-0 all-time in Canada during the regular season, counting games against Manitoba and Quebec. Houston was 2-2 in Hamilton during the 2003 Calder Cup Finals.

Edmonton’s Tyler Moss sports a 3-9-2 record and a 3.26 gaa versus the Aeros. His nine losses are the fourth most against Houston in its 11 seasons.

Sunday’s victory over Chicago marked the Aeros’ first OT win in 20 tries, dating back to 3/20/03, and it was also the first time they won when trailing after two periods since 3/7/03.

Aeros at Road Runners (First ever meeting)

Tonight will mark Houston’s first ever foray into Alberta.

Scouting the Aeros

Second-year Aero Matt Foy (2-3=5) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1-4=5) lead the Aeros with five points apiece through six games...Houston has 11 players with at least one goal, and none with more than two...Nineteen-year-old Brent Burns is the leading defenseman with four points (2-2=4)...The Aeros return eight of their top 11 scorers from a year ago, including leading point-getter Kyle Wanvig (25-16=41)...Rookie netminder Josh Harding (0-3-0, 2.86) is one of a slew of talented newcomers...That list also includes goalie Mike Smith (2-1-0, 3.10) and last year’s Hobey Baker winner Junior Lessard, both Dallas prospects.



Scouting the Road Runners

A balanced offensive attack has led Edmonton to a lightning-fast 5-1-1-0 start...Road Runners have 11 players with at least one goal...Tony Salmelainen and J.J. Hunter are tied for the team lead with six points (4-2=6)...Hunter is a team-best plus-eight...Veteran Rick Mrozik (1-2=3) and Doug Lynch (0-3=3) anchor the blueline...Veteran netminder Tyler Moss is 3-1-0 with a 1.97 gaa, while rookie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers is 2-1-0 with a 2.02 gaa.



2004-05 meetings (First of four meetings, Aeros are 0-0-0-0 overall, Aeros are 0-0-0-0 at Edmonton)

TONIGHT: Houston at Edmonton

Tomorrow: Houston at Edmonton

November 14: Edmonton at Houston

January 19: Edmonton at Houston



Sunday Night

Kyle Wanvig’s power play goal 3:07 into overtime lifted the Houston Aeros to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Wolves at Toyota Center. Pierre-Marc Bouchard added a goal and two assists, Ray Giroux and Matt Foy also scored and Brent Burns and Zbynek Michalek had two assists a piece for Houston. Mike Smith made 23 saves.



Quick Hits

The Aeros have yielded 10 first-period goals, tied with Manitoba for the AHL high.

A season after going winless when trailing after two periods, Houston has an AHL-best three points in such situations in 2004-05.

Through two road games, the Aeros are still looking for their first lead.

Brotherly Love

Tonight will mark the first time brothers Mark (Houston) and Joe Cullen (Edmonton) have faced each other on the ice. They were teammates at Colorado College for three seasons. A third brother - Matt, now property of the Carolina Hurricanes, went to St. Cloud State, as did cousin Jon, currently playing overseas. Mark is 28 months older than Joe.



A pleasure to see you again

Four Road Runners and eight Aeros played against each other in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals. Tony Salmelainen, Jarret Stoll, Mike Bishai and Nate DiCasmirro each saw action with Hamilton, which fell in seven games to the Aeros. Salmelainen was the Bulldogs' third leading scorer in the Finals with four points (2-2=4). Current Edmonton head coach Geoff Ward and assistant Joe Paterson were calling the shots in the series against Todd McLellan and Matt Shaw.



What’s on tap

Tonight the Aeros begin a six-game road trip that kicks off a grueling stretch of 13 out of 15 on the road.

The six-game road trip, which continues tomorrow in Edmonton, then a Monday morning game in Hartford, is the longest for the team since an eight-game trip in January and February of 2003. The Aeros will travel 7,318 miles before their next home game, 11/7 vs. Syracuse.

