Tagged: Braehead Clan

30Jul

Joel Champagne(24) Braehead Clan

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Joel Champagne

In somewhat of an interesting pro hockey move, third year center Joel Champagne(24) signs to play with Braehead Clan of the EIHL for 2013/2014.

He won the Kelly Cup Championship last season with Reading Royals, playing pretty much all of the regular season and playoff games on reassignment from Hershey Bears. Technically he was signed to an AHL contract last season but never recalled. His ECHL numbers were decent: 18+31=49 points and then put up another 3 goals and 5 assists in 21 postseason match ups.

The 6’4″ 217 lbs. XL forward was originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#129 overall) but signed his first deal with Milwaukee Admirals. He had 6 goals and 6 assists in 55 games with a +4 rating. He also played a 6 games with their affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones and put up 5 goals and 3 assists.

It’s maybe just that the 23-year has yet to find his place to show his abilities but as a more than a point per game player in his final three years of juniors in the QMJHL, he’s definitely shown the ability to connect and should be able to light the lamp like crazy in the English pro league.

 

15Jul

Jon Landry(7) New York Islanders

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

It would be easy to have a case of mistaken identity in this roster move: defenseman Jon Landry(7), who last year played with Bridgeport Sound Tigers for 34 games on call-up and scored 2 goals and 18 assists, while going a +11 plus/minus is not to be confused with Jon (now) A. Landry, who played for Bridgeport in 2011 but didn’t skate last season.

This Jon Landry, like the other one though, was called up from the ECHL, where he was under contract with Colorado Eagles. The 6’3″ 220 lbs. d-man had 12 goals and 18 assists when unknowingly he left for good.

The couple seasons before that he played in the EIHL for a year and parts of one in Germany’s DEL.  Mostly though, he was sort of hiding as an undrafted player in the Central Hockey League with Arizona Sundogs for his first 4 seasons since turning pro.

He did manage to win a President’s Cup Trophy as the top team in the league in his second campaign in.

Now the 29-year old seemingly out of nowhere signed his first one-year, two-way NHL contract with New York Islanders and will likely see more time in Bridgeport to continue to confuse everyone.  Until he makes his NHL debut that is.