Grand Rapids Griffins | CollegeHockeyPlayers

27Mar

Alexandre Giroux(12) Springfield Falcons

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High 5’s for 11-year Springfield Falcons‘ veteran center Alexandre Giroux(12) for scoring his 700th career AHL point, a goal last weekend.

He has 364 goals and 336 assists in 764 regular season games played, which is a pretty incredible feat.

He’s not exactly having a career year for scoring this season with 24 goals and 26 assists in 58 games; yet he’s still in the top 20 for points in the league.

In the last three seasons, he’s either won top scorer or come in second.

He’s skated in 48 NHL games scoring 6 goals and 6 assists.

At 6’3″ 202 lbs. he’s a pretty big power forward and has the ability to get in tight and score some goals but has never quite been given the chance.

We remember two and a half great seasons when he was with Hartford Wolf Pack, signed to New York Rangers, who he only played one game for.

He’s only signed with Columbus Blue Jackets for a year, but we hope they re-up with him for another season.

28Jan

Aaron Gagnon (25)

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Originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 8th round pick in the 2004 draft (#240 overall), center Aaron Gagnon(25) got his first crack at the big league a couple of seasons ago, while under contract with Dallas Stars.

In 21 games over two seasons, he registered 0 goals and a pair of assists.

He mostly skated with their AHL affiliate Texas Stars and has played over 250 career games, picking up 57 goals and 78 assists with 4 different teams.

Winnipeg Jets signed him to a one-year, two-way contract just after free agency began.

In 33 games this season with St. John’s IceCaps he has 8 goals and 12 assists but as a 5th year pro plays with a sense of purpose and accountability out there.

He was recently call-up for his first taste of NHL this year but was quickly returned as the team went into a low period off for the All-Star break.

In the game, which all his IceCaps‘ teammates attended he skated 12 shifts for 8:38 of ice time and went a -1 plus/minus.

20Jan

Mike Thomas(17) Grand Rapid Griffins

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Former Saint John Sea Dogs‘ captain and Memorial Cup winner, undrafted winger Mike Thomas(17) signed an spc to play with Springfield Falcons to start his pro career.

To start 2012 though, he was reassigned to the ECHL Chicago Express, where he posted no points in 2 games before being quickly called back up.

In 25 AHL games, he only has a goal and 3 assists to go along with a -6 plus/minus in limited minutes of play.

He has never been a prolific goal scorer but has good size (6’1″ 204 lbs.), which Grand Rapids Griffins look to develop in the 21-year old, when they traded veteran defenseman Greg Amadio for him.

20Jan

Brett Lebda(21) Columbus Blue Jackets

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30-year old Stanley Cup winning defenseman Brett Lebda(21) signed a one-year deal with Columbus Blue Jackets after starting the season with their AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons.

Without a contract for the 2011/2012 season, he agreed to a pto in November with Springfield in hopes of making back to the NHL.

He makes that happen with an injury to the big club and good play in the minors. In 26 games he got a goal and had 9 assists, while playing at an even plus/minus. No doubt, he’s also helped the younger guys in the system, bringing 8 years of pro experience to the locker room.

As a defenseman who’s played in 367 NHL games and played for 5 years for Detroit Red Wings, he was the natural choice to fill-in.

Rumor has it the Blue Jackets had something to do with him getting signed to his tryout agreement with the Falcons.

He was undrafted and played his first season the year of the NHL lockout, signed by Detroit and playing with their minor league affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins.

17Dec

Drew MacIntyre(31) Rochester Americans

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9th year Rochester Americans‘ goaltender Drew MacIntyre(31) keeps an eye on the play in front of his net.

He was originally picked by Detroit Red Wings in the 4th round of the 2001 draft (#121 overall) and spent the first three years of his pro career with their AHL and ECHL affiliates before getting a short chance in the NHL with Vancouver Canucks, where he made a couple of appearances.

From there he bounced around in the minors signing one-year deals with Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens before inking another one-year two-way contract with Buffalo Sabres for the 2011/2012 season, ultimately ending up in Rochester.

He has played in 250 AHL games.

11Dec

Jason Williams(18) Pittsburgh Penguins

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Since 2000, undrafted center Jason Williams(18) has played games in the NHL and he played his first of the 2011/2012 season with Pittsburgh Penguins in their win over New York Islanders. He skated for 11:28 minutes, took a tripping penalty and had a shot on net.

In 448 NHL games he has 93 goals and 132 assists with Detroit (7 seasons, including a Stanley Cup with them in 2002), Chicago, Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas and now with the Pens.

He has far less career games in the AHL numbering 210 at last check (77 goals, 113 assists = a point per game) and this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins has 3 goals and 14 assists in 20 games.

08Nov

Jordan Owens (46)

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5th year undrafted wing Jordan Owens(46) signed a pto to rejoin the team he’d played most of his professional career with, Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale and was bumped up to standard players contract for 2011/2012.

In 12 games this season he’s shown himself to be a reliable veteran that no doubt provides strong leadership for the newer players on the squad.

He’s also put in a couple of goals.

He played for the last year and a half in the Detroit system with their AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins after he was traded for Whale fan-favorite, now teammate Kris Newbury.

22Oct

Manny Legace(30) Springfield Falcons

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18-year veteran goaltender started the 2011/2012 season on a training camp tryout invite from Vancouver Canucks. They released him in mid-September and from there he signed a pto with San Antonio Rampage, which lasted through one game of the AHL season.

His playing career has come full circle as he signed another pto. This time with the team he started his pro career with, Springfield Falcons. On Friday night, he appeared in his first game with the team since 1997.

Just how long this renewed relationship will last is tough to say but I would expect it to be a short return visit. In the 3-0 loss vs. WBS Penguins he looked to be in the zone and shaky sometimes on the same play.

At 38 years old and having backstopped 365 NHL games, won a Stanley Cup with Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and played in 6 different leagues (4 North American, 2 oversesas) it may be time for him to hang up the goalie skates.

12Oct

Kris Newbury(11) Connecticut Whale

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9th year pro, the tough-as-nails center, Kris Newbury(11) is in the second year of his contract extension he signed with New York Rangers in 2010 and started of the new season with their AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale with his second career hat trick.

He’s played games in the NHL in each of the last five seasons (59 games, 4 goals and 4 assists). While those totals aren’t anything to keep him up in the show, he’s still an effective agitator.

Maybe not the biggest guy on the ice (5’10” 205 lbs.), he’s one guy that it’s never any fun to tangle with.

Kris Newbury was recalled by New York Rangers 10/16.

30Aug

Ryan Keller(28) Edmonton Oilers / Binghamton Senators

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Binghamton Senators‘ captain Ryan Keller(28) leaves the team after two years and 6 games with Ottawa, his first in the NHL. He failed to register a point and last year never received a call-up but was a force in the AHL with Binghamton, leading the team to a memorable Calder Cup Championship.

He signed a one-year, two-way deal with Edmonton Oilers, which may get him some more NHL playing time opportunities but mostly he will be counted on to lift Oklahoma City Barons to deeper playoff contention than their first round exit this past season.

We’ll miss him in the Eastern Conference.