Maxime Boisclair is back

Maxime Boisclair, the talented power forward who left the Reign midway through the team’s inaugural season to pursue his post-hockey career, is back … in the Central Hockey League.

Boisclair has signed with the Corpus Christi (Texas) Ice Rays for the 2009-10 season. He was suspended by the Reign in late December, when he decided to return to his native Quebec and train to become a firefighter. He also found time to play in the LNAH (North American Hockey League), which is known more for its fighting than its hockey.

The Reign no longer hold his ECHL rights.

Here’s the press release out of Corpus Christi.

You were born where? No kidding!

The Reign are slated to visit the Bakersfield Condors in their regular-season opener on October 16. Pier-Olivier Pelletier might not be the starting goalie for Bakersfield by that time, but he was signed to a rookie contract Wednesday by the Condors.

Why is that notable? Well, doing our research on Pelletier, we thought the ECHL was surely pulling a sophomoric prank on his bio page in listing his place of birth as “St. Louis-du-Ha!-Ha!” (pronounce it in French, it’s a blast).

We were wrong. The place exists. There’s even a photo:

Reign: Mike Zacharias, Karl Taylor on Zacharias.

Asked to list his strengths as a goaltender, Mike Zacharias’ quick reflexes kicked in as he delivered an intriguing response.

“I think I’m a pretty decent puck player,” said Zacharias, the first goalie to sign with the Reign this off-season. “I know in the pro game it’s a little different; they have the trapezoid and I won’t be able to wander as much. … I’m good at getting the puck out to my defensemen.”

Goalies who can deliver the long pass are often tempted to take aim at the opposite goal, at least when it’s empty. Has it ever worked for Zacharias?
Continue reading “Reign: Mike Zacharias, Karl Taylor on Zacharias.” »