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07Sep

Philippe Paradis(63) Syracuse Crunch

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Syracuse Crunch center Philippe Paradis(63) was held pointless in 12 Calder Cup Playoff games until he finally erupted with a hat trick in the team’s Eastern Conference Finals‘ clinching 7-0 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#29 overall) he was traded to Toronto Maple Leafs before he could ever take the ice for the team as a prospect.

He lasted only four games with Toronto Marlies, scoring a pair of assists before he changed hands quickly a second time, becoming property of Chicago Blackhawks.

He started with their minor league affiliate Rockford IceHogs much like he did the previous season on an ato after finishing up his last junior campaign in the QMJHL with PEI Rocket.

The 6’2″ 209 lbs. forward was signed to a three-year entry level contract and spent his rookie season in the AHL.

He continued to ply his trade in the league to start his sophomore run but when he was either playing too diminished a role or failing to put up the numbers found himself reassigned to Toledo Walleye of the ECHL for a short, five-game run tallying no points before being returned.

Once again trade bait and shuffled off to Tampa Bay Lightning‘s organization just before the deadline, he started up right away with their minor league affiliate and in 8 games leading up to the postseason contributed only an assist.

He’s still not seeing a lot of minutes on the ice but has been pretty much consistently in the lineup. Nothing like answering the bell at the right time to keep the parent club interested.

The 22-year year old has one year left on his deal after which he becomes an restricted free agent at the end of next season.

Original story: 6/2-13

He would post AHL career 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points in 56 games but that’s still far short of the marks he put up in his last three years of juniors.

Although maybe still short of what is expected it was enough to earn him another one-year look.

For 2014/2015 he increased goals scored to a still modest 8 and tied those 15 points from the previous campaign but was also a surprising nice +10 rating in just 34 games due to a late season injury that shortened his progress.

Entering his second restricted free agency, Tampa Bay has decided to continue watching the 24-year old possibly thinking he’s late to develop.

06Aug

Maxime Sauve(7) Hershey Bears

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Norfolk Admirals‘ center Maxime Sauve(7) has definitely experienced some troubles in his fourth pro season finding a permanent spot on a roster.

Traded to Chicago Blackhawks near the end of last year, the final campaign of his entry level deal, he was left unqualified rendering him an unrestricted free agent going into 2013/2014.

Invited by Anaheim Ducks to their training camp, he was released from his pto and reassigned to their minor league affiliate, where he started the season.

It remains unclear if he ever signed a contract but the 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward skated in 47 AHL games with the team but put up his fewest point totals and was watching contests from the stands on too many occasions.

He has been prone to upper and lower body and concussions throughout his playing time. He was even injured in his one NHL game with Boston Bruins.

Sat for the first game of the Calder Cup Playoffs, he was inserted into the lineup in the 2nd meeting, which was a win evening the series at 1-1.

The 24-year old was the hero scoring the 1st overtime game-winner of a 1-0 game 3 victory.

He’ll no doubt be back to see if he can continue on a streak and help the Admirals into the next round of action.

What happens after the end of the current run is up in the air, as he will once again be unrestricted.

Original story: 5/1-14

He decided to sign for a year overseas joining Kolner Haie Sharks of DEL but once again succumbed to injury playing only 27 games scoring a career low 3 goals 6 assists.

Hershey Bears have stepped in and take a chance for 2015/2016 thinking the now 25-year old veteran skater still has jets and maybe even a little something to prove.

See related: 12/25-10, 2/28-11, 3/14-12

20Jul

Adam Clendening(44) Vancouver Canucks

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Chicago Blackhawks‘ 3rd year defenseman Adam Clendening(6) tied for second in AHL assists with 47 and his 12 goals placed him alone at the number two spot in the 2013/2014 season.

As a rookie he actually led the league in the helpers category with 37.

These numbers only continued the tear he was on in his pair of campaigns at Boston University, where he amassed 50 assists in 77 games.

The bigger than he seems 5’11” 190 lbs. blue liner is in the third and final season of his 3-year entry level contract and had yet to realize his dream of a recall with the big club.

But that all changed recently as he was summoned to play his first game in the show.

The 22-year old made it count scoring his first NHL goal on his first shot on net

He’s currently holding his place on the team roster and added an assist (of course) in his second appearance.

He has now been a part of 4 games skating an average of 18 shifts for 13 and a half minutes of ice time with the Blackhawks and could very well stick.

Original story: 11/25-14

Almost humorously he is sent back down less than a week later and gets traded to Vancouver Canucks a month and a half after that.

