Monsters Invite Former Viper Strong To Training Camp:

The AHL Lake Erie Monsters have invited former Vernon Vipers forward Dean Strong to the teams Training camp.  Strong played last season with the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings, AHL Chicago Wolves and the AHL Lake Erie Monsters. 

On Monday July, 2nd the ECHL released the list of players who received a valid qualifying offer from ECHL teams by the July 1 deadline. Players who had already signed a contract by July 1 did not need to receive a qualifying offer. The Kalamazoo Wings have extended qualifying offers to eight players for the 2012-2013 season. One of is former Vernon Vipers forward Dean Strong.

Dean Strong started the 2011-12 season with the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings.  In November Strong was loaned to the AHL Chicago Wolves.  In five games with the Wolves Strong collected (0-3-3) before returning to Kalamazoo.  On December 15th 2011 Strong was loaned to the AHL Lake Erie Monsters where he would finish the season.  In 49 games with the Monsters Strong collected (4-10-14).  Strong returned to Kalamazoo after the Monsters missed the playoffs where he finished the season.  In 21 games with the Wings Strong collected (11-12-23).  Strong played one year in Vernon (2004-05) collecting (35-56-91) with the Vipers during the regular season.

Dean Strong's Player Profile:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=83858

This is posted on the Monsters website:

Lake Erie Monsters 2012-13 Training Camp Roster Announced

09/28/2012

The 2012-13 Lake Erie Monsters training roster breaks down like this:

•36 total players
•18 of whom played with the Monsters at some point last season
•Of those, Patrick Bordeleau has been here the longest; 2012-13 will be his fourth season with the Monsters
•Six of those 18 spent time in the NHL with the Avalanche (Connolly, van der Gulik, Barrie, Olver, Malone, Elliott)
•Newcomer Bill Thomas played for the Florida Panthers
•Six of the players at training camp were in college last season (Stollery – Merrimack; MacQueen – Bemidji; Gens – Fairbanks; Carey – Boston College; Millan – Boston University; Patterson – Minnesota; – the first four of whom played for the Monsters at the end of last season when they finished their collegiate schedule)
•Four players spent last season competing overseas (Gale – Denmark; Pock – Sweden; Smyth – Italy; Aittokallio – Finland)
•Four players spent last season with other AHL teams (G. Walker – WBS; Lerg – WBS; Thomas – SA; Sullivan – WOR/SA);
•Five players were in the lower minor leagues last season (Lafranchise – Alaska/ECHL; Goers – Las Vegas/ECHL; Wilson – Allen/CHL; Strong – Kalamazoo/ECHL; Tassone – Ontario/ECHL)
•Six players were in juniors last season (Agozzino – Niagara/OHL; Pickard – Seattle/WHL; Sgarbossa – Sudbury/OHL; Beaupre – Val D’Or/QMJHL; Heard – Plymouth/OHL; Lauridsen – Green Bay/USHL)
•26 Canadian-born players; seven US-born; one Denmark (Lauridsen); one Finland (Aittokallio); one Austria (Pock)

2012-13 Lake Erie Monsters Training Camp Roster:

Forwards:

#7 AJ Gale
#10 Jamie MacQueen
#11 Andrew Agozzino
#14 David van der Gulik
#16 Geoff Walker
#17 Ben Wilson
#18 Mike Connolly
#20 Bryan Lerg
#23 Dean Strong
#26 Matt Tassone
#27 Brad Smyth
#28 Paul Carey
#29 Bill Thomas
#38 Joey Hishon
#40 Mark Olver
#42 Brad Malone
#43 Michael Sgarbossa
#45 Luke Walker
#48 Mitchell Heard
#58 Patrick Bordeleau

Defensemen:

#2 Joel Couinard
#4 Kane Lafranchise
#3 Karl Stollery
#8 Barry Goers
#12 Aaron Gens
#22 Thomas Pock
#24 Cameron Gaunce
#37 Sean Sullivan
#41 Tyson Barrie
#46 Stefan Elliott
#47 Gabriel Beaupre
#51 Markus Lauridsen

Goalies:

#30 Sami Aittokallio
#31 Calvin Pickard
#32 Kieran Millan
#34 Kent Patterson