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05Jul

Justin Vaive(23) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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3rd year 6’5″ 237 lbs. left wing tower Justin Vaive(23) earned his first call-up from Hartford Wolf Pack to hopefully help the team turn the corner on a woeful season.

Not exactly a prolific goal scorer, he got his first on the 2013/2014 campaign recently, which has him at or surpassing modest career highs in all point categories with a current +6 rating on a team that’s near the Eastern Conference cellar.

He’s off to a fast start in the ECHL this year with Greenville Road Warriors posting a new goals scored mark at 10 and tied for overall points, done in one-third as many games from his rookie season with Cincinnati Cyclones.

In 4 years of college hockey at Miami University he was never really much of a point production guy but was fairly accountable on ice with a healthy +16 plus/minus and won a NCAA (CCHA) Championship in 2010 before turning pro.

He signed his first deal, an AHL contract with San Antonio Rampage and inked an extension for another year despite the absence of any points.

The still young 24-year old was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#94 overall).

His father Rick Vaive played 876 NHL games at almost a point-per-game pace.

Original story: 2/27-14

After finishing the 2013/2014 establishing new AHL career highs for assists (4) and points (5) he was sent back to Greenville Road Warriors to help them with their postseason push.

In 13 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoff games he lit up the score sheet with 6 goals and 5 assists for 11 points before bowing out in the Eastern Conference Finals.

To start 2014/2015 he was given a contract to continue with Hartford Wolf Pack.

The huge power forward found his scoring touch as he connected for a best 14 goals, 18 assists and 32 points in 62 games and added another helper in 8 playoff contests.

The now 26-year old has been rewarded for his career campaign by scoring an NHL contract, a 1-year, two-way deal with New York Islanders.

He’ll almost assuredly will start with their affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers but could get a recall if he can keep up the scoring pace and use that huge frame to make a difference out there.

14Jun

Greger Hanson(15) Allen Americans

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4th year undrafted Swedish-born left wing Greger Hanson(15) has received his first pair of AHL call-ups this season. From his impressive play, he looks like he could easily find a spot on a roster in the league.

Signed for a second year with Allen Americans of the ECHL, he won the last Central Hockey League President’s Cup with the team in 2014.

He was a point-per-game skater in the playoffs and throughout the regular season, continuing that scoring pace in the current campaign with a +26 rating.

The not huge 5’10” 185 lbs. forward scored his first higher league goal on loan to Worcester Sharks, adding three assists and got another one through 3 games with Oklahoma City Barons.

For his first pro season he would return home to skate with Sodertalje of the second tier Allsvenskan after four years at Northern Michigan University putting up stellar numbers in his junior campaign.

The already 27-year old proven goal scorer may be running short of time to prove his game in North America but he’s easily right on the cusp of jumping up a notch on the hockey ladder.

Original story 3/18-15

For a second straight season he wins a title, this time it’s Allen Americans‘ first year in the ECHL for the 2015 Kelly Cup.

His 12 goals and 17 assists in 25 games earned him the Most Valuable Player award.

Will he head overseas next to collect some earnings that he should get or stick around. We shall see.

21Nov

Brendan Brooks(27) Bakersfield Condors

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Undrafted 17th year right wing Brendan Brooks(27) has never skated an NHL game but has managed to play in 8 different pro leagues, including 4 with North American teams and across 5 different countries.

The somewhat small-ish 5’10” 185 lbs. forward even had a formidable campaign last season appearing in only 21 games with Valerenga scoring 16 goals and 11 assists.

It was his second stint in Norway GET-ligaen. He had two of his most productive offensive years with 2014 champs Stavenger Oilers.

The 35-year old has scored 20+ goals six times in his career.

His latest stop, signing with Bakersfield Condors brings him full circle.

After only his second season of OHL junior hockey he played a single ECHL game in 1998 for Mississippi Sea Wolves.

He would then officially turn pro with Quad City Mallards of the UHL and stick with them for a couple of years.

Among the impressive resume of stops he even had one appearance along the way in the old IHL with Cincinnati Cyclones.

He worked his way up the ladder and spent four seasons in the AHL most notably for two with Worcester Ice Cats before splitting overseas.

It’s possible that he’s chosen to play closer to home, because he could be eying the next phase of his hockey lifetime.

30Jul

Joel Champagne(24) Braehead Clan

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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.

26May

Christiaan Minella(14) WBS Penguins

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Third year, undrafted right wing Christiaan Minella(14) signed a pto with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and appeared in his first 8 AHL games after spending all of his first three seasons in the ECHL.

Most of his time was with affiliate Wheeling Nailers, where he has scored 17 goals and 22 assists in 114 regular and postseason games. He did, however, start his career with hometown team Cincinnati Cyclones and appeared in 41 games (10 goals, 8 assists) before getting traded.

Almost ironically he wasn’t exactly doing especially well connecting for points in the 2012/2013 campaign before his recall, but at 6’2″ 220 lbs. he’s got big power forward size and quite possibly they saw something that would translate into higher league play.

