Albany River Rats | CollegeHockeyPlayers

02May

Mike Vernace(48) Connecticut Whale

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6th year defenseman Mike Vernace(48) has been on quite the ride through the AHL this season as he was traded twice and is currently playing for his third team in the 2011/2012 season.

Ironically all three teams he skated for are still in the postseason.

He started the year with Norfolk Admirals, the team he’d been with for the entirety of 2010/2011 and even got into 10 games with the parent club Tampa Bay Lightning.

From there he was dished to Florida Panthers but skated only with San Antonio Rampage.

That relationship lasted only 22 games before he was once again passed along to New York Rangers in a trade deadline deal and reassigned to Connecticut Whale, where he’ll play his former team, the Admirals in the AHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in a best-of-seven series.

Originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 7th round pick in the 2004 draft (#201 overall), the 6’ 216 lbs. blue liner has only appeared in 22 NHL games throughout his playing career.

It’s a bit doubtful that he’ll crack New York Rangers‘ lineup next fall or if they’ll even sign him up for another year, as he’ll be a UFA at the conclusion of the playoff run.

We still think he’s got plenty of pop to crack a big league lineup.

20Apr

Mark Fraser(29) Toronto Marlies

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6th year, 25-year old defenseman Mark Fraser(29) will definitely help Toronto Marlies in their quest for the Calder Cup.

He’s had quite the ride in the 2011/2012 season as he started the season with the team that selected him in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft (#84 overall), New Jersey Devils. In 5 years in their system, he’s skated 98 NHL games (3 goals, 5 assists) and has appeared in 233 AHL contests.

Never really considered a big point producer, he is however a big presence on the blue line at 6’3″ 220 lbs.

A trade in mid-December, saw him go to Anaheim Ducks but he didn’t appear in a game before being reassigned to Syracuse Crunch, where he played some mean, shutdown hockey and was a career high +13 plus/minus.

Only a couple of months later though, he was dished again in a minor league deal that has him playing in the AHL postseason for the first time in his pro career. He got himself an assist on the game-winning goal to boot.

26Mar

Ben Guite(28) Worcester Sharks

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12th year veteran center, Worcester Sharks‘ Ben Guite(28) has missed a majority of 2011/2012 due to complications from a concussion he sustained early in the AHL season.

He recently returned to the team and is contributing in their push toward the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In 15 games this year he has 2 goals and 7 assists but despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he’s look to for his leadership and playing intensity on the ice.

He’s appeared in 175 NHL games (all but seven of them with Colorado Avalanche from 2006 – 2009) scoring 19 goals and 26 assists.

In 574 AHL games he has 101 goals and 172 assists.

He was originally picked by Montreal Canadiens in the 7th round of 1997 draft (#172 overall). The 33-year old signed a one-year, two-way deal with San Jose Sharks in the offseason.

18Mar

Kyle Cumiskey (7)

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6th year defenseman Kyle Cumiskey(7) was originally a Colorado Avalanche 7th round pick in 2005 (#222 overall) and went on to play 5 years in their system amassing 132 NHL games scoring 9 goals and 26 helpers.

At the beginning of the 2011/2012 season he was traded to Anaheim Ducks for a prospect but has only seen ice time with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch despite a pair of call-ups.

In 2009/2010, he played his first full NHL season but was limited to 18 games the next year due to recurring head injuries. He did put up a goal and 7 assists in that time though.

He’s not huge at 5’10” 185 lbs. but could be paired with a bigger guy for his offensive upside, although he really doesn’t sacrifice anything on defense.

Through 44 games with Syracuse Crunch he’s scored three goals and 20 assists and was an even plus/minus.

17Feb

Bryan Rodney(33) Oklahoma City Barons

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Undrafted 7th year defenseman Bryan Rodney(33) is one of those stories of endurance and sticktoitiveness that defines a pro.

His first couple of seasons were predominantly spent in the ECHL. By his third year he made the jump up to an AHL regular after a call-up with Albany River Rats.

With his impressive play on the blue line that season, Carolina Hurricanes stepped in an signed him to a one-year, two-way contract. He would sign two more similar contracts with them and skate his only 33 NHL games with Carolina (1 goal, 12 assists).

For the 2011/2012 he was once again a free agent but this time in need of a new home. Anaheim Ducks wasted no time signing him to a one-year, two-way deal that has him skating with their AHL affiliate, Syracuse Crunch. He has 5 goals and 15 assists.

