Category: NHL

31Dec

Rod Pelley(16) Norfolk Admirals

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rod-pelley

7th year undrafted center Rod Pelley(16) has played the agitator role in the NHL for basically the entirety of his  pro career.

He was originally signed by New Jersey Devils skating most of his rookie year with their AHL affiliate Lowell Devils but did get the recall for 8 games with the big club.

By the start of his second season he earned a job in Newark and was well on his way to patrolling the ice full-time as part of the show.

The 5’11” 200 lbs. was dropped back to the minors in his following year without ever getting the call to move back up but was squarely back in the NHL mix from 2009-2011.

He’s never been the type of skaters to add much to the scoresheet but consistently gets in the face of opposing players without costing his team by taking cheap penalties.

An early season trade sent him from the east coast to the west, where he took on the same role with Anaheim Ducks that he had during his entire time with New Jersey.

Looking into 2012/2013, the 28-year old was an unrestricted free agent and with no NHL in site, he signed a pto with the Ducks new farm team, Norfolk Admirals.

In 14 games, he has a pair of assists but has yet to spark a team that is easily better on paper than they are in the standings.

30Dec

Peter Mannino(35) Manchester Monarchs

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Undrafted 5th year goaltender Peter Mannino(35) had quite the wild ride in his rookie season playing minutes in three different leagues: ECHL (Utah Grizzlies), AHL (Bridgeport Sound Tigers) and NHL (New York Islanders).

He was officially signed to a one-year entry level deal with the Isles before being scooped up by Atlanta Thrashers as an unrestricted free agent for sophomore run. His solid play in net for their farm team Chicago Wolves got him re-signed for another two seasons in their system.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. netminder eventually found himself, after a bit of a logjam in the St. John’s IceCaps‘ backstop prospects, returned to the ECHL to play with the now extinct Chicago Express. Eventually the former NCAA Championship goalie was loaned to Portland Pirates for the remainder of the regular season in a minor league transaction to finish out the remainder of his contract.

Looking into 2012/2013, the 28-year old found himself in unchartered territory without a place to play. He signed a training camp invite with Manchester Monarchs that turned into a pto and was recently upped to a one-year AHL spc.

He’s off to a fantastic start with a 7-3 record in 12 appearances and a 2.00 GAA and .932 SV%, as he looks to be regaining his form. He’s played NHL games in each of his pro career years.

Got to love the old style look to the pads he uses. Although rumor has it he’s in line for some more modern looking gear.

Peter Mannino

29Dec

Dan Gendur(9) Orlando Solar Bears

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5th year unrestricted right wing Dan Gendur(9) started the 2012/2013 season with an invite to participate in Springfield Falcons‘ AHL training camp.

Originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 7th round pick in the 2007 draft (#206 overall) he has some experience in the league with 20 games played but only a goal and an assist to show for it.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward spent most of the last two seasons in the Central Hockey League with the now extinct Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, where in 2011/2012 he posted 28 goals and 45 assists for 73 points in 62 regular season appearances, all career highs and good enough for top ten scoring in the league.

He was originally signed to a three-year entry level deal that expired as an unrestricted free agent with Nashville Predators in 2011 after being involved in a minor league deal.

 

The 25-year inked a deal with Evansville IceMen in the offseason to join the team for their inaugural season in the ECHL, moving up from the CHL to the better AA league, where he had played during his first two pro campaigns. In 14 games he tallied 4 goals and 3 assists.

But found himself to be involved in another trade that dished him and a teammate to another first season team, Orlando Solar Bears, where he currently resides and has posted 6 goals and 3 assists in 10 contests.

The winger put up 5 of those points (4 goals and an assist) in one game (12/28).

Dan Gendur

 

 

28Dec

Hugh Jessiman(19) Binghamton Senators

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8th year, former New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2003 draft (#12 overall), gigantic right winger Hugh Jessiman(19) signed a one-year, two-way deal with Ottawa Senators for the 2012/2013 season.

He (and every other eligible player) was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators to start the new campaign.

The 6’5″ 233 lbs. mammoth has only ever skated in a pair of NHL games a couple of seasons ago with Florida Panthers.

He’s played 455 AHL regular season games with 7 different teams and last season posted a career high 27 goals and 44 points with Lake Erie Monsters and Abbotsford Heat.

By all accounts he should be a power forward that is impossible to move from the front of the net and a consistent 20+ goals, 20+ helpers forward.

In 25 games so far this season the 28-year old has 6 goals and 4 assists.

