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Which Wich plans first Pa. sandwich franchise at Wilkes University

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Hazleton shuts down troubled Xtacy Hookah Lounge

<p>Goaltender Brian Foster enjoyed the year he spent playing hockey in Norway and he said the experience has helped him as a player.</p><p>But it wasn&#8217;t like playing back home.</p><p>That&#8217;s why the New Hampshire native admitted he was thrilled to sign a one-year AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Monday.</p><p>&#8220;The hockey was decent in Norway and it&#8217;s a nice country, but I always wanted to come back and am excited to do so with an amazing organization like Pittsburgh,&#8221; Foster said. &#8220;My dream has always been to play at the highest level.&#8221;</p><p>Entering his sixth pro season, Foster, 28, spent the last five years bouncing between the ECHL and AHL. He&#8217;s appeared in 19 career AHL games, spending part of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons with the San Antonio Rampage. He&#8217;s also skated in 125 ECHL contests with Cincinnati and Stockton, registering a record of 69-40-12 with a 2.76 goals against average, .905 save percentage and six shutouts.</p><p>But Foster has a brief bit of NHL experience to add to his resume when he played five minutes of the second period in a game with the Florida Panthers in 2012. Foster was drafted by Florida in the fifth round of the 2005 draft.</p><p>When he entered the game, the Tampa Bay Lightning had just chased starter Scott Clemmensen with a four-goal outburst on 17 shots.</p><p>Still, Foster wasn&#8217;t nervous about facing the high-powered offense for his first taste of NHL action.</p><p>&#8220;I wasn&#8217;t worried about all the scoring. I was excited, ready to play,&#8221; Foster said. &#8220;It was an amazing experience, I got a little taste and it left me hungry for more.&#8221;</p><p>Foster was just two years removed from his fourth and final season at the University of New Hampshire when he got into an NHL game and said the the differences were noticeable.</p><p>&#8220;In college you have people telling you what to do, but in the pros you have to learn for yourself,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Clemmensen was really good with me while I was there and I learned a lot just by watching him.&#8221;</p><p>Foster figures to contend with Tristan Jarry for the backup spot behind Matt Murray with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The competition will officially begin in training camp, and now that he has a contract under his belt, Foster is eager to show what he can do.</p><p>&#8220;The contract takes a little stress away, but you can never be too comfortable and you still have to battle for a spot,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think competition is fun and it helps you as a player. I hope to go into camp and catch someone&#8217;s eye and stay up this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.&#8221;</p><p>While he has never faced the Penguins during his time in the AHL, Foster is familiar with the team. He spoke briefly with former New Hampshire teammate Paul Thompson, who spent several seasons with the Penguins, and quickly found out Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is an amazing place to play.</p><p>And while he welcomes the goalie competition, Foster isn&#8217;t rattled about attending an NHL training camp with Pittsburgh. He&#8217;s done that before with Florida.</p><p>&#8220;Having been to an NHL camp before you&#8217;re a little less nervous, but you still feel that anxiety and excitement,&#8221; Foster said. &#8220;You&#8217;re playing with some amazing hockey players, and that makes you enjoy the experience even more.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Brian Foster ready to battle for a spot with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins