The Erie Sports Commission has hired Mark Jeanneret, the Erie Otters’ former play-by-play broadcaster and media relations director, as its new events director. He joins a full-time staff that includes executive director Ron Sertz, who hired Jeanneret in 1996 while serving as minority owner and director of operations for the Otters. Jeanneret, son of Buffalo Sabres broadcasting legend Rick Jeanneret, spent 11 seasons with the OHL franchise before joining the AHL’s Portland Pirates in September 2009 as director of communications and play-by-play broadcaster.
Most recently, he was editorial project manager for Mainebiz, the online home for Maine Business News, since August 2012 and a freelance sports reporter in the Portland, Maine, area since September 2011.
“I am extremely excited to be offered this opportunity to return to the Erie sports scene,” Jeanneret said in a prepared statement. “Some of my fondest memories, both personally and professionally, took place in Erie.”

Sherry Bassin continues to deny reports of the Erie Otters’ impending move to Ontario. First, it was Hamilton. Now it’s the Chatham-Kent region.
“Absolutely no truth to it,” Bassin, the OHL club’s managing partner and general manager, said in response to a Chatham-Kent Sports Network report Tuesday stating that a deal has been reached to sell the franchise to a “prominent local businessman.”
Bassin previously has denied reports of the franchise’s potential move to Hamilton, including a report that he has spoken with Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, about purchasing the Otters. “Everytime I turn around, I’m going to five different places,” Bassin said.
According to the Chatham-Kent Sports Network report, an announcement regarding the Otters likely would be made following the Memorial Cup, the CHL’s annual championship tournament, which begins Friday and runs through May 26 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Bassin said he continues to receive inquiries about the Otters. “That’s it,” Bassin said, referring to not moving any closer to selling the franchise. Bassin said franchises can’t be sold and moved without approval from the OHL through a lengthy league-mandated process. “The process is so complicated. It’s so involved,” he said.
David Branch, OHL commissioner and CHL president, wasn’t immediately available for comment Wednesday, since he was traveling to Saskatoon.
Bassin, who moved the franchise to Erie from Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1996, has one year left on a two-year lease agreement with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The Otters are set to play the 2013-14 season in a newly renovated arena.
Chatham-Kent Sports Network reported that a recent meeting between the Otters and “the organization that operates their arena” to work on a new lease had been canceled twice in the span of a week. Bassin said he has had no meetings scheduled with the ECCCA. “We’ll look at that. We’ll see how things go,” Bassin said of pursuing a lease beyond next season, referring to waiting to evaluate the final arena renovations and community response toward the team next season. Casey Wells, ECCCA executive director, didn’t immediately respond to a telephone message Wednesday.

- Victor Fernandes

Sherry Bassin continues to deny reports of the Erie Otters’ impending move to Ontario. First, it was Hamilton. Now it’s the Chatham-Kent region.
“Absolutely no truth to it,” Bassin, the OHL club’s managing partner and general manager, said in response to a Chatham-Kent Sports Network report Tuesday stating that a deal has been reached to sell the franchise to a “prominent local businessman.”
Bassin previously has denied reports of the franchise’s potential move to Hamilton, including a report that he has spoken with Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, about purchasing the Otters. “Everytime I turn around, I’m going to five different places,” Bassin said.
According to the Chatham-Kent Sports Network report, an announcement regarding the Otters likely would be made following the Memorial Cup, the CHL’s annual championship tournament, which begins Friday and runs through May 26 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Bassin said he continues to receive inquiries about the Otters. “That’s it,” Bassin said, referring to not moving any closer to selling the franchise. Bassin said franchises can’t be sold and moved without approval from the OHL through a lengthy league-mandated process. “The process is so complicated. It’s so involved,” he said.
David Branch, OHL commissioner and CHL president, wasn’t immediately available for comment Wednesday, since he was traveling to Saskatoon.
Bassin, who moved the franchise to Erie from Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1996, has one year left on a two-year lease agreement with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The Otters are set to play the 2013-14 season in a newly renovated arena.
When asked about pursuing a lease extension with the ECCCA, Bassin said, “We’ll look at that. We’ll see how things go.”

- Victor Fernandes

Erie native Ryan Zapolski has signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, The Post and Courier of Charleston (S.C.) reported Monday.
Zapolski, 26, a Cathedral Prep and Mercyhurst University alumnus, earned the opportunity with the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate after completing a record-setting season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last week.
Zapolski was the second player in league history to capture top rookie, top goaltender and most valuable player honors in the same season, as well as the third goaltender to ever claim the MVP award. He also set the league record with a 1.64 goals-against average, tied the mark for shutouts (8) and tied for the second-best save percentage (.942). He led the league in all three categories this season and finished tied for second with 27 wins.
Zapolski had a week-long stint with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate, this past December. But he didn’t play in any games. He joins an Admirals club that includes former Erie Otters winger Michael Liambas. They are tied for ninth with the Chicago Wolves in the Western Conference, two points behind the Rockford IceHogs for the final playoff spot with four games left in the regular season. The Admirals play Chicago tonight.
In other Lakers’ news, fifth-year senior goaltender Max Strang signed an amateur tryout contract with the ECHL’s Reading Royals last Friday. Strang, who completed his Mercyhurst career last month, said he has replaced an injured goaltender on the Royals’ roster.

