ECHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

10Feb

Scott Parse(20) Albany Devils

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Albany Devils‘ 6th year right wing Scott Parse(20) has somehow sat most of the team’s 44 games so far this season. He signed a one-year AHL deal as the 2012/2013 season was approaching.

In 13 games he has a low-end 1 goal and 2 assists, -7 rating, so he definitely needs to step it up. The 28-year old has recently been reinserted into the lineup.

He spent the first 5 years of his pro career in the Los Angeles Kings‘ prospect system. The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward was originally a Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2004 draft (#174 overall).

He’s skated in 73 NHL games and has 14 goals and 16 assists, which are pretty decent numbers.

In his career year 2009/2010 he skated 59 games and scored 11 goals and 13 assists while going a +13 plus/minus. The effort earned him a 2-year extension.

Unfortunately from here injury problems settled in for his next couple of campaigns.

Ironically when he did play in early 2010, the first year of his new contract, he got a goal and 3 assists in 5 games. It would have easily put him on pace for a career year on the scoresheet.

The next season wasn’t much better; he only appeared in 9 games.

As an unrestricted free agent going into a year when the NHL was a wish away, he decided to get back to work and rejoined a league he has over 100 games experience in.

08Feb

Petr Mzarek(34) Detroit Red Wings

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Detroit Red Wings‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#141 overall) rookie Czech net minder Petr Mzarek(34) got the nod for his 1st NHL start and absolutely commanded a 5-1 win over Division rivals St. Louis Blues.

Not bad for a goalie that started his still shiny new pro career in the ECHL with Toledo Walleye for a few games before being recalled to Grand Rapid Griffins.

He posted a 2-1 record with a 2.02 GAA and .944 SV% on a team that looks to be a Kelly Cup contender before receiving the start in his 2nd game back in the AHL and began winning, a lot, all the time.

His 16-7 in 25 games with a 2.26 GAA and .916 SV for the division leading squad is pretty dazzling.

These efforts earned him an invite to the 2013 AHL All-Star Game and was in net for the Western Conference late 3rd period victory.

It would almost be no surprise to see the 6’1″ 187 lbs. goaltender work his way into the mix of starters for the Wings going forward. He’s signed through 2015 on a three-year entry level contract.

The win was a nice early birthday present for the soon-to-be 21-year old Valentine’s Day baby backstop.

07Feb

Mark Arcobello(26) Oklahoma City Barons

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Edmonton Oilers‘ 3rd year, undrafted center Mark Arcobello(26) started his pro career on an AHL contract with Oklahoma City Barons.

He was reassigned to their ECHL affiliate Stockton Thunder at the beginning of the 2010/2011 season and things took shape pretty quickly, as he connected for 7 goals and 13 assists in 33 contests and was MVP at the All-Star Game.

The undersized 5’9″ 165 lbs. kept proving his critics wrong as he climbed up to the next rung and finished his rookie season with 11 goals and 11 assists in 26 games.

His consistent efforts paid off with the Oilers signing him to a 2-year entry level NHL contract. He stayed with their top farm team but was showing that despite his smaller stature he had a knack for the net, finishing his sophomore campaign with 17 goals, 26 assists and a nice +16 rating. He continued to strike through 14 Calder Cup Playoff match-ups adding another 13 points (5 goals and 8 assists) to his totals.

To start 2012/2013 as the lockout halted the highest league, he was teamed up with a #1 overall and 1st round draft picks to skate on a line with for the Barons.

The 24-year old further showed his skill set and looks to be on pace for career highs in goals, assists, points and got the nod as a Western Conference AHL All-Star Game starter.

He received his first NHL call-up and skated 19 shifts for 18:15 of total ice time in a overtime losing effort.

Despite being returned after only a 24-hour visit, it’s not looking like much of a stretch for him to find at the very least a part-time home in the show.

06Feb

Daniil Tarasov(19) Worcester Sharks

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Worcester Sharks‘ undrafted Russian-born rookie right wing Daniil Tarasov(19) signed a one-year AHL contract straight out of the USHL, where he tore up the scoresheet for two straight seasons before committing to a pro career.

He started the year with Worcester but was dispatched to their ECHL affiliate San Francisco Bulls to get some playing time in, because he wasn’t cracking the lineup.

In 17 ECHL games he scored 3 goals and added 11 assists. He was recalled to the Sharks in early January.

In 11 games played since returning he’s put in 3 goals and 5 assists. He just kept on showing up on the scoresheet and even has a couple of multi-point efforts in there. No doubt, he’s on a roll.

At 5’11” 192 lbs. he never really looks like the biggest guy on the ice but finds his spots for scoring chances.

No doubt if the 21-year keeps it up at this pace, he will on the San Jose radar for an entry level deal. He should be.

One thing about this player: his helmet never seems to fit on his head too well.

31Jan

Graham Mink(29) Providence Bruins

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12th year, undrafted veteran right wing Graham Mink(29) took his time when considering who to join for the 2012/2013 season.

After the NHL lockout was over, the 33-year old signed a pto with Providence Bruins. In 8 games he has a goal and a pair of assists. He was recently given a standard player contract to finish out the year with the team.

