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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.

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.

23May

Derek DeBlois (13)

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South Carolina Stingrays‘ undrafted rookie right wing Derek DeBlois(13) lit up the score sheet during the regular season and continues on an even better tear in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

He scored 21 goals and 24 assists with a +17 rating through 59 ECHL games in 2014/2015 and has added another 8 tallies and 10 helpers in only 17 postseason contests with a +11 plus/minus.

The 5’11” 180 lbs. forward had a good run in four years of college hockey at University Of Michigan but maxed out at 20 points during his final two campaigns.

He was also an NCAA/CCHA Regular Season Champ in 2011 and named assistant captain for his senior year.

His game really seems to have been elevated since turning pro.

He was invited to Worcester Sharks‘ training camp and was recalled for 4 AHL games late season scoring 1 goal.

The 24-year old should get another look from a top affiliate of an NHL team as he enters his sophomore season and may just help his current team to a title.

19Apr

Austen Brassard(50)

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#149 overall) tough, second year right wing Austen Brassard(50) saw his offensive abilities come to life with affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.

He posted career high AHL games played (75), goals (6), assists (12) and points (18), while still playing mostly a fourth line energy role.

The 6’2″ 207 lbs. forward was many times a healthy scratch in his rookie season appearing in only 29 games and none in the postseason as the team went all the way to the Calder Cup Finals.

He had some decent scoring prowess with Belleville Bulls of the OHL managing an average of 20 goals and close to 20 assists in each of his last three campaigns.

He also saw his fighting jump up to a new level in his final year of junior hockey to 8, but has seemed to pick and choose his battles since turning pro with only 4 5-minute major penalties in each of his two seasons.

The 22-year old is signed through 2015/2016 on his entry level deal and it will be interesting to see if he can further increase his totals and playing time.

08May

Ahmed Mahfouz(19) Dayton Demons

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4th year undrafted center Ahmed Mahfouz(19) may be pro hockey greatest under-achiever of the moment.

Playing in his fourth season, second with Federal Hockey League‘s Dayton Demons he won his second title, President’s Cup in 2013/2014 (his first was as a rookie with Akwesasne Warriors).

The 5’11” 198 lbs. forward from Ottawa, ON has been league MVP two straight seasons, scored the most goals for two, had the most assists (63 helpers) and points (96) this past campaign and of course, was rookie of the year.

He played one game this past season on call up to the Central Hockey League with Brampton Beast. He scored a goal.

The 25-year old is basically almost a 2 point-per-game player in single A hockey and is a bit of a pest with well over 100 penalty minutes each run.

He should push himself a bit and take it up to the next level.

26Dec

Derek Whitmore(21) Buffalo Sabres

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After scoring AHL Player Of The Week honors the last week of November for his 5 goals, +3 performance in a couple of games with Rochester Americans, assistant captain, left wing Derek Whitmore(21) received his first ever call-up to the NHL.

Originally undrafted, he has played in Buffalo Sabres‘ prospect system for 4 years. He was re-signed twice in the past two seasons as his numbers have steadily increased playing for their AHL affiliates.

In two games, he has yet to put up a point but has played over 10 minutes in each of the contests. He’s always been a very accountable player out there.

He currently leads the Amerks in scoring with 13 goals and 7 assists in 29 games.