He would stay with the NHL team for the next two months skating in a total of 17 games scoring a pair of assists.

At the end of March, he was reassigned to join affiliate Utica Comets for their playoff push.

In 11 AHL games he contributed a goal and 4 assists with a +4 rating and once the Calder Cup Playoffs arrived he was a shutdown machine with a +7 plus/minus and also chipped in 3 goals and 5 assists in 23 games that took the team all the way to the Finals.

The restricted free agent signed a new deal for one-year with his new squad for 2015/2016 and is expected to compete hard for a permanent spot on the parent club. He’s easily earned his way.

See related: 4/14-13

25Jun

Teigan Zahn(18) Colorado Eagles

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Double NHL draft pick defenseman Teigan Zahn(33) was first a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2008 5th round selection (#132 overall) but went unsigned and back into the pool and later chosen by Tampa Bay Lightning in the 7th round of 2010 (#186 overall) but not tendered an offer. He attended training camps with both teams.

After his overage season serving as captain of WHL Saskatoon Blades in which he posted career bests in games played, assists, points and +39 plus/minus, he decided to go the college route and enrolled at University Of Calgary.

The 6’2″ 221 lbs. blue liner with good size and grit to his game signed a one-year AHL contract with Oklahoma City Barons to start his pro career but was dispatched to affiliate Stockton Thunder, where he stayed for most of his first campaign. He was recalled for a month and appeared in 5 games registering his first point, an assist.

To start his sophomore season he scored a training camp tryout with Anaheim Ducks before he was reassigned to farm club, Norfolk Admirals‘ camp and continued to get passed along landing with Utah Grizzlies.

The 24-year old was again summoned up and got into three more games in the higher league notching yet another assist but was returned a couple of weeks later.

In 42 ECHL games, he has 3 goals and 9 assists putting him on pace for career highs in all categories.

He will need to keep connecting and finding his game or he may be looking overseas for his next hockey home.

Original story: 2/20-14

After posting career highs for goals, assists and points (7-11-18) in 2013/2014, he signed his next contract with Colorado Eagles.

He continued to increase his totals achieving new marks for games played (70), assists (17), points (20), plus/minus (12), shots on goal (107) and more than doubled his penalty minutes to a whopping 298, good enough for 2nd in the ECHL.

Another stat that made a huge jump for the increasingly agitated skater was fighting majors, which made a big step up to 20, almost doubling what he had in two previous seasons.

The still just 25-years old agreed to return for another season in Loveland, CO and will likely continue to see his overall game step up.

11Apr

Fight Card: Mathieu Tousignant(16) vs. Garret Ross(26)

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March 3, 2015: Adirondack Flames‘ fight leader at 14 bouts, the not exactly large 5’11” 185 lbs. center Mathieu Tousignant(16) is fed up with the way the game is going so picks a fight from some feistiness in front of the opposing net with Rockford IceHogs‘ 2nd year left wing Garret Ross(26) who is credited with 4 mix ups this season and is similarly sized at 6′ 182 lbs.

It was basically a draw with some good punches thrown.

Tousignant was just named “Man Of The Year” too.

30Mar

Mark McNeill(28) Rockford IceHogs

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Chicago Blackhawks‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#18 overall) 2nd year center Mark McNeill(28) is on his way to new career highs in scoring with minor league affiliate Rockford IceHogs.

He had 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in a full slate of 76 AHL games as a rookie and has already tied his goals mark and is only one off his helpers total in only 53 appearances so far.

Chosen as a replacement to appear in the 2015 All-Star game, he paced the Western Conference 14-12 win with a hat trick.

The pretty sturdily sized 6’2″ 218 lbs. power forward was basically a scoring machine in his last three seasons of junior hockey with Prince Albert Raiders scoring just over a point-per-game.

He led the team in scoring as team captain in his fourth and final year.

Signed through 2015/2016, he’s on a three-year entry level deal.

The 22-year old has yet to realize a recall on a parent club with so much depth and maybe would have scored the dream of an NHL early in the current campaign, if he hadn’t been downed by a blazing puck to the knee that had him sit for a stretch.

08Jan

Colin Fraser(24) Chicago Wolves

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10th year veteran center Colin Fraser(24) signed a one-year two-way deal to join St. Louis Blues‘ organization after three seasons with Los Angeles Kings that saw him score a second 2012 Stanley Cup.

He won his first final hardware a couple of years earlier with Chicago Blackhawks and story has it even though he only appeared in 3 postseason contests still was granted his name engraved on the trophy.