Sherry Bassin said Saturday that he hasn’t spoken with Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, about purchasing the Erie Otters.
“I haven’t even talked to him about it,” said Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, in response to a recent article published by the Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario, which reported that Andlauer has spoken with Bassin about the Otters.
“Never any discussion,” Bassin said. “Nothing about that.”
Reports began to surface a season ago linking the Otters with a potential move to Hamilton. Then in March 2012, Bassin signed a two-year lease with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The lease expires after the 2013-14 season.

- Victor Fernandes

Former Erie Otters Michael Rupp and Nick Palmieri were involved in a trade between the NHL’s New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.
According to reports Monday, the Rangers sent Rupp, 33, to the Wild for Palmieri, 23, and fellow forward Darroll Powe. Rupp had four goals, five points and 109 points in 68 games since joining the Rangers a season ago. He has 53 goals, 95 points and 765 penalty minutes in 565 games with the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets and Phoenix Coyotes from 2002-13.
Rupp, a Cleveland native, had 51 goals, 110 points and 293 penalty minutes in 137 games with the Otters from 1997-2000. Palmieri totaled 65 goals and 114 points in 174 games for the Otters from 2005-08 before being traded to Belleville. He was playing for the Houston Aeros, the Wild’s AHL affiliate, this season. He had 10 goals and 21 points in 40 games. He has 13 goals and 25 points in 87 career NHL games with New Jersey (2009-11) and Minnesota (2011-12). He reportedly will play with the Connecticut Whale, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate.

Mercyhurst University (8-6-1) at Maine (4-11-2)
When: Today and Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
Where: Today at Cumberland County Civic Center – Portland, Maine, Saturday at Alfond Arena – Orono, Maine
On the air: www.goblackbears.com (live stream, audio and statistics)*
What to expect: Mercyhurst begins the second half with a two-game series Maine, who are last in Hockey East Association this season. … The Lakers capped the opening half with three straight wins and five victories in their past seven games. … The Lakers play their 14th and 15th road games of the season. In contrast, they have played only three home games. … After this weekend, they play 11 of their final 17 regular-season games at Mercyhurst Ice Center. … Tonight’s game will be played in the home arena of the AHL’s Portland Pirates. … Mercyhurst faces Maine for the first time since being swept 4-2 and 4-1 Oct. 19-20, 2007. The Lakers are 0-4-1 in five career meetings, all at Maine. They tied 1-1 Dec. 16, 2006. But they earned their first career win in six tries against Clarkson last month. … Lakers coach Rick Gotkin said junior D Randy Cure (upper-body injury), freshman D Anthony Mastrodicasa (lower body), sophomore F Edward DeWald (upper body) and junior F John Mousso (lower body) won’t rejoin the lineup this weekend as originally hoped. The Lakers also lost junior F Kyle Just to an upper-body injury Dec. 18 against Canisius. … The Black Bears posted their first two-game winning streak of the season last weekend, as they captured the championship of the Florida College Classic in Estero, Fla., with wins against Minnesota Duluth and No. 12 Cornell. … Maine has played 10 games against eight teams currently ranked among USCHO.com’s top 20 or on the honorable-mention list (Boston College, Boston University, Cornell, Massachusetts, Massachusetts-Lowell, New Hampshire, Notre Dame and Providence). They are 2-7-1 in those games.
* Live stream for Saturday’s game only

- Victor Fernandes

Are we closer to finally ending the rumors of the Erie Otters moving to Hamilton, Ontario? Check out this story, which should be good news to Otters’ fans …

Mercyhurst (0-2-1, 0-1-0 AHA) at Sacred Heart (0-4-1, 0-2-1)
When: Today, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Today at Northford Ice Pavilion – Northford, Conn.; Saturday at Webster Bank Arena – Bridgeport, Conn.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.sacredheartpioneers.com (live statistics)
What to expect: Officials at Sacred Heart moved tonight’s game from Milford Ice Pavilion, located in Connecticut’s coastal town of Milford, reportedly because the effects of Hurricane Sandy knocked out power at the rink. Northford is 20 miles northeast of Milford. Saturday’s game remains in the coastal city of Bridgeport at Webster Bank Arena, home of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. … Mercyhurst returns to Atlantic Hockey Association play after taking last weekend off. The Lakers haven’t played since losing 7-3 and tying 3-3 at nationally ranked Ferris State two weeks ago. … They continue a season-opening stretch of 11 straight road games. Six of the last eight games are against conference teams. … They swept both games from the Pioneers, 9-1 and 3-1, at Mercyhurst Ice Center a season ago. … The Lakers opened AHA play with a 2-1 loss at Niagara Oct. 13. … Sacred Heart lost 7-1 at Bentley Oct. 16 before losing once and tying once against Army two weeks ago. … The Pioneers lost 6-3 last Saturday against NCAA Division I newcomer Penn State, which features former Lakers Taylor Holstrom and Nate Jensen.

- Victor Fernandes

Former Mercyhurst defenseman Cullen Eddy, who now plays for the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms, was named the club’s AHL Man of the Year nominee for his outstandings contributions in the Glens Falls, N.Y., area. Eddy, a Hidden Valley native, is one of 30 finalists for the league’s Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. He was involved with children through a hospital and schools at Glens Falls.