Published: June 24, 2008 11:43 pm            

Chiefs sign three

At the outset of the Johnstown Chiefs 20th anniversary ECHL season, Joey Olson, Joel Gasper and Domenic Maini weren’t even on the team’s figurative radar.

Olson, a Robert Morris product, was playing in the fledgling Mid-Atlantic Hockey League.

Gasper was finishing his studies and college career, also at Robert Morris. Maini was rehabilitating an injury suffered during his time at Ohio State.

On Tuesday, the trio of skaters were the first to sign with the Chiefs for the upcoming season.

Second-year Chiefs coach Ian Herbers appreciated the irony.

Herbers signed Olson on Jan. 4 in what at the time was considered a desperate move to fill out the roster.

High-scoring forwards Alexandre Imbeault, Jean Desrochers and Ryan Garlock were on call up. Other players were injured. Olson, who had 20 goals for Mon Valley in the MAHL, was expected to play briefly, at best.

“We were scrambling for players. We couldn’t find anybody. We had call-ups. We had injuries,” Herbers said during a Tuesday telephone interview. “We were way down on numbers. His coach in the MAHL suggested Joey. His size was worrisome at first but he proved he can play.

“He came in as a fill-in when we were very short on players. He came in to play a shift or two. He got his first shift and earned another one. He earned every shift he got. He earned the ice time he got, and he earned a contract for this season.

In 39 ECHL games, Olson had 15 goals, 44 assists and 68 points. He skated on lines with the Chiefs’ top players and produced.

Gasper joined the Chiefs on March 17, scoring an assist in his first game against Cincinnati. In nine games, he tallied two points. Gasper was set to return to Robert Morris to complete his studies, but the Chiefs added him to the playoff roster after Rob Drummond broke his hand while on AHL call up to Lake Erie during the final weekend of the regular season.

“Gasper was in the middle of writing exams,” Herbers said. “He was falling a little bit behind in his courses. It was an engineering degree. We were going to leave him off the playoff roster so he could concentrate on his courses. Then with Drummond breaking his hand we were short up the middle at the center position and we ended up using him.

“He wasn’t supposed to get any ice time in the playoffs,” Herbers added. “Next thing you know he’s on the ice in the Dayton series. He gets a regular shift and the next thing, he’s on the third line.”

Maini joined the Chiefs on April 2 and had an assist in his first game against Reading. He had two assists in three games.

“Maini hadn’t played all season long,” Herbers said. “Maini was rehabbing an injury from the previous season. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to play. He got the itch later in the season. He worked himself back into shape.

“We just saw a flash of what Maini can do. He’s a very gifted player with the puck. We got him a few games at the end so he could see what the pace is like and where he needs to be. We expect big things out of him.”

        

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