• Trio of Ontario Hockey League Grads on a Rampage in San Antonio

  Filed under AHL (American Hockey League)
  Feb 19
  

  (cheezy, cliche headline of the year?)

  The AHL’s San Antonio Rampage are currently tied for sixth in the Western Conference. It’s looking good for the Rampage to make the Calder Cup playoffs in 2011-12 for just the third time in the team’s history. Since entering the American Hockey League for the 2002-03 (a reincarnation of the Adirondack Red Wings), San Antonio has seen the playoffs just twice, an early exit both times, losing the Conference Quarter-finals. The last time the Rampage were in the post season was 2007-08. The team is the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers.

  On board for their playoff run are three Ontario Hockey League grads. All three are in their first seasons with San Antonio and two of the three were originally drafted by Florida.

  Michael Caruso played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 2004-05 to 2007-08, all with the Guelph Storm. Caruso was a fourth round pick of the Panthers at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, 103rd overall. This is Caruso’s first year with the club after spending three with the Rochester Americans. The Americans were affiliated with Florida until 2011-12.

  Michael Vernace spent parts of three seasons with the Brampton Battalion from 2003-04 to 2005-06, although only playing in two games in the first year. The San Jose Sharks took Vernace in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, despite playing just those two games. In his final season in Brampton, Michael’s 62 assists led all defensemen in the OHL.

  Vernace has 22 games of NHL experience with the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning. He started the 2011-12 season with the Norfolk Admirals before moving west to Texas.

  Scott Timmins is in his second year with the Florida Panthers organization. In 2010-11, Timmins played for the Rochester Americans but was a 19 game call-up to the NHL club. This season, it’s been all Rampage. He was a sixth round pick of the Panthers in 2009, 165th overall.

  Scott played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 2006-07 to 2009-10. He began with the Kitchener Rangers and moved over to the Windsor Spitfires mid-season in 2008-09. If the Rampage do make the post-season, they’ll appreciate the winning ways of Scott Timmins. For three consecutive years, Scott was a member of the Robertson Cup winning team. In 2007-08, it was with the Rangers and the following two years with the Spitfires. In both years with Windsor, the team was Memorial Cup champions.

  
  Tagged as: AHL, american hockey league, brampton battalion, guelph storm, kitchener rangers, michael caruso, michael vernace, Ontario Hockey League, san antonio rampage, scott timmins, windsor spitfires
  
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