NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

05Apr

Brodie Dupont(91) Iserlohn Roosters

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

7th year center/left wing Brodie Dupont(91) circled back to rejoin the AHL team he spent the first four years of his pro career with.

He signed a pto with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack at the beginning of the season to return to North American hockey after winning the 2013 Italian Cup Championship with Valpellice Bulldogs.

That followed a less than fruitful stint traded to Nashville Predators organization and reassigned to Milwaukee Admirals.

The fairly large-looking 6’2″ 210 lbs. power forward was averaging 40 points per season in his first three years.

Appearing in only 26 games on a veteran heavy roster, he managed a goal and 5 assists with a -9 rating, when he decided to accept an offer from Iserlohn Roosters of DEL to head back across the pond to skate the remainder of 2014.

The move seemed to work as he got some of his mojo back, putting up 2 goals and 6 assists in 13 contests and another pair of tallies and helpers in the playoffs.

Impressed enough with his performance, the 27-year old re-signed to return for a full season.

04Apr

Wacey Hamilton(36) Binghamton Senators

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd year undrafted center Wacey Hamilton(36) is putting up some career high AHL marks with farm team Binghamton Senators.

Although maybe not the biggest numbers at 13 assists and 15 points, they do show a fairly good increase, doubling what he had in two campaigns for helpers and achieving almost the same in the overall category.

The not exactly huge 5’11” 185 lbs. forward achieved over point-per-game status in his final two runs with Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL (he was team captain in 2010/2011) but continues to look for that scoring touch as a pro, while playing a mostly checking line role.

He is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season upon completion of his 3-year entry level deal.

The parent club may take a bit of a while before qualifying the 23-year old to see if more can delevop or could release him to seek playing time elsewhere.

Regardless, this is a player that needs to ignite more fire in his game to elevate it.

03Apr

Cade Fairchild(2) Portland Pirates

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

3rd year defenseman Cade Fairchild(2) was picked up in an AHL trade deadline deal by Phoenix Coyotes for future considerations and reassigned to their farm club, Portland Pirates.

Originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft, he skated mostly with their minor league affiliates apart from 5 NHL games in his rookie season (one assist).

In a somewhat surprisingly move he was also sent down to the ECHL for a pair of contests for Kalamazoo Wings near the beginning of the current season.

The slightly small-ish looking 5’11” 178 lbs. blue liner has appeared in 150 AHL contests scoring 10 goals and 55 assists with a massive +30 rating.

He dished out his fair share of helpers in four years at University Of Minnesota.

Tbe 25-year old is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current campaign after signing a one-year extension.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up playing in 2014/2015, but I doubt anyone will be surprised if he decides to take his talents overseas.

02Apr

Mirco Mueller(41) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

San Jose Sharks‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#18 overall), towering 6’4″ 195 lbs. Swiss0-born defenseman Mirco Mueller(41) skated in his first North American pro game on reassignment with minor league affiliate Worcester Sharks.

In his AHL debut he got his first point, the primary assist, when he launched a shot from the point that was tipped in by a teammate for the game-winning goal.

He signed a 3-year entry level contract before the start of the 2013/2014 season but returned for a second run in the WHL with Everett Silvertips. In his two years with the team he posted almost identical numbers including a pair of 20+ assist campaigns.

As a 17-year old he also skated in 7 games in the NLA with Kloten scoring a goal before he headed across the pond.

Now just 19, he will get his chance to crack the NHL lineup as a teenager.

01Apr

Antoine Laganiere (28)

Posted in NHL | Leave a comment

Anaheim Ducks‘ undrafted rookie center Antoine Laganiere(28) won the 2013 NCAA Championship with Yale University Bulldogs in the final year of his college career.

The big 6’5″ and lanky 205 lbs. forward flew under the radar through most of his school playing time but then started to picks up steam in his third campaign and that peaked with the title in 2012/2013.

Scouted as a bit slow on his skates and having a less than smooth style he began to gain notice as a potential power forward despite the setbacks.

He’s somewhat proving his critics wrong with a decent showing of 8 goals and 7 assists, while unloading a healthy 123 shots on net through 63 AHL games with minor league affiliate Norfork Admirals, but also has a less than accountable -8 rating.

The 23-year old is signed through the current season but looks to be a shoe-in for a qualifying offer and with some more hard work put into his game may just get his shot at cracking the NHL.

29Mar

Carter Rowney(20) WBS Penguins

Posted in NHL | Leave a comment

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ undrafted rookie right wing Carter Rowney(20) signed a two-way minor league contract.

