Calgary Flames‘ 2nd year defenseman T.J. Brodie(29), picked in the 4th round of the 2008 drafted (#114 overall), received his first call-up of the season and recorded his first NHL point (an assist) during the team’s win over Chicago Blackhawks.
In his rookie season with the Flames‘ AHL affiliate, Abbotsford Heat, he was steady and impressive registering 5 goals and 29 assists in 68 games. He’s continued that solid play this year.
2nd year wing Matt Calvert(11) has been up in the NHL with Columbus Blue Jackets for the entire month of November.
Last night against the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins he took warm-ups with the team but was a healthy scratch, watching his team lose a close contest in the shootout. In 12 games with the team this season, he’s put up 0 goals and 3 assists.
Soon to be 22 years old, it’s prime time for him to start stepping up his game big time. He did post his first NHL hat trick last year as a rookie.
11/21: Calvert gets reassigned to Springfield Falcons.
6th year undrafted pro, defenseman Shaun Heshka(37) returned from one season overseas playing in Austria for Salzburg EC and signed a contract to play with Binghamton Senators for 2011/2012.
Only 10 games in, they have dished him to Peoria Riverman for future considerations (a bag of rocks), where he should join the team for tonight’s game vs. Lake Erie Monsters.
Originally signed by Vancouver Canucks to a 3-year entry level deal, he spent 3 seasons with Manitoba Moose without ever getting called up.
It wasn’t until the next season, where he signed a one-year contract with Phoenix Coyotes that he got into his first NHL action (8 games, no goals and 2 assists).
4th year defenseman, 2006 Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets‘ 7th round draft pick (#200 overall) Arturs Kulda(44) recently got into his first NHL action of the 2011/2012 season. He’d been called up for short stints in the past couple of years in the Thrashers‘ system (7 games, 0 goals, 2 assists).
He was re-signed by the Jets in the offseason after his entry level contract expired to a one-year, two-way deal.
He’s been excelling in the AHL with St. John’s IceCaps putting up 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 13 games; but he’s a more important +9 player.
2nd year, undrafted center Ben Street(10) showed in his rookie season what he is capable of in 74 games with WBS Penguins and their ECHL affiliate, Wheeling Nailers putting up combined totals of 36 goals and 38 assists.
Entering the 2011/2012 he was signed to a one-year AHL contract.
In 12 games, he’s on a recent tear with 2 goals and 8 assists (8 of those points coming in 3 games last weekend), which was good enough to earn him AHL Player of the Week.
Despite only playing half the season with Wheeling last year, he was named ECHL Rookie Of The Year. I think he will eventually be signed by Pittsburgh Penguins.
Did you hear the one about the two Russians?
Within a day of each other both Manchester Monarchs‘ center Andrei Loktionov(48) and defenseman Slava Voynov(76) were called out west by the parent club, Los Angeles Kings.
Voynov is headed back to the show after an impressive first 5 games (2 goals, 1 assist) last month.
Loktionov was first reassigned to Ontario Reign of the ECHL but that was purely a stopover before the team confirmed they would need him. He’s up for his first time this season. Last year he played in 19 games posting 4 goals and 3 assists.
Undrafted center, 7th year pro Jared Ross(18) was all the rage in the Philadelphia Flyers‘ system for a few moments but in 22 NHL games (13 regular season, 9 playoff), he’s only registered one goal in the postseason.
He’s a proven prolific scorer in the AHL despite his small size (5’9″ 165 lbs).
For the 2011/2012 season, he finds himself playing pro hockey overseas, joining former Boston Bruins‘ tough guy Jeremy Reich on Ingolstadt ERC in Germany. That’s a long way from his Huntsville, Alabama place of birth and where he attended college at the University Of Alabama, which both are quite the anomaly for a NHL caliber player.
New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick of the 2010 draft (#5 overall), Swiss-born Nino Niederreiter(25) has been sent down to start the season with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers on a two-week conditioning stint.
He was injured in the NHL preseason.
Last year he played 9 games with the big club (1 goal, 1 assist) until being sent to his only one-year junior club Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.
He looked all set to play at the top level in 2011/2012 and put up some points.
He’s a big power forward at 6’2″ 205 lbs. and looks every bit of that.
In 5 AHL games he has 2 goals and an assist.
11/14: Niederreiter comes back to the Isles after his 3-game conditioning stint but found himself to be a healthy scratch for the team’s last three games.
Buffalo Sabres‘ back-up goaltender Jhonas Enroth(1) is probably making starter Ryan Miller a little nervous with his hot start.
He’s posted a 5-0 record with a league third best 1.34 GAA and .956 SV% while his teammate sits at 27th best.
In the offseason the fourth year Swedish-born pro signed a new 2-year 1-way deal. He’s only 21 years old.
Who’s the leading scorer on Bridgeport Sound Tigers so far this season? Justin DiBenedetto(9). Go figure? In 12 games he has 8 goals and 4 assists.
Maybe last season’s 8 game taste of the NHL with New York Islanders put a bee in his bonnet. He was originally their 6th round pick (#175 overall) in the 2008 draft.
One thing is for sure, his game has become very much more engaged.