First OT game-winner for Wanvig

Getting a game-winning goal is certainly nothing new to Kyle Wanvig, but Sunday marked his first career overtime game-winner. Wanvig’s 12th career game-winning goal early in his fourth season moved him into a fourth-place tie with David Oliver on the all-time list. Wanvig is one off Mark Lamb’s third-place total of 13. Mark Freer is the franchise’s all-time leader in that category with 21. In 2003-04, Wanvig led Houston with seven game-winners, including six before New Year’s.



Boogaard in the box

Houston’s Derek Boogaard has a penalty in each of his first six games, one off the AHL lead in penalty minute streak. Boogaard has 29 penalty minutes, third on the team behind Kyle Wanvig (33) and John Erskine (30). In his AHL rookie season in 2003-04, Boogaard had 207 penalty minutes, the most for an Aero since 2000-01.



A new era

The AHL has instituted a shootout if the score is still tied after a five-minute overtime period. The Aeros last played a shootout game 4/13/01, a 3-2 win at Utah.



How the Aeros were built

The Aeros have a franchise record three first-round picks, plus five second-rounders and four third rounders. Kyle Wanvig was drafted twice, once in the second round by Boston and again in the third by Minnesota. All but four of Houston’s players were drafted.

Five Aeros have their NHL rights owned by the Dallas Stars - Mike Smith, Junior Lessard, Patrick Traverse, Marius Holtet and John Erskine.

Houston had 15 players from Canada on its Opening Night roster, five from the United States and one each from the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Austria. Marius Holtet, a second-round pick by Dallas, is the highest drafted Norwegian player in NHL history.

Aeros have 11 who played in NHL in 2003-04

Eleven Aeros played a total of 250 games in the NHL in 2003-04, and including Patrick Traverse, who has 278 games of NHL experience but none last season, 12 Aeros have 884 games of NHL experience.

Another two Aeros - Mike Smith and Erik Reitz - were recalled to Dallas and Minnesota, respectively, last season but didn’t see action in a game.

Aeros/Road Runners connections

Houston's Derek Boogaard and Edmonton's Dan Baum were teammates in WHL Prince George from 1999-2001.

The Aeros' Pierre-Marc Bouchard played with QMJHL Chicoutimi in 2001-02, in front of Road Runners goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers.

Houston's Kyle Wanvig played two seasons at WHL Red Deer with Edmonton's Doug Lynch and Jeff Woywitka. The troop helped lead the Rebels to a Memorial Cup. Lynch also spent part of the 2002-03 season alongside Houston's Chris Heid in Spokane.

Houston's Kirby Law and Edmonton's Tyler Moss were teammates briefly with IHL Orlando in 1998-99.

Edmonton's Toby Peterson played two seasons at Colorado College with Houston's Mark Cullen and one with his teammates Joe Cullen.

Houston's Stephane Veilleux spent two seasons with Edmonton's Mathieu Roy at QMJHL Val d'Or, and the Foreurs lost to Kyle Wanvig and Doug Lynch's Red Deer team in 2001 in the Memorial Cup.

Edmonton's Jarret Stoll played one season plus 14 games with Kyle Wanvig at WHL Kootenay before Wanvig was traded to Red Deer.

The Road Runners' Rocky Thompson and Houston's Kyle Wanvig are both from Calgary. This is Wanvig’s first pro game in Alberta.

Houston's Josh Harding and Derek Boogaard and Edmonton's Jarret Stoll all hail from Saskatoon, Sask.

The Aeros' Kirby Law played nearly half of last season with Edmonton's Jeff Woywitka in AHL Philadelphia.

Edmonton's Jamie Wright and Houston's John Erskine both played for Utah in 2000-01. Wright also spent part of the 2002-03 season in AHL Philadelphia with Houston's Kirby Law.

Houston's Todd Reirden made his NHL debut with Edmonton 1/7/99 at Phoenix and got first goal and assist with the Oilers 1/10/99 at Anaheim.

Edmonton assistant coach Joe Paterson was an assistant on the 1999-2000 Louisville club that featured Kirby Law.