Tagged: Florida Everblades

Mike Cornell

Undrafted rookie defenseman Mike Cornell(4) spent five seasons in the Eastern (Junior) Hockey League starting as a high school age player before skating four years at University Of Maine. where he served as team captain in his final campaign.

He signed an ato out of college with Florida Everblades and appeared in 6 games dishing 4 helpers and also played in 13 Kelly Cup Playoff games, where he recorded 5 assists with a +8 rating through a pair of rounds before getting eliminated.

The not exactly huge out there 5’11” 190 lbs d-man plays a very physical game guarding the zone with his life pretty much.

To begin his first year pro he re-signed with the Everblades scoring his first goal and adding 5 assists in 12 ECHL games. He also owned a tidy +10 plus/minus.

Only  a month into the season Bridgeport Sound Tigers came a-calling and signed him to a pto.

He fit right in to the team’s style pretty much from the get-go and before you know it he’s 26 AHL games in and inked an spc to stay.

The late starting 25-year old has two goals and 5 assists with a -5 on a young squad that struggles at times.

He also has a coach that’s been telling him to shoot the puck, because he’s already put 47 shots on net and that’s definitely added to his ability to connect on the score sheet.

This one gets a #nicesurprise.

 

Justin-Peters

Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft (#38 overall) 8th year goaltender Justin Peters is finding his footing and looks to potentially take over the number one job in net.

In 16 NHL games this season he has a 6-8 record but his 2.23 GAA and .925 SV% always gives his team a chance to win.

He’s played 63 total games serving mostly as back-up net minder with appearances in each of the last 5 seasons.

The 6’1″ 210 lbs. goalie has played in 214 AHL games sporting a nifty 2.64 GAA and .912 SV%. He is on the record books with Charlotte Checkers for best in both categories in a single season, most shutouts in a year and overall and has appeared in two All-Star Games receiving best net minder for his play in the 2013 skills competition.

He was re-signed to a two-year contract extension with 2013/2014 as a one-way deal. It will be tough to reassign the player without losing him on waivers.

The 27-year old will likely be staying put with the only team he’s dressed for.

John Muse (40)

John Muse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3rd year, undrafted goaltender John Muse(40) was selected as the AHL player of the week after posting a pair of perfect games with Charlotte Checkers on loan from Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.

Irony of ironies, he was signed to a contract with the Checkers for his rookie season after four years at Boston College, where he won 2008 and 2010 NCAA Championships.

The 5’11” 175 lbs. net minder also played more than half his first campaign with Florida Everblades, ultimately helping lead the team to a Kelly Cup Championship.

He was also named Playoff MVP for his outstanding 1.78 GAA and .939 SV% over 13 games to the title.

Carolina Hurricanes took notice and signed him to a 1-year entry level deal but the impending lockout basically derailed any promise of him guarding the cage in the show despite being recalled on one occasion.

In his sophomore season, he spent even more time in Charlotte and Florida but wasn’t retained before ultimately moving on.

Now coming full circle (albeit a small one) he is back where he started, but there could be too many stacked pads for him to steal the starter job or even ride the pine until his next opportunity.

Oh, did we mention the East Falmouth, MA-born native was in Providence Bruins‘ training camp on an invite?

We are still lead to believe that with continued good play the 25-year old with once again find himself signed to an NHL contract.

Alex Hutchings1

4th year left wing Alex Hutchings(11) will put on the skates for Gwinnett Gladiators in 2013/2014.

Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round pick in 2009 (#93 overall), he was signed to a 3-year entry level deal but spent most of his playing time in the ECHL with affiliate Florida Everblades than he did in the AHL with Syracuse Crunch or Norfolk Admirals.

In the last two campaigns in the league, the 5’10” 178 lbs. forward recorded almost a point-per-game with 26 goals and 32 assists in 63 games.

He set similar marks in four seasons of junior hockey in the OHL with Barrie Colts, where he exploded for 111 goals and 97 assists.

At only 22-years old, he’ll likely continue to occupy the score sheet in the lower league and will likely receive a call-up or two but will have to contribute more to stay put.

Giant-sized 6’7″ 249 lbs., undrafted 11th year defenseman Brent Henley(44) will don the jersey of his 21st pro hockey team, when he jumps shores to continue his career in the EIHL with Nottingham Panthers for 2013/2014.

He has skated most of his time in the ECHL amassing 248 games and 1189 penalty minutes in the league, while posting 9 goals and 38 assists.

He’s also played in 114 AHL contests, most recently last season in 5 appearances with Lake Erie Monsters.

