ON A CLEAR DAY… 

Lots of news and a bit of a surprise start off the day for the Connecticut Whale.

First is the announcement of the signing of Francis Lemieux to a full AHL contract, up from the PTO that he had signed late last month. The reason he was signed, besides the fact that he has played well for the Whale, is that he needed to be signed in order to play in the upcoming  American League playoffs, should the Whale make it.

But today is an important day as well for all the members of the squad as this is the morning where the “Clear Day Lists” are released. The Clear Day list is the official playoff roster for who can play and who cannot. The only additions can come under “emergency conditions,” arising from recall, injury or suspension. A junior player on an Amateur Try-Out after their season is over, can also be added. Marc Staal is one example of a player who did that.

What is notable for the Whale is who did NOT make the list of those eligible.

Todd White is out with a concussion so there’s really no surprise there. Chris McKelvie had foot surgery and won’t be ready again until next season so again no surprise there either.

But Chad Johnson, who is currently on recall with the Rangers but who has struggled mightily this season with a 16-19-3 record with a 2.72GAA and a .901% made the list while Dov Grumet-Morris who has posted a 6-3-1 record with a 2.02GAA and a .921% did not make the list. Cameron Talbot did make the list as expected. He is 9-3-2 with a 2.39GAA and a .920%. Perhaps the thinking is that with Johnson on recall due to Marty Biron’s injury that he’s on the list should Biron make it back and if he does not then Grumet-Morris gets added at that point. If Johnson was not on the list and became eligible to play that he could not then be added. This way Grumet-Morris can come on easier. That’s our guess.

What was interesting is that Devin DiDiomete and Ryan Garlock did not make the roster. Garlock has had an injury and unless that injury is more severe than he or the team has mentioned, that’s kind of a shock. DiDiomete has had a decent enough season and the thought must be that since there isn’t as much fighting in the playoffs and the team needs more offense then that is why he is not playing.

Also left off the list are Oren Eizenman and Derek Couture as well as Lee Baldwin.

Surprises to the list are really only two.

The aforementioned Lemieux was one and Blake Parlett is the other. Parlett, who had the winning goal in overtime against the Falcons on Saturday night, had spent the better part of the season in Greenville with the Road Warriors, the Whale’s ECHL affiliate. Obviously he has impressed coach Ken Gernander enough that he warranted keeping him around, especially with Michael Del Zotto being a question mark at this point due to his broken finger.

What also is a bit of a surprise is that defenseman Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello are also both on the list. The thinking is to continue to develop these guys to let them play should their seasons end earlier in New York than in Hartford. Adding both of these players would be a monstrous help to a Whale team that could use some more defensive health but moreso for the offensive skill that Zuccarello brings to the table.

Here’s the release for the Whale that includes a bit more information…

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today the team’s 22-player “Clear Day” playoff list.

Per AHL by-laws, only these 20 skaters and two goaltenders are eligible to suit up for the Whale for the remainder of the AHL regular season and the Calder Cup playoffs, unless emergency conditions result from recalls, injuries or suspensions.

Included on the Whale’s Clear Day roster are forward Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who are currently on recall to the parent New York Rangers club and have combined for 59 NHL games-played this season.

Signed Junior players, or players who join the team on amateur tryout agreements after their Junior or college seasons are complete, are also allowed to see action for AHL teams during this period, regardless of whether or not emergency conditions exist.

Here’s the official release of the Lemieux signing.

WHALE SIGN FRANCIS LEMIEUX TO AHL CONTRACT
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Veteran Forward had been Playing with Whale on PTO

HARTFORD, CT:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed forward Francis Lemieux to an American Hockey League contract.

Lemieux, a sixth-year pro, has played six games with the Whale under a pair of Professional Tryout (PTO) agreements and has registered one assist and two penalty minutes.  The 5-10, 195-pound Sherbrooke, Quebec native has also suited up for two AHL games this season for the Manitoba Moose, going scoreless with no penalty minutes.

Lemieux first joined the Whale February 20 from Florida Everblades of the ECHL.  In 56 games with Florida, he rolled up totals of 28-45-73, good for second in the league in points and assists.

Lemieux, 27, has played 257 AHL games in his career, with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Grand Rapids Griffins, Moose and Whale, notching 45 goals and adding 69 assists for 114 points, with 235 penalty minutes.  He won a Calder Cup with the Bulldogs in 2007.  In 69 career ECHL contests with the Las Vegas Wranglers and Everblades, Lemieux has 37 goals and 48 assists for 85 points, as well as 134 PIM.  Lemieux was originally signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens December 8, 2005, after a four-year Junior career with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Major Junior League.

The Whale are back in action tonight, visiting the AHL-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a 7:00 PM game (WTIC HD-2, www.ctwhale.com,

The club’s next home game at the XL Center is this Friday night, March 11, with the two-time defending Calder Cup-champion Hershey Bears coming to town on Guida’s Family Value Night.  Faceoff is 7:00, and Family Value packages start as low as $48 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Whale souvenir. Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center box office and on-line at www.ctwhale.com.

Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center box office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com. Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.

For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.