2013 Kelly Cup | CollegeHockeyPlayers

02Oct

Justin Weller(27) Gwinnett Gladiators

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#105 overall) defenseman Justin Weller(27) was assigned to the club’s double A affiliate Gwinnett Gladiators to start his second pro season.

He’s signed to a three year entry level deal, but failed to appear in the parent club’s training camp after prospect camp and reported to Portland Pirates‘ to skate in preseason games before recently getting cut. This is the final year of his contract.

At 6’2″ 205 lbs. he has fairly good size but has yet to crack even their AHL team’s roster.

In 65 ECHL games in his rookie season he scored a pair of goals and 9 assists with a +7 rating. He added another tally and a helper in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff contests.

The 22-year old played 5 years of junior hockey in the WHL with Red Deer Rebels but was never a big point producer, favoring maybe a bit more of a stay-at-home defensive style.

If he can shine in his sophomore campaign, he may still be left unqualified going into 2014/2015, but could find himself a nice home for hockey overseas or look to continue to climb the ladder through the minors in North America.

04Sep

Matt Bergland(17) Stockton Thunder

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Undrafted, 2nd year left wing signs on for another season with ECHL Stockton Thunder.

In his rookie campaign he skated in 59 games scoring 11 goals and 18 assists with a +6 rating. He added another 6 goals and 4 helpers in 22 playoff games all the way to the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward doesn’t look like the biggest guy on the ice but he’s starting his pro career much the same way he did in his first season with Providence College Friars. He posted his best point totals as a first year guy but they continued to decline until graduating.

He’ll definitely be looking to avoid a sophomore slump but chances are the 23-year old will continue to step up his game.

11Aug

Ryan Hayes(18) Stockton Thunder

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Undrafted 3rd year right wing Ryan Hayes(18) played for three different ECHL teams last season after being involved in a pair of trades that eventually brought him to Stockton Thunder to finish out the remainder of 2012/2013.

And what a finish it was. In 12 games he scored 5 goals and added another 6 assists bringing his totals to 14-13-27 in 40, which was under what he put up in his rookie campaign but close and in 23 less games played.

Great marks all around for the only 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward but once it hit playoff hockey time he stepped his scoring output to the next level.

In 23 Kelly Cup postseason match-ups he was able to strike for 9 tallies and 15 helpers while going a +8, good enough for 2nd overall in scoring.

Those postseason numbers were in line with what he attained in 22 OHL playoff games with Plymouth Whalers (12-13-25).

Very smartly Stockton taps into his scoring performance for another season signing him to a one-year deal.

It won’t be surprising to see the 24-year old earn his first AHL call-up or appear in a higher league training camp.

10Aug

Dustin Stevenson(9) WBS Penguins

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Undrafted 4th year giant-sized defenseman Dustin Stevenson(9) signs a 1-year deal to join Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2013/2014.

After his 3-year entry level contract with Washington Capitals was up, he was not qualified for the upcoming season and became an unrestricted free agent.

The 6’5″ 220 lbs. d-man was always in the parent club’s training camp and released to AHL‘s Hershey Bears but never found a roster spot and reassigned double A affiliates.

He has skated in 200 ECHL contests (3 goals, 26 assists) in his first two years with South Carolina Stingrays and won a Kelly Cup Championship last season with Reading Royals.

His game has never been about scoring. He’s seen as more of a steady, shutdown blue liner that’s tough to play against.

The soon-to-be 24-year old did however connect for a goal and 8 assists in 22 playoff match-ups with a +17 rating. He also put up big points in 3 seasons of Saskatchewan junior hockey, so it’s possible those offensive abilities have been kick started and will blossom in his new environment.

05Aug

Nathan Deck(8) Stockton Thunder

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3rd year, undrafted defenseman Nathan Deck(8) will return to Stockton Thunder for another season.

He has signed three 1-year deals with the team but spent the majority of 2012/2013 in the AHL with Oklahoma City Barons.

Initially recalled in December and signed to a pto he was upped to an spc on Valentine’s Day. He marked his first league goal and 7 assists in 33 contests.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner was on the roster to start the postseason with OKC but was returned to the Thunder for their run that took them all the way to the last round. He skated 8 games through the Western Conference and Kelly Cup Finals scoring a goal and three assists.

