Tagged: Cincinnati Cyclones

30Dec

JT Wyman(15) Tampa Bay Lightning

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Give that man the puck (or two).

Signed by Tampa Bay Lightning on the first day of free agency to a one-year two-way deal, right wing JT Wyman(15) not only scored his first NHL goal but also got a helper in the same game against the team that drafted him.

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (#100 overall), he played 3 years in their system, mostly with Hamilton Bulldogs but skated in 3 NHL games with them, registering 0 points.

In 29 AHL games with Norfolk Admirals this season he has 6 goals and 6 assists in 29 games and on a good team is a +10 plus/minus.

 

21Dec

Brett Motherwell(25) Chicago Express

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Undrafted 5th year defenseman Brett Motherwell(25) played his first full season in the AHL last year with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Unable to find the right deal in the offseason, he finally signed a deal in early December with Chicago Express of the ECHL to join them for 2011/2012.

It’s very likely that he’ll play some games in the AHL this season on call-up, possibly with the Express affiliate Springfield Falcons.

 

12Dec

Benn Olson(33) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Get that man the puck.

Undrafted 5th year defenseman Benn Olson(33) is known more for his fighting abilities than he is for scoring touch but got his first AHL goal (in 74 games played) over the weekend.

The 6’4″ 215 lbs. pro has amassed a healthy 277 penalty minutes in the league and 300+ pims with Florida Everblades and Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.

This was his first season, where he was signed to a one-way AHL deal and looks to be making the best of the opportunity with Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He skated in 17 games with the team last year and obviously made an impression.

26Nov

Dov Grumet-Morris(1) San Antonio Rampage

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It’s a bit of a wonder that 7th year pro goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris(1) didn’t sign with at least an AHL team in the offseason after posting solid numbers for Connecticut Whale in 22 games last season (13 wins against 5 losses, 2.12 GAA and .923 SV%).

But seemingly no one bit, until recently when the first team he tended net for in the league along his journeyman career would come calling once again.

San Antonio Rampage signed him to a standard player contract, a scenario he’s a bit unfamiliar with in his time spent with 10 different teams in North American hockey. Only his two seasons overseas had him on one team for the duration, but otherwise it’s been mostly pto’s for the former star goalie at Harvard University.

The Whale did eventually sign him to a contract last year but he was third wheel as soon as their starters were healthy. The Rampage are in a similar pickle.

He posted a 5-0 shutout in his first game. It’s a wonder that he has yet to appear in the NHL.

08Nov

Cory Conacher(89) Norfolk Admirals

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cory-conacher-1

Cory Conacher is small (5’8″ 175 lbs.), undrafted and has flown under the radar for the most part.

He signed an AHL contract with Norfolk very soon after the summer free agency period began.

Tampa Bay Lightning was smart and invited him to training camp, where he scored an NHL preseason goal in his first game and impressed the management folks in St. Petersburg.

In 12 games with the Admirals, he’s already put up 4 goals and 10 assists in 12 games.

Straight out of college last year, he joined three teams on ato’s (Rochester, Cincinnati of the ECHL and Milwaukee) and lit the lamp mightily registering 13 points (9 goals, 4 assists) in 10 games.

On a side note, the 21-year old pro also plays and lives with Type 1 diabetes.

Great story about that here.

05Nov

Danny Taylor(1) Springfield Falcons

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danny-taylor-1

By the numbers, 6th year pro goaltender Danny Taylor(1) is making an argument for Springfield Falcons to sign him to an American Hockey League standard player contract.

He is currently signed to a pto.

His 2.31 GAA puts him at #17 on the AHL goalie leaders and his .931 SV% ranks 6th.

As of October 7 he signed a contract with Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL but did not appear in a regular season game.

We’ve seen it: this former Los Angeles Kings‘ 7th round pick in the 2004 draft (#221 overall) may have found his zone.

He has one game of NHL experience.

21Oct

Nathan Moon(34) Worcester Sharks

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Rookie center Nathan Moon(34) was originally drafted by Pittsburgh Penguins in the 4th round of the 2008 draft (#120 overall) but never signed with them.

After his junior career concluded last year, he went on to join Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (r.i.p.) of the Central Hockey League and won the Ray Miron President’s Cup with the team in its last season of existence. Nice way to go out.

In the San Jose system, he signed an AHL contract to play with their affiliate, Worcester Sharks for his first season. In two games he’s got an assist. It was first reported that he would play in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones but training camp was so good he got bumped up.

 

 

19Oct

Dave Leaderer(20) Milwaukee Admirals

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For the last couple of seasons, 4th year pro defenseman Dave Leaderer(20) has received call-ups to the AHL from his ECHL team, Trenton Devils. First it was with Milwaukee Admirals in 2009 and the next year he was called up within the system to Albany Devils for 5 games, where he registered his first point, an assist.

Leaving the Devils‘ nest after 212 games with Trenton, he signed for 2011/2012 with Cincinnati Cyclones, the affiliate of Milwaukee Admirals. He was called up today and will appear in his fourth game ever with the team this weekend. Coincidence?

 

 

03Oct

Mark Voakes(27) Rochester Americans

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Heading into his third pro season, winger Mark Voakes(27) signs himself an AHL contract for the 2011/2012 season with Rochester Americans after signing a pto late last year with Portland Pirates, the now former affiliate of Buffalo Sabres, and posting some impressive numbers (6 goals, 5 assists in 18 games and 3 goalsand 5 assists in 10 playoff games). He spent the entire early season in the ECHL with Greenville Road Warriors putting up good totals there too (60 games, 17 goals and 37 assists).

AHL News carried a good story about his pro career and him being a bit of a late bloomer.

One thing is for certain, in the games he skated that I was in attendance for, this guy’s got some skills. If he does get sent down again, it would be to Gwinnett Gladiators, where 2008 draft pick Corey Fienhage will likely start the year with a contract.