Well-traveled forward finds home with Lynx

Brian Passmore is in his third ECHL season, but the 25-year-old has already played for five teams.

He played for four teams - Cincinnati, Greenville, Texas and Fresno - his rookie year, then returned to Texas to start his second season.

But a year ago, the Wildcatters traded Passmore to the Augusta Lynx. After scoring 17 goals and picking up 21 assists as a rookie, Passmore had only six goals and 10 assists in his second season.

"Once you get traded a couple times, it kind of gets in your head, and it's kind of a letdown," Passmore said. "I let it get to me a little bit last year at the start and I never really recovered from it."

The recovery process happened during the off-season, though, and the Lynx are reaping the benefits this season. Passmore leads the team with six assists and nine points and is tied for the lead with three goals.

"We've been all over him saying he's already totaled last year's points," forward Colt King said.

Well, not quite, but Passmore needs only one more goal and two more assists to reach his totals from last year, and Augusta has played only nine games entering this weekend's road swing to Columbia and Pensacola, Fla.

When left wing Jake Riddle got called up to the American Hockey League's Portland Pirates on Wednesday, the versatile Passmore moved up a line and over to the wing. If everyone is accounted for, Passmore usually plays center on a line with King and Joe Pereira.

"I knew that one of the strengths of our team was going to be down the middle, and Brian was going to be part of that," coach Bob Ferguson said, "but what he's been able to accomplish so far is just an added bonus."

Passmore has recorded at least one point in seven games, and he, King and Pereira were rewarded by Ferguson with the start Saturday against South Carolina.

Passmore and Pereira responded by scoring the Lynx's two regulation goals.

Those three, who at least early in the season would have been considered Augusta's third line, have combined for seven goals and 15 points - nearly 30 percent of the team's offensive production.

That's better than either of the Lynx's other two lines.

And even before Jamie Johnson, who finished tied for second in the ECHL in scoring last season, got called up to AHL Iowa, Passmore was leading the team in points and assists.

"I'm just hot right now, what can I say?" Passmore said.

"I'm just going to the net and getting my points when I can get them."

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.