Gameday! Panthers @ Hurricanes

After too many long months without hockey, tonight, the puck drops across the board, and while I'm still undecided on whether I want to spend the $6 to watch one Rochester game, the Panthers will be playing, too -- on the road at RBC Center.

Skrastins is still on IR, so Frolik remains with the team to fill the roster spot.

The Panthers crushed the Hurricanes' playoff aspirations last year, and in doing so, finally put to rest a long losing streak in Carolina, although the Canes still won the season series.

Florida, without Skrastins, still has seven defensemen on the roster, and it appears that Noah Welch will be the healthy scratch, along with -- yeah, these two are scratches -- Anthony Stewart and Michael Frolik.

Carolina will be without Scott Walker and Justin Williams, while Rod Brind'Amour will be in for the Canes.

The game will be on FSFL tonight in south Florida and on the radio, 790 the Ticket. Puck drops at 7PM.

**AHL**

Rochester opens their season at home against the Syracuse Crunch tonight, as well. This will be the first game in Amerks history as the Panthers sole affiliate and, short of Michael Frolik, many of the Panthers' top prospects will be going up against a very skilled, very physical Syracuse team. Over at LetsGoAmerks.com's writeup about this morning's practice, Shawn Matthias, Michal Repik and Andrew Sweetland skated as a line while the defensemen were juggled quite a bit.

Rory Fitzpatrick will be wearing the 'C' for the Amerks, while Tanner Glass has earned an 'A'. Benoit Groulx hasn't decided who will get the third letter for Rochester just yet, and says that there are more than three leaders on his team.

Keaton Ellerby has an injury and probably will not play tonight. The opening face-off up north comes at 7:35 PM.

**NCAA**

In college, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux and Derrick LaPoint take on Boston University at 7:30, while Western Michigan (Ryan Watson) plays host to Niagara at 7:00 and the Maine Black Bears and defenseman Matt Duffy open against New Brunswick at 6:00. All times, of course, PM.

The remaining teams; Denver, Michigan and New Hampshire, play tomorrow night.

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Lastly, a little bit of news from the ECHL. James DeLory, who was cut from Amerks' camp and assigned to the Everblades, will spend the season learning a new position.

DeLory, undrafted and signed as a defenseman out of the Ontario Hockey League, will be learning to play right wing.