Tropp back with USHL's Stampede

The Sioux Falls Stampede announced today that forward Corey Tropp has been added to their roster and will join the team immediately.

Tropp played with the Stampede from 2005 to 2007 and was an integral part of the Stampede’s first Anderson Cup and Clark Cup championships. He led the team in scoring with 62 points (26g, 36a) in 54 games during the 2006-07 season and was the league’s leading scorer in the playoffs with 13 points (4g, 9a) in eight games. He was also named MVP of the USHL All-Star Game in Waterloo that season.

Tropp has spent the last year-and-a-half playing collegiate hockey at Michigan State University where he tallied 28 points (9g, 19a) in 63 games. He re-joins the Stampede after being dismissed from the team for the remainder of the season due to an on-ice incident against the University of Michigan last weekend.

At the end of the Wolverines' 5-3 win Saturday night, Michigan defenseman Steve Kampfer was knocked into the boards by Andrew Conboy. Tropp then skated in and swung his stick while Kampfer was down on the ice. Tropp and Conboy were retaliating after Tropp was kneed by Kampfer, but play went on. Tropp will retain his scholarship and continue to take online courses through the remainder of the school year.

"We are excited to have Corey back with us, but at the same time saddened it's under these unfortunate circumstances,” said Stampede CEO Gary Weckwerth. “I have reviewed the tape from the game and our staff has had many conversations with Corey, his family and officials at Michigan State about the situation. While Corey apologized for his actions, it's my opinion that he is a victim of other circumstances off the ice that do not reflect on Corey's true character. In his two years with our franchise Corey played the game within the rules and spirit that hockey is. He is a good person who knows he is family with the Stampede. We know what Corey is about and are saddened that the entire situation even took place. We welcome him back. We want hockey to be fun for Corey again.”

The Grosse Pointe native was a third-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres during the 2007 NHL Draft and attended their rookie camp this past summer. His last game with the Stampede was the 2007 Clark Cup championship game in Waterloo which the Herd downed the Black Hawks 3-0 to claim their first ever Clark Cup title. Tropp is expected to be in the lineup Friday night when the Herd travel to Waterloo to face the Black Hawks.