Hamilton Bulldogs | CollegeHockeyPlayers

06Mar

Andreas Engqvist(22) Montreal Canadiens

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Undrafted 2nd year center Andreas Engqvist(22) has been recalled and reassigned 6 (and counting) times by Montreal Canadiens from their AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

He’s back with the big club again but in 11 games this season he has still yet to register his first NHL point. He has played 14 total contests so far. In 44 AHL games with the Bulldogs he has 18 goals and 16 assists for a team leading 34 points.

At 6’4″ he is a rangy player but doesn’t carry the weight (197 lbs.) to match his height.

His current deal is a 3-year entry level contract. Look for him to bulk up in the offseason and likely qualify for another year with the Canadiens.

No doubt the 24-year old big man from Stockholm, Sweden has some skills. They’re just not on full display in North American style hockey yet. He is somewhat injury prone.

03Mar

Brock Trotter(9) St. John’s IceCaps

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25-year old undrafted 5th year center BrockTrotter(9) moves for a second time in the 2011/2012 season. He was acquired by Phoenix Coyotes at the beginning of the year in a three player and draft pick deal and sent to their AHL affiliate Portland Pirates.

In 35 games he has 12 goals and 19 assists but is a dismal -11 plus/minus.

He spent the 1st three years of his pro career signed with Montreal Canadiens to a three-year entry level contract. In the final year of that deal, he put up 36 goals and 41 goals in 75 games and went a mighty +33 on ice.

You can bet that he was looking for a one-way contract after that kind of season. Although in a pair of games with Montreal he didn’t register a point and went a -1.

For 2010/2011 he decided to sign in the KHL and played pretty well for Riga Dynamo but was offered a one-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens again and decided to return to North American hockey.

Now he has been reassigned in an AHL player swap by Phoenix to St. John’s Ice Caps for the remainder of the season and if healthy will play against his former teams before the end of the year and possibly in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

26Feb

Ben Maxwell(49) St. John’s Ice Caps

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4th year center has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride between a few teams this season, but has settled in pretty well in his AHL home with St. John’s Ice Caps, scoring 7 goals and 10 assists in 26 games.

He started 2011/2012 with Winnipeg Jets and appeared in 4 games before being waived for reassignment in mid-November, only to get picked up by Anaheim Ducks.

He skated in 6 games with them picking up an assist before he was sent down and reclaimed by the Jets.

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#49 overall), he played 20 NHL games but spent most of his time with their affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

He was sent to Atlanta Thrashers before the trade deadline and scored his 1st NHL goal last season.

Tough to say when he’ll get another look in the show.

He’ll likely have to ignite that scoring touch and play a bit tougher of a game to stick.

09Feb

Louis Leblanc(20) Montreal Canadiens

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Highly touted Montreal Canadiens‘ 1st round 2009 draft pick (#18 overall), 21-year old center Louis Leblanc(20) started the season with their AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs but was called up in November and then returned in early January only to be recalled again earlier this month.

He’s made the most of his NHL playing time, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in 18 games.

In 25 games with the Bulldogs he has 9 goals and 8 assists.

Listed at 6′ 178 lbs. he doesn’t look all that big out there in whatever league he’s playing in. He is considered a sniper though and should become a valuable scoring asset once he grows into his pro game.

28Jan

Mitch Wahl(51) Utah Grizzlies

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After suffering a season ending concussion in his 2010/2011 rookie year, Calgary Flames‘ 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft (#48 overall), center Mitch Wahl(51) is starting it a bit slow to begin his second campaign in the pros.

After appearing in 6 games to start the season with ECHL Utah Grizzlies, where he put up 5 goals and two assists, he was recalled to Abbotsford Heat to find a spot in their lineup. He skated in 5 games with them but failed to get on the scoring sheet and was loaned by the Flames to Hamilton Bulldogs.

Recently recalled and reassigned once again to Utah, he picked up where he left off scoring a goal in his first game back.

With the Bulldogs, he had 2 goals and 3 assists in 22 games and went a +1 plus/minus.

