Senators Articles: Hamel's omission a surprise; Younger players on all-star teams
January 31, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Scott Lauber of Press Connects.com

Hamel's omission a surprise

Younger players on all-star teams

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

ROCHESTER -- Count Jason Spezza among the many people surprised that Binghamton Senators winger Denis Hamel wasn't picked to play in the AHL All-Star Game.

So surprised, in fact, that he lost $20.

Spezza had a friendly wager with Hamel, who doubted he would be selected by the league's coaches. That's though Hamel's 26 goals entering Friday night's game against the Rochester Americans were third in the AHL behind Manchester's Mike Cammalleri (28) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Michel Ouellet (27).

Hamel, 27, contended that younger players would be chosen to play in the midseason showcase and was looking forward to a four-day break. Twenty-eight of the 47 players selected are 22 years old or younger, and the average age of the all-stars is 23.

"Denis would be the biggest surprise, I think," Senators 22-year-old all-star winger Brandon Bochenski said. "I guess they tend to pick younger guys, but when you're in the top three in the league in goal scoring, you'd think you'd make it."

Senators coach Dave Cameron didn't place much stock in Hamel's omission. The Senators have three representatives (Spezza, Bochenski and defenseman Brian Pothier), and only Manchester (six) and Milwaukee (four) had more.

"Guys like (Hamel) not making it is why coaches don't get caught up in all-star voting or individual awards," Cameron said. "You just hope guys that make it don't get caught up into it and guys that don't make it don't feel slighted. That won't happen with Denis."

STREAK NOTES

It began Jan. 7 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and it has become the longest sustained stretch of prosperity in the Senators' three-season history in Binghamton. They brought nine straight victories with them into Rochester, and the numbers during the streak have been eye-popping.

Aside from outscoring opponents 40-20, the Senators were 17-for-45 (37.8 percent) on the power play and killed 50 of 55 man advantages (90.9 percent) in the past nine games. They hadn't scored fewer than four goals in a game since their last loss, 3-2 in Worcester back on Jan. 1.

SLAP SHOTS

Pothier and enforcer Brian McGrattan played after bouts with the flu earlier this week. ... The Senators scratched winger Arpad Mihaly and seven defensemen dressed. ... Going into Friday night, Binghamton hockey franchises were 106-100-20 all-time against the Americans.