FireAntz Waive Former Vernon Viper Elser:

The Southern Professional League's (SPHL) Fayetteville FireAntz have waived former Vernon Vipers forward Brian Elser.  Elser started the season with the FireAntz playing in 22 games collecting (9-8-17).

Elser was called up to the East Coast Hockey League's (ECHL) Gwinnett Gladiators signing a one game contract on January, 15th 2013 before returning to the FireAntz after playing just one game.  Elser then signed with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) South Carolina Stingrays on February, 6th 2013 before being released on February, 27th 2013.  In seven games with the Stingrays Elser collected (1-1-2).

The Vipers scouted Elser who was 18 at the time, at the U.S. Midget championships in Buffalo. Elser attended the 2008-2009 Vipers training camp making the Vipers opening day roster before being traded on September, 12th 2008 to the AJHL Drayton Valley Thunder for future considerations (cash) and a player to be named next year. In two games with the Vipers Elser collected one assist. Rumor was Elser didnt report to the Thunder and his rights were given back to Vernon. On August, 7th 2009 the Vipers traded Elser and future considerations to Victoria for Jonathan Milhouse.

Brian Elser's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=47131

This is posted on the Fay Observer website:

Published: Tue Mar 05, 2013

Fayetteville FireAntz waive Elser to reach 18-man roster limit

By Thomas Pope
Sports editor

With only eight regular-season games remaining, the Fayetteville FireAntz roster is all but set in stone.

So says first-year coach Mark DeSantis, whose team has clinched a berth in the Southern Professional Hockey League playoffs.

"Unless something completely unexpected happens, I'm good with what we've got," DeSantis said, whose team will finish the regular season March 23.

On Monday, DeSantis made a roster move to get back to the SPHL roster maximum of 18 players. He waived Brian Elser, a forward who had been on loan to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL since Feb. 6.

Elser scored 22 points in 29 games for the FireAntz. DeSantis said that Elser told him the Stingrays waived him Thursday - he scored two points in seven games - though that transaction does not appear on either the team or the league's website.

"I didn't want to lose anybody because I like the way we're going," DeSantis said of Monday's move. "But I had to do something."

DeSantis' team is 30-15-3 after a 2-1-0 road trip last weekend. The journey began with a loss at Knoxville on Thursday with Kyle Rank in net. The road trip concluded with a pair of games in Southaven, Miss., and Marco Emond was pulled Friday against the Mississippi RiverKings after allowing three goals in the first 3 1/2

"Rank played great in all three games," DeSantis said.

Emond, who is 20-10-1, has been bothered by a sprained thumb on his stick hand for a couple of weeks. He said Monday that his thumb is fine, and that it had no effect on his play Friday.

"It was one of those freak things," he said. "The first shot of the game was a 2-on-1, the guy shot through the defense, the shot hit the post and went in. The second one, the guy shot through the crowd. The third goal, I actually made four saves that weren't accounted for and wound up with about eight people on top of me.

"It was just one of those nights. In 15 years of hockey, you'll have all kinds of games."

The FireAntz, who trail SPHL-leading Louisiana for the top spot by four points, return to action Friday and Saturday in Pensacola, Fla. The Ice Flyers are in third place, five points behind the Antz, at 27-15-4, and are 0-3-0 against Fayetteville.