He won three straight NCAA/WCHA Championships in his first years at University Of North Dakota, which followed 6 years of bantams, midgets and junior hockey with hometown team Grand Prairie Storm through his teens.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. power-sized forward has mostly managed to connect with the score sheet, especially in his latter years at each level.

Invited on a try-out to attend Pittsburgh Penguins‘ training camp, he was released and reported to the Baby Pens.

He was reassigned to begin his first season with affiliate Wheeling Nailers. and showing he can light the lamp in the lower league on a regular basis.

In 39 ECHL games he has 13 goals and 31 assists with a monster +23 rating.

The 24-year old has been recalled on three occasions but is still looking to prove his mettle, as he has only one marker and two assists in 17 AHL games.

He also has another goal in his short post-school stint signed to an ato with Abbotsford Heat.

If he is unable to lift his game as the schedule pushes towards playoffs, he may sign a double-A deal for 2014/2015 and look to make impressions on pto’s or take his game to another shore.

26Mar

Gabriel Beaupre(47) Lake Erie Monsters

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Colorado Avalanche 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#153 overall), 2nd year defenseman Gabriel Beaupre(47) is mostly a rugged, stay-at-home player but has modestly elevated his point production in his sophomore campaign.

He has AHL career high games played (53), goals (3) and points (7), while being tied at his 4 assist mark from his rookie season with the farm team, Lake Erie Monsters.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner started his fifth year of juniors with Val-d’Or Foreurs returning as an assistant captain for a third season.

He left to attend pro training camps and was eventually passed along to Central Hockey League affiliate Denver Cutthroats to start his pro career.

Upon being recalled a couple of months later, he never looked back and with continued good, gritty play is eyeing an opportunity with the big club.

The still only 21-year old is only in the first year of his three-year entry level deal as he wasn’t actually signed by the parent club until near the end of 2012/2013.

He still has time to develop before he makes his NHL debut but that could happen sooner than later too.

25Mar

Dana Tyrell(14) Springfield Falcons

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year left wing Dana Tyrell(14) was recently involved in a mostly minor league player transaction that sent his playing rights to Columbus Blue Jackets‘ organization, where he was reassigned to their minor league affiliate Springfield Falcons.

Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#47 overall), he signed a one-way, 2-year extension near the beginning of the final season of his entry level deal.

The not exactly big, generously listed at 5’11” 192 lbs. forward played the remainder of the campaign in the NHL but was in and out of the lineup, skating in only 26 games posting 5 assists.

He did slightly better in the first year of his new contract but seemed to slip on the club’s depth chart in the lockout shortened 2012/2013 and only played 7 big league contests this season.

At almost 25-years old, he is set to become a restricted free agent as the hockey calendar winds down, but he’s also putting up some of his best AHL totals with a career high 13 goals.

In 8 games for the Falcons he’s off to a hot start connecting 4 times with the back of the net and adding a pair of helpers on a Calder Cup Playoff bound squad.

He should be invited to return for another season on a 2-way contract.

See related: 11/26-11

24Mar

Justin Johnson(49) vs. Aaron Johson(44)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

19-years of veteran leadership collides in the form of a pair of 6’1″ 200+ lbs. Johnsons at a midweek clash of the AHL interstate Connecticut rivals, Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Hartford Wolf Pack.

Justin Johnson(49) and Aaron Johnson(44) exchange some pushes, jabs and many harsh words but don’t drop the gloves taking it any further before the linesmen step in to split the pair. No penalties were assessed.

The joke from the first row of the stands was the obvious one: who’s got the bigger Johnson?

See related: 3/5-14, 10/11-13

22Mar

Ryan Bourque(9) Hartford Wolf Pack

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

New York Rangers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft (#80 overall) left wing Ryan Bourque(9) has taken his AHL scoring onto a whole new level.

In his third year with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack he’s more than doubled his goals scored and is equal in points from his first two campaigns with the team. He’s also closely behind his 2-year assist total.

All good to see from an under-sized 5’9″ 178 lbs. forward who is in the final season of his entry level contract.

He started with a couple seasons of US junior hockey before moving on for another pair of years in the QMJHL with Quebec Remparts, where he proved in both developmental leagues that he could put up numbers.

The 23-year may be small but he’s a speedy skater and plays a tenacious, in-your-face style.

He’s set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current campaign and is likely to be given a qualifying offer to stay in the Blueshirts‘ prospect system.

See related: 12/1-11