Then, almost without warning, the Ducks have dished him to Edmonton Oilers, where he’ll report to their affiliate Oklahoma City Barons.

He’s definitely become a team leader on the ice but the big knock with his game is his tendency to be a minus player. Despite that, it would be little surprise to see the Oilers give him a look to see if they can’t ignite that scoring touch.

02Feb

Joel Rechlicz(19) Washington Capitals

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Washington Capitals is in desperate need of adding some necessary roughness to their game and turn 5th year undrafted tough guy Joel Rechlicz(19) contract into an NHL deal and he’s immediately recalled from his AHL team, Hershey Bears. In 27 games he has 1 goal and 1 assist to go along with 184 penalty minutes, which pretty much equal career highs all around for him in a season.

In a pair of games for the Caps he’s played a minute and a half and 2:37 of ice time in each of the games with no fighting majors (yet). This season he leads the AHL in penalty minutes.

He did have 23 games of NHL experience with New York Islanders, a team he spent a couple of seasons with, first playing in the ECHL with Utah Grizzlies and AHL with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He has one assist to his scoring credit and 95 pims. At 6’4″ 220 lbs. he could convert himself into some sort of power forward but doesn’t have the most deft hand abilities, except for fighting. He’s very much a Dale Hunter, coach of the Capitals‘ style of player.

25Jan

Mike Angelidis(10) Tampa Bay Lightning

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6th year, undrafted left wing Mike Angelidis(10) scored his 1st NHL goal in his 1st NHL game on his 1st shot on net. He only played a 4:01 of ice time through 7 shifts (the goal came during his 2nd time out there) in Tampa Bay Lightning‘s Monday night 4-2 win.

After four seasons to start his pro career in Carolina Hurricanes‘ system, he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Lightning last year and re-signed with the team for the 2011/2012 season. He was named captain of Norfolk Admirals at the start of the year.

He’s on pace to set career highs in goals and assists in the AHL, if he can continue along the pace he started in the first half of the season.

18Jan

Brett Carson(7) Calgary Flames

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After 5 seasons in the Carolina Hurricanes‘ system, the team he was originally drafted by in the 4th round of 2004 (#109 overall), defenseman Brett Carson(7) was plucked from the waiver wire late last season by Calgary Flames.

They saw a big NHL future for the 6’4″ 220 lbs. blue liner.

He had been having some injury problems with his back that required surgery in the offseason. Still hindered, he has only skated in two games with the Flames this season and has been down to their AHL affiliate Abbotsford Heat on conditioning stints twice already for a total of 11 games.

He was recently recalled and hopes to start contributing with the team soon. So far in 80 NHL games, he has 2 goals and 10 assists but no points yet with his new team.

30Dec

Tim Conboy(38) Binghamton Senators

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It took 139 games for Binghamton Senators‘ defenseman Tim Conboy(38) to put the puck in the net but he finally got the monkey off his back the night after Christmas with one, his first since 2009 when he was playing with Albany River Rats.

He was in Carolina Hurricanes‘ prospect system for four seasons and played 59 NHL games with them (0 goals, 6 assists).

From there he signed to one-year, two-way deals, last season with Buffalo Sabres and this year with Ottawa Senators, which has him assigned to their AHL affiliate.

Originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 7th round pick in the 2002 draft (#217 overall), he’s a fairly big guy at 6’2″ 210 lbs. but more importantly he’s the type of player that gets under other guy’s skin and causes penalties to happen. He also spends a good amount of time in the box.

Last season in 70 games he had 233 pims.

19Dec

Aaron Voros(34) Connecticut Whale

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8th year wing Aaron Voros(34) signed a pto with Connecticut Whale in mid-November. In 10 games he’s posted 2 goals and 2 assists. He’s played 261 AHL games with 6 different teams.

Originally drafted in the 8th round of 2001 (#229 overall) by New Jersey Devils, he played for three years in their system without ever receiving a call-up. He was traded to Minnesota Wild in the last year of his entry level contract and played his first game with the team in the next season.

Over the next 4 seasons he would appear in 162 NHL games with Minnesota, mostly notably New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks putting up 18 goals, 19 assists and 395 penalty minutes.

He’s a big presence on the ice at 6’4″ and 215 lbs.