Eight Players Assigned to Cincinnati, Five Released From Tryout Contracts

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The 2010 Kelly Cup Champion Cincinnati Cyclones, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators, announced today that eight players have been assigned to the club by four different AHL teams.  The Rochester Americans have sent forwards Ryan Del Monte, Matt Pierce, and defenseman Brian O’Hanley to Cincinnati. The Milwaukee Admirals, meanwhile, assign forward Dylan Hunter, defenseman J.C. Sawyer, and goalie Jeremy Smith.  Chris Morehouse, who was in a tryout camp with Peoria, is coming back to Cincinnati.  Finally, defenseman Brock Sheahan returns to the Queen City after skating in Manitoba’s camp.  To make room on the training camp roster, the Cyclones today released Jon Higgins, Ryan Hitchcock, Anthony Iaquinto, Eric Slais, and Ted Nischan from their tryout contracts.

Del Monte, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, joined the 2009-10 Cyclones in mid-November after being traded from Johnstown in exchange for Bryan Marshall.  In 46 games with the Kelly Cup Champs, Del Monte amassed 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists) and 42 penalty-minutes (PIM).  In the postseason, the third-year pro continued to rack up time in the “sin-bin,” getting whistled for 41 PIM in just 21 games.  Before joining the professional ranks, Del Monte played four seasons at Brock University, finishing sixteenth in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (Canada’s version of the NCAA) with 34 points during his senior year.

Pierce, an Arnprior, Ontario native, returns for his second full season with the Cyclones after notching 50 points (28 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games last year.  He experienced especially good success in January, netting nine goals during that month – which ranked fifth best in the ECHL.  The 25-year-old was one of two Cyclones players named to the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game (Jeremy Smith was the other).  During the contest, Pierce had a team-high three assists for the American Conference which went on to win 10-9 in a shootout.

O’Hanley, a third-year blue-liner, will begin his second full season with the Cyclones.  Last year, he appeared in 70 regular-season games netting 7 goals and 21 assists.  In January, 2010, O’Hanley ranked third among all ECHL players with a +11 plus/minus rating.  During the Kelly Cup Playoffs, he played in all 24 contests, finishing second among Cyclones defensemen with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists).

Hunter, a ninth-round Buffalo Sabres 2004 draft choice, comes to Cincinnati after spending most of the 2009-10 campaign playing with the Utah Grizzlies.  While out west, he finished fourth on the team with 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists) in 43 contests.  The six-foot, 210-pound forward also logged 19 games with two different AHL teams last season – 10 with the Rochester Americans and nine with the Milwaukee Admirals.  Ironically, both are Cyclones affiliates this season.  In total, he has played in 202 career AHL games, notching 95 points (33 goals, 62 assists) and 139 penalty minutes.  A Quebec native, Hunter comes from a hockey-rich bloodline; his father, Dale, spent nearly 20 years playing in the NHL.  In addition to being a fan favorite in both Quebec and Washington during his career, Dale was one of the most physical players to ever lace up the skates.  He still owns the second-most penalty minutes in NHL history, amassing a staggering 3,565 minutes – equating to nearly two-and-a-half full days in the sin bin.

Sawyer, a Saint John, New Brunswick native, had a career year with Toledo in 2009-10 by pacing all ECHL defenseman in goals (21), points (59), and game-winnings goals (7).  His 38 assists ranked him second among league blue-liners, while he finished tied for fourth with 18 power-play assists and fifth with 24 power-play points.  A 2004 fifth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, Sawyer was chosen as a starter for the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game and served as captain for the American Conference.  Sawyer has also seen some time in the AHL, logging 27 games at the triple-A level during his three-year career.  Before going pro in 2007, he spent five seasons playing with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL).

Smith is back between the pipes with the Cyclones after an award-winning rookie season in 2009-10.  The Dearborn, Michigan native posted a 23-15-0-2 record during the regular season with two shutouts, earning him a spot in the ECHL All-Star Game.  In the postseason, Smith went 9-7-1 with a 2.67 GAA, a 90.7 save percentage, and one shutout.  Upon the completion of the Kelly Cup Finals, Smith was awarded Co-Playoff MVP accolades, sharing the honor with teammate (and fellow goalie) Robert Mayer.

Morehouse will skate in his first full season with the Cyclones after being acquired on December 1, 2009 in a trade with Alaska.  In 36 games with Cincinnati in 2009-10, Morehouse racked up 102 penalty-minutes.  Last season, in games that Morehouse was involved in a fight, the Cyclones posted an 11-2-0 record. The five-foot-nine, 180 pound native of Saint John, NB, played three seasons (2005-06 through 2007-08) with Moncton (QMJHL). Morehouse played in 184 games and picked up 36 goals and 68 assists for 450 penalty minutes. He was also involved in 29 fights during his time in the QMJHL.

Sheahan enters his third year as a professional, his second with the Cyclones.  Last season, the five-foot-eleven defenseman was a mainstay on the Cincinnati blue-line, skating in 71 of 72 regular season games and all 24 postseason tilts.  Sheahan was one of 12 Cyclones to log at least one game in the AHL last season, making his Triple-A debut with Houston on February 6, 2010.  Collegiately, he played four seasons at Notre Dame – appearing in 161 games, tallying four goals and 29 assists.

The defending Kelly Cup Champion Cyclones open their home schedule on Saturday, October 30 at U.S. Bank Arena against the Wheeling Nailers.  Discounted ticket packages and single game tickets for the 2010-2011 season are available now.  For more information, call 513.421.PUCK (7825) or visit CyclonesHockey.com.