AG Enforcer
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| Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:42 pm Scott Barnes gone |
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Muskegon, MI - On this date, the Fury Team Owner and Club President Tony Lisman, in collaboration with Director of Hockey Operations / Head Coach Bruce Ramsay, has announced that the club has signed two more players, both forwards, with both Muskegon newcomers expected to arrive for the opening of training camp on October 1st at Walker Arena. The newest members of the Fury are center SCOTT BARNES and first-year left wing EVAN KOTSOPOULOS. Each player has agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Adhering to club policy, terms of those contracts were not disclosed.
BARNES, 27, will be embarking on his third pro season overall and his initial campaign cloaked in the Fury coat of colors. The 5-10, 180lb pivot comes to the Muskegon hockey area following an outstanding 2005-06 campaign in the Central Hockey League (CHL). Dividing his season with the Youngstown Steelhounds and the Oklahoma City Blazers, the spirited forward recorded 43-points in 59-games on 20-goals, 23-assists, collecting 115-PIM. His numbers with the fledgling Youngstown club were: 34(13-12-25) 49-PIM and in Oklahoma City 25(7-11-18). Capping last campaign with the Blazers, the native of Dunnville, Ontario saw service in 7-playoff games, generating 5-points through 2-goals, 3-assists.
The older cousin of previously-signed Muskegon left wing Ryan Barnes has seen action in the pro hockey European theater where in 2004-05, performing for the Dundee Stars in the BNL, he averaged over a point a game. In 33-appearances with the latter team, he registered 37-points on 18-goals, 19-assists with 117-PIM.
Barnes reputation of being an on-ice supreme catalyst has preceded him to his newest hockey haunt, certainly a valued quality that did not escape the notice of his coach, Ramsay. “We, as a team, are very happy to add Scott to our lineup. He is an outstanding young player who has the real ability to spark our third line. In fact, he has the potential to play on one of our top two lines as well. Scott plays with an edge and also contributes offensively as his 20-goals last season would indicate. We are looking for him to become a real sparkplug on our club this season.”
The second young prospect to land in the land of the Fury, KOTSOPOULOS, 22, will be making his pro premiere as he commences his rookie pro season in ’06-07. The 5-11, 180lb left wing will bring some considerable credentials to his first pro team employer born from a superlative major junior ‘A’ career followed more recently by a stellar single season in the Canadian collegiate realm with the University of Western Ontario.
In the 2005-06 campaign, performing for the latter school, the Unionville, Ontario native engineered 20-points in 17-games on 10-goals, 10-assists. In his four previous seasons, from 2001 to 2005 he was a standout in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals and the Kingston Frontenacs. His best season came in 2004-05 with the Kingston team where he averaged virtually a point a game totaling 65-points in 66-games on 18-goals, 47-assists. His 131-penalty minutes were a testament to his antagonistic on-ice persona endemic to his team’s overall success.
Coach Ramsay is particularly elated to have the Kotsopoulos presence in his Fury lineup for the upcoming season. “Evan is a highly-touted rookie who is coming to us after an outstanding junior career which he followed with one solid season of University hockey last year. His numbers would demonstrate that he is a player quite similar in nature to Scott Barnes in that he is gritty and will put points on the board. Evan has the potential to become a top line forward and one of the top rookies in the UHL this coming season.”
With Barnes and Kotsopoulos signed, sealed and set for the season, the Fury have injected yet another dimension into the composition of their 2006-07 edition. Ramsay amplifies on that factor. “In order to build a championship team, you must have depth and chemistry. With these two signings today, we are solidifying our lineup at the forward position while at the same time adding strong, character-type players with both being real assets to our club and its ultimate success.”
Both Barnes and Kotospoulos come from some rich hockey stock and heritage. Scott Barnes is the cousin of left wing Ryan Barnes who Muskegon did ink to a pact earlier on this summer. Both Barnes will be reunited as members of the Fury for this season. Meanwhile, Evan Kotsopoulos is the younger brother of Tom Kotsopoulos who was a member of the since-defunct Motor City Mechanics in the 2005-06 season. |
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