AHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

25Apr

Mike Brodeur(29) Houston Aeros

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For the first time in his 8-year pro career, goaltender Mike Brodeur(29) didn’t sign a contract to play with a team for the 2011/2012 season.

This is after two seasons in the Ottawa Senators‘ system, where he appeared in 7 games from 2009-2011. Last season he appeared in NHL, AHL and ECHL games.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, he signs a pto 3 weeks before the end of regular season with Houston Aeros and finds himself to be the back-up but would come in to relieve an injured Matt Hackett in each of the first two games AHL Calder Cup Playoffs and got the call to start game 3 backstopping 31 shots for the 1-0 win to put them back in the series.

Aeros did get bounced from the Calder Cup Playoffs by Oklahoma City Barons on Tuesday night.

Originally a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 7th round pick in the 2003 draft (#211 overall), it’s a wonder where the 29-year old will end up next season. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him go the Europe route.

24Apr

Cameron Talbot(33) & Kevin Poulin(38)

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Connecticut Whale & Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ goaltenders Cameron Talbot(33) and Kevin Poulin(38) shake hands at the conclusion of the round 1 AHL Calder Cup Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The Whale took the best-of-five in 3 straight to move on to the Semi-Finals.

The two net minders seemed cordial enough with one another at the end of the series ritual but we were looking to see if there may have been more of a nod from Poulin to Talbot for the two away game shutouts he posted to start the sweep.

Maybe it was more of a subtle verbal gesture than we were able to pick up on.

22Apr

Colin McDonald(13) WBS Penguins

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5th year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ forward Colin McDonald(13) is putting goals in the net in the Calder Cup Playoffs like Noah loads animals into the ark: two at a time.

He potted a pair in the first game and another two in the second game, both wins for the 2-0 lead vs. Hershey Bears in the AHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

Originally drafted by Edmonton in the 2nd round of 2003 (#51 overall), he appeared in only 2 games with the Oilers but did get his first NHL goal.

He’s played in 5 games this season with Pittsburgh Penguins, the team he signed a one-year, two-way contract with as an unrestricted free agent but didn’t register a point.

In 374 AHL regular season games he has 94 goals and 85 assists. He put in a career high 42 last season with Oklahoma City Barons but had a best this year with assists at 35 and a +12 plus/minus.

21Apr

David Rundblad(2) Phoenix Coyotes

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Swedish-born, 21-year old rookie defenseman David Rundblad(2) started his first season on the blue line with Ottawa Senators and appeared in 24 games scoring his first NHL goal and 3 assists with them before being traded to Phoenix Coyotes in a deal that has maybe paid more immediate dividends for the Senators, as they got Kyle Turris.

The Coyotes only utilized him in 6 regular season games in the 2011/2012 season, but he added another 3 assists to his first year totals.

In 30 AHL games with Portland Pirates, he managed 7 goals and 9 assists but was a not so good -18 plus/minus.

At 6’2″ 190 lbs. he definitely looks like he has good size out there but easily needs to add more muscle and grit into his game to fulfill the promise of being a St. Louis Blues‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#17 overall). He signed with them but got dished to Ottawa in what amounted to mostly a deal of draft picks.

He was just recalled to join Phoenix in their Stanley Cup run, which is closing in on a first round victory, but it’s doubtful he’ll see any game time action with the depth they have on d.

20Apr

Mark Fraser(29) Toronto Marlies

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6th year, 25-year old defenseman Mark Fraser(29) will definitely help Toronto Marlies in their quest for the Calder Cup.

He’s had quite the ride in the 2011/2012 season as he started the season with the team that selected him in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft (#84 overall), New Jersey Devils. In 5 years in their system, he’s skated 98 NHL games (3 goals, 5 assists) and has appeared in 233 AHL contests.

Never really considered a big point producer, he is however a big presence on the blue line at 6’3″ 220 lbs.

A trade in mid-December, saw him go to Anaheim Ducks but he didn’t appear in a game before being reassigned to Syracuse Crunch, where he played some mean, shutdown hockey and was a career high +13 plus/minus.

Only a couple of months later though, he was dished again in a minor league deal that has him playing in the AHL postseason for the first time in his pro career. He got himself an assist on the game-winning goal to boot.

19Apr

Daniel New(7) Springfield Falcons

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Undrafted 23-year old, Springfield Falcons‘ defenseman Daniel New(7) made a good impression in first two pro games following the conclusion of his college career with a goal and a pair of assists and a +2 plus/minus. Both games were also wins for the team.

He was signed to an ato in late March but didn’t make his debut until the final contests of the 2011/2012 regular season.

Where the 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner will end up next season is anyone’s guess, but their NHL affiliate Columbus Blue Jackets almost certainly took notice.

18Apr

Ryan Spooner (18)

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Boston Bruins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#45 overall), 20-year old center Ryan Spooner(18) signed a three-year entry level deal with the team in the last year’s offseason but was returned to play his fourth and final campaign in juniors.

He picked up a handy 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games, which continued the streak of three (almost four) years as a point plus per game player in the OHL.

In two years signing an ato with Providence Bruins at the conclusion of his junior season, he has 3 goals and 4 assists in 8 games as a pro.

He is likely to report to another Boston prospect camp, followed by the regular training camp and will likely start 2012/2013 with Providence.

Listed at 5’10” 175 lbs., he looks smaller, which won’t help the AHL team that is already struggling with some size issues up front but he obviously knows how to be effective at the triple A level, so how he develops should be exciting to see.

17Apr

Yanni Gourde(18) Worcester Sharks

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Undrafted 20-year old left wing Yanni Gourde(18) knows how to get pucks in the net as he totaled 124 (37 goals, 87 assists) in 68 games in his third season of juniors, tops by far in the QMJHL.

In the AHL 2011/2012 regular season closing game he put up a goal and a pair of assists, all of his points in 4 games signed to an ato with Worcester Sharks.

At 5’9″ 170 lbs. he’s yet another small-sized forward that has been making space in the pro game and he sure knows how to create it for his scoring chances.

He’ll likely finish his final season in juniors in 2012/2013 but it will be interesting to see where he’ll ultimately land.

15Apr

Boone Jenner (15)

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18-year old Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#37 overall), center Boone Jenner(15) picked up his first pro hockey goal with AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons in their last game of the regular season.

He’s skated in 5 games with the team since his juniors club was eliminated from the OHL playoffs.

In all likelihood he will be returned to his final year of juniors but already at 6’1″ 193 lbs. he’s big and looks to have all the right assets to play hockey with the bigger boys.

14Apr

Steve Moses(14)

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Undrafted, MA-born right wing Steve Moses(14) signed an ato with Connecticut Whale as his four year college career wound down.

At 5’9″ 170 lbs., the 22-year old is more of a water bug style player than power forward but he puts it all out there when he plays and has some nifty stick handling ability that only usually only a smaller player can achieve.

On Friday night, in the team’s shootout loss, instead of just putting up his first pro goal he managed to score two in 7 minutes.

Through 7 games, he has those two goals and zero assists but is a healthy +2 on the ice.

What we’re wondering is did he keep both pucks from the game and will he earn himself an invite to New York Rangers‘ camp in the summer and early fall for the 2012/2013 season.

We think so.