AHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

28Mar

Frederic St. Denis(32) Montreal Canadiens

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Undrafted 4th year defenseman Frederic St. Denis(32) is getting his chances to play in the NHL with the only team he’s ever been signed with, Montreal Canadiens.

In 11 games he picked up his 1st NHL goal and just got his first assist to go with it. He’s also been an accountable zero plus/minus.

He’s played 196 AHL games with Hamilton Bulldogs scoring 12 goals and 53 assists on what has always been a good team with the exception of this season, where it’s just so-so.

It will be interesting to see if Montreal re-ups with him for a 5th campaign as they look to rebuild.

27Mar

Braden Holtby(1) Washington Capitals

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Washington Capitals‘ third year goaltender Braden Holtby(1) is working hard to steal the number one job with the parent club heading towards a postseason bid.

He’s played a career high 40 AHL games with Hershey Bears collecting a season best 20 wins. His 15 losses is also a regular season personal worst.

After posting 10 wins in 14 games with the Caps last season, it’s a bit of a thinker why they didn’t give him a longer look for the starter position this season.

Although despite being in his 3rd pro season, he’s still only on the 2nd year of his 3-year entry level deal. So they may be taking it slowly with his development.

He was originally a Capitals‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#93 overall).

27Mar

Alexandre Giroux(12) Springfield Falcons

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High 5’s for 11-year Springfield Falcons‘ veteran center Alexandre Giroux(12) for scoring his 700th career AHL point, a goal last weekend.

He has 364 goals and 336 assists in 764 regular season games played, which is a pretty incredible feat.

He’s not exactly having a career year for scoring this season with 24 goals and 26 assists in 58 games; yet he’s still in the top 20 for points in the league.

In the last three seasons, he’s either won top scorer or come in second.

He’s skated in 48 NHL games scoring 6 goals and 6 assists.

At 6’3″ 202 lbs. he’s a pretty big power forward and has the ability to get in tight and score some goals but has never quite been given the chance.

We remember two and a half great seasons when he was with Hartford Wolf Pack, signed to New York Rangers, who he only played one game for.

He’s only signed with Columbus Blue Jackets for a year, but we hope they re-up with him for another season.

26Mar

Ben Guite(28) Worcester Sharks

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12th year veteran center, Worcester Sharks‘ Ben Guite(28) has missed a majority of 2011/2012 due to complications from a concussion he sustained early in the AHL season.

He recently returned to the team and is contributing in their push toward the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In 15 games this year he has 2 goals and 7 assists but despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he’s look to for his leadership and playing intensity on the ice.

He’s appeared in 175 NHL games (all but seven of them with Colorado Avalanche from 2006 – 2009) scoring 19 goals and 26 assists.

In 574 AHL games he has 101 goals and 172 assists.

He was originally picked by Montreal Canadiens in the 7th round of 1997 draft (#172 overall). The 33-year old signed a one-year, two-way deal with San Jose Sharks in the offseason.

24Mar

Ryan Button (6)

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Boston Bruins‘ 2009 3rd round pick (#86 overall) defenseman Ryan Button(6) has been a bit of a yo-yo in between their AHL and ECHL affiliates, Providence Bruins and Reading Royals in his rookie season.

It’s a bit of a surprised as we would have guessed him to be a steady blue liner for the P-Bruins but despite being up with the team now isn’t on their clear day list for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Not to say that he won’t be playing in games if they make it to the postseason though.

He hasn’t put up significant numbers on the score sheet in either leagues and is on the negative side of plus/minus but chances are he’ll figure out his game and use that still growing 21-year old 6′ 185 lbs. frame.

He’s only in the first season of his 3-year entry level contract.

Maybe more hours in the gym and spend some time connecting that slapper from the point to the net.

He should have a big shot from the point.

23Mar

Ben Chiarot(18) St. John’s IceCaps

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Rookie defenseman Ben Chiarot(18) started the season with St. John’s IceCaps and played 14 games registering a goal and an assist.

In late January he was reassigned to their ECHL affiliate Colorado Eagles, where he’s fit in nicely, helping the team win scoring 6 goals and 7 assists in 24 games.

The big 6’3″ 222 lbs. blue liner was an Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#120 overall).

He was recently recalled back to St. John’s probably to tune up a bit in the higher league and give some of their regulars a rest as they have already punch their ticket into the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Chances are good that the 20-year old won’t be going back to Loveland, CO unless the IceCaps are given a swift exit from the postseason.

23Mar

Tyler Hostetter(27) Adirondack Phantoms

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Rookie defenseman Tyler Hostetter(27) was invited to Philadelphia Flyers‘ camp in 2009 and signed as an undrafted free agent to a 3-year entry level deal with the club before being returned to his junior team for another couple of seasons.

He’s played most of his first pro season in the ECHL on loan to Trenton Titans, where he has 7 goals and 7 assists in 32 games.

But he’s on a short leash to their AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms. He’s played only 7 games with no points but has to be near a half dozen call-ups and reassignments already this season. Matter of fact, he could already be back with the Titans‘ for this weekend games after his most recent stint.

At 5’11” 182 lbs., the 21-year old will definitely have to play bigger than he is but looks to have the ability to grow into his game with age. Eat them Wheaties.

21Mar

Yury Alexandrov(41) New York Islanders

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New York Islanders got all proactive and picked up Boston Bruins‘ 2006 2nd round draft pick (#37 overall), defenseman Yury Alexandrov(41) for a bag of rocks.

He attended Bruins‘ rookie and training camps before skating his first season with Providence Bruins, where he put up 6 goals and 13 assists in 66 AHL games.

Not going to get called up to play an NHL game soon, he worked out a deal where he would go back to Russia and play in the KHL to continue his development and maturation.

He’ll still only be 24 years old when he reports to the Islanders‘ camp for the start of 2012/2013.

He mostly played pretty decently as a rookie and the Isles may be smart to continue to groom him for an NHL roster spot.

21Mar

Ethan Cox(40) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted 2nd year right wing, Ethan Cox(40) waited the whole season to receive his first call up to the AHL but he’s fortunate to join a potent Bridgeport Sound Tigers in their quest for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

He was recently involved in an late season ECHL deal that sent him from Alaska Aces, a team he’d been with for two seasons and won the Kelly Cup with in his rookie year, to Reading Royals.

He barely got in a pair of games when he was called up. In 3 games he has one assist but already been released from his pto and will rejoin Reading as they push towards a spot in the postseason.

He played three AHL games last season with Portland Pirates and Peoria Rivermen, recording one assist.

20Mar

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers(43) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks‘ goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers(43) has been around a lot more years than most folks would even remember.

He was originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2002 draft (#31 overall) and had spent the first 7 years of his career playing in their system starting with Edmonton Roadrunners, Hamilton Bulldogs, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Falcons and Oklahoma City Barons (all one-time Oilers‘ AHL affiliates).

He also played 58 NHL games over two seasons with Edmonton.

One thing about his netminding, even when he didn’t put up a winning record, he never really had a terrible GAA or SV%.

That fact was not missed by Anaheim, who signed him to a two-year two deal as a free agent for 2011-2013. Oddly enough, he’s posting his worst numbers for their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch but is 1-0 in a start with the Ducks and in his 2nd start tonight.

The 27-year old stands 6’4″ 200 lbs. It’d be no surprise to see him win a starting job soon, like he did in ’09/’10 with Edmonton.