Bakersfield Condors | CollegeHockeyPlayers

06Aug

Jacob Lagace (83)

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4th year unrestricted free agent left wing Jacob Lagace(83) signs on for the 2013/2014 season with Orlando Solar Bears.

He just wrapped up his 3-year entry level deal with Buffalo Sabres that saw him skate 120 AHL games (20-23-43) with Portland Pirates and Rochester Americans and 70 in the ECHL (16-26-42) with Greenville Road Warriors and Bakersfield Condors.

He was originally a 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#134 overall).

The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward posted his best numbers in 2012/2013 with 16 goals and 20 assists last season with Bakersfield only reassignment but only had four AHL appearances.

He was a scoring machine in 3 junior hockey campaigns in the QMJHL with 90 markers and 114 helpers in 191 games.

The 23-year old should be able to surpass his high marks with a full season in the ECHL but he could also be on the short list for a recall.

28Jul

Gary Steffes(25) Bakersfield Condors

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4th year undrafted center Gary Steffes(25) has played under contract with Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League for all three years of his pro career.

He’s skated in 169 games scoring 61 goals and 68 assists but ran up an abysmal -26 plus/minus.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward was called up by Lake Erie Monsters, where he appeared in 16 AHL games pocketing his first higher league tally and added 2 assists.

He also appeared in training camp with Oklahoma City Barons but was released before the start of the regular season.

For 2013/2014 he has signed a one-year deal to suit up for Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL.

The 26-year old is likely a shoe-in for another recalled especially if he can put up numbers in the higher double A league.

11Jan

Mark Mitera(17) Reading Royals

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Anaheim Ducks‘ former 1st round pick in the 2006 draft (#19 overall) defenseman Mark Mitera(17) must have been doing his own workouts with a wait and see attitude before finally signing with ECHL Reading Royals for the remainder of the 2012/2013. He did have a tryout agreement with St. John’s IceCaps that fizzled.

His three year entry level deal was up at the end of last season. He finished with 75 games for Hamilton Bulldogs after being traded to parent club Montreal Canadiens early at the start of free agency in 2011.

At 6’3″ 213 lbs. he figured to be a bruising blue liner that simply beat his opponents into submission once he turned pro after four big years playing college hockey but that has yet to be realized.

Signing with the affiliate of AHL Hershey Bears could be a smart move for the 25-year old as chances are reasonable that he’ll receive a call-up with them, or he’ll sign a pto elsewhere as soon as post-lockout hockey begins to unfold and settle.

24Oct

Tyler Brenner(16) Bakersfield Condors

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Toronto Maple Leafs undrafted 2nd year right wing Tyler Brennan(16) split time in his rookie season with both their AHL and ECHL affiliates Toronto Marlies and Reading Royals but also spent time on the sidelines as a healthy scratch and bitten by the injury bug.

He’s signed for a 2-year entry level deal and has shown he can put numbers up on the scoresheet (3 goals and 6 assists in 29 games over a season and an ato with the Marlies and the same totals in 20 games with the Royals). He also contributed very well in college at RIT playing Division I Atlantic Hockey and has some size at 6’2″ 200 lbs.

The 24-year old was just reassigned to Bakersfield Condors to start 2012/2013 after not appearing in the first 5 games of the AHL regular season. He should fit in well in California and will probably help them win more.

03Oct

Alex Hudson(12) Ontario Reign

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Undrafted “2nd year” center Alex Hudson(12) has to be smiling with the new deal for the 2012/2013 he signed: one-year with the seemingly ECHL stacked Ontario Reign. More than good, which it should be judging by the talent it’s signed in the offseason, but almost undoubtedly this will be a fun team to play with.

The 6′ 209 lbs. forward scored 2 goals and 7 assists through 20 games in his pre-rookie campaign with Bakersfield Condors and gained an AHL call-up to Manchester Monarchs, where he skated in 15 contests but failed to register a point.

He was actually a mid-season signing after getting kicked off the University Of Nebraska in the fourth and final year of his college career for team violations. No where to turn except ink a professional contract to play.

The 25-year old, in his first full campaign (rookie season), definitely has the potential to land himself in the 15 goal and 30 assist scoring territory. We’ll know more when they hit the ice.

