Chicago Wolves | CollegeHockeyPlayers

02Sep

Dean Strong(23) Valpellice Bulldogs

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Entering his fifth pro season, small but sturdy right wing Dean Strong(23) will once again try his hand overseas.

He signed a one-year deal with Italy’s Valpellice Bulldogs for 2013/2014.

It’s his second stint playing hockey outside of North America, as the 5’8″ 190 lbs. forward spent his sophomore campaign successfully in Germany2 with Eispiraten Crimmitschau before he returned, joining Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL for the remainder of the regular and postseason run.

He put up point per game numbers and was re-signed to continue with K-Wings but started his third year with Chicago Wolves out of training camp on a pto before being sent back.

Later loaned to Lake Erie Monsters he found his spot and finished off the year with the team after being inked to an spc midway through. He re-upped for 2012/2013 but suffered and injury that derailed his progress.

He was reassigned for a very short time in the Central Hockey League with affiliate Denver Cutthroats but was quickly back with the Monsters to complete the season.

The 28-year old has played in 106 AHL games scoring 11 goals and 24 assists.

He will likely break out on a scoring spree once again in the lower tier league and will likely continue to move up over there as age and veteran status will start to factor in to any future signing.

19May

Vincent LoVerde(5) Manchester Monarchs

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Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Vincent LoVerde(5) had an unassumingly terrific sophomore season playing most of the campaign on a pair of pto’s with Manchester Monarchs.

He started 2012/2013 with Ontario Reign, the team he’d spent his entire rookie season playing for in the ECHL.

After an invite to Chicago Wolves‘ training camp he returned to the Reign roster, where he re-signed in the summer and was quick to produce, resulting in his first recall.

Through 51 AHL games he scored a pair of goals and added 11 assists, while posting a monster +17 on a team that fought tooth and nail for a Calder Cup playoff berth.

Look for him to score another invite to a triple A camp, if not sign a deal in the offseason to join a team for the entirety of 2013/2014.

10Apr

Cody Sol (41)

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Big as a redwood, Winnipeg Jets‘ rookie defenseman Cody Sol(41) scored his first AHL goal to go along with 3 assists in his 21st game for minor league affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.

He started his first pro season in the ECHL with Colorado Eagles (5 goals, 3 assists, 25 games) and has been recalled three times with the most recent one occurring in mid-February; and from there he’s stuck with the team.

The absolutely massive 6’6″ 242 lbs. d-man is signed for another season on a three-year entry level deal, one of which appears to have been paid even though he spent the season in his final skate in juniors with Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.

He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ (r.i.p.) 5th round pick in the 2009 draft (#125 overall) and actually played a single game with then affiliate Chicago Wolves at the end of 2010.

At 22-years of age, there’s literally no where to go but up. He plays with all the grit and fight you’d want from a player with his size, but still seems to be finding the finer points of his game.

It’s still officially only his debut season and with the goal we’re sure more confidence follows.

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).

19Mar

Adam Huxley(32) Las Vegas Wranglers

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After playing 8 games on a pto with Bridgeport Sound Tigers to fill-in their tough guy role, 9th year right wing Adam Huxley(32) was just released and rejoins Las Vegas Wranglers, as they ready for another Kelly Cup Playoff run.

He has spent his entire pro career in the ECHL playing exclusively for Western Conference teams. He’s played in 479 games in the league with 45 goals and 63 assists to his credit, along with 1863 pims. He regularly eclipsed the 200-minute mark in 6 seasons of play.

The 6′ 200 lbs. forward has also appeared in 31 AHL games with three different teams scoring one assist and always putting up a healthy amount of time in the sin bin.

Hockeyfights credits him with 178 regular season bouts but there’s none listed for his rookie season, when he amassed his career high almost 300 penalty minutes. He also has two NHL preseason fights.

Where the 29-year old decides to sign for his 10th campaign will be interesting to see. It always is for the pro whose playing style is akin to a stick of dynamite.

