Stockton Heat sophomore defenseman Rob Hamilton(42) has been working hard to prove himself at this level of hockey and it looks like he’s arriving.
Loaned by his contract club for the last two years, Manchester Monarchs a month into the new calendar, he started connecting immediately and currently leads team blue liners in assists and points with 6 multi-point games.
As a rookie, he played more AHL games at 33 for Springfield Thunderbirds (1-11-12 with a +9 rating) and Laval Rocket (3 games) than he did in the ECHL, where he was close to a point-per-game player grabbing 15 points (4-11) in 23 contests.
The undrafted d-man has seemed to up his game since turning pro.
He did have a 26 assist campaign in his 2nd season with Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL and two 10+ years as a rookie and fourth year guy for University Of Vermont.
If the 25-year old continues to explode on the scoresheet, he could get a look from the parent club, Calgary Flames for an entry level deal.
Nashville Predators‘ 3rd year center Colin Blackwell(42) has potted 7 goals in 14 AHL games with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals to earn himself a 1st NHL recall.
He’s played a limited amount of contests due to an early season injury.
In a pair of games, a win and a loss, he skated 16 and 17 shifts for an average of 12 minutes total ice time with 2 shots, 4 hits, 2 breakups, 1 giveaway and 1 takeaway but was under 50% in the face-off dot.
The small but stocky 25-year old pivot will definitely have to work hard to grab a more permanent spot (he was recently reassigned back) but has another campaign of a 2-year deal he signed as unrestricted free agency started after last season.
San Jose Sharks‘ 3rd year defenseman Jacob Middleton(67) proves that hard work can pay off for a 1st NHL recall.
He skated a conservative 7 shifts for 5:02 total ice time with one play break up and was a -1 plus/minus in a 5-2 victory.
Returned after a week up in the show, he was again recently summoned and will likely make another appearance soon.
The fairly large 6’3″ 210 lbs. blue liner was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 7th round pick in the 2014 draft (#210 overall) but remained unsigned despite putting together a few 20+ assist campaigns for Ottawa 67’s of the OHL.
His first contract would be a minor league deal with San Jose Barracuda.
Known as more of a stay-at-home style d-man, he scored a goal and 8 assists in 50 AHL games with a very accountable +11 rating.
This effort gained notice of the parent club, who signed him to a three-year entry level deal as the 2017/2018 season approached.
He was quickly named an assistant captain (he was a captain in his final year of juniors) and would go on to grab a career high 6 goals and 22 assists in his sophomore run.
The 23-year old is proving to be a steady hand for the farm club with 2 goals and 10 assists in 29 games with a new best +14 rating but will have to up his game to earn a more permanent spot at the highest level.
New York Islanders‘ 3rd year right wing Michael Dal Colle(28) gets his first NHL goal monkey off his back in his 2nd recall and 10th game of the 2018/2019 season.
He’s skated 12 contests this campaign and also has a 1st assist after potting a career high 16 goals in just 28 AHL games for affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The 22-year old, former 1st round pick, may not have carved out his permanent spot on the big league roster but is definitely starting to close in on it.
SC Bern‘s 13th year left wing Andrew Ebbett(25) signs a 2-year extension keeping him through 2021, which will be the three-time assistant captain’s 6th season with the team.
The small but rugged forward veteran of 224 NHL games and 335 AHL games scored back-t0-back 2016 & 2017 NLA Championships, along with being named 2017/2018 League MVP for his point-per-game production (14-34-48) and was a playoff scoring stud in the 2017 title run.
At just turned 36-years old, the former University Of Michigan captain and power scorer obviously shows little signs of stopping (at least for the next two years) and already has 10 goals and 15 assists through 29 games in the current campaign.
14th year left wing Ryan Hollweg(44) decides to call it a career after his 6th season with HC Plzen of Tipsport Czech Extraliga, including a 2013 Championship.
Originally a New York Rangers‘ 8th round pick in the 2001 draft (#238 overall), the tough as nails 5’11” 216 lbs. forward had 5 campaigns of 100+ penalty minutes, including 239 as a rookie with Hartford Wolf Pack.
A veteran of 228 NHL games with three different clubs, he was a solid 4th line skater that never failed to attract trouble whether it came to him or he was dishing it out.
Almost ironically considering the type of player he would be known as, he was a point-per-game guy in juniors for Medicine Hat Tigers, which concluded with a 2004 WHL Championship.
The 35-year old California native seemed to eye one more season but then at the last minute thought it was time to close the door on a very successful run.
New Jersey Devils‘ 3rd year center Kevin Rooney(58) was recalled from affiliate Binghamton Devils, where he was named team captain, one week into the new season and skated four games before being sent back.
Through 34 AHL games, he’s on pace to eclipse his career high assists set as a sophomore player (20) with 16 on the books.
Summoned back up a couple of months later, the decently-sized forward scored a 1st NHL goal in his second appearance back in the show.
The 25-year old likely has not quite insured his spot with the big club but you can bet he’s starting to push hard toward achieving it.
Rookie left wing Brent Pedersen(44) was detonating the scoresheet with Orlando Solar Bears scoring 7 goals and 15 assists in 22 ECHL games with a +11 rating and earned a pto from Manitoba Moose, where he shows little signs of relinquishing a roster spot.
In 11 AHL games he has 3 goals and 1 assists with two of his tallies coming in back-to-back affairs.
The former Carolina Hurricanes‘ 5 round pick in the 2013 draft (#126 overall) never signed leaving him to unrestricted free agency.
He was part of a 2015 OHL and Memorial Cup Champion Oshawa Generals‘ club but never struck with amazing frequency in the point department.
Unsigned he decided to take the next few seasons grabbing an education at Laurentian University and served as an assistant captain in his 2nd and 3rd campaigns.
The still young 23-year old seems to have arrived after signing a pro contract.
Undrafted 2nd year left wing Michael Doherty(16) scores a first and second AHL loan to Binghamton Devils from contract club Manchester Monarchs, where he’s on pace to score a career high assists.
He has 4 goals and 19 assists in 34 ECHL games so far this season.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward put in 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 68 contests with a +5 rating as a rookie.
Never exactly the biggest scorer through 4 years at Yale University, he seemed to spring to life once he turned pro.
The 25-year old will need to connect to stay in the upper level of hockey but could also be a valuable fourth line, agitator.
