New-Look Ice Dogs Start Off With a Loss

There have been some changes since the Long Beach Ice Dogs were swept out of the International Hockey League, losing four in a row to Chicago in the semifinals of the Western Conference playoffs.

As the puck is dropped on the 2000-01 season, the Ice Dogs--who began play with a 4-3 shootout loss at San Diego before 12,419 Friday night--have moved to the West Coast Hockey League after five IHL seasons. They are the ninth member in the WCHL, joining San Diego, Bakersfield, Phoenix, Colorado, Fresno, Idaho, Anchorage and Tacoma.

Long Beach will play in the Southern Division. San Diego is the defending division champion, and started out by beating the Ice Dogs in the shootout. After regulation play ended in a 3-3 tie, it was 1-1 in the shootout after five players shot for each team. The game was decided after two more players shot for each team.

According to media relations manager Tobin Ernst, the move to the WCHL was “more economically sound” for the Ice Dogs, whose nearest opponent in the IHL was Utah.

Fans coming to the Long Beach Arena for Ice Dog’s home opener tonight, a return match with San Diego, will also see a bunch of new Dogs.

Defenseman Rene Chapdelaine is the Ice Dogs’ only returning player from the 1999-2000 squad. Chapdelaine, 33, will also be an assistant general manager, helping John Van Boxmeer, with the team’s day-to-day operations.

Returning to Long Beach is goalie Mike Buzak, who split last season with four teams in three different leagues and wound up with a cumulative 7-15-3 record. Buzak previously played at Long Beach in 1997-98, appearing in 31 games.

Darryl Williams, in his first season, is the second coach in the history of the franchise, which moved to Long Beach in 1996.