NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

22Oct

Freddie Hamilton(12) San Jose Sharks

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San Jose Sharks‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#129 overall), center Freddie Hamilton(12) was one cut or two away from being on the team’s 2013/2014 opening night roster to start his sophomore season but was returned to minor league affiliate Worcester Sharks.

He played in all 76 AHL regular season games in his rookie campaign scoring a nifty 13 goals and 13 assists, while never looking out of place.

The sort of small-ish looking 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward always battles hard and looks to become a full-time fixture in the show as he continues to mature and excel.

After a couple of games with the baby Sharks and his first goal of the new season, he received his first game recall, helping the parent club keep their perfect record intact in a 1-0 shootout win.

In his NHL debut he skated 19 shifts for 12:54 minutes of total ice time. There’s every reason to believe the 21-year old will skate more games with the parent club this year.

In four seasons of junior hockey with Niagara IceDogs he was a point per game player.

He’s also the slightly older brother of Boston Bruins’ Dougie Hamilton.

21Oct

Rob Davison(3) Worcester Sharks

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13th year defenseman Rob Davison(3) comes full circle in his pro career signing a one-year, two-way deal with San Jose Sharks, the team that picked him in the 4th round of the 1998 draft (#98 overall).

He spent the last couple of seasons overseas playing mostly for EC Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Hockey League.

The rock solid 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner has skated in 219 NHL games with the Sharks, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils.

His tour of the AHL has been a bit more well-traveled with stops that include games for Kentucky Thoroughblades, Cleveland Barons, Lowell and Albany Devils and this year he’s team captain of Worcester Sharks.

The 33-year old has never been the biggest point getter but guards his own zone with gusto and has topped the 200 penalty minute mark twice in his first pair of seasons and then put up over 100 pims before leaving North American hockey.

He’s a true leader that will likely find himself behind the bench in a coaching role once he decides he’s had enough ice time.

19Oct

Greg Coburn(2) Las Vegas Wranglers

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Undrafted, 25-year old rookie defense Greg Coburn(2) starts his career with Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL after attending both rookie and training camp with Phoenix Coyotes, then being sent to their minor league affiliate Portland Pirates for their camp.

He scored his first goal in his pro debut.

The 6′ 174 lbs. d-man played four years at Union College and had a best 8 goals, 20 assists and 28 points in his final season at school.

He could find himself recalled by an AHL team on a pto and might even ending up doing well enough to stick.

18Oct

Keven Veilleux(19) Gwinnett Gladiators

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5th year center Keven Veilleux(19) begins the 2013/2014 season in the ECHL with Gwinnett Gladiators on reassignment from the parent club (although not under contract) after attending both parent clubs, Phoenix Coyotes and Portland Pirates‘ training camps on invites.

The big 6’5″ 224 lbs. forward was originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#51 overall) and signed to a three-year entry level deal but never skated with the team.

He was reassigned to their farm club, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he suffered season ending injuries on two occasions and only played one full campaign with them.

In that year he played like the power forward he’s projected to become, scoring 12 goals and 24 assists with 122 penalty minutes in 66 AHL games.

The still only 24-year old forward inked an NHL extension for another season but was sent further down the prospect chain to their double A affiliate Wheeling Nailers, where he continued to pick up his scoring pace but was also involved in a racial tirade that got his pro career in a lot of hot water.

It’s very probable that towering offensive presence will see more time in the higher league on a pto but where it goes from there is anyone’s guess, unless he steps it up.

15Oct

Brian Lashoff(32) Detroit Red Wings

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4th year, undrafted defenseman Brian Lashoff(32) split 2012/2013 up with the big club, Detroit Red Wings and their farm team.

He appeared in 31 NHL games post lockout and all three playoff contests before being reassigned to help Grand Rapids Griffins capture their first Calder Cup Championship.

With his 3-year entry level deal expiring, the sturdy 6’3″ 213 lbs. blue liner was signed for another 3-year extension to continue with the team through the 2015/2016 season.

He sticks with the parent club to begin 2013/2014 and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon. In 7 games he has one assist.

He’s never been a big point-getter but is looked to for steady play and leadership abilities he brings at only 23-years old.

He was team captain of Kingston Frontenacs in his final two campaigns of junior hockey.

14Oct

Darroll Powe(17) Hartford Wolf Pack

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7th year, undrafted center Darroll Powe(17) finds himself back in the minors for the first time since he played 8 games at this level in early 2008/2009.

