Category: AHL

11Nov

Jyri Niemi(8)

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

jyri-niemi3

In a bit of a head scratcher move, Connecticut Whale have reassigned 2nd year defenseman Jyri Niemi(8) to their ECHL affiliate Greenville Road Warriors after posting only 1 assist in 8 games played.

He was injured late last season and it may be a move to give him some time to play a bit of a different style of hockey and build his confidence.

It would be really strange for him to stay in AA, unless he’s really fallen off New York Rangers‘ depth chart.

He was originally picked by New York Islanders in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft (#77 overall).

10Nov

Tommy Wingels(17) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL | Leave a comment

tommy-wingels1

It looked like San Jose Sharks‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#177 overall), center Tommy Wingels(17) was going to be playing full-time in the NHL from his strong training camp and preseason play, but three games into the season with only 1 assist to his credit he was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Worcester Sharks to continue working on his game.

In 5 contests with Worcester he has a couple of assists but is playing some pretty good overall hockey.

10Nov

Chris Clark(17) Providence Bruins

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

For the first time since the 2000/2001 season, 14-year veteran Chris Clark(17) finds himself playing in the AHL with Providence Bruins on a pto.

He was an NHL training camp tryout invite from Boston Bruins but was ultimately cut just before the start of the season.

Originally selected by Calgary Flames in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft (#77 overall), he’s played 6o7 career NHL games scoring 103 goals and 111 assists.

At 35 years old, it’s doubtful that he’ll find his way back to the show but he could become the new Mike Keane of the AHL, which isn’t such a terrible thing.

11/21: Clark is released from his pto.

09Nov

Corey Tropp(14) Buffalo Sabres

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Had to think it wasn’t going to be long before hard-nosed wing Corey Tropp(14) would get an invite to play with Buffalo Sabres, the team that drafted him in the 3rd round of 2007 (#89 overall).

On November 8, he also put in his first NHL goal in just his third game up.

He did have an excellent rookie season with the Sabres then AHL affiliate Portland Pirates (10 goals, 30 assists in 76 games) and early in 2011/2012, he already is showing improvement on those numbers. In just 10 games with Rochester Americans he has 4 goals and 3 assists.

Another asset to his playing, he never turns down a dancing partner when it comes to fisticuffs.

08Nov

Cory Conacher(89) Norfolk Admirals

Posted in AHL | 1 Comment

cory-conacher-1

Cory Conacher is small (5’8″ 175 lbs.), undrafted and has flown under the radar for the most part.

He signed an AHL contract with Norfolk very soon after the summer free agency period began.

Tampa Bay Lightning was smart and invited him to training camp, where he scored an NHL preseason goal in his first game and impressed the management folks in St. Petersburg.

In 12 games with the Admirals, he’s already put up 4 goals and 10 assists in 12 games.

Straight out of college last year, he joined three teams on ato’s (Rochester, Cincinnati of the ECHL and Milwaukee) and lit the lamp mightily registering 13 points (9 goals, 4 assists) in 10 games.

On a side note, the 21-year old pro also plays and lives with Type 1 diabetes.

Great story about that here.

08Nov

Jordan Owens (46)

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

5th year undrafted wing Jordan Owens(46) signed a pto to rejoin the team he’d played most of his professional career with, Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale and was bumped up to standard players contract for 2011/2012.

In 12 games this season he’s shown himself to be a reliable veteran that no doubt provides strong leadership for the newer players on the squad.

He’s also put in a couple of goals.

He played for the last year and a half in the Detroit system with their AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins after he was traded for Whale fan-favorite, now teammate Kris Newbury.

 

07Nov

Mark Flood(8) Winnipeg Jets

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

7th year defenseman Mark Flood(8) scored his first NHL goal with Winnipeg Jets, the team that signed him at the end of last year. He skated last season with Manitoba Moose, who were the old tenant of the MTS Centre.

It was only his 7th NHL game in a career that has seen ice time in 317 AHL games. He was called up after 11 games with St. John’s IceCaps, where he put up a goal and 6 assists in 11 games and is a respectable +4. In 3 games with the Jets he’s put up a couple of points.

He was originally drafted by Montreal Canadiens in the 6th round of the 2003 draft (#188 overall).

No doubt about it, I need to find a better picture of him, but he’s off to the left in this shot (a little out of focus).

11/9: Flood scores his 2nd NHL goal in his 4th game with the Jets.

05Nov

Matt Schepke(45) Reading Royals

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

3rd year wing Matt Schepke(45) has skated mostly in the ECHL in his pro career and this year is not much different than the last two as he signed a deal in the offseason to join Reading Royals‘ stacked squad in hopes of capturing the Kelly Cup Championship that’s eluded the team, especially in 2010 and 2011 playoffs.

On call up he’s played in 6 AHL games with 3 different teams but has yet to put up any points on the scoresheet.

He scored the first goal in Greenville Road Warriors history and was a part of the Michigan State University Spartans‘ team that won the NCAA Championship in 2007.

Last year he played a career high 4 games at the end of the regular season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.