AHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

24Dec

Alexander Urbom (6)

Posted in AHL | Leave a comment

New Jersey Devils‘ 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft (#73 overall) Swedish defenseman Alexander Urbom(33) is another one of those players that flies mostly under the radar but with his 6’4″ 215 lbs. frame is looked at with hopes of Pronger-like promise.

In his first season, he played mostly in the minors with affiliate Albany Devils but did skate 8 games (7 of those to start his rookie year) with the parent club scoring his 1st NHL goal on his 2nd recall at the end of the season.

In his initial call-up this year he got his second career goal in his fourth game but was returned to the farm club soon afterwards.

2011/2012 is actually considered his rookie season even though he skated 72 games in the AHL and reached career highs with his pair of goals and 21 assists.

He recently turned just 21 years old (12/20/90).

24Dec

Stu Bickel(4) New York Rangers

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Sometimes there’s a player that might not look like much in the AHL. He’s undrafted and almost completely falling under the radar. But then out of nowhere, that player gets his shot to play in the NHL. And he explodes.

4th year defenseman Stu Bickell(4) fits that description perfectly.

In 27 games with Connecticut Whale this season, he has a goal and 3 assists.

After his first three games with New York Rangers, he has four assists and a 3 game point streak going. He’s also a +4 plus/minus and has one fighting major and two roughing penalties to his credit.

Who knew? Obviously Rangers’ scouts did because they traded for him with Anaheim Ducks last season and re-signed him to a one-year, two-way contract.

He did have a strong training camp and accompanied the team to Europe to start the season but didn’t appear in any games before getting reassigned.

23Dec

Antero Niittymaki(1) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

San Jose Sharks sent 10-year veteran goaltender, Antero Niittymaki(1) down to their AHL affiliate in Worcester for a conditioning stint after starting the season with the team on injury reserve.

He last saw action in the league in 2005 as the Calder Cup winning goalie for Philadelphia Phantoms, where he won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as playoff MVP.

He played 161 games over 5 years for the Flyers, the team that originally picked him in the 6th round of the 1998 draft (#168 overall) before getting signing with Tampa Bay Lightning for a season. In 2010 he inked a two-year deal with San Jose, but has been hindered by the injury bug.

At 31-years old, it’s very doubtful they will re-sign him for a third year and he will probably end up playing in his home country of Finland to round out his pro career.

22Dec

Tim Wallace(36) New York Islanders

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

6th year undrafted wing Tim Wallace(36) played his first five seasons in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ system appearing in 24 NHL games (0 goals, 2 assists) but spent most of his time with their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he skated in 304 games, putting up 70 goals and 53 assists.

In the offseason he signed a new one-year, two-way deal with New York Islanders and in his first season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers was an alternate captain and the team’s leading scoring with 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists) when he was recalled.

He’s now played in 7 games with the Isles and has an assist but his first NHL goal still alludes him.

21Dec

Igor Gongalsky(22) Gwinnett Gladiators

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

After starting the season on a pto with Portand Pirates, the team he spent most of last season with, 5th year undrafted wing Igor Gongalsky(22) was released and signed an ECHL contract with their affiliate Gwinnett Gladiators.

In 13 AHL games he only registered an assist, but in 5 games with Gwinnett he already has a goal and a pair of helpers.

He’s played most of his pro career in AA hockey (almost 200 games with four different teams) but he’s really a player on the cusp of the higher league.

Maybe he’s just a bit of a late bloomer considering he’s only 25 years old.

12/21: Gongalsky signs a pto with Rochester Americans.

21Dec

Brett Motherwell(25) Chicago Express

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted 5th year defenseman Brett Motherwell(25) played his first full season in the AHL last year with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Unable to find the right deal in the offseason, he finally signed a deal in early December with Chicago Express of the ECHL to join them for 2011/2012.

It’s very likely that he’ll play some games in the AHL this season on call-up, possibly with the Express affiliate Springfield Falcons.

20Dec

Jed Ortmeyer(22) Minnesota Wild

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

33-year old undrafted 9th year vet wing Jed Ortmeyer(22) has skated in 311 NHL games counting his current call up to Minnesota Wild, a team he has been signed with for the last couple seasons mostly for his leadership with the younger guys on their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros.

In 4 games with the Wild in 2010/2011 he failed to register a point but he plays big and can’t really shut opposing players done.

Throughout his career he skated 3 years with New York Rangers to start, followed by a couple of seasons in Nashville Predators‘ system and then his career best full season with San Jose Sharks in 2009/2010 (8 goals, 11 assists) before ending up in Minnesota.

In his first NHL game of 2011/2012, he skated almost 12 minutes of ice time.

19Dec

Aaron Voros(34) Connecticut Whale

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

8th year wing Aaron Voros(34) signed a pto with Connecticut Whale in mid-November. In 10 games he’s posted 2 goals and 2 assists. He’s played 261 AHL games with 6 different teams.

Originally drafted in the 8th round of 2001 (#229 overall) by New Jersey Devils, he played for three years in their system without ever receiving a call-up. He was traded to Minnesota Wild in the last year of his entry level contract and played his first game with the team in the next season.

Over the next 4 seasons he would appear in 162 NHL games with Minnesota, mostly notably New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks putting up 18 goals, 19 assists and 395 penalty minutes.

He’s a big presence on the ice at 6’4″ and 215 lbs.

18Dec

Carl Sneep(4) and Benn Ferriero(21)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

A pair of ex-Boston College Eagles‘ teammates, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ defenseman Carl Sneep(4) and Worcester Sharks‘ center Benn Ferriero(21) discuss old times together at the Conte Forum.

Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#32 overall) received his first NHL call-up in two seasons of play. In his first AHL season, he racked up 4 goals and 13 assists but was a monstrous +17 plus/minus. Through 27 games games, he has 9 assists this season and is a +6.

He had 16:19 of ice time, got an assist and was a +1 in his debut.

12/19: Sneep was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pens.

17Dec

Drew MacIntyre(31) Rochester Americans

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

9th year Rochester Americans‘ goaltender Drew MacIntyre(31) keeps an eye on the play in front of his net.

He was originally picked by Detroit Red Wings in the 4th round of the 2001 draft (#121 overall) and spent the first three years of his pro career with their AHL and ECHL affiliates before getting a short chance in the NHL with Vancouver Canucks, where he made a couple of appearances.

From there he bounced around in the minors signing one-year deals with Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens before inking another one-year two-way contract with Buffalo Sabres for the 2011/2012 season, ultimately ending up in Rochester.

He has played in 250 AHL games.