He was initially signed to an AHL contract with Philadelphia Phantoms in his rookie season but quickly signed a two-year entry level deal with parent club Philadelphia Flyers for his sophomore campaign.

For the last five seasons the 5’11” 209 lbs. forward has played exclusively in the show with the Flyers, Minnesota Wild for a full slate and 8 games after the lockout before being traded to New York Rangers.

With limited spots available with the Blueshirts, he was reassigned to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack to start 2013/2014 but could find himself recalled if the winning situation doesn’t improve in Manhattan.

The 28-year old has played in 328 NHL games scoring 28 goals and 28 assists.

He may just be headed overseas next.

13Oct

Mathieu Perreault(24) Anaheim Ducks

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After his first 5 pro seasons with Washington Capitals‘ organization, center Mathieu Perreault(24) was traded to Anaheim Ducks to help make space and fit its roster under the salary cap.

He started in the team’s system with minor league affiliate Hershey Bears and won consecutive Calder Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010.

The somewhat small-ish 5’10” 185 lbs. forward showed a knack for the net. In 166 AHL games he scored 38 goals and 97 assists in regular season play and added another 12 tallies and 21 helpers in 51 postseason contests. He also has an outrageous combined +62 rating.

He appeared in a decent amount of NHL games in his 2nd and 3rd seasons but became a regular in the league in the last two years.

His totals in the show are also good at 35 goals and 40 assists in 163 games and is a highly accountable +20 plus/minus.

The 25-year old was absolutely outstanding in three years of junior hockey with Acadie-Bathurst Titan putting together 93 goals and 195 assists in 194 games with an almost nutty +81 on ice.

Since the trade to the Ducks, he’s storming out of the gate in 2013/2014 with a pair of goals and 3 assists in 4 games and a +3.

12Oct

Luke Glendening(41) Detroit Red Wings

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2nd year right wing/center Luke Glendening(33) signed a one-year, two-way entry level deal with Detroit Red Wings just after free agency started.

The undrafted forward had an outstanding rookie season on an AHL contract with minor league affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins and then took it up another notch in the playoffs striking for 6 goals and 10 assists in 22 games on the way to the 2013 Calder Cup Championship.

It wasn’t exactly a breeze for the 24-year old forward though as he was reassigned to start 2012/2013 in the ECHL with Toledo Walleye, where he detonated the score sheet with 14 goals and 7 assists in 27 games before being recalled permanently a couple of months into the campaign.

His unrelenting work ethic continued to impress the parent club that was closely watching his early strides and inked him quickly before any other suitors could step in.

The 5’11” 195 lbs. sophomore skater earns his first NHL recall after a quick start with their farm club, putting up a pair of assists in the opening two contests.

He was captain of his college hockey squad at University Of Michigan and won an NCAA title two seasons ago. He also was chosen as the best defensive-minded forward, which is primarily his style but he’s quickly adding goal scorer to that depth chart.

11Oct

Aaron Johnson(44) New York Rangers

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11th year defenseman Aaron Johnson(44) signs a 1-year, 1-way contract with New York Rangers, his 7th NHL team.

He was made their affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack team captain to start the season and there could be similar thoughts like what Nashville Predators did when signing him to a one-year deal, ship him to their minor league affiliate, Milwaukee Admirals for the season. But the parent club’s slow out of the gate and may need to switch things up even further, which would open the door for the 30-year defenseman to get some more games in the show on his stat sheet.

He’s played 297 big league games scoring 17 times with 45 assists and a nifty little +1 rating.

In the AHL his numbers are sort of phantomly similar with 26 goals and 86 helpers but he has a -5 plus/minus.

The former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 3rd round pick in the 2001 draft (#85 overall) still has some left in the tank.

A couple of seasons ago, back with the team that drafted him, he put up a career tying 3 goals and a high mark 13 assists.

We think it’s likely he gets to the 300 NHL game club this season.

08Oct

Steven Spinell(78) South Carolina Stingrays

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Undrafted rookie defenseman Steven Spinell(78) will start his pro career in Boston Bruins‘ prospect system on reassignment to ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays.

He was originally in development and training camps before being cut and sent to their main farm team, Providence Bruins.

The 6’2″ 216 lbs. blue liner signed a 2-way AHL contract and looks to be on the short list for an early season recall.

He’s never really been known to put up big numbers on the score sheet but in four years of college hockey at Miami University, the 23-year old won an NCAA Championship in 2011 and he was a combined +60 rating through 149 games.

This will definitely be an interesting player to watch in the upcoming season.