Utah Grizzlies‘ 9th year center Michael Pelech(27) returns for his fourth season with the club after an early trade sent him there from Reading Royals, where he’d been for a short time over two campaigns.
The 28-year old as 2017/2018 begins has played a monstrous 513 ECHL spending significant time with 6 different squads.
His best scoring season was 2011/2012 in 10 games to start with Toledo Walleye but finished playing 60 contests for Cincinnati Cyclones, where he scored a best 65 points (16-49).
He would get close to those numbers and post a goals scoring high of 25 in his first year in Salt Lake, but really popped in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, when he got 5 goals and 8 assists through 11 games.
It would be a bit crazy for him to continue hockey here.
We think he’d absolutely tear up a European league like DEL.
Always a fun guy to watch.
Michael Pelech(27) Peoria Rivermen
4th year center Michael Pelech(27) finally struck for his first tally in his fifth AHL recall, third this season.
The 6’3″ 203 lbs. power forward has been basically a point-per-game guy in the ECHL for his last couple of campaigns, including the current one, in which he has 13 goals and 33 assists in 50 contests with Cincinnati Cyclones.
Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#156 overall), he spent his entire rookie year with Ontario Reign but signed to a one-year deal with affiliate Manchester Monarchs.
He started his sophomore season with the Monarchs but was reassigned once again after 5 games with no points.
His point production also slumped slightly in 2010/2011.
By the start of his third year, he needed to find a new home and inked a deal with Toledo Walleye.
It wasn’t too far into the season though before he was traded to Cincinnati, the team that he would find his scoring stride with.
He finished 2011/2012 with them popping in 16 goals and 44 assists in 60 games, and a career best +17 rating.
He also earned a one game call-up to Norfolk Admirals.
In a no-brainer move he re-signed with the Cyclones and continued on his point scoring streak through the new year, when he started get phone calls from AHL teams.
His first call was to join his older brother Matt’s team Worcester Sharks for four games.
He got his first point, an assist.
A couple weeks later he was summoned to Connecticut Whale but failed to connect and released.
It wasn’t until his current recall to Peoria Rivermen that he finally found the back of the net.
He has been with the team through 7 games.
The still only 23-year old could very easily play out the regular season where he is or once again get reassigned soon to start the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Neither roster moves seems so bad, unless the Rivermen don’t make the playoffs and the Cyclones end in one round.