Avalanche dealing with losses of forward and blueliner

Dec. 22, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The Alaska Avalanche have two more holes to fill.

The Wasilla-based Junior A hockey squad has lost defensmen Brandon Graffunder and forward Chris Nicolaou for an undisclosed amount of time.

Graffunder, a native of Brooklyn Park, Minn, and Nicolaou, of Dallas, suffered significant injury in a car accident on Monday.

The accident, a head-on collision, occurred as the players were on their way to Goose Bay Elementary for a community service event.

Graffunder and Nicolaou were each transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, along with the driver of a second vehicle.

According to reports submitted by Alaska State Troopers, the Avalanche players were occupants of a vehicle involved in a head-on collision.

Following Alaska's 7-2 loss to Santa Fe on Wednesday, Avalanche coach and general manager Keith Morris preferred not to go into specifics about the players' injuries or their status on the roster for the remainder of the season.

&#8220That's undefined (right now),” Morris said, as he looked back on a mentally exhausting 24 hours.

&#8220It's been an emotional drain on the whole organization, especially the kids in the locker room,” Morris said. &#8220It's a very, very unfortunate deal.”

Morris said the sentiments have focused on health rather than hockey.

&#8220You take the hockey out of it, you never like to see that happen to anybody, especially young men who have a lot to live for,” Morris said. &#8220Our prayers are with them for a speedy recovery.”

Graffunder and Nicolaou were slated to participate in a reading program at Goose Bay Elementary. The Avalanche players have been making their way around the community, reading to local elementary students.

&#8220That's was so upsetting about it,” Morris said. &#8220They were doing something good. We're trying to get our organization out into the community as much as we can.”

Graffunder and Nicolaou are each in their first season with the local North American Hockey League franchise. Both players have figured prominently into the success of the team.

&#8220A top-four defensmen and a top-six forward,” Morris said. &#8220That's tough to (replace).”

Alaska selected Graffunder, a Minnesota product, out of Torino-Grace High School in the 2006 NAHL draft. In 28 games, Graffunder posted seven goals, nine assists and only 21 penalty minutes.

Graffunder has also been one of Alaska's most productive players on the power play. He leads the team with six power-play goals, and has three power-play assists.

&#8220He has great patience with the puck, great vision and a real solid stick skill,” Morris said. &#8220He's got a bright, bright future. He'll be a Division I player.”

Nicolaou was a late addition to the squad, but immediately became an every-day contributor. In 18 games he has three goals and two assists.

To help fill the void left by Graffunder and Nicolaou, the Avalanche added Anchorage native Logan Imlach earlier this week.

Imlach, a former Dimond High School skater, scored 21 goals and 36 assists with the Junior B Fort Vancouver Pioneers last season.

The losses of Graffunder and Nicolaou come as Alaska is trying desperately to get healthy. The team's leader in goals scored, Brad McCabe, has been out with a knee injury since Nov. 3. Captain Jeff Dimmen has been out since Nov. 16.

Forwards Clay Kasten and Johnny Spellman are also nursing injuries.

McCabe is still rehabilitating a knee injury in his hometown of Gearhart, Ore. Dimmen is recovering from a torn hamstring, and could be back following the holiday.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.