Tagged: Hartford Wolf Pack

01Sep

Andrew Carroll(13) Idaho Steelheads

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3rd year undrafted Hershey Bears‘ center Andrew Carroll(13) might consider changing his number next season.

He’s yet to blossom into a goal scorer in a couple of AHL seasons (3 goals in 52 games) but it took him until the final game of the 2011/2012 season to net his first, which may get him to think about a switch.

He did establish career highs this year with 68 games played, 5 assists, 6 points, 138 pims, and an ouch -5.

In 79 games in the ECHL he has 40 goals and 22 assists.

We think he’ll re-sign with the Bears for next season.

Original story: 4/17-12

Late, almost at the start of 2012/2013 he signed with Idaho Steelheads.

Halfway through the season he was loaned to Hartford Wolf Pack and even signed a deal before being returned for the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs, where he connected for 3 goals and 5 assists in 15 games.

He had basically similar totals from the previous season in half the games in the AHL but was almost a point-per-game producer in the ECHL with 12-19-31 in 36 totals.

Heading into 2013/2014 he didn’t have to wait long for a contract signing an extension to stay in Connecticut.

Almost ironically he would be a late cut from training camp reassigned to affiliate Greenville Road Warriors but after a couple months of unproductive skating with a horrid -20 rating he was moved along to Bakersfield Condors.

In 50 games, he didn’t completely restore himself but he got at least 8 goals and 8 assist before taking it up a notch in the postseason.

Post that performance, he fully disappeared. There’s very little as to why or where he went last season.

For his 6th pro season though, the just turned 30-year old is back and signed on to rejoin Idaho Steelheads for 2015/2016. He had his best offensive campaign with them and the chemistry may still be there.

27Aug

Chad Nehring(16) Hartford Wolf Pack

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Chad Nehring(16) would finish up the 2014/2015 season still under the pto with Hartford Wolf Pack and had a respectful first full year skating 53 games, scoring 4 goals, 8 assists with a +2 rating and then added another two tallies and a helper in 15 Calder Cup Playoff contests.

This production was obviously good enough for the aggressive checking forward to land another year in Connecticut as he’s signed on to his first AHL contract in entering his fifth pro outing.

We fully expect the recently turned 28-year old’s offense to jump up another step.

 

01Aug

Bretton Stamler(48)

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Bretton-Stamler

After 5 games (3 assists) to start the season with new team, Gwinnett Gladiators defenseman Bretton Stamler(48) would get his recall, once again via Hartford Wolf Pack and spent the next month in the AHL before being returned.

The reliable and rugged d-man played 7 games recording no points but had other plans worked out to move his game overseas joining Hamburg Freezers for the balance of the regular season.

He would record a new career high 11 assists with a goal and a +6 rating on his third team of ’14/15 campaign through 24 DEL games.

For 2015/2016 he will continue in the league but switch squads signing for a year with Augsburger Panther.

It will be interesting to see if a full slate of games will elevate his game even further for the 28-year old.

08Jul

Matt Gilroy(97) Spartak Moskva

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Undrafted 4th year defenseman Matt Gilroy(97) was an unrestricted free agent heading into the 2012/2013 season.

With no deal (or NHL) in the offseason, he inked an AHL contract with Connecticut Whale, a team he skated in 5 games with in his rookie campaign while signed with New York Rangers.  He was with the Blueshirts for a couple of years before last season’s ride started with Tampa Bay Lightning and ended with an underdog playoff bid by Ottawa Senators that brought him back to MSG for some postseason play against his former team.

The 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner displayed an offensive-minded upside in his college career but has yet to ignite the same sort of chemistry in the show. He was the Hobey Baker award winner in 2009 as the top player in college hockey.

In 13 AHL games this season he has 3 goals and 6 assists but more importantly brings some big league experience and accountability to the ice in every game.

Once/if the NHL gets their sides to meet somewhere in the middle, the 28-year old could find himself with a suitor or two for what will probably be a two-way deal at the league minimum salary cap.

Original story: 11/25-12

After 34 games with the farm team scoring 6 goals and 9 assists with a -16 rating, he was signed for 2013’s post-lockout season with New York Rangers and skated 15 games getting no points.

He parlayed that into a one-year contract with Florida Panthers and opened the 2013/2014 campaign with 16 games for the team until getting reassigned for the balance of the stint to affiliate San Antonio Rampage, where he did pretty nicely popping in 10 goals and 11 assists in 42 contests.

