Melnyk, Needham join Senft on the roster

The Richmond Renegades have added three more returning players to the roster for the 2008-09 season, including goaltender Ryan Senft, who led the Southern Professional Hockey League in minutes played (2,011) last season.

The workhorse goalie, who joined the team one week into the season, finished with an 18-14-1 record and 3.13 goals-against average (fourth in the SPHL).

"Last season, he showed some of the skills needed to go to the next level, and we're hoping for bigger things this season," Richmond coach Brian Goudie said.

Joining Senft will be forwards Donald Melnyk and Brett Needham, both of whom were on the opening-day roster of the 2006-07 Renegades.

The speedy Melnyk was third on the team in scoring last season (53 points) and second in goals (26). He also was second in the league in short-handed goals (six).

Needham, more of a feisty player who doesn't mind going into the corners, had eight goals and 30 points, in addition to 116 penalty minutes.

The club announced last month that defensemen Dan Vandermeer and R.C. Lyke, as well as forward Justin Joy, will be back this season.

Gill signs contract with club in Holland

One player who is not scheduled to return is forward Andre Gill, who led the team in goals (33) last year. Gill, who indicated after the season that he was going to try to play in Europe this season, has signed a contract with a club in Holland.

In two seasons with the Renegades, Gill contributed 52 goals and 110 points in 106 regular-season games.

Training camp will start Oct. 13, and the season opener will be Oct. 24 at the Coliseum against Twin City (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

Three exhibitions are on tap in October

The Renegades are scheduled to play three exhibitions - rather than the usual two - before the regular season gets under way. The first exhibition will be Oct. 17 at the Coliseum against Fayetteville at 7:35 p.m. All tickets are $6.50.

Richmond goes to Liberty University on Oct. 18 to meet the Flames at the LeHaye Ice Center in Lynchburg. Liberty plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (Division I). Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students.

"We called them looking for ice because we couldn't get ice time here," said Allan B. Harvie Jr., the Renegades' president and general manager. "They asked us if we would be interested in playing them. We were going to play Fayetteville there, but they called back and said they couldn't play on that date. So we took Liberty up on their offer."

The final exhibition is Oct. 19 at Knoxville (Tenn.) at 5 p.m. against the defending SPHL champions. - John Packett