The 32-year old was a member of Fort Wayne Komets through three different leagues, playing 164 games and won a pair of titles with the team, 2008 IHL Turners Cup and 2012 Central Hockey League President’s Cup.

Most awesomely though, he started his career with Colorado Gold Kings of the WCHL in 2001/2002.

Brent Henley1

Undrafted, 3rd year giant-sized center Brayden Irwin(29) was released from his pto with Norfolk Admirals and returned to Florida Everblades to help them with another Kelly Cup run.

The 6’5″ 219 lbs. forward has seen action in 20 AHL games in 2012/2013 scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.

In 38 ECHL games, he’s struck for 14 goals and 15 assists. He also won last year’s championship with the team, registering 6 goals and 7 assists in 17 postseasons contests on the way to victory.

Originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal with Toronto Maple Leafs, he played his only pair of NHL games directly after wrapping up his collegiate career at University Of Vermont.

From there he skated 45 games with their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The 26-year attended St. John’s IceCaps‘ training camp but was released and rejoined Florida for another campaign.

Brayden Irwin

Undrafted 2nd year center Scott Pitt(44) won the ECHL Kelly Cup in rookie season with Florida Everblades, the team he joined fresh out of college at the end of the year before.

The 6′ 175 lbs. forward was a bit of a scoring machine popping in 22 goals and 36 assists in 63 games.

Going into the 2012/2013 season, he signed a deal with Greenville Road Warriors that led to a training camp invite from Connecticut Whale.

He actually played in their opening game but was released from his pto soon afterwards and sent back down.

In 10 games with the Road Warriors he’s at it again tallying 3 goals and 7 assists already.

What the 24-year lacks in overall size he definitely makes up for in the speed and getting into those open spaces on the ice department.

He played 6 games on recall with Charlotte Checkers last season, scoring 0 points but regardless of that expect him to get another crack at the Whale lineup as soon as the injury bug starts biting.

 

After viewing the first 8 Connecticut Whale 2012/2013 regular season games from the stands, defenseman Sebastien Piche(7) gets reassigned to help their ECHL affiliate Greenville Road Warriors.

Originally undrafted he was signed by Detroit Red Wings to a 3-year entry level deal but spent most of his playing time with either their AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins or in the lower league with Toledo Walleye.

He somewhat luckily went from skating (or not) last season with the Griffins but was traded in a late transaction that sent him to Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was immediately sent all the way down to Florida Everblades for the remainder of the year; and his contract. He was given a qualifying offer at the end of the season.

The 6′ 202 lbs. blue liner played in all 18 Kelly Cup playoff games with the Everblades on their way to winning the Kelly Cup. He scored 2 goals and added 9 assists in postseason play.

He has the ability to connect with the scoresheet and looked pretty solid in the one preseason game we saw him take part in; and also put up numbers in juniors.

Maybe the 24-year is continue to work his game. He signed an AHL contract for 2012/2013 and bets are good he’ll receive a call-up quickly but will need to contribute.

 

6th year left wing Kenndal McArdle(22) was a former Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2005 draft (#20 overall) but has yet to realize his potential, putting it lightly.

At 5’11” 190 lbs. he really doesn’t have that much size up front yet he definitely can be a pest to play against.

He’s never had what you’d call a stellar goal scoring season in the AHL, where he’s mostly been relegated to, aside from the 42 NHL games he’s appeared in with the Panthers and last season with Winnipeg Jets one year removed.

His totals are minimal at one goal and a pair of assists.

In 54 games last season split with St. John’s IceCaps to start before being loaned to Portland Pirates, he scored 10 goals and 8 assists, while amassing 98 minutes in penalties.

He was also part of that magical Vancouver Giants‘ team that won the Memorial Cup in 2007.

The still young 25-year old signed a try-out deal to play with Norfolk Admirals in 2012/2013. There’s no time like the present for this player to start answering the bell.

 

2nd year defenseman Jeff Dimmen(6) had the type of rookie year he probably didn’t expect.

After signing an AHL contract with Norfolk Admirals for 2011/2012, he played in 64 regular season and 6 postseason games en route to winning the Calder Cup Trophy. The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner put up some respectable numbers in the process scoring 3 goals and 15 assists (1 in the playoffs), while showing much accountability in his own zone with a +10 plus/minus.

He made his pro debut at the end of 2011, inking an ato with Portland Pirates and skated in 14 total games for them notching an assist.

It a bit of a surprising move, the 26-year old has signed a one-year deal with Florida Everblades of the ECHL for the 2012/2013 season. Expect him to get a camp invite and the first recall with Syracuse Crunch for the upcoming campaign.