Elmira Jackals | CollegeHockeyPlayers

06Jun

Chris Wideman (6) Binghamton Senators

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Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#100 overall), defenseman Chris Wideman(6) started his pro career in the ECHL with affiliate Elmira Jackals.

It only took him less than a few weeks and games (posting 4 assists) to earn his first recall to Binghamton Senators in the AHL.

Other than one reassignment for an overnight and a game, in which he got his fifth helper, he was back up with the B-Sens for the remainder of his rookie season and playoffs.

In 60 games, the 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner (those numbers seem a tad inflated) scored a pair of goals and 16 assists with a +8 rating. He added a goal and 2 assists in three Calder Cup Playoff contests, tying him for the lead in postseason scoring, while he was second on the team for assists in the regular season.

The 23-year old signed a two-year entry level deal that makes him a restricted free agent at the end of the upcoming season.

He may seem small out there but he plays responsibly and showed the potential to have an offensive upside in his first campaign and throughout four years at Miami University.

Despite the abundance of good defensive specialists in the system, it would be no surprise to see him score an NHL recall.

24Dec

Brett Gallant(44) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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4th year, undrafted pugilist Brett Gallant(44) has already just about doubled a penalty minute high total from all of last season in just his first 26 games played in 2012/2013.

He’s currently second in the league with 138 pims, right behind dance partner in the pic, Bobby Robins.

The 6′ 185 lbs. left wing re-signed an AHL deal with Bridgeport Sound Tigers for a 2nd straight campaign after being recalled from Reading Royals late in 2011, where he proved his might in 17 appearances.

Not overly big-sized, the 24-year old is one tough customer to do battle with and has taken down much burlier opponents.

He started his pro career with almost two full seasons in the ECHL, leading Elmira Jackals in minutes spent in the sin bin with only half a slate of games to his credit and scored himself an invite to New York Islanders‘ prospect and training camps to put him on their radar.

19Dec

Ben Blood (44)

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Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#120 overall), rookie defenseman Ben Blood(44) has been making the one hour drive between affiliates Binghamton Senators and Elmira Jackals more times than he even thought possible in the first two months of the season, and more trips are likely on the horizon for his first year pro.

Since the start of the 2012/2013 season he has been reassigned and recalled 8 times playing 17 games in the ECHL and 4 in the AHL scoring no points yet in either league.

He also skated 4 games with the Baby Sens last season when his college career wrapped up.

His intimidating 6’3″ 232 lbs. presence and ability to make the opponents’ players suffer in the attacking zone, combined with good on ice accountability makes him a worthy asset for either squad.

The 23-year old signed a 2-year entry level deal that keeps him in the prospect pipeline through next season.

If he can add some offensive upside as he did in his college career, he’ll be one big, well-rounded skater for either Sens‘ team.

04Dec

Riku Helenius(31) Syracuse Crunch

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Tampa Bay Lightning 1st round pick in the 2006 draft (#15 overall), Finnish goaltender Riku Helenius(31) has already had quite the ride through North American pro leagues and Europe in his 5-year playing career.

In his rookie campaign he saw 7 minutes of NHL game action, 25 appearances in the AHL with then affiliate Norfolk Admirals and 11 contests with three different ECHL teams.

Entering his sophomore season he started with Norfolk but after a dozen games was reassigned to the top league in Sweden, where he stayed through the next year while still under he 3-year entry level contract.

For 2011/2012 the decision was made for him to join JYP Jyvaskyla in his home country’s SM-liiga, where he won the National Championship with the team and posted his most impressive numbers yet over the course of the regular season and in the playoffs.

The now 24-year old, 6’3″ 211 lbs. netminder was wooed back to the United States to compete for a job in the show. But due to the NHL lockout the first season of that 2-year deal (the 2nd is a one-way contract) may be spent entirely with the Lightning‘s new minor league affiliate, Syracuse Crunch. The same team that won the 2012 Calder Cup as Norfolk Admirals.

In 8 AHL starts, he’s off to an ok start with a 5-2 record on a very good team but has a not so great 3.04 GAA and .878 SV%. He may heat up as the 2012/2013 rolls on but he’s already mixed it up in a goalie fight early in his time back.

18Oct

Josh Brittain(17) Fort Wayne Komets

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A few Anaheim Ducks‘ prospects are finding themselves doubly reassigned, when they start at AHL training camp but ultimately will play games in the ECHL to start 2012/2013.

3rd year, 2008 3rd round pick (#71 overall) left wing Josh Brittain(17) is familiar with the process already as he’s skated in 47 games with Elmira Jackals over his first two seasons, so joining Fort Wayne Komets will actually be a step up at least in terms of fans in the stands.

