Ice Dogs Make a Triumphant Entrance

The Ice Dogs are now something to bark about.

Los Angeles’ newest hockey team made its regular-season debut with a 5-1 victory over the expansion San Francisco Spiders in the International Hockey League opener for both teams before a sellout crowd of 11,415 at the Cow Palace on Friday night.

Linemates Viktor Gordiouk, Jason Cirone and John Byce each had a goal and an assist for the Ice Dogs, while goalie Dave Littman stopped the first 17 shots he faced until defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh scored a meaningless power-play goal for the Spiders with 9:23 left in the third period.

By then the former San Diego Gulls already led, 5-0.

It didn’t take long for Gordiouk to score the Ice Dogs’ first goal. Byce and Cirone joined Gordiouk in the history book by picking up assists on the goal, which came only 51 seconds into the game.

Gordiouk, one of the Ice Dogs’ best players in the exhibition season, scored into an empty net to give the team an early lead shortly after Byce was stopped on the franchise’s first shot on goal. But soon afterward, Spider goalie Stephane Beauregard got tangled up behind the net, enabling Cirone to feed Gordiouk.

Los Angeles, which made it 2-0 on a Patrik Augusta power-play goal at the 6:53 mark, dominated the rest of the first period. The Ice Dogs recorded the first 13 shots on goal as Littman didn’t need to make a save until more than 13 minutes had elapsed.

Cirone, Byce and captain Hubie McDonough added insurance goals in the third period.

Ice Dog Notes

The Ice Dogs return to Los Angeles to play the Minnesota Moose in their home opener at the Sports Arena on Sunday. Owner Fred Comrie said 9,500 tickets have been sold for the game. . . . Former Kings’ defenseman Mark Hardy, a player-coach for the Ice Dogs, played Friday night. Also skating was Spiders’ player-coach Rod Langway, a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman.