Tagged: Arizona Coyotes

29Sep

Jamie McBain(5) Los Angeles Kings

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Jamie McBain6th year defenseman Jamie McBain(5) signed a one-year two-way contract with Los Angeles Kings after agreeing to a pto with affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

He played 6 AHL games with the farm club scoring a goal and adding three assists with a +3 rating before the parent club came calling to fill in some spots that needed coverage on their blue line.

Originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#36 overall), the 6’2″ 205 lbs. d-man spent the first four years of his career with the team but unfortunately as time passed started to show declining returns.

After the 2012 lockout it definitely appears that he’d lost some of his step.

He managed to pick it up slightly last season after a trade to Buffalo Sabres but not enough for them to revisit extending the unrestricted free agent.

A training camp invite of Arizona Coyotes, they only really had a peak before releasing him.

There was a bit of a murmur that he was set to leave for the KHL but shortly thereafter he signed his tryout deal.

Injuries and a misfortune, along with a sliver of salary cap room, had him at the right place at the right now. Maybe it was a bit of mastery forsight too.

The still young-ish 26-year old will either have to step up his offensive numbers (25-67-92 in 276 NHL games) or start using some of that size to shut down the attackers.

It’s a coin flip to see how this one materializes.  It really could become a great fit though.

Original story: 11/14-14

He appeared in 26 games with LA Kings scoring 3 goals and 6 assists with a +4 rating, making him accountable enough to keep around.

They wasted no time as free agency started re-signing him to a one-year, tw0-way extension.

Starting the season with a new contract, the 27-year old should be able to connect on the score sheet more often and continue to elevate his game.

19Jul

Justin Hodgman(12) St. Louis Blues

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Justin-Hodgman

Undrafted sixth year center Justin Hodgman(12) had already won two IHL Turner Cup Championships with Fort Wayne Komets while he was still playing in the OHL with Erie Otters.

He was also named MVP in both those seasons with a combined 14 goals and 12 assists in 24 playoff games.

These scoring totals were much in line with his last three seasons of juniors, where he averaged a point-per-game.

In his rookie year he was even allowed while under contract with Toronto Marlies to be released back to the Komets to play for their third straight title.

From there he played a full season for the Marlies, despite a brief 3 ECHL game stint with Reading Royals.

His point totals were even half decent at 12 goals and 17 assists in 42 AHL games with a +7 rating.

But by the next season he split for Europe and agreed for a year with Pelicans of Liiga in Finland.

The 6’1″ 203 lbs. forward continued to climb the hockey ladder spending his next pair of campaigns in the KHL mostly with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

For 2014/2015 he decided to return home and seek out a deal closer to home.

Arizona Coyotes unceremoniously signed him to a one-year, two-way contract.

He was on the opening night roster after a fantastic training camp in which he netted a team high 4 preseason goals.

Although very much pleasantly surprised by his efforts, he sat the first two games as a healthy scratch before being reassigned to minor league affiliate Portland Pirates.

He played three games at the beginning of their season, recording no points.

Recalled quickly due to an injury, he made his NHL debut count, scoring the game-tying goal on his only shot on net, skated 16 shifts for 11:27 total time on ice with 2 penalty minutes.

The 26-year old has made quite the journey through 3 minor leagues and 2 pro leagues overseas to finally get his opportunity in the show.

Original story: 10/28-14

After his first year back in North America post 3 seasons overseas and his 1st NHL goal, the recently turned 27-year old signs for 2015/2016 with St. Louis Blues on another two-way deal.

He skated in 5 games with Arizona Coyotes on two recalls and played in a new AHL high 62 games with a new best 24 assists and 35 points.

He just may make the parent club out of training camp, but even if he heads to start the season with affiliate Chicago Wolves he’ll likely be one of the first from the farm club to get summoned.

Justin-Hodgman12

15Jul

Brian McGrattan(22) Anaheim Ducks

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Brian-McGratton

For his 14th pro season Brian McGrattan(22) signed a one-year two-way deal with Anaheim Ducks and could find himself playing a decent amount of NHL for the first time in a couple of campaigns to protect all the players in that deep pool of talent in California.

He’ll turn 34-years old before the new season starts.

The huge force, who’s obviously in great shape and last had 11 fights playing for Calgary Flames in 2013/2014, just keeps on ticking.

 

Original story below 3/15-15:

Calgary Flames‘ 13th year right wing Brian McGrattan(22) was reassigned to the minors for the first time in a couple of seasons, joining affiliate Adirondack Flames .

He last played six games on a conditioning loan with Milwaukee Admirals while under contract to Nashville Predators but returned to Calgary (he spent 2009/2010 with the team) via trade.

The larger than life 6’4″ 240 lbs. rugged forward skated only 8 games (no points) with the parent club and was listed as  a healthy scratch all too often, so the parent club ultimately decided it was best to see if some more ice time could get him back into the lineup on what had become a much speedier squad.

In 2013/2014, he achieved career highs for games played (76), goals (4) and assists (4) while keeping the peace on ice.

The big man was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 4th round pick in the 1999 draft (#104 overall) but first signed with Ottawa Senators, who he spent his first six seasons with, scoring his first NHL goal.

After a trade to then Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, he bounced around from team-to-team on one-year deals and even spent the full 2010/2011 with a pair of farm clubs.

A veteran of 278 AHL games he has the record for the most penalty minutes and fighting majors in one season (2004/2005) with Binghamton Senators, when he drop the mitts 39 times and recorded 551 minutes in the sin bin.

The 33-year old enforcer has skated in 317 big league contests but is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

He may either decide to take his game overseas for a year as he’s yet to explore the landscape outside of North America or hang up those skates and continue to help players with substance abuse problems, an issue of close importance to him.

See related: 11/1-10, 1/19-11, 2/17-11, 9/18-11,

20Mar

Andrew Campbell(45) Arizona Coyotes

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Andrew-Campbell

Arizona Coyotes‘ 7th year defenseman Andrew Campbell(45) is finding his place in the NHL.

He’s been up with the parent club for 22 games and looks to be holding his spot.

The former Los Angeles Kings‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#74 overall) was in the prospect system for the previous six seasons skating 414 regular season games and 35 more in the playoffs with AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

Never one to excel on putting the puck in the net or feeding the man for a goal, he’s always there to play an absolutely in your face, bruising style without taking many penalty minutes, the 6’4″ 208 lbs. blue liner has also been a plus player at +26.

He got into three games with the Kings last year during the final year of his 2-year extension but as an unrestricted free agent he went looking for more time; and found it.

Although the now 27-year old still doesn’t connect on the score sheet with only one assist, he plays a good 20+ minutes a game for a team that struggles to win, survive.

Set to become unrestricted once again, it is probably a good bet the former Portland Pirates‘ assistant captain will agree on another year to continue the rebuild.

07Mar

Brendan Bell(14) Chicago Wolves

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Brendan-Bell

12th year veteran defenseman Brendan Bell(14) was acquired by Chicago Wolves from Norfolk Admirals to help boost their back line heading into a potential playoff berth.

In his debut with his new team the 31-year scored a goal and an assist in a tough 4-3 overtime loss against division rival Lake Erie Monsters.

He had only one tally in 47 games with his former team but did compile a sturdy 22 helpers.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. d-man has almost always consistently put up 20+ assists in each AHL season played through 487 games.

Through his pro career, the former Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the in the 2001 draft (#65 overall) has appeared in 102 NHL contests (7 goals, 21 assists) with the last time being 1 game in 2011/2012,  when signed with New York Rangers.

After that season, he left for a couple of spins through Europe, his second foray overseas, landing in Sweden’s SHL with Frolunda and then last year skating again for Biel in the Swiss Elite NLA.

Now that’s he’s returned to North America proving he still has plenty left in the tank, his presence definitely helps the youngsters out on any squad he joins.

27Feb

Henrik Samuelsson(15) Arizona Coyotes

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Henrik-Samuelsson

Arizona Coyotes‘ 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#27 overall) US-born, Swedish center Henrik Samuelsson(15) gets the nod for his NHL debut and as luck would have it he is opposing his famous hockey dad and assistant coach for New York Rangers, Ulf Samuelsson.

His pa’s team got the best of his squad in a crushing 4-3 come from behind upset but the lanky 6’3″ 210 lbs. power forward had a good personal showing.

