McLean Returns To The Penguins

The Trenton Sting were pleased to learn that former Captain Kurtis McLean has been called up to the American Hockey League once again.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins recalled McLean; who plays centre; from the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL on November 29th. McLean, 26, is tied for fifth in the ECHL in both scoring (24 points) and goals (11) through 16 games this season.

The native of Kirkland Lake, ON, split last season between Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre / Scranton. He recorded 56 points and a team-leading 31 goals in 41 games with the Nailers, and added 15 points (4+11) in 32 games with the Penguins. McLean tied the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton record for points in a game with five (1+4) on January 18 against the Syracuse Crunch.

It only took McLean 29 minutes, 23 seconds to pick up his first AHL goal of the season. Last season, McLean had two goals and six points versus the Crunch and was a plus 6. “I’ve had some luck against them,” McLean said of the Crunch. “I was just trying to make the most of my opportunity. Obviously it’s enjoyable to be back and I want to contribute as much as possible.”

As of today, McLean has 2 goals and 2 assists in five games since rejoining the club. Keep up the great work Kurtis, we'll be cheering for you as always.

NEW Sting Photo Gallery

After the loss of our previous blog, the photos posted there were lost.

I have decided to begin a Trenton Sting Photo Gallery where those photos and any new photos can be added and viewed.

There is a link to the new gallery listed in the column to the left under Hockey Stuff.

Clicking the link will take you away from the Sting Blog to another site hosting the photos for you to view.

Please be advised that any advertising on that site is not supported by the Trenton Sting. I do not encourage anyone to click on any possible ads on that site. The site is free for us to use and the advertisements they post are minimal. If you just click on the proper photo links, you should be able to avoid the ads all together. It's not a big deal but I want to make sure you're aware of it.

I hope you enjoy the new addition and check back from time to time to see if new photos have been added.

Thanks,

Blog Owner

McLean Resigns with Penguins

Former Trenton Sting Captain, Kurtis McLean, was resigned by the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League. The announcement was made by Penguins Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Barrett.

McLean began last season as a member of the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), recording a team-best 46 points before being recalled by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 11. His 46 points were second in the ECHL at the time of his recall, and he was named to the American Conference team for the ECHL All-Star Game. He appeared in 41 games with the Nailers overall, recording 56 points and a team-high 31 goals.

McLean, 25, appeared in 32 regular season games with the Penguins last season, recording 15 points (4+11) and eight penalty minutes. He tied the team record for points and assists in a game (four and five, respectively) in a 7-2 win against the Syracuse Crunch on January 18. His first AHL point and goal were among those tallies.

He also appeared in seven postseason games with the Penguins, going scoreless with four penalty minutes.

The native of Kirkland Lake, Ontario added eight points (4+4) in five playoff games with Wheeling.

Prior to joining the Penguins, McLean played four seasons at Norwich University, leading the team in scoring each year. He recorded 212 points (118+94) in 115 career games with the Cadets and was a member of the 2003 Division-III National Championship team. He also appeared in four games with Richmond (UHL) at the end of the 2004-05 season.

McLean also captained the Trenton Sting to an Eastern Conference Championship in 2001 and his number 17 was retired by the Sting.

The 5-11, 180 pound McLean was originally signed by the Penguins on September 29, 2005.

Congratualtions Kurtis!

Former Coach Now Scout

The Sting wish to congratulate former Trenton bench boss/GM Michael Oke on his new job as Chief Scout with International Scouting Services (ISS).

Oke coached the Sting in the teams early years and despite moving on he always remained in touch with the team and has been seen at games every year since. He has also done some unofficial scouting for Trenton in the past as well.

Oke has a wealth of hockey experience as a player, scout, coach, and General Manager.

For the past two seasons Oke has worked as an Assistant Coach with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. His strong hockey sense has been key in his ability to analyze and evaluate the skills and tendencies of both his own and his opponents players.

Prior to that Oke spent four years as Assistant Coach at Wilfred Laurier University of the Ontario University Athletic Association.

The ISS is a global provider of online hockey scouting, and hockey news. It is their goal to offer the highest quality scouting information to hockey clubs through the dynamic integration of hockey experts, scouting procedures and state-of-the-art technology.

Congratulations Mike!