Carolina Hurricanes | CollegeHockeyPlayers

27Mar

Derek Joslin(36) Worcester Sharks

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6th year defenseman Derek Joslin(36) has just seen his pro career come full circle.

He is back with the team he started with, Worcester Sharks, when the parent clubs swapped minor league defensemen in a late season move that saw Vancouver Canucks return him to the AHL Eastern Conference from Chicago Wolves.

He is still signed with the Canucks but set to become a restricted free agent.

The 26-year old inked a one-year, two-way deal early in free agency with the team after Carolina Hurricanes bought out the final season of his 1-way contract.

He has 114 NHL contests to his credit with 4 goals and 12 assists and spent the entire last two seasons in the league, skating games in the show since 2008-2009 season.

The solid as a rock blue liner has yet to score a recall in the lockout shortened 2013 campaign but now that appears doubtful.

In 262 career AHL games, he’s scored 29 times and added 84 assists but currently sitting at a sort of dismal overall -16 plus/minus.

The 6’1″ 210 lbs. d-man was originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 5th round pick in the 2005 draft (#149 overall).

15Feb

Michal Jordan (29)

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Carolina Hurricanes‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#105 overall), Czech-born defenseman Michal Jordan(29) received his first NHL recall.

He is in the final season of his three-year entry level deal and in 48 AHL games this season with Charlotte Checkers he has connected for a career high 6 goals and 15 points, which also puts him on pace to put up a best in that scoring category as well.

While listed at a moderate 6’1″ 195 lbs. he looks a lot bigger than those numbers. There’s little doubt his game is all about muscle and punishing opponents and he’s relatively effective in that role without getting himself into penalty trouble. He’s also a tidy +11 plus/minus on a team that knows how to win games.

In his debut the 22-year old skated 17 shifts for 12:18 total ice time and had one shot on net in a decisive 3-1 victory. He could stick around or at the very least be given a contract extension at the end of the season to see where it goes after a taste of the show.

He should really play in Chicago though.

27Jan

Anthony Stewart(21) Manchester Monarchs

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Former Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2003 draft (#25 overall), right wing Anthony Stewart(21) was one of the NHL signed players to head overseas during the lockout. He somewhat ironically inked with Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL and scored 6 goals and 5 assists in 19 games.

He has played 262 (27 goals and 44 assists) NHL games with the Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers and Carolina Hurricanes. The latter team dished him and his $1M contract to Los Angeles Kings in favor of a tough guy.

With little space in their front line, the Kings reassigned the 6’2″ 230 lbs. winger to their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs, a league he hadn’t been in since 2010, but has 42 goals and 56 assists in throughout his 8-year pro career

In 3 games, he posted a goal and two fighting majors but appears a bit disinterested out there, although that could just be his style of play.

At 28-years old it’s a bit of a wonder where the power forward will land next.

27Dec

Brett Bellemore(34) Charlotte Checkers

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Carolina Hurricanes‘ 6th round pick in the 2007 draft (#162 overall), defenseman Brett Bellemore(34) is in the last season of his two-year contract extension. The 24-year old is set to become a restricted free agent once again but chances are good that he’ll be re-signed for at least another campaign to help keep Charlotte Checkers‘ teammates well-protected.

He’s rarely among the leaders on the team in penalty minutes but his 6’4″ 210 lbs. presence is enough to keep opponents from making any stupid moves. In 29 contests his pims are showing a bit of an uptick, considering he is one of two big men on the current roster. The towering blue liner could end his 4th full season with a career high in the category.

He has never been all that active on the scoresheet through 29o AHL regular and postseason contests, scoring only 6 goals and 30 assists. With 5 helpers already this season, he could reach another career best for assists.

He’s also a +9 plus/minus, which is another high mark, so far in the first third of the season on a squad that looks good to compete for the Calder Cup.

25Sep

Troy Bodie(20) Norfolk Admirals

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7th year left wing Troy Brodie(20) was part of a list of six players recently signed to an AHL contract by Norfolk Admirals, the new minor league affiliate of Anaheim Ducks.

He had a one-year, two-way deal with Anaheim last season but skated no NHL games.

In all, split half with the Ducks and one season picked up on waivers by Carolina Hurricanes, the 6’4″ 219 lbs. forward has skated in 107 games in the show registering 6 goals and 5 assists. He should be a bigger, more intimidating upfront power forward than his style indicates.

