FHL Weekend Roundup: Warriors, Aviators and Rock Crushers Announce Signings

A total of six players were signed over the weekend to Federal League contracts, three on tryouts and three to standard player contracts (SPC's), as teams continue to bolster their rosters with just 80 days until opening night.

Friday brought the first wave of signings for the reigning FHL champion Akwesasne Warriors, as they brought back three key components of last year's Commissioner's Cup-winning squad on SPCs.

C Miguel Delisle 

The Maple Leafs' 4th-round selection in 2000 had a huge year for the Warriors in 2010-11, his first in professional hockey since 2003-04, where he played for four ECHL teams (San Diego, Idaho, Dayton and Trenton) and totaled 35 points and 126 PIM.

His return to pro hockey was a successful one, as he helped anchor Akwesasne's offense with 22 goals and 27 assists in just 42 regular season games. In the playoffs Delisle added another 13 points in eight games on the Warriors' path to the Cup. The Warriors have to be happy to have a player with Delisle's pro experience and point output back in the fold for 2011-12.

RW Addison Pelkey

A reliable bottom-six winger from nearby Cornwall, ON, Pelkey enjoyed some offensive success in his first professional campaign, tallying 17 points in 26 regular season games, and 2 more points in 7 postseason contests.

LW Alain Quenneville

Like Pelkey, Quenneville calls Cornwall home, and the 32-year-old will return for his second season of professional hockey in 2011-12. The gritty winger brings plenty of experience and local flavor to the Warriors, having played junior for the Cornwall Colts of the CJHL back in the mid-90's, as well as senior hockey more recently for the Cornwall Comets of the LHSPAA. Quenneville will still stick up for his teammates when needed, but don't expect to see him scrapping regularly, as he did with the Comets (seven fighting majors in 2004-05)

Brooklyn Aviators

RW Chris Ferazzoli 

A Floral Park, NY native, Ferazzoli brings four years of "A" and "AA" pro experience to the Aviators camp. After three seasons at the University of Delaware from 2000-2003, the 5'6" forward resurfaced with the Indiana Ice Miners of the MAHL, and lit the league up, registering 65 points (22 G, 43 A) with a +42 rating in just 26 games. That earned him a ticket into AA, splitting the rest of the year between Youngstown of the CHL and Elmira and Cincinatti of the ECHL.

FHL fans may remember Ferazzoli from the next season in New Jersey, where he again put up 65 points. This time it was in a 36-game stay with the eventual EPHL champion Rockhoppers, where he was a teammate of former Aviator star Matt Puntureri.  That campaign also got Ferazzoli a 14-game call up back to Cincinatti where he tallied five points.

Ferazzoli has spent the past two seasons in the SPHL, scoring 10 goals and 40 assists for the Mississippi Surge in 2009-10 and three goals and eight assists last season with the Augusta RiverHawks before he was waived and released in December. He'll attend Brooklyn's camp on a tryout, but I don't see any way that he doesn't make the team given his track record and close proximity to the team.

C Anthony Longo

Anthony Longo will return for his second season in Brooklyn after agreeing to a tryout with the Aviators. The Staten Island product appeared in 18 games last year, his first professional season after four seasons at Lebanon Valley College. The 23-year old tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in 18 games last season.

Green Mountain Rock Crushers

G John Dorman

I mentioned in the last writeup that Green Mountain needs to find a goalie with some substantial pro experience to compete. They're getting closer with the acquisition of John "Freddie" Dorman, who has 26 games under his belt at the "A" level, and a cult following on Facebook.

FHL fans may recognize Dorman from his 3 starts in Brooklyn last season where he went 2-1 with a 2.33 GAA, turning away 84 of the 91 shots he faced. A small sample, but he looks like he can perform at this level.