In his AHL career, he’s played a whopping 694 games scoring 244 goals and adding another 252 assists. He has also won a Calder Cup in 2006 and 2009 with Hershey Bears, one of only 5 (now 6) clubs he has skated with.

At 6’3″ 220 lbs. no doubt he’s a big figure for defensemen to move from attacking the front of the net but just as important always brings strong leaderships qualities to the table and has captained a team or two in his pro career.

He’s played 7 big league games, all with Washington Capitals, the first team to sign him to an NHL contract and the one he’s played most of his minor league games as part of their system.

26Jan

Cal Heeter(35) Trenton Titans

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Philadelphia Flyers‘ undrafted rookie goaltender Cal Heeter(35) might be spending too much time in the “waiting” room before his next appearance in net with their AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms, where he has played the entire first half of his first pro season.

In 20 games he’s compiled a 7-11-1 record with a respectably decent 2.97 GAA and .906 SV% on a team that has been challenged to string together wins and sits near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

At 6’4″ 195 lbs. he’s a pretty big frame in there and moves pretty well, but the 24-year old just hit a logjam in the Flyers‘ system that sends him to the ECHL Trenton Titans for the first time.

He’ll likely take it in stride, play hard and looks to be part of at the very least the Phantoms‘ future.

His two-year entry level deal keeps him in the system through 2014.

15Jan

Bryce Lampman(27) Portland Pirates

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Originally a New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2001 draft (#113 overall) defenseman Bryce Lampman(27) is probably best known for his days with their then farm club, Hartford Wolf Pack. He played 287 AHL regular and postseason games with the team and had two 25 point seasons.

He spent the last couple of years skating with a pair of teams in the German Elite League (DEL) before returning to North America to play in 2012/2013 with the first year ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.

In 21 games, the 30-year old blue liner could be on a bit of a scoring tear with three goals and 9 assists. He could realize career highs on the scoresheet if he’s not careful.

He was recently signed to a pto by Portland Pirates as some of their regulars abandoned them for NHL training camps.

The last time the fairly steady 6’1″ 200 pounder played in the AHL was a cup of coffee a couple of years ago with Houston Aeros but the year prior he was on the ice for 54 games with Peoria Rivermen, where he had a 20 point season.

He has dressed for 10 NHL games (all with the Blueshirts, of course) with no points.

14Jan

Patrick Rissmiller(28) Worcester Sharks

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Heading into the 2012/2013, undrafted 11th year left wing Patrick Rissmiller(28) found himself in somewhat unchartered territory: without a contract to play.

He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado Avalanche for last season but for the first time in awhile failed to receive a big league call-up from their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters.

The 6’4″ 220 lbs. power forward has skated in 192 NHL games scoring 18 goals and 28 assists including two full seasons with San Jose Sharks, where he also appeared in 30 postseason match-ups.

In the AHL, he has played a phenomenal 524 games, lit the lamp 125 times and dished out 227 helpers but a disturbing trend to his game is also a combined -40 plus/minus.

Signing a pto halfway through the season with Worcester Sharks, the 34-year old Massachusetts’ native comes full circle as he spent his college playing time at Holy Cross and started his pro career in 2002 with then San Jose farm team Cleveland Barons.

The hope is that he comes alive with some hometown cooking.

13Jan

Eric Baier(6) Providence Bruins

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Trenton Titans‘ 2nd year, undrafted defenseman Eric Baier(6) was recently called up to Providence Bruins for his first AHL stint of 2012/2013.

He’s played 23 games in the league with four different teams since finishing up his college career at nearby Providence College.

Although he only has an assist to his credit, the 6’2″ 210 lbs. blue liner has never light up the scoresheet and seems to be look at as more of a defensive zone specialist, although seems to be on the wrong end of plus/minus for the most part.

In 85 games with the Titans, the 24-year old has 6 goals and 17 assists on a team that has struggled to win games and keep pucks out of their net in the last couple of seasons, but as he continues to play and gain opportunities he will likely continue to settle his game.

Getting himself on a winning team couldn’t hurt either.

12Jan

Michael Wilson(36) Worcester Sharks

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5th year, undrafted defenseman Michael Wilson(36) has come full circle in his short pro hockey career.

Originally signed to an AHL contract with Worcester Sharks for his first two years, he split time in his rookie season with their then ECHL affiliate Phoenix Roadrunners before spending the next campaign fully in central MA.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. puck-moving d-man signed the following season with Victoria Salmon Kings for what would be the team’s final swim upstream, as they were disbanded in favor of a junior hockey franchise.

Once again in what has become familiar terrority: unrestricted free agent status, he inked a deal that would land him overseas skating for Starbulls Rosenheim in the German tier 2 league. That move lasted less than 20 games as he returned to North America to play the second half of the season in the Central Hockey League with another team that was en route to exit from existence, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. They also decided to rebrand under a junior hockey flag.

The 25-year old signed his most current contract with the newly introduced ECHL Orlando Solar Bears near the start of 2012/2013. In 36 games, he has a pair of goals and 21 assists, which puts him on pace to have personal bests in assists and scoring for a single season.

Signed to a pto with Worcester, in his first game back he had the helper on the overtime game-winning goal.