Springfield Falcons got in on the fun celebrating the upcoming release of Star Wars by donning jerseys decked out with images from the movie.
Our models are a pair of defenseman: Philip Samuelsson(5) & Corey Potter(6).
The force was with them. They got the 4-3 win over a not so hot Binghamton Senators.
New York Rangers‘ 12th year left wing Nick Tarnasky(74) is having a breakout scoring season in the minors with farm club Hartford Wolf Pack as a grisly veteran skater.
In 18 games the 31-year old already has 6 goals and 1 assist. His previous high in the league was 16 in 2012/2013 on reassignment from Buffalo Sabres to affiliate Rochester Americans.
This came after his only season away from North American hockey, when he signed with Vityaz Chekhov of the KHL.
Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning deep 9th round pick in the 2003 draft (#287 overall), he spent the first four seasons of his career with them and played exclusively in the show from 2006-2009.
The 6’2″ 230 lbs. forward has played 245 NHL games and 413 in the AHL and while he was known for dropping the gloves a career high 20 times with 150 penalty minutes in 2010/2011 with Springfield Falcons, he’s mostly retired from battles as he’s gotten older, although he does have a pair of scraps in the current campaign.
Signed by the Blueshirts to a two-year deal that expires at the end of this season, he may be invited to stick around as his presence on and off the ice is turning into an all around asset. He could even earn himself a bit on an unlikely recall.
7th year right wing Erik Condra(22) spent his first 6 seasons with Ottawa Senators.
The deep draft pick (7th round #211 overall) only had to spend a year and a half, including the 2011 Binghamton Senators’ AHL Calder Cup Championship in the prospect system.
By his third campaign, he was up in the NHL full-time and skated a best 76 games, reaching career high scoring with 17 assists and 25 points.
Although the somewhat small-ish (5’11” 183 lbs.) forward plays an agitating, hard-battling style he doesn’t take any unnecessary penalties averaging a mere 30 minutes in the sin bin per season and was a fully accountable +26 rating through 299 games.
The now 29-year old unrestricted free agent decided to search elsewhere to continue, signing a tidy 3-year deal with Tampa Bay Lightning through 2018.
Chicago Blackhawks‘ undrafted Swedish-born 7th year pro center Dennis Rasmussen(70) received his first call up by the parent club in his 2nd season in North American hockey.
In his debut, he scored his first NHL goal on his only shot on net.
The big 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward skated 15 shifts for 8:33 total ice time and left the 4-1 win with a +1, 2 hits and was 25% in the face off dot.
He’s been hot with farm team Rockford IceHogs early this campaign scoring 7 goals and 7 assists in 22 AHL games.
In his rookie season he struck for 13 goals and 14 assists in 73 contests with a +9 rating.
The 25-year old played 6 seasons in his home country, initially in second tier league Allsvenskan with hometown squad VIK Vasteras HK performing well as a teenager.
Then he moved up to the SHL with Vaxjo Lakers HC for three seasons and had his best showing before moving his game overseas getting 16 goals and 24 assists in 52 games.
What’s next for this already very well-traveled player definitely sits on his stick.
Ontario Reign 2nd year left wing Jordan Samuels-Thomas(18) was signed just before 2015 training camp opened and sent down to ECHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs to start his sophomore campaign.
The sizable 6’4″ 210 lbs. forward played one game in the lower league before he was quickly summoned back up.
Since his return he’s played 16 AHL games with a career high 5 goals and 2 assists for 7 points with a +6 rating.
He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 7th round pick in the 2009 draft (#203 overall) but traded to Buffalo Sabres as he was set to turn pro before the 2014/2015 season.
Signed to a 1-year entry level contract following 2 years at Bowling Green University, then 2 at Quinnipiac, where he put up some decent numbers, he was reassigned to farm club Rochester Americans.
He spent his entire rookie season in the minors, skating 63 games with 3 goals and 5 assists with a woeful -18 plus/minus and 8 fighting majors.
The 25-year old restricted free agent wasn’t retained by the parent club and left to find a new deal for 2015/2016
He’s on pace to put up bests in all scoring categories and play himself into another big league contract.
After playing a league leading 58 AHL games in his rookie campaign for then affiliate St. John’s IceCaps, Winnipeg Jets‘ 2nd year goaltender Connor Hellebuyck(30) was a bit of a later cut from training camp as the parent club gave him an extended look.
