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WBS Pens become Satan’s workshop

NHL vet wants to stay sharp while awaiting word from parent club.

By Tom Venesky tvenesky@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter

JENKINS TWP. – When Miroslav Satan arrived for Thursday’s practice at the Ice Box, he came prepared.

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Satan

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He brought along the skill, work ethic and determination that allowed him to score 354 goals over 13 NHL seasons.

But Satan, who is a native of Topolcany, Slovakia, also brought some knowledge of Wilkes-Barre’s history.

“I know that Jozef Murgas was resident here,” Satan said. “He was a famous Slovakian inventor of wireless telecommunications. His first test was between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, and I know he’s supposed to have a statue somewhere here.”

The only thing more impressive that Satan’s knowledge of Wilkes-Barre history was his skill on the ice during Thursday’s optional practice.

Satan, 34, was assigned to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate on March 4 in a salary cap move. Since then Satan hasn’t skated and he said he was happy to finally hit the ice on Thursday. He recorded 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 65 games for Pittsburgh this season.

“I basically had a choice – to stop playing or play here. I wasn’t ready to call it quits at this point so I decided to move down the road and see where it takes me,” he said. “I can’t sit around forever.”

Satan hopes that road leads back to Pittsburgh, but he has no idea when that may happen.

His agent indicated that a worse case scenario for Satan’s return to the NHL would be to spend the rest of the regular season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and return to Pittsburgh for the playoffs, when the salary cap is not in place.

“It’s too complicated to understand,” he said. “I decided I wanted to keep playing and I want to help this team while I’m down here and see where it takes me. I came here with an open mind.”

Satan hasn’t played in the AHL since April 1, 1995, when his Cape Breton Oilers beat Saint John 4-3. His teammates included Dennis Bonvie and Tyler Wright.

“It’s been a long time,” he said. “I don’t know if I remember everything, but I’ll find out in the next few days.”

Head coach Todd Reirden said he didn’t know if Satan would see his first game action on Saturday, Monday or later. Satan said he will probably need roughly a week’s worth of practice to get back into game shape.

Still, Reirden, who played against Satan during his NHL career, liked what he saw during Thursday’s practice.

“Whoa. That was impressive. He looked really good out there today,” Reirden said. “It’s an optional day for us and a lot of younger guys are here, so it was good for them to see a guy work at it and compete. Every puck he got he tried to score.”

Nick Johnson was Satan’s partner in a shooting drill during practice. He remembers watching him play when he was a teenager in Calgary and Satan was a top sniper for the Edmonton Oilers.

“I always knew who Miroslav Satan was. He’s been an NHL guy for years and it was kind of a cool situation to skate with him,” Johnson said.

NOTES

• Reirden didn’t know who he would use to form a line with Satan, but he said it would probably be two of the team’s skilled players such as Jeff Taffe, Chris Minard or Janne Pesonen.

“Anyone he plays on a line with will be a beneficiary,” Reirden said.

• The WBS Penguins released their Clear Day roster on Thursday, and there weren’t many surprises. The 22 players (20 skaters, two goaltenders) listed on the roster are the only ones eligible to compete in the remaining five weeks of the 2008-09 AHL regular season and in the 2009 Calder Cup playoffs, unless emergency conditions arise as a result of recall, injury or suspension. Teams may also add signed junior players or players on amateur tryout contracts, only after their respective junior or college seasons are complete. Players listed as reserves can play if there is an injury.

Clear Day Roster

up next

GOALTENDERS: John Curry and Adam Berkhoel

DEFENSEMEN: Jean-Philippe Cote, Jon D’Aversa, Deryk Engelland, Alex Goligoski, Ben Lovejoy, Joey Mormina and Andy Wozniewski

FORWARDS: Paul Bissonnette, Luca Caputi, Jean-Michel Daoust, Connor James, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson, Mark Letestu, Chris Minard, Janne Pesonen, Miroslav Satan, Jeff Taffe, Bill Thomas and Tim Wallace

RESERVES: Dave Gove, Aaron Boogaard, Adam Henrich

Penguins at River Rats

7 p.m. today

Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.

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