5th year, undrafted Calgary Flames‘ defenseman Joe Piskula(43) spent three seasons in the L.A. Kings‘ prospect system but skated only 5 NHL games with the team in the same year he completed his college hockey career.
He then played exclusively with the Kings‘ AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs on an entry level contract but failed to appear in another NHL game with them.
In the next season he signed a one-year AHL deal with Abbotsford Heat and played 71 games.
For the next couple seasons, he scored himself a bit of an unlikely contract with Calgary through 2013.
He’s was called up at the beginning of December and has played in 5 games but registered no points with a disappointing -5 plus/minus. More importantly though, they won 4 of the 5 games he skated in.
Original story: 12/29-11
He finished up the 2011/2012 setting new AHL career marks with 3 goals and 15 assists for 18 points with a +10 rating.
Starting the 2nd year of his deal in the minors, the former 2006 NCAA Champion at University Of Wisconsin was dealt to Nashville Predators right before the trade deadline and reassigned to finish the year.
A fairly steady presence on the blue line, he signed a one-year extension to stay with the organization.
He was only recalled for a pair of games but as assistant captain of affiliate Milwaukee Admirals he again matched his season best 3 goals and set new highs with 20 assists and was +20 on the ice.
Signed quickly to continue with the Preds, he was named team captain of the farm club for 2014/2015 and kept their defensive zone solid with another +20 rating.
Called up for a single game near the end of the season, it put his total games played in the NHL at 13.
Anaheim Ducks must have been spying on the 9th year veteran’s progress, because they stepped right in on the first day of free agency to offering him a one-year two-way contract.
Making the recently turned 31-year old the first captain of new minor league squad San Diego Gulls wouldn’t be the worst decision the club has ever made.