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Dayton Bombers' roster taking shape
ECHL team signs five more players; search continues as training camp opens today.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
FAIRBORN — Goals, assists and saves are easy to see but Dayton Bombers head coach Bill McDonald will have to do some digging to discover whether the Bombers' signees have what he is looking for.
"I'm looking for character guys," he said. "I want guys with a passion for the game and a competitive spirit."
Winning puck battles and racing to the puck are a start, but as the Bombers open their ECHL training camp today, Oct. 5. McDonald will spend as much time on the phone as he does on the ice.
"There's a lot of networking," he said. "I'll phone former coaches and see what these guys are really like — on and off the ice."
The Bombers signed five players last week, bringing their training camp roster to 24. Dayton added defenseman Jamie Dowhayko, centers Brett Connolly and Dan LaPointe, forward Matt Rogers and right wing Marty Doyle. Connolly is the only true rookie. The 22-year-old Ontario native played for the University of Ontario Institute of Technology last season.
Rogers gained ECHL experience playing with Pensacola and Trenton last season. Doyle and LaPointe have spent the past few professional seasons in the Central Hockey League while Dowhayko played in Germany last season.
With many AHL teams making final cuts this week, McDonald is still in recruiting mode. While several Bombers are back from AHL camps, defenseman Dominic D'Amour and forward Ryan Smyth are still in Rochester battling for a spot on the Americans' roster.
The roster may change daily as McDonald, in his second season with the Bombers, cuts to 19 or 20 by opening night.
Between the pipes
The Bombers are still in the market for a goaltender, with only two on the training camp roster. Dan McWhinney, 23, played for Amarillo (CHL) last year while 24-year-old Paul Drew played at the University of Prince Edward Island.
"These guys will both have a chance but we're still looking and they know that," McDonald said.
Injured reserve
Left wing Britt Dougherty won't be at camp this week. He's still rehabbing after sustaining an injury in Johnstown during the Bombers' short-lived playoff run. The Saskatchewan native had an anterior cruciate ligament replaced in April.
Tifu gets AHL pay
Former Bomber Yannick Tifu has secured a coveted "one-way" contract with the AHL Albany River Rats, meaning he'll get AHL pay even if he's sent back down to the ECHL. Tifu, who was traded by the Bombers to the Florida Everblades in August, scored two goals last week in a preseason win. Albany is one of Florida's AHL affiliates.
Opening night
The Bombers open their 18th regular season at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 against the Kelly Cup Champion Cincinnati Cyclones in the Nutter Center.
The game is only part of the festivities that include Military Appreciation Night, a Dayton Children's Night/Children's Miracle Network fundraiser, a pregame party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a postgame skate with the team.