The 27-year was originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 9th round pick in the 2003 draft (#278 overall).

He started his pro career with Stockton Thunder of the ECHL, put up some big numbers and that was his only stop there.

This will be an interesting year him. It’s his first without an NHL contract and he definitely has something to prove.

12Sep

Matthew Pistilli(36) South Carolina Stingrays

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Undrafted right wing Matthew Pistilli(36) had himself a nice 3-year entry level deal with Carolina Hurricanes that expired at the end of the 2012 season.

He split most of his time between minor league teams but played almost the full tilt (73 games) in the AHL last campaign scoring a career high 12 goals, 13 assists and 25 points with a less than great -12 rating.

He had 17 goals and 18 assists in 39 games on reassignment with Florida Everblades then added another 3 tallies and 7 helpers in 13 postseason contests.

Entering his 4th pro season, the 6’2″ 219 lbs., should-be power forward signed a contract to skate with South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL.

First things first though, he scored an invite to join new affiliate Providence Bruins training camp.

No doubt, the almost 24-year old should be on the short list for a recall, if a player gets injured.

19Aug

Chris Terry(25) Carolina Hurricanes

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Carolina Hurricanes‘ 5th round pick in the 2007 draft (#132 overall) left wing Chris Terry(25) gets the nod for another two seasons to continue his development in the team’s prospect system.

In 2011/2012 he had an AHL career high in 43 assists with Charlotte Checkers.

His 59 points led the team in scoring; he was second by a point the year before.

Through 234 regular season games he has 67 goals and 103 assists, which is pretty good for the 5’10” 195 lbs. forward.

He was outstanding in the Checkers‘ surge to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011 with 6 goals and 3 assists in 15 contests.

The 23-year old has yet to appear in an NHL contest but an appearance should be right around the corner, especially if he continues on his scoring run in the minors.

24May

Mike Murphy(31) Spartak Moscow

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23-year old goaltender Mike Murphy(31) leaves restricted free agency on the table with Carolina Hurricanes for what would have been his fourth year in the system and looks to Russia to play with Spartak Moscow in the KHL.

The news was initially heard via his @MichaelMurphy31 twitter.

He played 96 regular season games with their AHL affiliates Charlotte Checkers and Albany River Rats and put up respectable numbers but it was his work in the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs getting them into the Eastern Conference Finals that cemented his status as a true prospect.

He got his first NHL nod in net this season and despite not letting in a goal in a pair of appearances was saddled with the loss in one of the games because he was the goalie of record after the Hurricanes pulled him for the extra skater and let up an empty-netter but then surged back late with two goals of their own, still losing the game by one. Tough break there.

The 5’11” 165 lbs. netminder will likely do well over there but we may not have seen the last of him in North American hockey.

14May

Keith Aucoin(11) Washington Capitals

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Veteran AHL center Keith Aucoin(11) has played a whopping 673 regualar season games in the league throughout his amazing 11-year career run.

Despite appearing in only 43 games this season, he still ranked 5th in scoring with 70 points (11 goals, 59 assists).

On February 28, the 33-year old was recalled from Hershey Bears for the fourth time in a month by Washington Capitals and stayed in the NHL throughout their Stanley Cup Playoff run, which included a pair of 7-game series.

In his first 14 big league postseason contests ever he had a pair of assists but more importantly was utilized on the power play and provided a tough fourth line checking forward for the opposition to deal with.

The 5’8″ 171 lbs. forward (that plays with hockey stick that’s bigger than he is) has been in the Caps‘ system for the last 4 seasons and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but we expect him to be re-upped for at least one more year.

12May

Mike Zigomanis(93) Toronto Marlies

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Everyone’s favorite 12th year vegan pro, Toronto Marlies‘ center Mike Zigomanis(93) got the OT winner in the series vs. Abbotsford Heat to lift them into the AHL Calder Cup Western Conference Finals for the second time in the team’s history.

He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season after spending the last two in Toronto Maple Leafs‘ system. His last NHL appearance was eight games in 2009/2010.

The 6’0 200 lbs. forward has appeared in 197 NHL games scoring 21 goals and 19 assists.

Chances are probably pretty good that the Leafs will keep the 31-year veteran around for another year. He’s pretty much the consummate player to have on your team.