Hugh Jessiman

27Dec

Brett Bellemore(34) Charlotte Checkers

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Carolina Hurricanes‘ 6th round pick in the 2007 draft (#162 overall), defenseman Brett Bellemore(34) is in the last season of his two-year contract extension. The 24-year old is set to become a restricted free agent once again but chances are good that he’ll be re-signed for at least another campaign to help keep Charlotte Checkers‘ teammates well-protected.

He’s rarely among the leaders on the team in penalty minutes but his 6’4″ 210 lbs. presence is enough to keep opponents from making any stupid moves. In 29 contests his pims are showing a bit of an uptick, considering he is one of two big men on the current roster. The towering blue liner could end his 4th full season with a career high in the category.

He has never been all that active on the scoresheet through 29o AHL regular and postseason contests, scoring only 6 goals and 30 assists. With 5 helpers already this season, he could reach another career best for assists.

He’s also a +9 plus/minus, which is another high mark, so far in the first third of the season on a squad that looks good to compete for the Calder Cup.

Brett Bellemore

26Dec

Dan Kelly(28) Albany Devils

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New Jersey Devils‘ 3rd year, undrafted defenseman Dan Kelly(28) is entering the final season of his 3-year entry level deal he signed at the conclusion of his junior career in 2010.

He has thus far spent his entire pro campaign with their AHL affiliate Albany Devils and although he may be far from tearing up the scoresheet putting up points he is about as accountable on the ice as you can get with a team that has struggled to win games.

His +16 plus/minus is the type of stat that may just keep the 6’1″ 195 lbs. d-man in the system for another year as he approaches restricted free agent status.

In 129 AHL games, the still very young 23-year old has 4 goals and 11 assists.

He’s definitely found it a bit tougher to crack the depth chart on the minor league squad this season with the NHL lockout still in full effect, having only appear in half of the regular season schedule so far.

Dan Kelly

24Dec

Brett Gallant(44) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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4th year, undrafted pugilist Brett Gallant(44) has already just about doubled a penalty minute high total from all of last season in just his first 26 games played in 2012/2013.

He’s currently second in the league with 138 pims, right behind dance partner in the pic, Bobby Robins.

The 6′ 185 lbs. left wing re-signed an AHL deal with Bridgeport Sound Tigers for a 2nd straight campaign after being recalled from Reading Royals late in 2011, where he proved his might in 17 appearances.

Not overly big-sized, the 24-year old is one tough customer to do battle with and has taken down much burlier opponents.

He started his pro career with almost two full seasons in the ECHL, leading Elmira Jackals in minutes spent in the sin bin with only half a slate of games to his credit and scored himself an invite to New York Islanders‘ prospect and training camps to put him on their radar.

Brett Gallant

24Dec

Phil DeSimone(34) Albany Devils

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2nd year center Phil DeSimone(34) got a nice Christmas present from Albany Devils in the form of an AHL recall from Trenton Titans, where he’d been reassigned after only potting a single goal in 6 games.

Upon landing in the ECHL for the first time in his thus far short pro career he exploded for 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 3 games earning his way back to the higher league.

The 5’11” 193 lbs. forward definitely has something to prove as he was signed to a contract with Albany after scoring an invite to the New Jersey Devils‘ prospect camp and impressing the brass enough to request he stick in the prospect system.

He played his rookie season with Hamilton Bulldogs getting 14 goals and 19 assists in the full 76 regular season schedule but was a jaw-dropping -30 plus/minus on a team that had the lowest amount of goals scored in the league.

Phil DeSimone

23Dec

Chris Conner(14) Portland Pirates

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Diminutive, undrafted 7th year right wing Chris Conner(14) has played NHL games with three different teams through the first six seasons of his pro career. The 5’7″ 180 lbs. forward has skated in 147 games with Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings‘ last season amassing a total of 17 goals and 26 assists.

He has also appeared in 297 AHL games scoring 88 goals and 147 assists in regular season action.

For the 2012/2013 season, the free agent signed a one-year, two-way deal with Phoenix Coyotes and has been reassigned to their affiliate Portland Pirates. Through 23 games with the team, he’s definitely been a leader on and off the ice, is on pace to put up career highs in all categories and has helped the club into solo possession of 1st place in the Atlantic Division through the Christmas break.

With the NHL lockout in effect, the 29-year old could have found himself a bit of a home for at least another campaign and should get continued big league looks from the parent club once they start playing hockey again.

Chris Conner