FOUR FORMER AEROS PLAYING FOR STANLEY CUP

Lang, Marshall, Hendrickson and Esche all alive in NHL playoffs

Houston, TX – Four former Houston Aeros, including two that played for the team in the 2003-04 season, are still playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. San Jose’s Jason Marshall and Colorado’s Darby Hendrickson were each with the Aeros this season. Detroit’s Robert Lang and Philadelphia’s Robert Esche are also alive in the post-season.

Marshall, who was Houston’s captain for much of the 2003-04 campaign, has one assist in five playoff games with the Sharks after recording 19 points (7-12=19) in 49 games with the Aeros. Hendrickson has played in one playoff game with Colorado, but scored a key goal, and notched nine points (4-5=9) in 31 contests with Houston.

Lang was an Aero for nine games in 1997-98, totaling eight points (1-7=8). He has six points (2-4=6) in six playoff games for the Red Wings this season. Esche, who went 4-2-1 with a 2.29 goals against average and two shutouts with Houston in 1999-2000, is 4-1-0 with a 1.81 goals against average and one shutout in the post-season for the Flyers.

Blake Sloan, who played for the Aeros from 1997-99, is the only Aero in the 10-year history of the team to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup after playing for Houston. Sloan played 19 playoff games in 1999 as the Stars beat Buffalo for the title. Sloan spent 62 games of that season with the Aeros. Manny Fernandez joins Sloan as former Aeros who were members of a Stanley Cup Finalist. The pair was also with Dallas in the 2000 post-season, when the Stars fell to New Jersey. Former Aeros netminder Jason Elliott did not play in any games for Detroit, but does have his name on the Stanley Cup as a Red Wing.

Also, Sloan leads a group of former Aeros competing in the IIHF World Championships, which begin later this week in Prague. Sloan and Richard Park are both playing for the United States, while Nick Schultz is on the Team Canada squad. Christoph Brandner, an Aero in 2003-04, is expected to play for Austria. Also, Tony Virta is on Finland's roster and Rastislav Pavlikovsky is playing for Slovakia. Matt Cullen, older brother of current Aero Mark Cullen, is also on the U.S. team.