BC Icemen Gain Forward, But May Lose Leading Scorer

August 11, 1998

Press & Sun Bulletin

Sean Mayer, Staff Writer

They gained a versatile forward Monday, but the BC Icemen are likely to lose their top scorer from a season ago.

The Icemen purchased the rights to Muskegon Fury left wing Derek Knorr and signed him to a one-year contract.  Terms were not disclosed.  Knorr, 25, can play all three forward positions and has missed just four games over the last two regular seasons.

Meanwhile, Icemen general manager Patrick Snyder said he does not expect right wing Marty Wells, who topped the Icemen with 43 goals and 69 points in 60 games, to return.  Snyder believes Wells, who led the United hockey League with 25 power-play goals, will play in another league next season.

Snyder said Wells, 25 is seeking two deals—one for him and one for his brother, Derek—from the same team.  Derek Wells tried out for the Icemen in training camp last season, but was released.

Knorr, a native of […], is a fourth season pro out of the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he played two seasons with Icemen goalie Jon Hillenbrand, Knorr had 21 goals, 61 points and 104 penalty minutes in 72 games last season, his second with Muskegon.

Knorr was a member of the Flint Generals Colonial Cup championship squad in 1995-96.

Snyder feels Knorr’s greatest asset is his ability to grates on opponents.

“He’s a solid, two-player,” Snyder said.  “He’s feisty, he’s an agitator—he gets guys off their games.  People look at statistics, but I like a lot of the other things he does that don’t show up in stats.”

Knorr had two goals, eight points and 15 penalty minutes in seven games against the Icemen last season.