You could even stretch it a bit and suggest he was part of a team that has won it all every other season for the last 6 years, as he skated with the Kings for 33 games, but was reassigned to the minor league affiliate Manchester Monarchs for the first time since 2008 with the intent of sending the soon to be unrestricted free agent on his way elsewhere.

And although he was only part of the practice squad for the 2014 run, he was still given his day with the Cup.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. former Philadelphia Flyers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2003 draft (#69 overall) has played 359 NHL games scoring only 20 goals and 38 assists but given his track record of being around a championship, he has his upside.

He was recalled for a game recently raising his years of appearances in the highest hockey league to 9.

Used ultra sparingly with only 6 shifts and 4:42 total ice he did at least manage a shot on net, one hit and one break up play.

Where the 29-year old takes his game next is anyone’s guess but if he is even associated with another team that wins it, then you can be sure luck will give him yet another shot in the show.

26Dec

Jeremy Morin(9) Columbus Blue Jackets

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Columbus Blue Jackets‘ fifth year left wing Jeremy Morin(9) was recently acquired via minor league prospect deal from Chicago Blackhawks, where he’s spent all of his pro playing time.

He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#45 overall) but was involved in a massive 7-player deal before his skates ever touched the ice.

The 6’1″ 189 lbs. forward has always been on the cusp between playing in the big league and minors after tearing it up at every level of play until he turned pro after only a single dynamite season 47-36-83 in 56 games) in the OHL with Kitchener Rangers.

That followed a pair of more than point-per-game performances in the NAHL with the US National Junior Team.

Appearing in 54 NHL games in each of his years with the ‘Hawks registering 8 goals and 9 assists with +7 rating, he was never quite able to stick.

He has be a dominant force with their farm club, Rockford IceHogs scoring 81 goals, 78 assists in 208 contests and a massive +21 rating on a team that didn’t always put up a winning record.

Coming to the Blue Jackets, the 23-year old may have seen the last of bus rides as he joins a squad that has a knack for developing their young future stars.

So far, he’s got 1 assist in 4 games but did get a shootout goal that was almost the game-winner against his former team.

15Dec

Tim Erixson(34) Chicago Blackhawks

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Chicago Blackhawks love their Swedes and defenseman Tim Erixson(34) becomes their latest addition via trade.

He was actually born in America but spent much of his time growing up, playing juniors and his first three years of pro hockey as a teenager in the SHL with Skelleftea.

Originally drafted in the 1st round by Calgary Flames, he was traded when he refused to sign to New York Rangers, where he spent most of his rookie season on reassignment to then differently named affiliate Connecticut Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack and went right to work on the score sheet with 3 goals and 30 assists.

The sort of smaller looking than his stats suggest 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner did play his first 18 NHL games in his first campaign registering two helpers.

He lasted only one season of his three-year entry level deal as he was a prospect part of the huge Rick Nash off season transaction that sent him to Columbus Blue Jackets.

He spent the first half of his sophomore campaign with their farm club, Springfield Falcons putting up more fantastic offensive marks (5-24-29).

Recalled to the parent club, where he stayed for the remainder of the season he managed to appear in 31 games with 5 assists and a +4 rating to his credit.

Not sure what the factors were that had him fall off the depth chart but even though he was summoned half a dozen times he only appeared in two games in his third season, while he increased his point totals to a point-per-game player in the minors.

The 23-year old signed a one-year one-way extension to stay put and would only skate contests in the show for his fourth run.

He finally got his first NHL goal but once again found himself on the dispensable list and lands in probably the best situation he could possibly ask for.

See related: 3/22-12

04Dec

Brent Sopel(55) Chicago Wolves

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Enduring 17th year defenseman Brent Sopel(55) has not appeared in an AHL game since 1999-2000 with Syracuse Crunch, then affiliate of Vancouver Canucks.

He was originally a ‘Nucks 6th round pick in the 1995 draft (#144 overall) and last skated in the minors with the old Kansas City Blades in the last year of the IHL. His stint was a short 4-game stay as this would be his first complete season in the show.

The 37-year old has skated an absolutely phenomenal 659 NHL games and was a key member of the 2010 Stanley Cup win with Chicago Blackhawks.

Only one season removed hockey’s biggest prize he would disappear for three years to the KHL.

Returning to North America to be play closer to home, he entered training camp on an invite with Chicago Wolves and signed a one-year deal as the 2014/2015 season started.

The 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner is already contributing nicely with 7 assists in 21 games and a +2 rating, plus is the senior member of his squad so his vast knowledge and leadership both on and off the ice is priceless.

He recently appeared in his 1000 pro game as his career continues and still eyes a return to the highest league of hockey.

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