In 2014/2015 he posted a 28-22-5 mark on a team that had just below a .500 record and played a mammoth best 3331:41 minutes making 1666 saves and managed to keep his GAA decently low at 2.58 with a .921 SV%.
Off to a bit of an uneven start for new farm team, the bottom dwelling Manitoba Moose, he’s 2-7-1 in 10 appearances but has at least kept his club in every contest with a 2.41 GAA and .927 SV%.
It was good enough for the Jets as they needed a backup when one of their starting goalies was struck down with an injury.
He’s proving the brighter lights of the NHL doesn’t phase him, as the 22-year old has won his first three outings letting in only a goal a game for a .097 GAA and brick wall .965 SV%.
With continued great play, he may give them something to think about, but considering they are fairly sound between the pipes and he’s still has one-year left on his entry level deal, is able to go up and down without clearing waivers.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd year left wing Daniel Carr(43) has been lighting it up early in his sophomore season with new affiliate St. John’s IceCaps to earn his first recall (8-9-17 in 21 with a +7 rating).
He wasted no time getting acquainted. On his first shift and first shot he scored his first NHL goal in what ended up being a bit of a jaw-dropping 3-2 loss.
Credited with 12 shifts for 8:21 of ice time, 3 shots, 1 breakup, 1 takeaway and even skated :13 on the power play. He, of course, also left the game with 1 point and was a +1 rating.
Depending upon how they need him, he could be making them think about a roster spot.
The 24-year old is set to become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the current calendar.
Ottawa Senators‘ 6th year left wing Dave Dziurzynski(59) was passed over for NHL recalls the past couple of seasons, yet in the meantime he was re-upped, first for one more look, then for two, which will make him an unrestricted free agent next July for the first time in his pro career.
After a hot start with farm club, Binghamton Senators with 5 goals, 6 assists in 20 games, it was time for another try.
He skated 16 shifts for 9:42 ice time with 2 shots, 4 hits, 1 breakup and left the 3-2 overtime win with a -1 rating.
The fairly huge 6’3″ 218 lbs. power forward spent 12 games with the parent club in his third seasons scoring his first 2 goals in the big league.
The 26-year old could stay up for a bit but this probably isn’t the last time up he’ll be under contract with the parent club.
In the final season of his three-year entry level deal, Andrey Pedan(37) was traded in a prospects’ transaction to Vancouver Canucks.
He was reassigned to their affiliate Utica Comets, where he finished out his sophomore campaign with a career high 48 AHL games, 14 assists and 17 points.
The giant-sized blue liner was somewhat under-utilized in New York Islanders‘ system, even sent double down to the ECHL Stockton Thunder on a couple of occasions during his pair of years.
The now 22-year old wasn’t necessarily a late cut from his first Canucks‘ training camp but played pretty great out of the gate with the farm club scoring a goal and 6 assists in 15 games with a +3 rating and received his first recall.
In his NHL debut, he was inserted as a seventh d-man playing a sparing 6 shifts for 3:54 of ice time with 2 hits, 1 breakup in a 2-1 overtime loss.
He stayed with the parent team for a week before being sent back but if he can keep up the pace in the minors and stay healthy should get another crack at the show.
Boston Bruins‘ 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#170 overall) sixth year defenseman Matt Bartkowski(44) had pretty much done all he could under the current system with the club.
Heading into 2015/2016 he was left without a contract coming off a one-year extension for a continued look, but after a disappointing season getting only 4 assists in 47 games with a -6 rating on a non-playoff team it was time to look elsewhere.
The 6’1″ 196 d-man had his most productive year 2013/2014 wearing a spoked B, as he dished the puck for 18 assists and was a +22 plus/minus and was looked at as a blue liner strong in his own zone with the ability to move the puck.
It was his first full year up in the big league.
In his first three campaigns he split time between the parent team and minor league affiliate Providence Bruins, where he was able to connect for almost 20 assists each season and always counted on to punish players in the attacking zone.
It didn’t take long for Vancouver Canucks to step in, signing him to a nice pay increase on a one-way contract as unrestricted free agency opened.
The 27-year old has new life, striking for his first two NHL goals and 5 assists in the first 25 games with the new club and also looks to show a healthy increase in penalty minutes.
Time and change of scenery may be just want the doctor ordered for this deep draft selection to realize his potential.