He’s so far only appeared in three Calder Cup Playoff contests but got his first AHL goal, the game-winner to start the Eastern Conference Finals.

This could be the type of confidence builder he needs to run up his scoring totals.

At the end of this run, he’ll once again become an unrestricted free agent, but if he can continue marking up the score sheet may not have to look too far for a new contract.

03May

Chad Johnson(30) & Cedrick Desjardins(30)

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A pair of number 30 goaltenders meet at center ice for the traditional handshake at the end of the AHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals best-of-five.

Portland Pirates‘ Chad Johnson(30) congratulates Syracuse Crunch Cedrick Desjardins(30) 0n the 3-0 series victory.

Both net minders will be unrestricted free agents as of July 1.

Chances have to be highly likely 4th year, 26-year old Johnson signs a one-year extension to stay in Phoenix Coyotes‘ system. He appeared in 4 NHL games this lockout shortened season and had a 1.21 GAA and .954 SV%.

He could easily score the back up job in 2013/2014.

27-year old Desjardins was reacquired by Tampa Bay Lightning on Valentine’s Day in a goalie swap with Montreal Canadiens. It’s his second time with the only team he’s played NHL games with, 5 total including three this past season.

He’s basically won everything at the junior and ECHL levels and is still waiting for a real opportunity in the show but for now will be concentrating on climbing that next rung with an AHL Championship.

30Mar

Michael Pelech(27) Peoria Rivermen

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4th year center Michael Pelech(27) finally struck for his first tally in his fifth AHL recall, third this season.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. power forward has been basically a point-per-game guy in the ECHL for his last couple of campaigns, including the current one, in which he has 13 goals and 33 assists in 50 contests with Cincinnati Cyclones.

Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#156 overall), he spent his entire rookie year with Ontario Reign but signed to a one-year deal with affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

He started his sophomore season with the Monarchs but was reassigned once again after 5 games with no points.

His point production also slumped slightly in 2010/2011.

By the start of his third year, he needed to find a new home and inked a deal with Toledo Walleye.

It wasn’t too far into the season though before he was traded to Cincinnati, the team that he would find his scoring stride with.

He finished 2011/2012 with them popping in 16 goals and 44 assists in 60 games, and a career best +17 rating.

He also earned a one game call-up to Norfolk Admirals.

In a no-brainer move he re-signed with the Cyclones and continued on his point scoring streak through the new year, when he started get phone calls from AHL teams.

His first call was to join his older brother Matt’s team Worcester Sharks for four games.

He got his first point, an assist.

A couple weeks later he was summoned to Connecticut Whale but failed to connect and released.

It wasn’t until his current recall to Peoria Rivermen that he finally found the back of the net.

He has been with the team through 7 games.

The still only 23-year old could very easily play out the regular season where he is or once again get reassigned soon to start the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Neither roster moves seems so bad, unless the Rivermen don’t make the playoffs and the Cyclones end in one round.

25Feb

Adam Comrie(24) Worcester Sharks

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Reading Royals‘ 3rd year defenseman Adam Comrie(24) is enjoying his most productive season as a pro scoring 17 goals and 16 assists in 45 ECHL games to go along with a +22 rating on a team that has been on top most of the year.

The tower of a 6’4″ 215 lbs. blue liner he was originally a Florida Panthers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#80 overall) but something went amiss in his second season and he asked to be released from his 3-year entry level deal that would have taken him through the end of the current season.

The details of what happened are hazy at best.

He spent most of his rookie season with Rochester Americans but was also reassigned to lower league affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones on a number of occasions.

He started his sophomore campaign with the Cyclones and was quick to strike with 3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games before departing. He would eventually sign a contract with Greenville Road Warriors to finish out the season.

The 22-year old inked a deal with the Royals about a month before the start of 2012/2013. He attended new affiliate Hershey Bears‘ training camp and was involved in exhibition game play.

He was sent back and that’s when things started to take better shape for the big d-man.

Recently signed to an spc by Worcester Sharks on an AHL call-up, he fits in pretty nicely in the higher league and will likely hit the scoresheet with decent frequency. He already has an assist in 3 appearances and should continue to step up.

21Feb

Robert Mayer(29) EHC Biel

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Montreal Canadiens‘ undrafted, 4th year, Czech/Swiss goaltender, Robert Mayer(29) only has the remainder of 2012/2013 on his three-year entry level contract and has announced before the season is even over that his opportunity to continue his pro career is better served by splitting the country for Switzerland’s NLA.

Seeing increasing less light to get any playing time in the NHL, the 23-year old signed a two-year deal with EHC Biel. He’s been recalled but only to be the backup goalie.

He’s played 81 games with Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL and posted so-so numbers on what have been so-so performing teams that has consistently failed to make the playoffs.

In his rookie season, almost exclusively skating in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones, he produced good numbers, but when he got to the Kelly Cup Playoffs he literally shut the door going 6-0-1 with a 1.54 GAA and .938 SV% that included 3 shutouts. He was named co-MVP with his fellow net minder, who he split time throughout the postseason.

He may go “home” and come back a whole number kind of player. But we’ll see.

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.

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