Signings won't fill Pens' cupboard

Five players who came to camp on a tryout basis -- forwards Steve Leach, Tom Chorske and Bob Errey and defensemen David Wilkie and John Slaney -- combined for more than 2,500 games of NHL service time.

Slaney became the leading scorer for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Leach and Chorske played bit parts in Pittsburgh, Wilkie was released and Errey retired to become the team's radio analyst.

While only Slaney made a significant impact on the local club, Leach and Chorske's presence in Pittsburgh allowed for players like Tyler Wright, Martin Sonnenberg and Robert Dome to be sent down.

The Penguins have invited nine veterans to camp on a tryout basis this year, but none have any NHL pedigree to speak of. In fact, most look more like candidates for the parent club's East Coast Hockey League affiliate in Wheeling than its AHL club in Wilkes-Barre or NHL team in Pittsburgh.

"We made most of our changes at the trade deadline," said general manager Craig Patrick, who pulled the trigger on deals that brought seven new players to the organization last March. "We really liked how things came together right then. We think we can build on that."

The most accomplished of the free agent lot is Jason MacDonald, a 6-foot, 195-pound forward who had 29 points in 59 games split between Manitoba and Orlando in the International Hockey League last year.

MacDonald, a 28-year-old who has been described as a power forward, had a career year for Manitoba in 1998-99, scoring 25 goals and racking up 283 penalty minutes. He also had a 20-goal season with Fredericton of the AHL in 1996-97.

Two other veteran invitees put up some numbers that might make them worth watching in training camp. Steve Parsons, a 6-3, 220-pound forward, had 349 penalty minutes in 56 games in the United Hockey League last year. Chris Newans, a 5-11, 180-pound defenseman, had 304 PIM in 56 games in the West Coast Hockey League.

The others are players who spent most of last season in lower minor leagues like the ECHL, WCHL or UHL.

With a dearth of veteran players in the AHL, that means more rookies will likely wear the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton colors this season.

Training camp to open

Training camp opens at Pittsburgh's suburban practice rink in Canonsburg on Friday morning. After a week there, camp shifts to Wilkes-Barre.

The 65-man roster will be broken up into three groups, which will take turns on the ice at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza, starting at 9 each morning from Sept. 16 to Sept. 21. The last two days of training camp in Northeast Pennsylvania will take place at the Ice Box in Pittston.

The NHL Penguins will return to Pittsburgh Sept. 23 and the AHL team will stay in town. The practice schedule varies based on several exhibition games scheduled during the week.

All training camp practices are free and open to the public.

The Penguins will host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Sept. 16 and the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, Sept. 21. They will play at Detroit on Tuesday, Sept. 19 and at Hershey against Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 23.

The Penguins also announced Wednesday that a rookie game between Penguins and Devils prospects will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16.

The NHL exhibition game between Pittsburgh and New Jersey will follow at 7:05 that evening.

Tickets for the rookie game cost $5 in advance and $7 at the door. They can only be purchased at the arena box office. Tickets for the NHL exhibition games at the arena are on sale at the box office or any Ticketmaster location. Tom Grace will call the action for the NHL exhibition games at the arena Sept. 16 and 21 and at Hershey on Sept. 23 on Oldies 92 and 100.

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