Beast of New Haven Record Book

But we'll always have a soft spot for the Beast of New Haven, because they got us our first-ever job out of school. And heck, they were pretty cool while they lasted. We met a lot of great guys, and occasionally even watched some great hockey.

So here's our memorial, the best way we know how: playing with the numbers.

• First Beast player to earn a spot for his name on the Stanley Cup: Nolan Pratt, whose 46 regular-season games with the 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche will do the trick.
• Final overall record: 71-75-14, including seven overtime losses.
• Most games (non-goalie) without a point, career: Sergei Fedotov/Kevin McDonald, 8 (Forward: McDonald, 8). Single season: McDonald, 8, 1998-99 (Defensemen: Fedotov, 5, 1997-98).
• Most games (again, non-goalie) without a goal, single-season and career: Wes Swinson, 22 (Forward: Andrew Long, 16)
• Most goals without an assist: Greg Koehler, 4.
• Most games without a game-winning goal: Halfnight, all 135 of them.
• Most games played without a special-teams goal: Cabana, 100 (Single-season: 73, Tom Buckley, who had 87 overall).
• For the record, Peter Worrell racked up 374 PIM in 60 games.
• Emergency backup goalies that didn't play: 3 (Jason Szerszen, Al Maio, Carter Ozyck)
• Three Beast goalies -- Fountain, MacDonald, and Dave Lemanowicz -- each were assessed one minor, the only three goaltender minors the team was assessed, and all three were in 1997-98. And they got progressively cooler: Lemanowicz got called for delay of game, then Fountain got called for leaving the crease during an altercation, and finally MacDonald got called for roughing.
• First players assigned, 9/15/97: Ashley Buckberger, Wes Swinson, Dave Lemanowicz (a forward, a defenseman, a goalie -- none made the second season, and only Buckberger was left at the end of the year)
• Major AHL awards: 2 (John Jakopin, Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as Man of the Year, 1997-98; Shane Willis, Dudley "Red" Garrett Award as Rookie of the Year, 1998-99)
• Co-captains: 3 (Craig Ferguson both years; Jeff Daniels, 1997-98; Scott Levins, 1998-99)
• First goal: Ian MacNeil, 10/4/97 at Adirondack. Last goal: Chad Cabana from Joey Tetarenko and Tom Buckley, 4/18/99 vs. Springfield.
• First win: First game, 10/4/97, 2-1 at Adirondack. Last win: Last game, 4/18/99, 4-1 vs. Springfield.
• Annoying scheduling award: The last New Haven Senators home game was played against the Springfield Indians. The last Beast home game was the last game, played against the Springfield Falcons.
• Playoff games: 3. Playoff losses: 3. Playoff games in which New Haven blew at least a two-goal lead: 2. Playoff games in which New Haven blew a 3-0 third-period lead and allowed seven goals in that third period: 1. Different stories the Connecticut Post beatwriter wrote that night: 4 (one is lost, but the other three are available on request).
• Highest single-game attendance: 8,139, opening night, 10/24/97
• Making 'em count awards: Mark Parrish (3 GP, 2 G); Patrick Mikesch (5 goals, 2 shorthanded); Greg Kuznik (27 GP, 1 G, 1 GWG).
• Overall, the team scored 496 goals in 160 games (256 in 1997-98) and had 820 assists (417 in 1997-98) for 1316 points (673 in 1997-98). The players collected 3449 penalty minutes (1854 in 1998-99); they scored 168 power-play goals (92 in 1998-99) and scored 18 shorthanded goals (14 in 1997-98).
• In 9700:27, they allowed 489 goals (250 in 1998-99) for a team goals-against average of 3.02 (2.96 in 1997-98). Their goalies had six shutouts (four in 1997-98). They made 4685 saves (2497 in 1998-99).

• 6/9/97 -- Team, league and city officials announce the relocation of the (Greensboro) Carolina Monarchs to New Haven for at least two years. Dave Gregory and Paragon Sports Properties will operate the team in New Haven with possibility of long-term agreement to follow. Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers will provide players.
• 8/21/97 -- Announce nickname "Beast of New Haven."
• 9/15/97 -- Florida assigns New Haven its first players for training camp: winger Ashley Buckberger, defenseman Wes Swinson and goalie Dave Lemanowicz.
• 9/21/97 -- First training camp opens with 27 players.
• 9/26/97 -- Play first preseason game in Springfield, Mass., a 5-2 loss.
• 10/3/97 -- Play first game, a 2-1 win over Adirondack in Glens Falls, N.Y. Ian MacNeil scores team's first goal.
• 10/24/97 -- After seven road games to allow Coliseum renovations to conclude, play first home game, a 2-1 win over Worcester with 8,139 in attendance.
• 1/27/98 -- Enforcer and fan favorite Peter Worrell notches first-ever Beast hat trick, and center Ryan Johnson scores five points in 6-3 win over Rochester. Team will go 19-9-3 in final 31 games.
• 3/15/98 -- Clinch first playoff berth with 6-3 win over Worcester.
• 3/31/98 -- Florida officially announces it will continue its affiliation with the Beast in 1998-99. The Panthers will place their prospects in Louisville, Ky. in 1999-2000.
• 4/10/98 -- Herbert Vasiljevs scores team-record four goals in 6-2 home win over Hartford that clinches third place in the New England Division.
• 4/17/98 -- In its first playoff game, New Haven blows a 3-0 third period lead to Hartford and loses 7-4.
• 4/22/98 -- Beast defenseman John Jakopin is given the AHL's Yanick Dupre Award for his work in the community. New Haven then blows a 2-0 lead, outshot 34-7 in the final 41 minutes, and loses 3-2, getting swept by Hartford in three games in the first round.
• 10/9/98 -- Open 1998-99 season with 6-3 home loss to Hartford before 6,391 fans.
• 12/17/98 -- Florida makes Louisville official.
• 1/23/99 -- Win first game in Hartford, 2-1, after eight losses there.
• 3/14/99 -- Home 2-2 tie against Lowell caps 0-12-2 stretch in 14 home games.
• 4/17/99 -- Eliminated from playoff contention for 1998-99 with 6-1 loss to Worcester.
• 4/18/99 -- Play final game, a home 4-1 win over Springfield. Chad Cabana scores the last goal with assists from Joey Tetarenko and Tom Buckley.
• 4/19/99 -- Carolina prospect Shane Willis, who ends up with 31 goals and team-record 50 assists in 73 games, wins Dudley "Red" Garrett Award as rookie of the year.
• 6/9/99 -- Negotiations break down between Beast ownership and Carolina Hurricanes over new affiliation agreement and sale agreement for the former Monarchs franchise. Face June 11 deadline to conclude new agreement.
• 6/16/99 -- After three extensions of deadline, announce they will not ice a team in 1999-2000.

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