03Mar

Rick DiPietro(39) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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New York Islanders‘ 1st round draft pick in 2000 (#1 overall) goalie Rick DiPietro(39) was recently waived by the team and reassigned to minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

It’s not his first time back since he predominantly played there in his first pair of pro seasons. He was sent down a few years ago on a conditioning stint for four games.

The 11-year veteran net minder has run into more than his share of bad luck with injuries but feels 100% ready to play in the lockout shortened 2013 season but was ineffective in three starts with an 0-3 record.

Hitting the AHL pipes again to regain his confidence was seen as the best possible scenario for the now 31-year old with 8 years left on his 15-year, $67.5 millon contract.

In his first start, he was shelled for 5 goals on a meager 12 shots (on 3 of them he could have sued teammates for non-support) and was mercifully pulled after the first period. He managed much better the next night making 22 of 25 saves in the Sound Tigers‘ 4-3 victory.

Where his story will go from here is anyone’s guess.

See related: 4/13-10

30Jan

Matt Anderson(29) New Jersey Devils

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Minor league feel good story of the year (so far): undrafted 6th year right wing Matt Anderson(29) gets his first recall with New Jersey Devils and plays in his NHL debut vs. Boston Bruins, a 2-1 shootout loss at 30-years old.

He skated 6:57 of ice time with no other real stats, which isn’t always a bad thing.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward originally signed an AHL contract with Albany Devils in 2010, his first new team since three seasons with Chicago Wolves, also under a minor league agreement.

In 2011, he scored his first big league deal, signing for one-year, two way with New Jersey.

He has a combined 351 AHL regular season and playoff games with 70 goals, 114 assists and a Calder Cup Championship ring to his credit.

He’s always been considered a team leader and plays that style of game, consistent, hard-working.

The Devils got lucky in a similar veteran call-up situations with Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier, so this could be a formula, especially in a shortened season.

And they would know: 1995.

28Jan

Garnet Exelby(2) Providence Bruins

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11th year defenseman Garnet Exelby(2) signed a one-year two-way contract with Boston Bruins for the 2012/2013 season.

An Atlanta Thrashers‘ 8th round pick in 1999 (#217 overall) he has skated in 408 NHL games, mostly with his draft team but played one season patrolling the blue line for Toronto Maple Leafs.

His time as a Leaf was his last in the league. He was with Grand Rapids Griffins in 2011/2012 and Rockford Ice Hogs for the previous campaign. The now 31-year old was selected as team captain for both seasons in the AHL.

He has never been a big point-getter but is a good-sized presence in the defensive zone at 6’1″ 210 lbs., has always been fairly accountable on ice and never afraid to drop the mitts to protect a teammate.

In 19 games with Providence Bruins (he’s been hampered by injuries) he has a pair of goals. If the parent club suffers some injuries at the d-spot, the veteran could get a call-up but it’s a bit of a long shot maybe.

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.

14Jan

Patrick Rissmiller(28) Worcester Sharks

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Heading into the 2012/2013, undrafted 11th year left wing Patrick Rissmiller(28) found himself in somewhat unchartered territory: without a contract to play.

He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado Avalanche for last season but for the first time in awhile failed to receive a big league call-up from their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters.

The 6’4″ 220 lbs. power forward has skated in 192 NHL games scoring 18 goals and 28 assists including two full seasons with San Jose Sharks, where he also appeared in 30 postseason match-ups.

In the AHL, he has played a phenomenal 524 games, lit the lamp 125 times and dished out 227 helpers but a disturbing trend to his game is also a combined -40 plus/minus.

Signing a pto halfway through the season with Worcester Sharks, the 34-year old Massachusetts’ native comes full circle as he spent his college playing time at Holy Cross and started his pro career in 2002 with then San Jose farm team Cleveland Barons.

The hope is that he comes alive with some hometown cooking.