The Evansville IceMen, proud ECHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League and the Springfield Falcons and Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League, have announced their first major trade of the 2012-13 season.
On this date, IceMen General Manager/Head Coach Rich Kromm has disclosed that Evansville has completed a major three-player deal with the Orlando Solar Bears. In the trade, the IceMen have acquired prolific-scoring veteran right wing KEVIN BAKER from the Orlando club in exchange for center DALE MAHOVSKY and right wing DAN GENDUR. All three players will be reporting to their new teams, effective immediately.
BAKER, 33, is presently in his ninth pro season and his seventh in the ECHL. The 6-1, 202lb native of Kingston, Ontario brings a rich resume of prodigious goal-scoring cannoneering to the Evansville club. Having scored nearly 220-pro career goals in his distinguished career, he was ECHL Stockton’s leading scoring impresario last season in 2011-12, registering 56-points in 68-games on a team-high 27-goals, along with 29-assists along with 46-PIM. His 10-PPG and 6-GWG also paced the Thunder. Baker added 6-more points in 8-post-season playoff appearances on 1-goal, 5-assists.
It was in the 2008-09 ECHL campaign when the IceMen’s newest member etched his name in ECHL history. In that season, Baker captured both the ECHL scoring crown as well as ECHL League MVP award, amassing an astronomical 102-points in 70-games on a league and career-best 57-goals, 45-assists.
Originally selected in the seventh round, 193rd overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Baker has achieved immense success in the goal-scoring department throughout every stage of his career. In major junior ‘A’ with the Belleville Bulls of the OHL he averaged over 30-goals a season, sustaining such goal-scoring prowess and expertise through his collegiate career at Acadia University as well as in the pro ranks today.
With the IceMen being the lowest scoring team in the ECHL thus far this season, Baker will be expected to considerably augment his new team in this department.
Mahovsky and Gendur were both in their first IceMen seasons. Mahovsky was 24(5-4-9); Gendur 19(4-6-10)
