DEL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

23Feb

Colin Stuart(49) Providence Bruins

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11th year left wing Colin Stuart(49) started 2014/2015 in Sweden’s tier 2 league Allsvenskan with Malmo. It was his second tour of overseas hockey. He played in 2012/2013 for Iserlohn Roosters of the German elite DEL.

He played in 31 games scoring 5 goals and 4 assists with a +4 rating but after a few months decided to leave and sign an spc with Providence Bruins for the remainder of the season.

The 32-year, former three time captain (once in his senior campaign at Colorado College) and 2008 Calder Cup Champion is a good guy to have around for his goal scoring and leadership abilities.

In 28 AHL contests the 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has already amassed a tidy 8 goals and 8 assists.

He also has 58 games of NHL experience mostly with draft team Atlanta Thrashers and a couple of spins on the ice over two years under contract with Buffalo Sabres.

He should easily help the Boston farm club into a playoff berth.

See related: 12/6-10, 9/9-11, 12/12-11

01Feb

David Wolf(45) Calgary Flames

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Calgary Flames‘ undrafted rookie left wing, the German-born David Wolf(45) already had 7 years of pro experience playing for teams in his home country, including 5 in the top league DEL, before signing his one-year deal.

He was reassigned to Adirondack Flames to start his first season in North America.

In 35 AHL games he’s posted 12 goals and 9 assists with a +8 rating and 4 fighting majors.

He’s tied for the team lead in scoring, 3rd overall in points and second for time in the sin bin.

The big 6’3″ 215 lbs. power forward never shies away from the rough stuff and was the most penalized player in 2011/2012.

His all around solid style and ability to connect with the score sheet earned him a recall from the parent club.

In his NHL debut he skated 16 even strength shifts for 7:27 of total ice time, was 50% on the face off dot, had 1 shot on net, 2 hits and one takeaway in a 4-2 come from behind victory.

The 25-year is getting a bit of a late start but may be at the right point of game maturation to stick.

09Oct

Spencer Machacek (17)

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After attending both Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies‘ training camps on invites, 7th year unrestricted free agent, veteran right wing Spencer Machacek(17) was having a hard time finding a new hockey home.

He was released from his tryout agreement with the AHL team just before the beginning of the new season but did manage to quickly find a landing spot overseas in the German elite league DEL with Augsburger Panther.

In a pair of games he already has his first point, an assist.

Since leaving Winnipeg Jets‘ organization, where he was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft (#67 overall) and stayed with them until a late season trade sent him to Columbus Blue Jackets‘ affiliate Springfield Falcons.

Signed to a one-year extension as a restricted free agent, he once again was dealt in late season move and found himself skating with Pittsburgh Penguins‘ farm club, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

They did not offer the 6’1″ 201 lbs. forward a contract to stay on.

In his first four seasons he pretty much averaged 30 helpers in each of his campaigns.

He also dominated on the score sheet in 3 years of junior hockey with Vancouver Giants, where he won a WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup.

It would be surprising if the 26-year old doesn’t become a top scorer where he is.

We shall see.

07Oct

Nickolas Latta (39)

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Undrafted, German-born rookie center Nickolas Latta(39) takes an interesting route to starting his pro career.

After 4 years in the OHL with Sarnia Sting, under the watchful eye of New York Rangers he signed an ato with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack late last season.

In 11 AHL games he scored 1 goal, added one assist and held a +1 rating.

He was the team captain and a point-per-game player in his last campaign of junior hockey.

The 5’11” 195 lbs. skater plays a bit bigger on the ice than his size might indicate and could definitely develop into a form of a power forward style.

He was an invite to the Blueshirts‘ training camp but released early to the Pack where he would potentially signed a contract with the farm team.

A week later the 21-year old decided he was going back to Germany and signed with Kolner Haie of DEL.

His Canadian father Kenneth Latta spent the majority of his playing time in the country and still coaches.

13Apr

Derek Whitmore(11)

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Undrafted 6th year left wing Derek Whitmore(11) was having problems fitting in to a veteran laden Hershey Bears‘ lineup after signing a one-year minor league contract with the team upon his return from a short, half season stint in Germany’s DEL skating for Augsburger Panther.

He did reasonably well overseas connecting for 9 goals and 14 assists in 26 games.

Loaned in a player swap at the trade deadline to Adirondack Phantoms, the 5’11” 185 lbs. forward has benefited, scoring almost as many points with his new squad in half the time.

He’s well off his 40+ point pace from 2010-2012 in Buffalo Sabres‘ affiliate system but given another full season workload could find the mark again.

05Apr

Brodie Dupont(91) Iserlohn Roosters

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7th year center/left wing Brodie Dupont(91) circled back to rejoin the AHL team he spent the first four years of his pro career with.

He signed a pto with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack at the beginning of the season to return to North American hockey after winning the 2013 Italian Cup Championship with Valpellice Bulldogs.

