Bill McGlone (left) was second in scoring for the Shamrox in his rookie season, while All-Star goaltender Brandon Miller (right) played more minutes in goal then any other goalie in the league did for one team.
SHAMROX RELOADING FOR SECOND SEASON
Offensive acquisitions quietly make Chicago serious contender in East
01/02/2008
The Chicago Shamrox surpassed expectations in their inaugural season, going 6-10, just missing the playoffs as an expansion club in 2007. While many analysts are tabbing the Shamrox to finish out of the playoffs again in 2008, Head Coach/GM Jamie Batley has continued to shape a dangerous roster which could certainly compete for the East Division title.Batley pulled the trigger on a pair of trades this off-season that added more young firepower to the Shamrox offense. On draft day, Batley shipped defenseman Zach Heffner and the 5th overall pick to San Jose in exchange for forwards Callum Crawford, Andrew Burkholder, and a pair of draft picks.
Crawford, a highly-touted 23-year-old forward, hoped to see more action on the Stealth offense last year coming from a stacked Roughnecks squad. See Crawford Relishes Chance to Play. It's very conceivable he could provide that jolt he desires for Chicago, who barely missed the playoffs despite scoring an East Division-low 176 goals in 2007.
Burkholder has bounced around the league, playing for four teams in three seasons. The 24-year-old left-hander had spurts of success in Philadelphia, where 17 goals in 11 games notched him an All-Rookie selection, and in Colorado, where he scored six goals in the playoffs and won a title in 2006.
While Batley's first trade was buried in the draft-day trade fever, his second made headlines, when he dealt All-Star defenseman Cam Woods to Toronto in exchange for transition player Kevin Fines and a dispersal pick. That pick was used on Lindsay Plunkett, who scored 31 goals for Arizona last year.
Batley also picked up defenseman Scott Self that day. Self was later tabbed an assistant captain and is expected to cover Woods' territory in the defensive end.
Plunkett, Fines, Crawford and Burkholder will beef up an attack that was led last year by Chris Panos, Bill McGlone, Josh Wasson, Jason Clark and Mat Giles, who are all returning in 2008.
While Cam Woods may be gone, Chicago's other All-Star is not. Goaltender Brandon Miller, who had a breakout season in 2007, had a 12.28 goals against average and a 77.3% save percentage last year. Miller started all 16 games for Chicago and played 865 minutes, more than any other goaltender did for one team.
Who's back?
Chris Panos - 30 goals
Bill McGlone - 22
Josh Wasson - 20
Jason Clark - 17
Mat Giles - 17
Tom Montour - 11
Rusty Kruger - 7
Jonas Derks - 4
Brian Kazarian - T
Drew Candy - D
Daryl Gibson - D
Brandon Miller - G
Who's not?
Cody Jacobs - 14 goals
Jon Harasym - 8
Cam Woods - D
Carter Livingstone - D
Zach Heffner - D
Who's new?
Lindsay Plunkett - 31 goals, from Arizona
Kevin Fines - 15, from Toronto
Callum Crawford - 10, from San Jose
Brock Boyle - 8, from Minnesota
Andrew Burkholder - 5, from San Jose
Andrew Lazore - 2, from Arizona
Scott Self - D, from Arizona
Bobby McBride - T, free agent
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