AHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

13Apr

Mark Barberio(8) Norfolk Admirals

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Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2008 draft (#156 overall), 2nd year defenseman Mark Barberio(8) is having himself another career year with their AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

He leads all defenseman in the league with 47 assists, tied for 2nd in plus/minus (+25) and overall points (60). In his first campaign he established a new record for points, assists and points among rookie defenseman.

He was recently named winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the outstanding blue liner for the 2011/2012 season and also picked as a 1st team AHL All-Star.

One surprising note in all that is good so far in his pro career, the 22-year old has yet to receive an NHL recall despite all the success.

It’s seemingly the one thing that has eluded the 6’1″ 200 lbs. d-man.

He’s in the 2nd year of his 3-year entry level deal.

13Apr

Joey Haddad (37)

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Undrafted 3rd year left wing Joey Haddad(37) had another up-and-down year between the ECHL and AHL this season almost identical to his first two years in the WBS Penguins/Wheeling Nailers‘ system.

He originally signed a 3-year entry level deal with Pittsburgh Penguins but only ended up playing a couple of seasons with them.

This season he ended up spending most of the latter part of 2011/2012 in the AHL on a pair of pto’s with Hamilton Bulldogs and Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

In 19 games combined he was only able to manage one goal.

With Gwinnett Gladiators he is roughly a point per game guy striking for 17 goals and 18 assists through 43 games.

He also scored three points (2 goals and an assist) in 4 Kelly Cup Playoff games in a shocking 1st round exit for the team.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see him re-sign in Gwinnett for 2012/2013.

The 23-year old fit in well and bets are most guys will return as there’s very much something there that needs to blossom further.

12Apr

J.D. Watt(10) Ontario Reign

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4th year pro, right wing J.D. Watt(10) signed an AHL contract with Manchester Monarchs‘ for the 2011/2012 season after opting out of his one-year deal with Calgary Flames.

He was originally a Flames‘ 4th round pick in 2005 (#111 overall) and played 139 AHL games with their affiliates in Quad City then Abbotsford Heat before leaving.

Starting the season with the Monarchs‘ ECHL affiliate Ontario Reign he was recalled three times and played 19 games scoring a goal to go along with a pair of helpers.

He was most recently reassigned to the ECHL again to help out in the Reign‘s Kelly Cup Playoff push. They did get to game 5 before losing in that decisive matchup.

He will likely be recalled unless the Monarchs wait to see how their final weekend unfolds as they are in a battle for their playoff lives. The 24-year has been mostly a 4th line energy forward throughout his playing career.

11Apr

Trent Hunter(47) Manchester Monarchs

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12-year veteran of 497 NHL games, right wing Trent Hunter(47) was reassigned by Los Angeles Kings to their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs in mid-February after skating in 38 games and only putting up a pair of goals and 5 assists.

It’s his first stint in the minors since the 2002/2003 season.

He spent 10 years with New York Islanders starting in 2001, scoring 99 goals and 130 assists.

Originally drafted by Anaheim Ducks in the 6th round of the 1998 draft (#150 overall), the 6’3″ 210 lbs., 31-year old never skated a game with the team before being traded in 2000 to the Isles.

In 17 games with the Monarchs‘ he has 4 goals and 5 assists but most notably will be a leadership asset to the team if they complete their bid for a Calder Cup Playoff spot in the upcoming postseason.

10Apr

Steve MacIntyre(33) WBS Penguins

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10th year veteran tough guy at a mere 6’5″ 250 lbs. Steve MacIntyre(33) most definitely didn’t take the easy way to the NHL but has made his mark in the league through 90 games.

His “pro” career started in a Continental Elite Hockey League (CEHL) and made its way through, surviving the QSPHL (LNAH), WHA2, UHL and ECHL.

Undrafted, he always played a game of hard knocks totaling over 200 penalty minutes in each of his first 6 seasons. It should be noted he hasn’t come close to that much time spent in the box since 2008.

The season that followed saw him skate his first NHL games with Edmonton, a team he would spend most of the next three seasons with.

For 2011/2012 he was signed by Pittsburgh Penguins and has split time with their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was recently recalled for their last game of the regular season to keep the peace in a game vs. Philadelphia Flyers before being reassigned again.

There’s little doubt he will police the ice for the Baby Pens in their quest for the Calder Cup.

It’s a wonder where the 31-year old will end up playing next season, if he’ll stay in Steel City or move on.

09Apr

Sean Collins(17) Springfield Falcons

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#187 overall) center Sean Collins was another freshly signed player to pot his first professional goal over the weekend. He adds the tally to his 3 assists he has in 6 games played.

He was signed to an NHL two-year entry level contract upon completion of his four year college career and then as is the case with most newly inked players accepted an ato to join their AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons for the rest of the season.

At 6’3″ 195 lbs. he very much looks to already be developing into a future big-time power forward.

09Apr

Matt Tennyson(5) Worcester Sharks

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Undrafted defenseman Matt Tennyson(5) signs a two-year entry level contract with San Jose Sharks, leaving the last year of college behind for now.

He also signed an ato with their AHL affiliate Worcester Sharks and over the weekend scored his first professional goal.

At 6’2″ 210 lbs. he’s already a pretty big almost 22-year old blue liner and in three games seems to play a pretty smart game out there with reasonable accountability.

Great little fact: he’s from the San Jose area and started as a Junior Sharks‘ player, making him the first to be signed from that far back in the team system.

08Apr

Peter Holland (22)

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#15 overall) rookie center Peter Holland(22) lit it up and gets some notice in the month of March earning the AHL Rookie of the Month honor.

He notched 4 goals and 14 assists in 15 games, not to mention had a tidy +12 plus/minus on a team that’s all of the sudden streaking at the right time towards a Calder Cup Playoff berth, Syracuse Crunch.

In 4 NHL games he got his 1st goal but hasn’t been back since mid-November 2011.

In 69 AHL games he ranks 2nd on the Crunch in scoring with 23 goals and 37 assists.

At 6’3″ 200 lbs. the 21-year old is probably still at a bit light for where his prime playing weight will be but he’s not afraid to get dirty and should get a longer look in what might be a bit of a rebuilding Ducks for 2012/2013, especially considering he’ll only be in the 2nd year of his three-year entry level deal.

08Apr

Stephen Gionta(11) New Jersey Devils

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6th year left wing Stephen Gionta(11) skated in 12 games with a slumping New Jersey Devils‘ team last season failing to register a point.

He hasn’t really had the best of all seasons this year with only 6 goals and 10 assists in 56 games with Albany but has done a nice job as team captain for the AHL team.

He was finally rewarded with his first recall and responded with his first NHL goal, which just so happened to be the game-winner.

No doubt, he’ll be either called back up or staying depending upon the Albany playoff fate.

He’s been with the Devils all six of his pro seasons and is only signed to another one-year, two-way deal. It will be interesting to see if he moves zip codes for 2012/2013.

07Apr

Jeff Prough(22) Connecticut Whale

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Undrafted forward Jeff Prough(22) played in 17 games this season on call-up to Connecticut Whale (the team he signed a one-year two-way deal with for 2011/2012) but as they were suffering some overcrowding for spots up front, he was reassigned to Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL to see if he could put some life into their Kelly Cup Playoff postseason run, who were on the brink of opening round elimination.

He scored their first goal but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as they were overmatched and sent packing until 2012/2013.

He’s a point per game guy in the ECHL but the 25-year old, 5’10” 170 lbs. left winger has been less consistent in mostly a fourth line role in the AHL.

He will be back up with the Whale soon as he’s on their clear day roster for the Calder Cup Playoffs.