Welcome to The Saratogian's Rink Report, where we'll be discussing all things Adirondack Phantoms. I think every hockey fan loves to speak their mind about the sport, so I hope this blog will turn into a place where fans of the Phantoms (and Flyers) can come to talk about the Phantoms.

My name is Michael Cignoli and this is my first year covering the Phantoms on a full-time basis. I did a couple Phantoms games for The Saratogian last year, but I covered the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a year when I was studying at Wilkes University.

I am looking forward to updating this blog every day with all kinds of Phantoms information — the team's latest line combinations, trends across the American Hockey League and more — for a couple of reasons. I don't have to be as formal here as I do in the newspaper, so I think that will really help foster our conversation about the team. Also, I feel like it will really help improve our coverage.

You can comment on any article and you can shoot me an e-mail at mcignoli@saratogian.com. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @MCSaratogian. Feel free to Tweet me or e-mail any questions you may have and I'll be happy to answer them. If I don't know the answer, I will find out.

Until next time,
MC