BC Eagles | CollegeHockeyPlayers

15Dec

Mike Brennan(27) Worcester Sharks

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5th year, undrafted defenseman Mike Brennan(27) signed his first ECHL contract with last year’s Kelly Cup Champs Florida Everblades to start 2012/2013.

He’s a career AHL player having appeared in 288 regular season games with a few different teams but did sign a 2-year entry level deal with Chicago Blackhawks.

After 9 contests with the ‘Blades and some rough stuff, which the 6′ 205 lbs. d-man has never shied away from, he was signed to a pto with Worcester Sharks to fill in for an injury depleted blue line. He played his college hockey at BC, so in a sense it was a homecoming.

The 26-year old has definitely not ever been looked to for his goal scoring ability and has mostly been seriously on the minus side on ice.

But in 6 games with a grisly Worcester team, he already has three assists, is skating at a +2 plus/minus and fitting in nicely with the team chemistry, meaning his already dropped the mitts at least once.

He may have just found himself a home for pro hockey in a league he’s more familiar with in this NHL lockout season.

27Oct

Chris Kreider(20) Connecticut Whale

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New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#19 overall) left wing Chris Kreider(20) probably didn’t expect to be starting his rookie season in the AHL with Connecticut Whale after stepping into the Blueshirts’ Stanley Cup playoffs lineup for 18 games earning 5 goals and 2 assists on the stat sheet.

That doesn’t even take into consideration his Boston College Eagles winning a second national title in his senior year or the point per game effort he posted during the regular season to help them gain that glory.

We’re also leaving out the fact that his first goals during the playoffs were game-winners, a first by any player and he had the most goals by any skater joining a team before appearing in a single contest during regular season.

But that’s what a lockout can manifest for a young player more keen to be kept in close range of the big club to watch his development. Thank the CBA for those two-way entry level deals.

In 4 games with the Whale he only has a pair of assists on a team that’s surprisingly clawing for wins early in the 2012/2013 season.

Maybe he’s not quite giving it his full guns in the minors but if the NHL standoff continues look for him to regain the spark and start pressing for more scoring chances.

26Oct

Brian O’Hanley(38) San Antonio Rampage

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5th year defenseman Brian O’Hanley(38) was originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 9th round pick in the 2003 draft (#267 overall) and bounced his way around from ECHL to the AHL in pretty much each of his pro seasons, although he continues to call Cincinnati Cyclones his home base having played games with the team in every year, including one full season, 2009-2010; the only time he ever skated for a single club in a campaign.

He appeared in AHL career highs last season with 44 games scoring 4 goals and 7 assists, most of them with his real hometown team, Worcester Sharks. He was born in one hour away Quincy, MA and played his college hockey at Boston College.

At 5’11” 191 lbs. he isn’t the biggest of the blue liners out there but plays the puck pretty well and is accountable for his space on the ice.

Heading into the new season he signed a training camp tryout with San Antonio Rampage and stuck but was reassigned, yes, once again to Cincinnati to start the season. And he did scoring 2 goals and adding 2 assists in 3 games earning him his first call-up.

The 27-year old should be able to flourish with all the talent in the upper league.

17Feb

Joe Whitney(9) Albany Devils

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Undrafted rookie right wing Joe Whitney(9) signed his first pro contract, an AHL deal with New Jersey Devils to play in Albany late last summer and has been putting up points as soon as the 2011/2012 season got started.

In 46 games, he has 12 goals and 14 assists, which has him tied for the team lead in points and 1st at putting the puck in the net.

The 22-year old has to be one of the smallest guys in the league at only 5’6″ 170 lbs but he obviously knows how to find his way into the openings on the ice.

For the month of January, he earned the reGen® Recovery Beverage/AHL Performance of the Month Award.

He’s from Reading, MA and played 4 years for the BC Eagles winning two NCAA Championships with the team.

18Dec

Carl Sneep(4) and Benn Ferriero(21)

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A pair of ex-Boston College Eagles‘ teammates, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ defenseman Carl Sneep(4) and Worcester Sharks‘ center Benn Ferriero(21) discuss old times together at the Conte Forum.

Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#32 overall) received his first NHL call-up in two seasons of play. In his first AHL season, he racked up 4 goals and 13 assists but was a monstrous +17 plus/minus. Through 27 games games, he has 9 assists this season and is a +6.

He had 16:19 of ice time, got an assist and was a +1 in his debut.

12/19: Sneep was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pens.