That followed a less than fruitful stint traded to Nashville Predators organization and reassigned to Milwaukee Admirals.

The fairly large-looking 6’2″ 210 lbs. power forward was averaging 40 points per season in his first three years.

Appearing in only 26 games on a veteran heavy roster, he managed a goal and 5 assists with a -9 rating, when he decided to accept an offer from Iserlohn Roosters of DEL to head back across the pond to skate the remainder of 2014.

The move seemed to work as he got some of his mojo back, putting up 2 goals and 6 assists in 13 contests and another pair of tallies and helpers in the playoffs.

Impressed enough with his performance, the 27-year old re-signed to return for a full season.

29Aug

Chris Collins(21) Bakersfield Condors

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8th year undrafted left wing Chris Collins(21) has bounced around a lot in his pro career.

He will don the jersey of his 10th team when the 2013/2014 campaign starts and he puts on a Bakersfield Condors‘ sweater.

The mini 5’8″ 186 lbs. forward finished up 2012/2013 with Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins appearing in 20 regular season and 13 playoff games. He scored a combined 3 goals and 6 assists but also left them with a -8 rating. It was his second stint with the organization. His AHL totals are 44-51 in 226 appearances.

He’s appeared in 144 contests overseas, mostly in the top German DEL and has really excelled on the bigger ice surfaces posting 51 markers and 66 helpers.

The 29-year old is also prolific in the ECHL, where he’ll once again skate in the upcoming season, so we expect him to help a team that has struggled the past couple of seasons as a leader in the locker room and on the score sheet. It’s possible that he could be selected as their captain.

He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his last year with Boston College Eagles, when he put up 1.5 points per game. His outstanding performance led to an NHL contract with Boston Bruins but skated only with their affiliates.

15Jan

Bryce Lampman(27) Portland Pirates

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Originally a New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2001 draft (#113 overall) defenseman Bryce Lampman(27) is probably best known for his days with their then farm club, Hartford Wolf Pack. He played 287 AHL regular and postseason games with the team and had two 25 point seasons.

He spent the last couple of years skating with a pair of teams in the German Elite League (DEL) before returning to North America to play in 2012/2013 with the first year ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.

In 21 games, the 30-year old blue liner could be on a bit of a scoring tear with three goals and 9 assists. He could realize career highs on the scoresheet if he’s not careful.

He was recently signed to a pto by Portland Pirates as some of their regulars abandoned them for NHL training camps.

The last time the fairly steady 6’1″ 200 pounder played in the AHL was a cup of coffee a couple of years ago with Houston Aeros but the year prior he was on the ice for 54 games with Peoria Rivermen, where he had a 20 point season.

He has dressed for 10 NHL games (all with the Blueshirts, of course) with no points.

21Aug

Jamie Arniel (12)

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After three years with Boston Bruins, signed to an entry level contract, center Jamie Arniel(12) was not qualified an offer to return for another season.

He had a really poor year with their AHL affiliate Providence Bruins (only 7 goals and 17 assists in 74 games combined with a terrible -17 plus/minus), which could have contributed to them giving up on his development.

The 23-year old was originally a 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#97 overall) and there was high hopes for the always seemingly small looking 5’11” 183 lbs. forward.

In 227 minor league games he posted 43 goals and 60 assists with career highs in 2010/2011, the season he skated in his one NHL game (also the year the Bruins won the Stanley Cup).

He is said to have received a ring for his time with their practice squad, the Black Aces.

For 2012/2013 he is off to continue his professional playing career in DEL with Eisbären Berlin.

He’s still so young that it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see him put up some big numbers overseas and return to another NHL team under a two-way contract.

02Aug

Brett Festerling(5) Nürnberg Ice Tigers

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Heading into his 6th pro season, undrafted defenseman Brett Festerling(5) figures trying out hockey in a different country for right now is the route to take, as he signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL for the 2012/2013 season.

The 6’1″ 208 lbs. blue liner has appeared in 88 NHL games in each of his last 4 years, mostly with Anaheim Ducks, who he was initially under contract with from 2007-2011. He registered no goals and 8 assists.

In 2010/2011, he found himself on the trading block three times, finally ending up with Atlanta Thrashers‘ farm team Chicago Wolves.

From there the now 26-year old re-signed with Winnipeg Jets for 2011/2012 and put up some AHL career highs with their affiliate St. John’s IceCaps scoring 15 assists, 18 points and a +8 plus/minus, while making it to the Eastern Conference Finals with the team in its’ inaugural season. He also appeared in 5 NHL games with the Jets.

An interesting bloodline fact to him picking Germany as his next place to play professionally in, his twin brother Garrett plays there and his grandfather is a native of the country.

He was also captain of the Vancouver Giants team that captured the Memorial Cup in 2007.