ECHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

29Oct

Nick Petersen (8)

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Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#121 overall), right wing Nick Petersen(8) was bought out the final year of his 3-year entry level contract by the team.

He appeared in a career high 52 AHL games with their farm team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins scoring a best 11 goals and 16 assists, 27 points with a +15 plus/minus.

The kind of lanky 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers, where he lit the lamp with ease clocking in at just shy of a 1.5 points per game player and was reassigned and recalled from on a couple of occasions during his rookie season.

There were some minor rumors floating that he was a difficult player in the system.

He signed a training camp tryout agreement with Houston Aeros to start the third campaign of his pro career and although he failed to make the opening night roster, he was kept on and sent to their affiliate Orlando Solar Bears.

In 6 ECHL games he has 6 goals and 8 assists with a +4 rating and has been quickly called-up to Houston.

Turns out he was a healthy scratch for one game and sent back.

When he gets his chance, you can pretty much bet he’ll produced on the scoresheet.

Nice black eye in the pic, right?

28Oct

Mike Banwell(24) Worcester Sharks

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Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Mike Banwell(24) faced a bit of uncertainty where he was going to be playing in his sophomore season but eventually signed a deal with Trenton Titans, the team he spent 11 games with on reassignment in 2011/2012.

He played 24 games in his rookie campaign with Albany Devils under an AHL contract, notching 3 assists and appeared in another 11 ECHL contests with the Titans.

The 25-year old was an Adirondack Phantoms‘ training camp tryout invite but was returned to start 2012/2013 with Trenton, where in three games he has an assist.

Not being inked to a contract in the higher league, the 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner is free to latch on with any team looking to employ his services on call-up.

Worcester Sharks did just that as their defensive corps are depleted and he was signed to a pto joining the team for their first win of the new season.

26Oct

Brian O’Hanley(38) San Antonio Rampage

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5th year defenseman Brian O’Hanley(38) was originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 9th round pick in the 2003 draft (#267 overall) and bounced his way around from ECHL to the AHL in pretty much each of his pro seasons, although he continues to call Cincinnati Cyclones his home base having played games with the team in every year, including one full season, 2009-2010; the only time he ever skated for a single club in a campaign.

He appeared in AHL career highs last season with 44 games scoring 4 goals and 7 assists, most of them with his real hometown team, Worcester Sharks. He was born in one hour away Quincy, MA and played his college hockey at Boston College.

At 5’11” 191 lbs. he isn’t the biggest of the blue liners out there but plays the puck pretty well and is accountable for his space on the ice.

Heading into the new season he signed a training camp tryout with San Antonio Rampage and stuck but was reassigned, yes, once again to Cincinnati to start the season. And he did scoring 2 goals and adding 2 assists in 3 games earning him his first call-up.

The 27-year old should be able to flourish with all the talent in the upper league.

25Oct

Evan Bloodoff (25)

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#157 overall) left wing Evan Bloodoff(25) never signed a deal with the team but upon being reassigned to their affiliate Portland Pirates out of training camp inked a two-year AHL contract that started in 2011/2012.

In 48 games last year, he hit the scoresheet for 6 goals a pair of assists, while going a shaky -10 plus/minus.

The 5’11” 205 lbs. forward was also a healthy scratch for way more games that he would have liked to have been in the stands for.

He skated in only one game so far for the Pirates in 2012/2013 and has been reassigned for the first time in his short pro career to get some more playing time in the ECHL with their affiliate Gwinnett Gladiators.

He should get some quality ice time down there which should help his game.

24Oct

Tyler Brenner(16) Bakersfield Condors

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Toronto Maple Leafs undrafted 2nd year right wing Tyler Brennan(16) split time in his rookie season with both their AHL and ECHL affiliates Toronto Marlies and Reading Royals but also spent time on the sidelines as a healthy scratch and bitten by the injury bug.

He’s signed for a 2-year entry level deal and has shown he can put numbers up on the scoresheet (3 goals and 6 assists in 29 games over a season and an ato with the Marlies and the same totals in 20 games with the Royals). He also contributed very well in college at RIT playing Division I Atlantic Hockey and has some size at 6’2″ 200 lbs.

