Joey Crabb(15) was signed in the off-season to a one-year two-way contract by the Maple Leafs and may have found a home in the NHL after spending most of the first half of the season in the AHL with the Marlies.
Category: NHL
R.I.P. Tom Cavanagh(9). Tragic ending for sure (1982 – 2011).
He played five games for Springfield Falcons to start the 2010/2011 season, including the team’s home opener where they donned the old Indians jerseys to play Providence Reds/Bruins in honor of the AHL’s 75th Anniversary.
I will always remember him as the player that led Worcester Sharks for all those early seasons 2006 – 2009. He still is the team’s all-time scoring leader with 138 points in 202 games played.
After the Sharks scored the game-winner with just 3 seconds left, the Pirates‘ Mark Mancari(25) lost his shit and challenged Kevin Henderson(47) to a fight of frustration. It was a pretty even match-up. The linesmen stepped in pretty quick to break it up though.
Turns out that was my first Mancari fight. I didn’t even know he fought but looked it up and he has an average of at least a couple bouts per season; and seems to have won most of them kind of easily.
Rhett Rakhshani(10) is my dark horse pick to do something for the Isles in the future, which will be a good pick up for them 4-years ago if I’m right.
In his rookie season with Bridgeport he’s basically a point per game player.
He’s not the biggest of skaters (5’9″ 145-170lbs) and wasn’t exactly drafted in the highest of spots by Buffalo in 2007 (round 6, 179th overall) but Paul Byron(12) has to be wondering when and if his chance to play in the NHL will occur with the Sabres after putting up some decently impressive numbers in the AHL in his first two pro seasons.
Looks like 5th year pro Bill Thomas(20) may have found his NHL team to latch on with for the season in the middling Florida Panthers lineup.
He’s played 13 games so far after being called up from the Amerks. His league high is 24 in ’06/’07 with Phoenix.
We wish him luck and always thought he might have some potential.
12/29: Thomas was sent back to Rochester. I doubt that’s the last he’s seen of Sunrise, FL this season though.
29Dec
New York Islanders 1st round pick in the 2008 draft (#9 overall), Josh Bailey(12) saw his AHL career last just 11 games.
In his time with Bridgeport Sound Tigers he scored 6 times and added 11 assists to regain the scoring touch that had been eluding him to start his third professional season.
With his first game back in the NHL, Bailey played his 160th game, which means if he was to be assigned again, he would need to clear waivers and you got to doubt that the Isles wouldn’t let their prospect get plucked.
28Dec
After spending half last season up in the NHL with New Jersey, Vladimir Zharkov(18) failed to make the team out of training camp and was reassigned to Albany.
Almost 30 games into the year and he’s getting his first call-up to see if he can put in a goal to go with those 10 assists he notched in 2009/2010.
Whale rookie forward Mats Zuccarello(36) got his first taste of NHL action with a call-up from the New York Rangers.
He scored a goal in the shootout loss to Tampa Bay but unfortunately that goes somewhat uncredited on the stat sheet. Still, nice that the Norwegian mini (5’9″ 170 lbs) got the nod to play and contributed.
2nd year forward Kevin Henderson(47) is off to a great start in the 2010/2011 season. He’s doubled his goal scoring (4 tallies) and looks like he is going to top the 15 points he put up last year with the Sharks.
More than just goal-scoring though, Henderson is undoubtedly skating better and playing a much better game for the team. Undrafted, he was signed by San Jose in 2009.