25Jan

Marc-Antoine Pouliot(23) Phoenix Coyotes

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Former Edmonton Oilers‘ 1st round pick in 2003 (#22) and former Rimouski Oceanic linemate of Sidney Crosby, forward Marc-Antoine Pouliot(23) got an early New Year’s gift with a recall by the new NHL team he signed with as a free agent in the offseason, Phoenix Coyotes.

In 9 games he has a pair of assists and is a -3 plus/minus.

He skated in 168 NHL games with the Oilers to start his career and had 21 goals and 32 assists. In three games last season with Tampa Bay Lightning he had no points.

In the AHL he’s basically a point per game player but just has yet to be able to translate that to the higher league.

For Portland Pirates he has four goals and 12 assists in 25 games and is a +4 player.

In his 7 pro seasons he’s played more games in the NHL 4 times to 3 in the AHL.

09Jan

Ryan Russell(20) Columbus Blue Jackets

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5th year New York Rangers 2005 7th round pick (#211 overall) center Ryan Russell(20) played his 1st NHL regular season games over the weekend on call-up from Springfield Falcons by his new team Columbus Blue Jackets.

When he couldn’t come to terms with the Rangers on a contract he signed to a two-year entry deal and then another one year, two-way deal with Montreal Canadiens but spent time only with their AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs before he was traded in the offseason to start 2011/2012.

In 2 games with the Blue Jackets (a win and a loss), he’s skated an average of 12 minutes of ice time including a good amount on the pk. He’s played 30 games in the AHL and has 9 goals and 6 assists while maintaining an even plus/minus.

His twin brother Kris Russell plays defense for St. Louis Blues. He was a Blue Jackets‘ player up until mid-November, when he was traded. They did play in the preseason together though.

30Dec

JT Wyman(15) Tampa Bay Lightning

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Give that man the puck (or two).

Signed by Tampa Bay Lightning on the first day of free agency to a one-year two-way deal, right wing JT Wyman(15) not only scored his first NHL goal but also got a helper in the same game against the team that drafted him.

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (#100 overall), he played 3 years in their system, mostly with Hamilton Bulldogs but skated in 3 NHL games with them, registering 0 points.

In 29 AHL games with Norfolk Admirals this season he has 6 goals and 6 assists in 29 games and on a good team is a +10 plus/minus.

13Dec

Pierre Dagenais(26) Akwesasne Warriors

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14-year veteran wing Pierre Dagenais(26) has spent the last couple of seasons playing in the single A level Federal Hockey League with Akwesasne Warriors and even won the Commissioner’s Cup with the team, as the league’s best.

He’s the leading scoring so far this season with 28 goals and 20 assists in 17 games and a crazy +21 plus/minus.

He’s almost strictly a one-way player for the team and seemingly moves with incredible finesse at half speed out there and never takes the body against the opposing team’s player.

In 142 NHL games most notably with Montreal Canadiens, he put up 35 goals and 23 assists.

New Jersey Devils actually drafted him twice, once in 1996 (2nd round #47 overall) and again in 1998 (4th round #105 overall) and played for four years in their system. He is currently 33 years old.

26Nov

Dov Grumet-Morris(1) San Antonio Rampage

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It’s a bit of a wonder that 7th year pro goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris(1) didn’t sign with at least an AHL team in the offseason after posting solid numbers for Connecticut Whale in 22 games last season (13 wins against 5 losses, 2.12 GAA and .923 SV%).

But seemingly no one bit, until recently when the first team he tended net for in the league along his journeyman career would come calling once again.

San Antonio Rampage signed him to a standard player contract, a scenario he’s a bit unfamiliar with in his time spent with 10 different teams in North American hockey. Only his two seasons overseas had him on one team for the duration, but otherwise it’s been mostly pto’s for the former star goalie at Harvard University.

The Whale did eventually sign him to a contract last year but he was third wheel as soon as their starters were healthy. The Rampage are in a similar pickle.

He posted a 5-0 shutout in his first game. It’s a wonder that he has yet to appear in the NHL.