RENEGADES NOTES

O'Sullivan out for year

Richmond coach Brian Goudie has been back on the phone, talking with agents and other coaches about prospective players. The reason? His Renegades suffered another season-ending injury Saturday at Columbus.

Forward Mike O'Sullivan, who joined the club Dec. 30 and had played in 15 games (three goals, five assists), suffered a broken ankle against the Cottonmouths when he "lost an edge" on his skate and crashed into the end boards.

"If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all," said Goudie, who lost goaltender Ryan Senft for the season and defenseman Dan Vandemeer for half the year with injuries.

In addition, forward Bill Zalba, who broke a bone in his hand during a fight that drew a three-game suspension from the Southern Professional Hockey League, likely will miss at least the next four games while the fracture heals. Zalba tried to play Friday in Knoxville, but was unable to get off the bench.

"When injuries happen to us, it's not hangnails," Goudie said. "It's either all or nothing for us.

"I've got to find somebody, at least one forward. I'm not going to play with eight forwards for the next whatever number of games."

If Goudie doesn't sign someone by Friday, when Twin City visits the Coliseum, the Renegades would be two skaters short.

"I've never seen such bad luck," Senft said.

Quick move got Ronan

When goalie Ryan Person disappeared one day last week - leaving his apartment without a word to anyone - Goudie had to find a replacement in a hurry. His first call was to Huntsville, which was going to have three goalies when Tim Haun returned from Fort Wayne (International Hockey League).

"I knew that Haun was going to be back at the end of the month," Goudie said. "So I knew Huntsville would have to release or waive one of their goalies. After Person did a Houdini on us after the Twin City game [last Wednesday], it left me scrambling for something. It was almost like doing the kid a favor, keeping him in the league.

"I [had] seen the kid play against us the Saturday before, and he played well. I knew he could play in this league. We needed somebody like that, especially with [Ryan] Scott still having some nagging problems."

Ronan, who came in a cash deal, stopped 37 shots in Richmond's 5-3 victory over Columbus. He was only 1-4-1 with Huntsville, but his save percentage was .910.

Fewer games in 2009-10

With a struggling economy staring them in the face, the six owners in the SPHL voted last week to reduce the number of games in the 2009-10 regular season to 56, four fewer than this season.

Commissioner Jim Combs said his office is reviewing several cities and ownership groups for next season, but no decisions will be made until the summer meeting June 13-15 in Huntsville, Ala. One of the cities is believed to be Augusta, Ga., which recently folded its operations in the East Coast Hockey League. - John Packett