In 88 ECHL games he has a tidy 14 tallies and 34 helpers with a +18 rating.

The still very young 23-year old has always shown he can be an offensive threat, an attribute he showed in juniors with Prince Albert Raiders compiling 96 assists in 4 years.

It would be no surprise to see him score an AHL training camp invite.

03Aug

Julien Cayer(12) Reading Royals

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2nd year center Julien Cayer(12) re-signs with Reading Royals for 2013/2014 after winning the Kelly Cup with the team in his rookie season.

In 49 ECHL games he had 3 goals and 6 assists with a +10 rating. He also skated in 6 playoff contests with one helper.

At 6’4″ 207 lbs. he’s definitely got a big frame, power forward size but is still waiting to really connect on the score sheet.

Through four years of college hockey at Clarkson University he posted 14 goals and 19 assists in 104 games, which seems a bit low for the big man.

He was originally a Detroit Red Wings‘ 5th round draft pick in 2008 (#151 overall) but never inked a deal, subsequently becoming a free agent.

No doubt more improvements to his scoring game will be expect in the upcoming campaign.

27Jul

Matt Reber(10) Fife Flyers

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Undrafted 3rd year center Matt Reber(10) has decided it’s time to take his game overseas after making it to the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals with Stockton Thunder.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward spent a year and a half with the team after being traded half way through the 2011/2012 season by Utah Grizzlies, where he signed after completing four years of college hockey at Dartmouth. He connected big out of the gate in his first pro postseason visit with 3 goals and 7 assists in 8 games.

He settled down some in his pair of minor league seasons, scoring 20 goals and 52 assists in 122 ECHL games.

The 26-year old signed a one year deal to join Fife Flyers of the EIHL for 2013/2014.

It’s seems likely that he detonates the score sheet in the English hockey league.

26Jul

Garet Hunt (24)

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Undrafted left wing Garet Hunt(24) re-signs for his 6th pro season with Stockton Thunder, the only pro team he’s ever been under contract with.

He has skated in 314 ECHL regular season games and was named their 2012/2013 captain, going all the way to the Kelly Cup Finals.

The 25-year old has skated in 10 AHL games, 1 during his rookie campaign with Springfield Falcons and in his third year he actually was on the opening night roster with Worcester Sharks.

That stint lasted 9 games and he got his first point in the league, an assist.

He also totaled 35 penalty minutes, a leader distinction he held in the ECHL last season with a mark of 235.

The almost irony of that number is he’s used to put up closer to or over 250 pims in a season and has over 1200 career.

The small but sturdy, scrappy style 5’8″ 190 lbs. forward pays the price out there and also shows the ability at least on this level to help out on the score sheet as well.

He has 37 goals and a handy 65 assists with only a -6 rating, which is low for a guy that spends as much time in the box as he does.

19Jul

Bryant Molle(3) Reading Royals

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Undrafted, 3rd year defenseman and consecutive, two-time minor league champ, Bryant Molle(3) re-signs for another year with Reading Royals, the team he won the Kelly Cup with last season.

He played 54 regular season ECHL games and added another 22 playoff games in 2012/2013.

The sizable 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner started his first full pro season in the Central Hockey League with Fort Wayne Komets and won the team’s last Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup before switching leagues.

He also appeared in a couple of games with his hometown Alaska Aces upon completing four years of college hockey at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Although never the biggest point getter (2 goals and 19 assists overall), he maintains an outstanding, combined +48 rating over a pair of seasons.

At 26-years old, he’s probably just starting to hit his stride and build a mountain of confidence that may earn him a look from the higher league in the upcoming 2013/2014 campaign.

18Jul

Nik Pokulok(7) Fort Wayne Komets

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Big big big 6’5″ 225 lbs. rookie defenseman Nik Pokulok(7) signs a one year deal with Fort Wayne Komets.

He started his pro career at the end of 2012/2013 skating 6 regular season and 23 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoff games with Stockton Thunder when he completed four years of college hockey at Clarkson University.

After scoring no points in his first short run of games he notched a pair of goals and an assist in the postseason.

Not exactly the style player to tear up the score sheet, the 23-year old is considered a solid stay at home d-man with shutdown capabilities.

He will probably have a great first campaign in the Midwest and with steady play on the blue line could very well see a couple game call-up to the AHL.