He skated 16 shifts for 9:33 total ice and even got a 1:19 on the power play. He also had one shot on net, one hit, one takeaway and was perfect on the face off dot with no points or penalty minutes.

In his first season with affiliate Portland Pirates he’s doing well with 10 goals and 15 assists in 50 AHL games and is a +1 on a bit of an uneven squad.

The 21-year old is used to doing well coming out of two straight WHL Championships with Edmonton Oil Kings in 2013 and 2014, a Memorial Cup and a regular season of more than a point per game production and a postseason with basically a point in each contest.

There’s little doubt that it should be a short trek for this one to be big league ready just like his dad was spending only half a season in the minors before playing 19 years in the show.

Heck, he already had 15 games of pro hockey experience as a teenager with MODO of the SHL before starting his three years of juniors.

08Feb

Fight Card: Paul Bissonnette(15) vs. David Dziurzynski(22)

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10-year veteran Paul Bissonnette(15) is credited for 52 NHL fighting majors via hockeyfights.com.

It took him the 8 games he skated with Portland Pirates on a pto and a while with Manchester Monarchs to finally drop the gloves but once it finally occurred he’s getting into a scrap almost once a week and his total is up to 4.

For his second battle of the 2014/2015 and recently signed to a one-year AHL contract, the 6’3″ 220 lbs. battler squared off David Dziurzynski(22) who almost exactly matches his measurements at 6’3″ 218 lbs.

Dziurzynski is no stranger to fisticuffs having 7 scraps this year to bring his overall to 27 in the league.

02Feb

Louis Domingue(35) Arizona Coyotes

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Louis Domingue

Here’s easily one of those stories that starts with “when there’s a knock on the door, you answer it”

Phoenix Coyotes‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#138 overall) 3rd year goalie Louis Domingue(35) was recalled to fill the open back up spot and he stepped right in.

The 6’3″ 210 lbs. net minder got pressed into 3rd period action to put out the fire that would become a 7-2 beating.

His play earned him the nod, probably on a coach’s hunch, to get the start in his hometown spot vs. Montreal Canadiens.

He stopped 18-20 shots, which turned out to be enough for a third period comeback to help him score his first big league win.

The 22-year old is one of those rare players to have pulled off the feat of appearing in games in three leagues, ECHL, AHL and NHL during one season.

Once again he’s splitting net minding duties for the farm team and putting up better numbers with a 8-4-1 record and a 2.40 GAA and .922 SV%.

On a two game reassignment to Gwinnett Gladiators he completely shut the door allowing only 2 goals with 1.01 GAA and .958 SV%.

In juniors he had the best save percentage of any other goaltender with a .912 mark for Quebec Remparts.

Signed through the end of 2015 he may have seen the last of the minors for the time being and may even start to compete for the number one job.

See related: 3/21-13

30Dec

Tyler Gaudet(32) Arizona Coyotes

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Tyler GaudetArizona Coyotes‘ undrafted rookie center Tyler Gaudet(32) has been proving he’s got sauce since he first laced ’em up.

He began as an 18-year old in the QMJHL with Gatineau Olympiques but was dropped back when he failed to produce as a youngster.

The unassumingly large 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward played a couple half seasons in the CCHL with Pembroke Lumber Kings working on his game and eventually signed with Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds a year after his demotion.

He was slow to start but picked it up big in his second campaign with the team scoring 26 goals and 35 assists in 65 OHL games with a +25 rating and continued his hot streak into 9 playoff contests with a pair of tallies and 6 helpers.

Despite earlier uneven play he managed to land himself on the radar of the Coyotes and was signed to a three-year entry level deal before turning pro at the end of 2013/2014.

Arriving for his first development and training camps, the 21-year old showed the big club he was ready to go with an impressive, accountable two-way style game he was developing.

He was reassigned to Portland Pirates at the start of the season and picked up right away.

In 29 AHL games he’s grabbed 4 goals and 4 assists with a +2 plus/minus while helping keeping the club in the picture.

His consistent play has earned him a recall to the NHL.

In his debut he skated 12 even strength shifts for 9:20 of total ice with one shot on net, one hit and was a -1 in the team’s 4-2 victory.

If he can land a spot on the roster, he is easily the type of player that can be great on the penalty kill and help out on the offense too.