Former Erie Otters defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo is out for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues with an eye injury. Read more by clicking the link.

Former Erie Otters defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo‘s injury troubles continue, as the NHL‘s St. Louis Blues have placed him on injured reserve because of a concussion. Read more by clicking the link.

Erie Otters winger David Broll had two points in his Ontario Hockey League debut last September against Sudbury. It was his only multi-point game of the season. He had a goal and two assists in Friday’s season-opening win at Brampton – his first career three-point outing.

But this time, the offensive production will continue, Broll said Saturday.

“I I had a little more confidence going into the first game knowing it’s my second year of the league,” said Broll, who struggled getting acclimated to the players’ size and speed and the pace of the game. “It was very important how to (handle those) struggles.”

* Accepting the challenge: Rookie forward Chris Marchese has begun his first OHL season as the center between veterans Anthony Luciani and Shawn Szydlowski on the No. 2 line.

Chris Marchese (Contributed/The Scouting News)

Marchese is handling the challenge well, Broll said. Marchese had an assist and a plus-1 rating in front of 80-90 family members and friends in Friday’s win against the Battalion. He also performed well on faceoffs. But Marchese isn’t focused on what’s he done. He’s focused on his job. “I’m going to play my game and hopefully stay there,” Marchese said Saturday.

He gained some experience at center with the Toronto Marlboros‘ midget minor club last season. That makes him feel comfortable at the position while adjusting to the OHL game. “Luckily I had my legs under me (on Friday),” he said. “I wasn’t too nervous.”

* Good news: An official from the National Hockey League‘s St. Louis Blues called Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, to praise defenseman David Shields‘ play at training camp. “He’s definitely a prospect,” Bassin was told.

Bassin expects Shields to return to the Otters. But Bassin was unaware of the timetable.

* Injury report: Rookie winger Macaulay McDonnell missed this weekend’s games with a groin injury, said Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager. Rookie forward Connor Crisp also missed the weekend with a groin injury, Bassin said.

* News and notes: The Otters scratched defensemen Shields and Mark Gazdic and rookie forwards McDonnell, Crisp, Tim Tankeev and Scott Mitchell. Rookie forward Luke Cairns made his OHL debut.

- Victor Fernandes

Former Erie Otters goaltender Jaroslav Janus stopped stopped 54-of-59 shots – 40-of-43 in regulation and 14-of-16 in a marathon shootout – to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday in the NHL Prospects Tournament at Center Ice Arena in Traverse City, Mich. The Lightning face the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

In other news from the NHL Prospects Tournament, Otters forward Andrew Yogan had no points but played a solid game in the New York Rangers‘ 1-0 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. The Rangers face the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

Defenseman David Shields had no points in the St. Louis Blues‘ 4-1 loss to the Stars. The Blues, which had no points from former Otters winger Luke Gazdic, face the Red Wings on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

At the Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament at John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, Otters forward Greg McKegg was scoreless in the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. But check out this photo of former Otters winger Michael Liambas‘ fight in the game. Forward Shawn Szydlowski and the Ottawa Senators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 on Sunday.

Szydlowski and McKegg face off on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

- Victor Fernandes

Greg McKegg (Contributed/Toronto Maple Leafs)

Erie Otters forward Greg McKegg had a goal and assist in his Toronto Maple Leafs‘ debut, a 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night in the Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament at John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario.

Read more by clicking the link and check out video of McKegg’s goal. McKegg and the Leafs face the Pittsburgh Penguins today at 7 p.m. Forward Shawn Szydlowski and the Ottawa Senators lost 5-3 to the Penguins. Ottawa and Chicago meet today at 2 p.m.

At the NHL Prospects Tournament at Center Ice Arena in Traverse City, Mich., Otters defenseman David Shields had two assists in the St. Louis Blues‘ 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Shields and the Blues face the Dallas Stars today at 1:30 p.m.

Former Otters goaltender Jaroslav Janus was backup to Dustin Tokarski for the Lightning, which face the Detroit Red Wings today at 6 p.m. Former Otters winger Luke Gazdic had no points and a minus-1 rating in the Stars’ 6-1 loss to the Red Wings on Saturday.

Forward Andrew Yogan had no points and a minus-1 rating in the New York Rangers‘ 5-4 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yogan and the Rangers face the Carolina Hurricanes today at 5:30 p.m.

- Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters have five players that will spend the next two weeks at NHL camps – defensemen Tyler Hostetter (Philadelphia Flyers) and David Shields (St. Louis Blues) and forwards Greg McKegg (Toronto Maple Leafs) , Shawn Szydlowski (Ottawa Senators) and Andrew Yogan (New York Rangers).

McKegg and Szydlowski, an undrafted free-agent invite by the Senators, will play in the Maple Leafs Prospects Tournament, set for Saturday through Tuesday at John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. Shields and Yogan will play in the NHL Prospects Tournament, set for Saturday through Wednesday at Center Ice Arena in Traverse City, Mich.

Hostetter, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers last September, and Shields will experience their second camps.

Erie Otters winger Anthony Luciani and defenseman David Shields declined contract offers from NHL clubs this summer.

The Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks offered Luciani, a 20-year-old overager, an AHL/ECHL deal after he attended the club’s rookie development camp in July.

But his agent, Neil Sheehy, of Boston and Minneapolis-based Sheehy Hockey, LLC advised him not to accept it, Luciani said. Until he declined the offer, Luciani planned to represent the Blackhawks in the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ rookie tournament, set for Sept. 11-14 at John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario.

“My agent knows what’s best, so I went with him,” Luciani, who received interest from the Blackhawks after producing 38 goals and 68 points last season, said before the Champions for Education Golf Tournament at Lake Shore Country Club on Monday – the unofficial start to Otters’ training camp.

“You can always do better (with a contract offer),” Luciani said. “I’m just going to play (my final junior season) and see how it goes.”

Shields, 19, the St. Louis Blues‘ sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, chose not to accept the club’s qualifying offer in June, which Shields described as a three-year deal at the league’s minimum rookie salary and with no signing bonus.

“It’s just basically to be with them for another three years,” said Shields, who has until June 1, 2011 – the NHL’s signing deadline for 2009 draft picks – to avoid becoming a free agent.

“It’s definitely a risk,” Shields said. “But in the long run, I think it’s a good (decision). I think I can really show that I want it and get more of an offer for me. I know it’s a really big year.”

Shields will play for the Blues in the NHL Prospects Tournament, set for Sept. 11-15 in Traverse City, Mich. A strong performance could lead to an invitation to main camp later in the month.

* Speaking of better offers: Forward Shawn Szydlowski, 20, an overager, originally planned to join Luciani at the Blackhawks’ rookie development camp. But while Chicago’s interest began to grow cold, Szydlowski received an invitation to the Ottawa Senators‘ development camp in July.

“Everything went well there,” Szydlowski said. So he will play for the Senators in the Maple Leafs’ rookie tournament against, among other prospects, Otters teammate Greg McKegg, Toronto’s third-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft.

Senators officials “told me they would give me an honest shot” to earn a spot at main camp and, ultimately, a contract, Szydlowski said. “Now that I’ve got an opportunity to do this, (I’ll) hopefully prove something to them and then have another year in Erie, if I come back.”

* Belief system: Coach Robbie Ftorek believes more players believe in the team’s ability to surpass its achievements of the past two seasons, which included 67 wins and two first-round defeats in the OHL playoffs. But his work isn’t complete.

“Shame on me because I believe in what we can do,” Ftorek said. “But I haven’t convinced (all of) the players yet to believe. It takes them to believe and to trust and rely upon one another and care about one another. If they do that, then we’ll be successful. We’re working at it.”

* Speaking of Ftorek: He remains intent on focusing on nothing beyond the current day. Before the golf tournament on Monday, he was asked about his expectations for the 2010-11 season.

“I want to get through my first shot off the tee box,” he said. “Then we’ll worry about the other stuff. We’re going to take it again one game at a time and let the other things take care of themselves.”

* News and notes: The Erie Otters Fan Club will hold its next meeting on Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 707 Sassafras Street. … Former Otters defenseman Chris Campoli (2000-04) played in the golf outing, but wasn’t expected to skate with the team in camp. He signed a one-year contract with Ottawa, worth a reported $1.4 million, in July.

- Victor Fernandes

Check out this story on former Erie Otter Brad Boyes and the latest trade rumors involving the St. Louis Blues forward.