04Sep

Bobby Robins(21) Providence Bruins

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Undrafted 7th year center Bobby Robins(21) signed his first AHL contract since his rookie season with Binghamton Senators by re-upping for a full campaign with Providence Bruins, the team he spent 33 games with in 2011/2012. He was originally recalled from the ECHL, signed to a pto and upped to an spc as he continue to stick with the team.

The stat that pops out from his sheet is penalty minutes. He ended the regular season with 150 pims. That’s 3 games shy of a five minute (fighting) major per game. His actual number of incidents was more like 20 though, good enough for a three-way tie for 3rd in the league. It’s likely that he accomplished his feat in lesser contests than the other players did, which is a key reason why the P-Bruins found it necessary to get him under contract before the new season starts.

The knock on the team the last few years of postseason drought has been how undersized they were. This, at the very least, gives them 6’1″ 220 lbs. of protection out on the ice. The almost 31-year old also had a pair of goals and 10 assists (a career high) and we’d expect that number to go up too.

25Jul

Justin Pogge(1) Renon/Ritten

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Heading into his 7th pro season former Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2004 draft (#90) Justin Pogge(1) splits for Renon/Ritten of the Italian Serie A league after 254 regular season AHL games.

The big 6’3″ 21o lbs. backstop has almost quietly always had a winning record and put up decent numbers for whatever minor league team he’s played with.

Last season with Portland Pirates he posted a 14-13 record with a .890 SV% and a 3.07 GAA, which was a bit higher than his average play in the league.

In 7 NHL games, all with Toronto Maple Leafs, he didn’t fare so well. He had an amazing season in his last of juniors.

He’s still only 26-years old and probably has a good amount of juice left in the container. A couple good years overseas and we may see him again.

23Jul

Maxime Macenauer(26) Winnipeg Jets

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Entering his 4th pro season, originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft (#63 overall) center Maxime Macenauer(26) re-signs for another year on a two-way deal with Winnipeg Jets, the team he was traded to near the 2012 trade deadline.

He appeared in 27 games to start 2011/2012 with the Ducks, making the team out of training but was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch in mid-December and then traded a couple months later.

The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward wasn’t exactly a cornerstone in the Jets‘ AHL affiliate St. John’s IceCaps during the last part of the regular season or in the postseason through three rounds. He did have some nagging injuries during the season that hindered his play.

Still the Jets must see something in the 23-year old to qualify the restricted free agent and sign him up for another season.

see related post: 4/26-12 Riley Holzapfel(26)

16Jul

Eric Neilson(29) Syracuse Crunch

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8th year right wing Eric Neilson(29) is known mostly for not shying away from any on ice situation and it certainly serves a much needed role on any team. In 47 games last season he scored one goal and was assessed 74 minutes in the penalty box, a surprising career low.

For the 2012/2013 he signed a one-year standard AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch, which essentially keeps him in the same system that he spent last season with, the Calder Cup winning Norfolk Admirals. He did not appear in a playoff game though.

Still at 6’1 201 lbs., the almost 28-year old forward is one of those players that’s better to have on your team than have to play against.

He was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2004 draft (#143 overall) but really didn’t spend any time with the team but rather played a few seasons in the ECHL before moving up a notch.

He was also one of the guys on that 2005 Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL champion team with Sidney Crosby.

05Mar

Shawn Weller(23) Texas Stars

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5th year right wing Shawn Weller(23) found himself in the uncomfortable scenario of getting traded from the first place St. John’s IceCaps in the AHL Eastern Conference to Texas Stars, who sit in last place of the Western Conference.

It was a deal that enabled some room for the IceCaps to pick up one of the Stars players on reassignment as some teams rework their lineups as the Calder Cup Playoffs approach.

He already had AHL career highs in points (24) and assists (14) and was heading towards his best year for goals (10 in 41 games) in a season as well.

Originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2004 draft (#77 overall), the 25-year old has consistently shown improved skating and puck handling abilities to go along with his average-sized 6’2″ 205 lbs. frame that he uses all of on the ice.

The move may land him another NHL deal and could put him in a big league game before too long.