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03Oct

Corbin McPherson(33)

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New Jersey Devils‘ 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft (#87 overall) defenseman Corbin McPherson(33) signs his third AHL deal with affiliate Albany Devils for 2015/2016.

The 27-year old was under a one-year two-way entry level deal last season after a good sophomore campaign with the farm team in 2013/2014 but left unqualified heading into the new schedule making him an unrestricted free agent.

The big 6’5″ 220 lbs. blue liner has never been a big point producer, preferring a more stay at home, bruising style game but he does own a nifty +15 rating through 223 games.

The Californian-born d-man spent four years at Colgate University and was captain in his final season.

For such a towering presence, he doesn’t fight much (only two in 2014/2015) and doesn’t take many costly penalties.

He was still invited to training camp and with a little more grit he could easily be dangerous to play against and the parent club probably stills sees the potential.

01Oct

Matt Register(22)

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Undrafted 4th year defenseman Matt Register(22) has easily worked for every inch he’s gained in pro hockey.

Starting a little late as an 18-year old in the AJHL (Alberta Junior Hockey League), which is a rung lower than say the WHL, then transferring out after three years to the local senior ice hockey Chinook HL before half way through what could be looked at as his really strange rookie season signed a deal with Allen Americans of the old Central Hockey League.

The decently-sized 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner must have been comfortable, because quickly in the off-season he signed his first deal with Tulsa Oilers.

He spent 2 months with them, then left for Arizona Sundogs. He lasted another two months there then we’re going to need someone to explain this one to us, as he was signed to an AHL deal with Manchester Monarchs and reassigned to affiliate Ontario Reign for the remainder of 2012/2013.

In 17 ECHL games his offensive completely sprung to life scoring 4 goals and 9 assists with a +6 rating. He also appeared in all 10 playoff games putting up three assists with a +5 plus/minus.

It’s almost like he was waiting for his chance and someone had it under their radar.

For 2013/2014 he signed a one-year contract to return to Ontario Reign.

It was his third season and his game seemed to be stepping up to the challenges and was named CCM Defenseman Of The Year.

He skated 67 contests putting up a career high 14 goals and 30 assists with a +21 rating, which is crazy for a kid that literally popped out of nowhere.

Last year he had probably his best showing yet, tying his goal mark at 14, adding 36 assists for 50 points in his third year skating for Ontario Reign.

He was even loaned up to Chicago Wolves for a couple of weeks and played his first 6 AHL games and even throwing out 4 helpers.

The 26-year old recently signed on for 2015/2016 with Atlanta Gladiators but has been given a try-out with new affiliate Providence Bruins.

In preseason action he may have been on the 4-2 losing end of a preseason game but he certainly didn’t seem out of place out there.

On 10/5 he was reassigned to start the season with his team of contract, Atlanta Gladiators.

23Sep

Jacob Markstrom (35)

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After already playing two years in his home country Sweden’s top league SHL with Brynas IF, he came with pro experience.

While spending most of the last 5 seasons in the minors, the 25-year old has earned and is very ready to become Vancouver Canucks‘ backup net minder for 2015/2016 with a new two-year deal in place.

He took farm team Utica Comets all the way to the AHL Calder Cup Finals last year with an outstanding 1.88 GAA and .934 SV% in the regular season and 2.11 GAA and .925 SV% in 23 postseason match-ups.

Previously he had played 43 NHL games for Florida Panthers with most of those games coming in the 2012/2013 campaign.

Otherwise, he was mostly on reassignment with affiliate San Antonio Rampage until traded at the 2014 deadline.

The mammoth 6’6″ 196 lbs. goalie is heading into his 8th season and will be tested to help backstop a squad that failed to make the playoffs just a year ago.

19Aug

Cody Kunyk (20)

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Undrafted 2nd year center Cody Kunyk(20) experienced quite the ride in his first season of pro hockey.

After 4 years at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks setting all sort of records including 2013/2014 NCAA/WCHA Player Of The Year and led the WHCA in scoring and did the same for his team in many key offensive categories.

He would be immediately signed to a one-year deal by Tampa Bay Lightning upon the completion of his college hockey career and skated 15 shifts for 10:12 total ice time with 2 shots on net, 1 hit, 1 breakup with only 20% effectiveness in the face off dot in the final game of the 2013/2014 regular season.

The not exactly huge looking 5’11” 200 lbs. forward would need to be re-signed quickly in the off-season, which he was to another one-year, two-way contract.

Things looked to go amiss from here though as he was a quick exit from training camp and in 69 AHL games with affiliate Syracuse Crunch scored 10 goals and 16 assists with a -12 rating.

He also did not connect for a point in 3 Calder Cup Playoff match-ups in a quick first round exit.

He was not offered a qualifying offer to stay in the prospect system rendering him an unrestricted free agent.

At already 25-years old he probably surveyed possible scenarios for his sophomore season and came away with the best possibility being to take his hockey elsewhere, signing with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of DEL for 2015/2016.

Before ever suiting up in Germany he was released and put under contract a week later for Genofte Stars of Denmark’s Metal Ligaen.

13Aug

Austin Fyten(11)

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Undrafted 4th year left wing Austin Fyten(11) will join his fourth AHL team for 2015/2016 signing for one year with Hershey Bears.