The big 6’4″ 210 lbs., that doesn’t really look like he takes up that much space out there as his size might indicate, spent more time up in the AHL in 2011/2012 with Syracuse Crunch and recorded career highs games played (38), goals (2) and assists (4).

He was in training camp with the Ducks‘ new affiliate Norfolk Admirals and was one of the last cuts before opening night.

The 22-year old definitely needs to open up more room on the ice for himself to increase his scoring chances.

01Oct

Alec Kirschner(17) Elmira Jackals

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Undrafted 5th year center Alec Kirschner(17) has worked his way through the ranks from low double A in the former IHL, a few games in Central Hockey League and 36 games over the last couple of seasons in the single A, Federal Hockey League with Danbury Whalers to scoring another contract with Elmira Jackals of the ECHL for 2012/2013.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has easily proven he’s far too skilled for FHL with 46 goals and 38 assists or a pair of points per game player with a combined +47 plus/minus rating. The soon-to-be 26 year old is deserving of a shot in the higher league despite only posting a pair of assists in 32 games with Wheeling Nailers and the Jackals.

But still it’s an interesting team re-signing of a player on the cusp for what will be a more competitive season than usual.

20Sep

Josh Godfrey(3) Las Vegas Wranglers

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He was a high draft pick of Washington Capitals in 2007 (round 2, #34 overall), defenseman Josh Godfrey(3) never seemed to materialize much higher than their then ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, although he did play 18 games with Hershey Bears registering no goals and 6 assists.

Last season on pto’s with a poor Binghamton Senators‘ team is where he has mostly come alive, scoring a couple of goals and adding 6 assists in 38 games, all AHL career highs.

In the ECHL he’s skated in 120 games and netted 26 goals and 45 assists for a modest 71 points. He also holds the league’s hardest slap shot at 102.7 mph as clocked at the 2011 All-Star Classic.

For 2011/2012 he returns to the league signing a one-year deal to join Las Vegas Wranglers, while the AHL pool is fairly well stocked.

04Sep

Bobby Robins(21) Providence Bruins

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Undrafted 7th year center Bobby Robins(21) signed his first AHL contract since his rookie season with Binghamton Senators by re-upping for a full campaign with Providence Bruins, the team he spent 33 games with in 2011/2012. He was originally recalled from the ECHL, signed to a pto and upped to an spc as he continue to stick with the team.

The stat that pops out from his sheet is penalty minutes. He ended the regular season with 150 pims. That’s 3 games shy of a five minute (fighting) major per game. His actual number of incidents was more like 20 though, good enough for a three-way tie for 3rd in the league. It’s likely that he accomplished his feat in lesser contests than the other players did, which is a key reason why the P-Bruins found it necessary to get him under contract before the new season starts.

The knock on the team the last few years of postseason drought has been how undersized they were. This, at the very least, gives them 6’1″ 220 lbs. of protection out on the ice. The almost 31-year old also had a pair of goals and 10 assists (a career high) and we’d expect that number to go up too.

20Jul

Marco Cousineau(31) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks go for another swim in the shallow pool with their 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#83 overall), goaltender Marco Cousineau(31). He signed a 3-year entry level deal midway through 2009/2010, but has only officially played in their system for the last two.

He was outstanding in his last two seasons in juniors and won the outstanding goaltender award in the 2009 Memorial Cup Tourney.

Maybe their continuing to bank on 6′ 200 lbs. net minder finding his pro game like he did when he was younger but in a couple of seasons, he’s mostly been limited to appearances with Elmira Jackals in the ECHL and Central Hockey League.

With the Allen Americans last year he played well winning 16 and losing 4 with a 2.53 GAA and a .918 SV%.

He’s still only 22 years old, so there’s plenty of room to grow but he has to be hoping he moves up the ladder and starts a bunch of AHL games in 2012/2013 with Norfolk Admirals.

05May

John Mitchell(24) Anaheim Ducks

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3rd year undrafted left wing John Mitchell(24) was rewarded for working hard with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch despite not being signed by Anaheim Ducks with a two-year, two-way entry level NHL deal that will take him through 2014.

He originally signed an AHL contract with the Crunch as a rookie in 2010/2011 and re-signed for a second campaign last season.

The 25-year old basically had mirror image seasons on the scoresheet but was a very respectable +7 plus/minus this year and played hard for them in their first round exit of the Calder Cup Playoffs scoring a goal.

He’s listed at 6’5″ 216 lbs. which seems big from when I saw him play. But if he is, then he should be banging like an extra large power forward.