Senators Articles: Four ejections cost McGrattan two games
February 26, 2005

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

Four ejections cost McGrattan two games

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

ALBANY -- If you're going to challenge the AHL's single-season penalty-minute record, chances are you're going to rack up a few suspensions along the way.

That's the downside to being Brian McGrattan right now.

McGrattan, the Binghamton Senators' enforcer, earned his fourth game misconduct of the season last Saturday night after a third-period fight with Manchester's Chris Schmidt. Accumulating that many ejections results in an automatic two-game AHL suspension, which McGrattan began serving Friday night when the Senators visited the Albany River Rats.

With 22 games remaining, McGrattan is the league's runaway penalty-minute leader with 382. That's 124 more than the next-highest total of ex-Senators heavyweight Dennis Bonvie of the Hershey Bears, who remains close friends with McGrattan.

McGrattan has already set the Senators' franchise record for penalty minutes in a season and is chasing Bonvie's AHL single-season mark of 522 set in 1996-97.

With McGrattan ineligible to play until next Friday night, the Senators recalled forward Derek Campbell from Elmira of the United Hockey League. Campbell, who had no points and five penalty minutes in two previous games with the Senators this season, played Friday night.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

The Web site Minor League News has named Senators goalie Ray Emery and rookie winger Brandon Bochenski among its 2005 "Fab 50" minor-league hockey players.

Emery was rated 21st overall, down from No. 11 last season, and was ranked as the ninth-best goalie, behind Chicago's Kari Lehtonen, Providence's Hannu Toivonen, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Marc-Andre Fleury, Rochester's Ryan Miller, Cincinnati's Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia's Antero Niittymaki, Worcester's Jason Bacashihua and Utah's David LeNeveu.

Bochenski, making his "Fab 50" debut, came in at No. 31. Going into Friday night's game, he was leading AHL rookies with 24 goals and 47 points.

SLAP SHOTS

When the Senators played here two weeks ago, defenseman Jan Platil attempted to strike a Rats player with his helmet during a third-period brawl. Platil served the final leg of his four-game AHL suspension and will be eligible to play Wednesday night at home against Norfolk. ... Entering play Friday night, captain Chris Kelly was leading the Senators with a plus-18 rating and was even or better in 29 of his last 30 games. ... Ottawa Senators goalie coach Ron Low will be with the team through Thursday.