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UHL Updates
June 12, 2002
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Complied by Wolfie!
http://www.geocities.com/adk_icehawks/
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"I believe every person was put on Earth for a reason. Mine was to
sell newspapers." ~ Eric Lindros

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Adirondack IceHawks
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Littlejohn Signs On for Third Season with IceHawks

Adirondack IceHawks Press Release

Glens Falls, NY – The Adirondack IceHawks of the United Hockey League
(UHL) today announced that the club has re-signed right wing Frank
Littlejohn to a one-year contract. The 2002-2003 campaign will mark
the forward's third season with the team. As per club policy,
financial terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

Littlejohn has scored 29 goals in each of the past two seasons with
the IceHawks to rank third on the team in both campaigns. The Oshawa,
Ontario native also led Adirondack in penalty minutes last season
with 270. Littlejohn, who served as an alternate captain with
Adirondack last season, earned a call up to the American Hockey
League's Rochester Americans in November skating in five games and
collecting two fighting majors during the first AHL stint of his
career.

The forward received the IceHawks' Fan Favorite Award last season and
was co-winner of the honor along with defenseman David Dartsch
following the 2000-2001 campaign. Littlejohn holds the IceHawks'
franchise record for goals in a game, scoring four markers in an 8-2
win over the Flint Generals on January 10th, 2001.

"We're extremely happy to have Frank back with the club for another
season," said IceHawks President/General Manager Art Shaver. "It's
been great to see him develop over the last two years. His scoring
and toughness adds a lot to our team."

Littlejohn is the second player to agree to terms with the IceHawks
for the 2002-2003 campaigns. Two-time defending UHL Most Valuable
Player and IceHawks all-time leading scorer Hugo Belanger re-signed
for the upcoming season on May 28th.

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Michigan K-Wings
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From the K-Zoo Gazette:

Sounds of "Coop, Coop" will once again fill Wings Stadium.

"The Kalamazoo Wings announced today they have signed popular
goaltender Kory Cooper to a United Hockey League contract for the
upcoming season.

"They also signed defenseman Chad Dameworth, bringing to three the
number of players signed by new coach Mark Kaufman. Winger Mark
Lawrence was the first one.

"Cooper played for the K-Wings in 2000-01, their first year in the
UHL, but was with the Fort Worth, Texas, Brahmas of the Central
Hockey League last season."

Mom will be so pleased to hear this. She HATES this guy. LOL!

Fan favorite Cooper to return to K-Wings
http://www.mlive.com/sports/kzgazette/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_st
andard.xsl?/base/sports-0/1023873608292900.xml

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Fort Wayne Koments
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From the Journal Gazette:

Fort Wayne Komets general manager David Franke will be in Las Vegas
this week to do some wheeling and dealing, but not necessarily at the
casinos.

The UHL's annual league meetings run today through Saturday, and
Franke will attempt to trade the rights to center Brent Gretzky and
right wing Mike McKay.

"The guys that we'd be able to market are McKay and Gretzky, and
we're working on deals for them right now," Franke said. "We're
definitely not bringing either one of them back."

Komets look to trade Gretzky at UHL meeting
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/sports/3452833.htm

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UHL
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From the News Sentinel:

Each summer, the United Hockey League tries to change its rules to
make the game more attractive to fans. Each summer, the league also
tries to cut costs, and sometimes those two ideas can't work together.

As the league heads to its annual summer meetings this week in Las
Vegas, the biggest problem it faces is a lack of attendance.

One way to make the game more attractive to fans is to give them more
players they recognize. That means the league should to expand its
veteran limitation.

This is an editorial piece out of Fort Wayne. The complete article is
at:

Vets are key to solving UHL woes
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/sports/3454679.htm

+++

From the Elmira Star-Gazette:

How the United Hockey League will deal with losing up to five teams
this off-season will lead the topics expected to be discussed at the
league's annual meeting, which begins Thursday in Las Vegas.

"That's going to be the most interesting part for me," said Elmira
Jackals coach Todd Brost, who will leave today for the three-day
meeting. "What's going to happen with the Eastern Conference?"

The UHL, which fielded 14 teams last season, has already lost three
of seven teams from its Eastern Conference: the Port Huron Border
Cats, Asheville Smoke and Knoxville Speed.

(By the Way, this includes some interesting tidbits on the Jacks...)

UHL to discuss bolting franchises
http://www.stargazettesports.com/Wespt1.html

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AHL Binghampton Senators
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Terry Buczkowski, who has nearly 20 years of management and marketing
experience, has been hired by the American Hockey League's Binghamton
Senators as vice president of sales and marketing.

Buczkowski, 42, is a 1982 graduate of the State University at
Buffalo. He most recently was director of business development and
marketing for the Broome County Industrial Development Agency.

Buczkowski, who has been a coach for eight years with the Southern
Tier Hockey Association, lives in Endicott with wife Beth and their
three children.

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NHL - Buffalo Sabres
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An Associated Press piece:

A day before the NHL meets with Adelphia Communications to discuss
the Sabres' future, a Buffalo-based group expressed in interest in
buying the financially troubled team.

Erie County Executive Joel Giambra wouldn't divulge the group's
members, but said Wednesday that it is mostly comprised of local
business people intent on keeping the franchise in Buffalo.

"(They're) as close as they need to be in the event the team is
offered for sale," said Giambra, working to keep the team in
Buffalo. "It's a pretty strong group and they're almost there.

"I'm optimistic the team is going to be here for a long time. I
really am."

Buffalo Group Interested in Sabres
http://wire.ap.org/?FRONTID=HOCKEY&SLUG=HKN%2dADELPHIA%2dSABRES