NHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

05Nov

Mike Matczak(54) Manchester Monarchs

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Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Mike Matczak(54) has been recalled from Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL to Manchester Monarchs for the first time in short pro career. He did sign an ato fresh out of college and played 4 AHL games with Adirondack Phantoms at the end of 2010/2011, so it’s not like he’s a complete novice.

He’s currently spending his second season in a K-Wings‘ jersey, where in 69 games he’s scored 11 times and added 25 assists. He only has one assist so far this year but did produce pretty well for them in the 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs with a goal and 4 assists in 14 contests.

The slightly small 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner spent training camp with the Monarchs and played in exhibition games with the team, so he’s on their radar.

He made zero mistakes in his first game, a 1-0 shootout loss, and the Manchester defense corps are currently beat up, so the 24-year old could possibly stick around awhile.

04Nov

Alex Burmistrov(8) St. John’s IceCaps

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Atlanta Thrashers‘ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#8 overall), Russian-born center Alex Burmistrov(8) starts the final season of his 3-year entry level deal with Winnipeg Jets‘ AHL affiliate St. John’s IceCaps, while the NHL ponders playing at all.

He already has 150 games of experience in the show scoring 19 goals and 29 assists, including career highs in games played, goals, assists, points, penalty minutes and shots on net in 2011/2012.

The rather lightweight-looking 6′ 175 lbs., just turned 21-year old forward has the entire skill set he needs to compete on the top level and is already starting to gel in the AHL with a goal and 5 assists in 10 contests.

There’s little doubt he could add some muscle to his stick-handling assets but he may be just quick enough to continue to elude opponents and put up points at an elite pace.

03Nov

Sebastien Piche(7) Greenville Road Warriors

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After viewing the first 8 Connecticut Whale 2012/2013 regular season games from the stands, defenseman Sebastien Piche(7) gets reassigned to help their ECHL affiliate Greenville Road Warriors.

Originally undrafted he was signed by Detroit Red Wings to a 3-year entry level deal but spent most of his playing time with either their AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins or in the lower league with Toledo Walleye.

He somewhat luckily went from skating (or not) last season with the Griffins but was traded in a late transaction that sent him to Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was immediately sent all the way down to Florida Everblades for the remainder of the year; and his contract. He was given a qualifying offer at the end of the season.

The 6′ 202 lbs. blue liner played in all 18 Kelly Cup playoff games with the Everblades on their way to winning the Kelly Cup. He scored 2 goals and added 9 assists in postseason play.

He has the ability to connect with the scoresheet and looked pretty solid in the one preseason game we saw him take part in; and also put up numbers in juniors.

Maybe the 24-year is continue to work his game. He signed an AHL contract for 2012/2013 and bets are good he’ll receive a call-up quickly but will need to contribute.

02Nov

Adam Mair(11) retired

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12 year veteran center Adam Mair(11) has hung up his skates.

He’s played a total of 685 NHL regular season games scoring 38 goals and 76 assists, while racking up 829 penalty minutes.

Last year he was limited to 32 games for Springfield Falcons of the AHL because of an ankle injury, which required midseason surgery to repair, and also lost playing time to a 4-game suspension for a hit to the head.

The 33-year old forward probably thought it was going to be to difficult to sign a contract in yet another NHL lockout year (he sat idle during the first one in 2004/2005), so this was a good time to call it a career.

He’ll easily be remembered as a player for his 7 seasons in a Buffalo Sabres‘ uniform making sure opponents were held accountable.

His grit and determination will be missed but his path in hockey continues as he signed on to be the Director Of Player Development for Canisius College Golden Griffins in where else, downtown Buffalo.

01Nov

Zemgus Girgensons(28) Rochester Americans

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Talk about a sprint to get your career started, Buffalo Sabres‘ 1st round pick in this year’s draft (#14 overall), Latvian center Zemgus Girgensons(28) goes from his second season of scoring a point per game in the USHL, American junior hockey to the pros.

He had committed to attend University of Vermont next year but he excelled so well in prospect camp that the higher ups were thinking he might be ready to step right into the game and signed him to a 3-year entry level deal.

With the NHL on lockdown, he lacks the chance to make the big club out of training camp and starts his rookie season in the AHL with their close-by affiliate Rochester Americans.

At only 18 years old this is somewhat unprecedented. There’s no doubt that he possesses the size, 6’1″ 198 lbs. to compete and he’s known for playing a battler style of hockey.

Some of that seemed to be on display during the Amerks recent visit to the Glens Falls Civic Center in their 6-2 pounding of Adirondack Phantoms but they might be pushing this one along a bit fast.

He has 2 assists in 8 games and is a -1 plus/minus.