Not sure what the team sees in the 6’2″ 200 lbs. forward that put up point-per-game numbers in his final year of WHL with Lethbridge Hurricanes and done it in the ECHL on two visits with Idaho Steelheads.

His best scoring season in the upper league was his 2nd year while under contract with Oklahoma City Barons, where he put in 7 goals and 13 assists with a +7 rating.

He also scored a goal and an assist in three postseason contests.

Last year was spent skating games for Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

His games played reached a new high at 64 but he only notch two goals and 9 assists.

To his defense he wasn’t on the best of teams and forced into more of a checking role.

The 24-year old still has a lot to prove.

10Aug

Viktor Svedberg(8)

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Chicago Blackhawks‘ undrafted Swedish-born defenseman tower (6’9″ 234 lbs.), Viktor Svedberg(8) is entering his fifth pro season and third in the prospect system.

He started with a pair of seasons in his home country skating for Frolunda Indians of the SHL before signing a two-year entry level deal.

He had his best season yet in 2014/2015 playing a career high 49 games with a best 3 goals, 11 assists for 14 points with a +14 rating with affiliate Rockford IceHogs. and added another four helpers in 8 Calder Cup Playoff contests.

Going into the off-season he entered his first restricted free agency and it only took a month to sort out a one-year extension keeping the big blue liner in the organization and continue work on his progress.

At 24-years old he may just be getting started and should give the parent club every reason to have a look on the NHL level in 2015/2016.

He did join the team as a member of the black aces to help with Stanley Cup Playoff preparations.

03Aug

Rob Flick(26)

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Florida Panthers‘ newly signed 4th year center Rob Flick(10) comes off a career season with Providence Bruins skating a new high 65 AHL games, scoring a team leading 19 goals, 24 points, a +11 rating and 124 shots on net.

He also dropped the mitts a season low 3 times after his first three years with 9, 8 and 6 fights, so that aspect of his game may be changing.

He did produce some decent numbers in his third and final campaign of juniors with Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors before turning pro.

A restricted free agent heading into 2015/2016 he decided for a change of scenery after two years under contract after his trade to Boston Bruins.

The infinitely tough 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward was originally a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 4th round pick in the 2010 draft (#120 overall) but wasn’t signed to his 3-year entry level deal until cutting his teeth for a year in the minors with affiliate Rockford IceHogs, which included some early rookie time in the ECHL with Toledo Walleye.

He will probably start the upcoming season with new affiliate Portland Pirates but some good, hard skating may just him earn a first NHL recall.

03Jul

Blair Jones (22)

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Heading into his 10th year, Blair Jones(22) picks up a new NHL contract for 2015/2016 with Vancouver Canucks and will be a veteran presence for affiliate Utica Comets but could also put up another few games in the show.

He’ll turn 29-years old before the start of the new season.

Limited to only 33 AHL games in ’14/’15, he managed to cobble together 9 goals and 12 assists with a +3 rating on a team that was well out of the playoff picture.

02Jul

Jeremy Smith (30)

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Boston Bruins‘ 6th year goalie Jeremy Smith(30) is definitely a good guy to be counted on in net as their affiliate Providence Bruins readies for a playoff run.

The one-time Nashville Predators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#54 overall) played through 4 seasons in their prospect system mostly winning games for the farm team Milwaukee Admirals.

In his rookie season he was further reassigned playing the whole season minus one game in ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones He won the 2010 Kelly Cup Championship and was named c0-MVP.

He was also a member of the 2006/2007 Plymouth Whalers‘ team that won the OHL Championship.

The not exactly huge 6′ 178 lbs. net minder is having a career year. In 39 AHL games he posted a 22-11-5 record with a 2.05 GAA and .933 SV%. and three shutouts putting him at 5th on the league’s top goaltender list.

Signed only to a one-year deal, if the 26-year old pushes his team deep into the Calder Cup playoffs, it would be almost a no-brainer to re-sign him for at least another.

And who knows, maybe one of these call-ups will actually turn into his first NHL appearance.

Original story: 4/17-15

In 3 postseason contests he went 1-2 with a once again stellar 1.96 GAA and .931 SV%, which was good enough to get Providence Bruins to a deciding game 5 before bowing out in the first round.

Boston Bruins made sure he wasn’t going anywhere after his deal expired re-upping quickly in free agency with the net minder for a second year on another two-way deal.

He could easily find himself with the back-up job for the big club in the forthcoming season, as for the at least the time being there is a spot wide open and up for grabs.

He has easily earned the opportunity.

14Jun

Manchester Monarchs 2015 AHL Calder Cup Champions

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Manchester Monarchs win their first AHL Calder Cup Championship in their 14th and last season in the league.

Los Angeles Kings‘ 3rd year prospect center Jordan Weal(19) won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.

He scored a leading 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) with a +12 rating.

With series wins over Portland Pirates (3-2), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (4-1), Hartford Wolf Pack (4-1) in the Eastern Conference Finals and Utica Comets (4-1) they put together 15 victories to claim the title.

It was the second year in a row that the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy winner, regular season points champs, won the whole thing.

The team will switch leagues and affiliations, as Ontario Reign become the new direct farm club and the Monarchs will continue their relationship with the parent team in the ECHL.