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21Sep
Category: ECHL
Boston Bruins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#35 overall), defenseman Tommy Cross(29) signed a 2-year entry level deal with the club last spring after he finished a mighty successful college career earning two national titles and captaining Boston College in his senior year on the way to that honor.
Upon completion of this academic career he played with Providence Bruins for the remainder of the AHL regular season and got in a couple of pro games that put him up on the stat sheet with 4 shots on goal and a +1 plus/minus.
Even without the impending NHL lockout it was almost a certainty that the 6’3″ 210 lbs. 23-year old would start his first full pro season with the P-Bruins.
In the games and prospect camps we’ve seen him skate, he makes good decisions with the puck and has enough size out there that he’s already tough to play against.
4th year defenseman Joe Charlebois(51) re-signs a one-year deal with Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL for 2012/2013.
He’s been with the the team for the last couple of seasons and has skated in 112 regular and playoff games scoring 3 goals and 31 assists with a +22 plus/minus.
The 6’2″ 210 lbs. d-man was originally a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 6th round pick in the 2005 draft (#188 overall) but never officially signed him. Instead he agreed to an spc with their minor league team, Rockford IceHogs. He spent most of his time with their ECHL affiliate Toledo Walleye though.
In 2010, he returned to Toledo inking for a year with them but was traded to the K-Wings, where the 26-year old has found a home of sorts.
In 2011/2012, he was recalled for 13 games by Manchester Monarchs and Lake Erie Monsters. In 28 AHL games he has yet to register a point.
2nd year defenseman Jeff Dimmen(6) had the type of rookie year he probably didn’t expect.
After signing an AHL contract with Norfolk Admirals for 2011/2012, he played in 64 regular season and 6 postseason games en route to winning the Calder Cup Trophy. The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner put up some respectable numbers in the process scoring 3 goals and 15 assists (1 in the playoffs), while showing much accountability in his own zone with a +10 plus/minus.
He made his pro debut at the end of 2011, inking an ato with Portland Pirates and skated in 14 total games for them notching an assist.
It a bit of a surprising move, the 26-year old has signed a one-year deal with Florida Everblades of the ECHL for the 2012/2013 season. Expect him to get a camp invite and the first recall with Syracuse Crunch for the upcoming campaign.
4th year center Tony Romano(8) was not qualified by New York Islanders after his three-year entry level contract expired at the conclusion of last season.
He was a local player, born on Long Island in Smithtown, NY.
For 2012/2013 he signed a tryout agreement with Vienna Capitals of the Erste Bank Hockey League (Austria).
It would be a big surprise if he failed to make the team.
In 2011/2012, his third AHL season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers the 24-year old put up career highs in just about every category scoring 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points, finishing 5th on the team.
He was also a +3 plus/minus and connected with 117 shots on net.
Still, the 5’10” 177 lbs. is relatively small and not always as strong on the puck as he should be, so found himself in and out of the lineup at times and was even reassigned to the ECHL Chicago Express for a wake-up weekend.
It actually worked because his point production soared afterwards.
He was originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in the 2006 draft (#178 overall) but traded to the Isles before he ever signed.
Undrafted 7th year center Bobby Robins(21) signed his first AHL contract since his rookie season with Binghamton Senators by re-upping for a full campaign with Providence Bruins, the team he spent 33 games with in 2011/2012. He was originally recalled from the ECHL, signed to a pto and upped to an spc as he continue to stick with the team.
The stat that pops out from his sheet is penalty minutes. He ended the regular season with 150 pims. That’s 3 games shy of a five minute (fighting) major per game. His actual number of incidents was more like 20 though, good enough for a three-way tie for 3rd in the league. It’s likely that he accomplished his feat in lesser contests than the other players did, which is a key reason why the P-Bruins found it necessary to get him under contract before the new season starts.
The knock on the team the last few years of postseason drought has been how undersized they were. This, at the very least, gives them 6’1″ 220 lbs. of protection out on the ice. The almost 31-year old also had a pair of goals and 10 assists (a career high) and we’d expect that number to go up too.
Worcester Sharks exited the 2011/2012 season with the most fighting majors of any team in the AHL, engaging in 120 dust-ups.
Rookie forward Curt Gogol(13) was involved in 19 of those.
Weighing in a 6′ 185 lbs. he most definitely needed a couple more arms, a few more inches and some extra poundage in his match-up against brutal Springfield Falcons‘ 6’6″ 235 lbs. enforcer Tim Spencer(33).
The two will get more opportunities to dance in the upcoming season as both are returning to their respective clubs for 2012/2013.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#114 overall) defenseman Alex Grant(20) re-signs his qualifying offer to return for another season in the team’s prospect system.
He had an amazing 2011/2012 setting career highs in games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (61-10-27-37-73) with their AHL affiliate WBS Penguins after a disastrous 2nd year, when he shattered his wrist and suffered whiplash in a rookie tournament leading up to training camp pretty much shelving the entire campaign.
The blue liner has sizable presence standing at 6’3″ 190 lbs. and could definitely add some bulk to his frame, making him tougher to play against.
At 23-years old, he looks to be developing pretty much on schedule. He started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers and has played in 71 games in double A, including 17 on their way to the Kelly Cup Eastern Conference Finals.
2nd year defenseman Corey Fienhage(5) re-signs with Rochester Americans for 2012/2013, while still under the guidance of the parent club Buffalo Sabres.
He was a 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#88 overall) but has only been signed to standard AHL contracts. He also was reassigned to Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL for a good chunk of his first season, where he has managed a bit better success on the scoresheet so far.
In 32 games last season he had 5 goals and 8 assists while going a -4 plus/minus.
In the AHL he’s a +2 with 4 assists in 20 games.
At 6’2 215 lbs. he plays like a big defenseman out there but at only 22-years old it could be said he’s still growing into his pro game.
Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round pick in the 2006 draft (#166 overall), center Tyler Ruegsegger(7) was suppose to figure in the team’s future plans based on his stats leading up to his selection and then later with his excellent play in the last year of his college career.
Somewhere along the line though something happened because he didn’t sign to start his rookie season until late October of 2010; and that was with Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL.
From there he gets traded to Alaska Aces, but in the final month of his first year the then 23-year old gets his first AHL called-up by Abbotsford Heat. scoring 1 goal and 4 assists in 12 games. He was returned to the Aces just in time to help them win the 2011 Kelly Cup.
In a surprising move for his second campaign, the 6′ 195 lbs. forward re-signed with the Aces to continue with the team for 2011/2012. Once again, he was recalled: first by Bridgeport Sound Tigers, then the Heat for a second run.
If he wasn’t accidentally clocked in the face by a one-timer in practice, it’s speculated that he could have played his first Calder Cup Playoff games or participated in another playoff run with the Aces.
For the upcoming 2012/2013 season, the now 25-year old re-signs for his third go with Alaska.
In 105 ECHL games he has 29 shots on goal into the net and assisted on another 25. Will this be his breakout year?