He seems like a really bright kid so there’s no doubt he’s going to be playing pro hockey for a long time and is now, but will he continue to this season?

31Oct

Jordan Hill(5) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted 3rd year Ontario Reign defenseman Jordan Hill(5) signed a pto with Bridgeport Sound Tigers to help their recently depleted blue line guards and in his debut at the end of the weekend scored his first AHL goal of the season in the team’s 5-2 loss.

In 58 games over the last two years with Manchester Monarchs he has a total of 2 goals.

The 6’2″ 195 lbs. d-man had only one assist in six ECHL games before his recall, so it’s not like he’s exactly known for lighting the lamp. Although he did have some decent totals in juniors.

He inked a one year deal to rejoin the Reign for 2012/2013, the team he started his pro career with before traveling back and forth between coasts on pto’s with Manchester.

The 23-year plays a feisty, gritty style but is too often on the minus side of the scoresheet. He needs to add more muscle into his game and better ability to move the puck from defense to offense.

We’ll see where this scoring surge goes but he could find himself hanging around in the AHL as he has league experience.

30Oct

Mika Zibanejad (93)

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Ottawa Senators‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#6 overall) Swedish-born center, Mika Zibanejad(93) started his pro career at age 18 in the NHL last season but was returned to Djurgardens of the Elite League to finish out the year.

In 26 games, the youngster posted 5 goals and 13 assists.

He’s listed at 6’1″ 200 lbs. but doesn’t play a very big and aggressive game.

He’s easily more of a scoring and playmaking finesse skater.

Now 19 years old, to officially start his pro career while the show sits idle, Ottawa has reassigned him to play in the AHL with Binghamton.

He’s appeared in 7 contests and has dished a pair of helpers but has yet to tally one of his own.

More time in the gym as the season progresses and this kid will be a threat.

29Oct

Nick Petersen (8)

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Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#121 overall), right wing Nick Petersen(8) was bought out the final year of his 3-year entry level contract by the team.

He appeared in a career high 52 AHL games with their farm team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins scoring a best 11 goals and 16 assists, 27 points with a +15 plus/minus.

The kind of lanky 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers, where he lit the lamp with ease clocking in at just shy of a 1.5 points per game player and was reassigned and recalled from on a couple of occasions during his rookie season.

There were some minor rumors floating that he was a difficult player in the system.

He signed a training camp tryout agreement with Houston Aeros to start the third campaign of his pro career and although he failed to make the opening night roster, he was kept on and sent to their affiliate Orlando Solar Bears.

In 6 ECHL games he has 6 goals and 8 assists with a +4 rating and has been quickly called-up to Houston.

Turns out he was a healthy scratch for one game and sent back.

When he gets his chance, you can pretty much bet he’ll produced on the scoresheet.

Nice black eye in the pic, right?

28Oct

Mike Banwell(24) Worcester Sharks

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Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Mike Banwell(24) faced a bit of uncertainty where he was going to be playing in his sophomore season but eventually signed a deal with Trenton Titans, the team he spent 11 games with on reassignment in 2011/2012.

He played 24 games in his rookie campaign with Albany Devils under an AHL contract, notching 3 assists and appeared in another 11 ECHL contests with the Titans.

The 25-year old was an Adirondack Phantoms‘ training camp tryout invite but was returned to start 2012/2013 with Trenton, where in three games he has an assist.

Not being inked to a contract in the higher league, the 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner is free to latch on with any team looking to employ his services on call-up.

Worcester Sharks did just that as their defensive corps are depleted and he was signed to a pto joining the team for their first win of the new season.

27Oct

Chris Kreider(20) Connecticut Whale

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New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#19 overall) left wing Chris Kreider(20) probably didn’t expect to be starting his rookie season in the AHL with Connecticut Whale after stepping into the Blueshirts’ Stanley Cup playoffs lineup for 18 games earning 5 goals and 2 assists on the stat sheet.

That doesn’t even take into consideration his Boston College Eagles winning a second national title in his senior year or the point per game effort he posted during the regular season to help them gain that glory.

We’re also leaving out the fact that his first goals during the playoffs were game-winners, a first by any player and he had the most goals by any skater joining a team before appearing in a single contest during regular season.

But that’s what a lockout can manifest for a young player more keen to be kept in close range of the big club to watch his development. Thank the CBA for those two-way entry level deals.

In 4 games with the Whale he only has a pair of assists on a team that’s surprisingly clawing for wins early in the 2012/2013 season.

Maybe he’s not quite giving it his full guns in the minors but if the NHL standoff continues look for him to regain the spark and start pressing for more scoring chances.