Guelph Storm | CollegeHockeyPlayers

Tagged: Guelph Storm

02Dec

Kerby Rychel(52) Columbus Blue Jackets

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2013 draft (#19 overall) rookie left wing Kerby Rychel(52) is wasting no time establishing his game in the top league.

He was one of the final cuts to be reassigned from training camp to affiliate Springfield Falcons. probably more to see where/how he was going to fit in with the parent club as he scored on his first ever shift in preseason and looked to stick.

The 6’1″ 215 lbs. forward was maybe a bit slow to start out of the gate with the farm team, but once he got on the scoreboard stayed consistent putting up 6 goals and 7 assists in 22 AHL games.

His efforts earned him the NHL recall everyone knew was coming and after his debut with no points, he got right to work posting three assists in his last pair of contests and has a +3 rating on a team that maybe just starting to string together wins.

There’s little doubt he knows how to connect with the back of the net, as he was a more than a point-per-game player in four seasons of junior hockey in the OHL and won the 2014 Championship with Guelph Storm. He also led the playoffs in assists and points.

At only 20 years old, he is quickly proving he’s a difference maker on the ice, even sticking up for himself in a couple of throw downs and may have seen the last of any bus trips in the minors.

He’s signed through 2017 on a three-year entry level deal.

09Apr

Andrey Pedan(3) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

New York Islanders‘ 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft (#63 overall), extra large 6’4″ 215 lbs. Russian-born defenseman Andrey Pedan(3) missed a good portion of his rookie season with minor league affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers due to an upper body injury that put him on the sidelines for almost three months.

Appearing in only 25 AHL games, he still was able to connect for 5 goals and 5 assists while playing a punishing shutdown style in his own zone.

His -1 rating is also nicely accountable on a team with a league second worst goal differential.

He’s been in the parent club’s training camps ever since he was selected but returned to junior hockey as a teenager, where he skated a few seasons with Guelph Storm before signing his three-year entry level deal.

No doubt this is a player that has been widely scouted, as he was a first round grab in both the 2010 KHL and OHL drafts.

He obviously decided to try his skates on North American ice for a shot at the NHL.

The 20-year old may return to the farm club for a full year of development in 2014/2015, but could very well be on the short list for a recall, especially if he continues to display more of his offense-minded upside.

29Jul

Tom McCollum(30) Grand Rapids Griffins

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Detroit Red Wings‘ 1st round pick in the 2008 draft (#30 overall) goaltender Tom McCollum(30) signs a one-year AHL deal to continue with Grand Rapids Griffins, the team he won the Calder Cup Championship with last season.

Heading into his 5th season, after much bandying about, he was ultimately given a qualified offer as a restricted free agent by the parent club for the upcoming campaign, but is staying put in the minors hoping to regain the form he had in junior hockey with Guelph Storm to become such a high selection.

He showed promise last season posting his first winning record at 18-11 in 31 starts on what obviously was a great team but the suits had to be looking at his overall performance to want to keep him around for another shot.

The big 6’3″ 219 lbs. net minder has appeared in 113 regular season games with the Griffins, 42 with ECHL affiliate Toledo Walleye but only one disastrous NHL contest, despite being recalled on a half a dozen or more occasions to serve as back-up.

At this point the still very young 23-year old goalie may need to catch the attention of another club to grab another big league contract.

Even though he had a winning record and better numbers than any of his previous years pro, he’s fallen low on the Red Wings‘ depth chart and will need to prove himself big.

18Apr

Michael Latta (15)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

2nd year center Michael Latta(15) was originally a Nashville Predators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft (#72 overall) and spent all of his first season and a half with their minor league affiliate Milwaukee Admirals racking up some fairly impressive numbers.

He scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games in his rookie campaign and although his production hitting the back of the net went down to 9 in his sophomore season his helpers total almost doubled to 26.

The 5’11” 209 lbs. forward also saw a marked increase in penalty minutes going from 100 to 184.

He also put up triple digits in pims the last two seasons of juniors with Guelph Storm.

Recently involved in a trade that brought him to Washington Capitals‘ organization for the final year of his three-year NHL entry level deal, he was reassigned to their AHL team Hershey Bears.

In 6 games he has one assist and has spent 12 minutes in the box.

He’s also has a -5 rating, a first in the negative column for the 25-year old.

His style of play is very tenacious, in-your-face and there seems to be little doubt that he will be able to impact the scoresheet as he fits in with team chemistry.