The 24-year old was just reassigned to Bakersfield Condors to start 2012/2013 after not appearing in the first 5 games of the AHL regular season. He should fit in well in California and will probably help them win more.

23Oct

Julien Brouillette (29)

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Undrafted 5th year defenseman Julien Brouillette(29) started his pro career in the ECHL but has played the last two seasons exclusively with AHL teams.

He had career highs for games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (74-7-14-21-24) last season in the league with Hershey Bears, who he was signed with for the season.

The small-ish 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner re-upped with the club for 2012/2013 but was a healthy scratch for the first contest and reassigned to their new ECHL affiliate Reading Royals midweek for a game to get in some playing time.

He was inserted into the lineup for their second road contest and scored his first of the new campaign but sat for the home opener the next night.

The soon-to-be 26-year old will likely always be the type of player that needs to earn his spot.

20Oct

Micheal Haley(18) CT Whale

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Our favorite player movement of the 2012 offseason.

6th year undrafted fists of fury forward Micheal Haley(18) didn’t have to trade in his number when he to the drive up the street to join his new team.

After 5 straight seasons in New York Islanders‘ prospect system playing mostly for their affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, the now veteran 26-year old calls Hartford home.

In the offseason the unrestricted free agent was signed to a 1-year 2-way deal with New York Rangers and is currently playing the same role and penalty killing for Connecticut Whale.

He had career highs in goals (15), assists tie (10), points (25) and even managed less penalty minutes, but not by much.

He’s the type of player we love to see out there. At only 5’11” 198 lbs. he’s all guts and glory.

The pic is post-first fight to bloody up the new uniform a bit with old teammate Blair Riley.

19Oct

Kael Mouillierat(20) Idaho Steelheads

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Undrafted 3rd year forward Kael Mouillierat(20) must have been holding out to see if any higher league offers trickled in after his best pro season yet in 2011/2012 on recall by Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He finished the year having played a career high 44 AHL games and achieved bests in scoring with 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points and a mighty impressive +16 plus/minus.

With no takers, he once again signed with Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL for a third straight season. He’s an asset on the ice though as the 6′ 185 lbs. skater is basically a point per game guy with the team and in his first appearance of the 2012/2013 season he hit the scoresheet for both a goal and an assist.

Once the NHL shakes hands on a new CBA, the 25-year will almost certainly continue his playing time in the AHL.

This highlight reel goal is a thing of beauty.

18Oct

Josh Brittain(17) Fort Wayne Komets

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A few Anaheim Ducks‘ prospects are finding themselves doubly reassigned, when they start at AHL training camp but ultimately will play games in the ECHL to start 2012/2013.

3rd year, 2008 3rd round pick (#71 overall) left wing Josh Brittain(17) is familiar with the process already as he’s skated in 47 games with Elmira Jackals over his first two seasons, so joining Fort Wayne Komets will actually be a step up at least in terms of fans in the stands.

The big 6’4″ 210 lbs., that doesn’t really look like he takes up that much space out there as his size might indicate, spent more time up in the AHL in 2011/2012 with Syracuse Crunch and recorded career highs games played (38), goals (2) and assists (4).

He was in training camp with the Ducks‘ new affiliate Norfolk Admirals and was one of the last cuts before opening night.

The 22-year old definitely needs to open up more room on the ice for himself to increase his scoring chances.

18Oct

Francois Bouchard(61) Cincinnati Cyclones

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5th year Washington Capitals‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#35 overall), center Francois Bouchard(27) found himself at the start of the season without a contract in what’s maybe been a bit of a tricky year for more than a few players to get work playing pro hockey.

After his initial 3-year entry level deal was up, he signed on for one more campaign in the Capitals‘ prospect system but was bounced from his time with Hershey Bears (where he won back-to-back Calder Cups in 2009 & 2010) to New York Rangers‘ AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale and uneventfully finished out the term of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent.

For the first time in his career he signs a minor league deal to play in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2012/2013.

It just maybe a smart move as he needs to reenergize that scoring touch he showed in his second year, when he popped in 21 and assisted on another 31 in 74 games played and was a crazy good +21 plus/minus.

If he starts to ignite and the NHL unfreezes the lockout, expect him to move back up the ladder.