For his sixth pro season he inked an overseas deal with Atlant Moscow Oblast and had some of his best offensive production yet connecting for 9 goals and 24 assists in 60 KHL games.

The 30-year will stay in the country for 2015/2016 and play for Spartak Moskva.

It will be interesting to see if he can maintain his new affinity with the score sheet.

02Jun

Tim Kennedy(13) Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

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4th year center Tim Kennedy(22) has been bouncing around from team-to-team for the last couple of seasons, skating NHL and AHL with 5 different teams.

He went from New York Rangers‘ organization to Florida Panthers and has landed in Worcester with his most current deal getting him traded to San Jose.

He played one full season NHL season with Buffalo Sabres (84 regular season and playoffs games, 11 goals and 18 assists) in 2009/2010, then got waived by them after he was awarded a $1 million deal through arbitration for the next year.

Since he has played in 33 more games, all with the Panthers. 26 of the contests were this year, where he scored 1 goal and 1 assist but had a -11 plus/minus.

In 170 AHL games he has 36 goals and 100 assists.

Since arriving in Worcester he’s almost a point per game player with 3 goals, 8 assists in 12 games but is a dismal -9.

He was originally drafted by Washington Capitals in the 6th round of 2005 (#181 overall).

He’s a small-ish presence out there at 5’10” 179 lbs. but is crafty with the puck and could be a point producer in the NHL, but needs to add a bit more muscle into his game.

Original story: 2/27-12

After spending a full season in San Jose Sharks‘ system playing in another 13 games with the parent club, which netted him a pair of goals, he signed a one-year deal with Arizona Coyotes for 2013/2014 and split time in the NHL and AHL with Portland Pirates.

He skated in a career high 37 games in the show getting 2 more goals and adding 6 assists but was not retained for another run.

Coming full circle he signed for 2014/2015 with the team that selected him 9 years earlier Washington Capitals, but was reassigned early and played the entire season with their farm club Hershey Bears, where he had his second best ever point totals at 59 in 75 games.

For his 8th season, the 29-year old leaves North American hockey for a go in the KHL with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

17Mar

Corey Potter(28) Calgary Flames

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Almost a month after his 2nd recall from affiliate Adirondack Flames, Calgary Flames‘ 9th year defenseman Corey Potter(28) finally got into a couple of games to extend his streak of big league appearances to seven seasons in a row.

In 125 NHL big league contests, for two seasons with Edmonton Oilers he appeared in games only at the highest level and has skated the bulk of his games with the Canadian club (111).

Otherwise, he’s had a few nods here and there: from draft team (4th round in 2003, #122 overall) New York Rangers over a couple of seasons, 1 with Pittsburgh Penguins and most recently 3 looks from Boston Bruins after being grabbed off waivers.

The 6’3″ 205 lbs. has played 352 AHL games scoring a modest 28 goals and 125 assists but is an absolute mammoth of on ice accountability with an overall +97 rating.

At 31-years old he still has some more seasons left in the tank but it’s a bit of a wonder if he gets another major contract or plays out his time in the minors mentoring prospects and heads into coaching when it’s time to finally hang up the skates.

See related: 3/28-11

22Feb

Mackenzie Skapski(70) New York Rangers

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New York Rangers‘ 6th round pick in the 2013 draft (#170 overall) rookie goalie Mackenzie Skapski(70) had been playing well for minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack earning him a first recall to the parent club.

He got pressed into action as King Henrik is injured and the complete workload is tough to unload solely on back up Cam Talbot.

In his first NHL game he saved 24 of 25 shots in the 3-1 victory, which gives him a 1.00 GAA and .960 SV%, quite literally a very good start.

The 6’3″ 198 lbs. net minder has a 12-7-3 record in 24 AHL games with a 2.38 GAA and .916 SV%.

In three years of juniors with Kootenay Ice, he consistently put up better numbers each season and was a workhorse playing 65 then 53 games in his last two campaigns.

The 20-year is signed to a three year entry level deal so has plenty of time continue his development but no doubt now that he’s had a taste of the big league it will be tough to go back to riding buses.

He is also one of the few players each year to appear in all three premiere leagues in one hockey season, as he started his pro career with a game in the ECHL for Greenville Road Warriors.

18Feb

Fight Card: Harry Zolnierczyk(16) vs. Steve Spinell(44)

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Not exactly a battle of the giants: Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ 6’ 185 lbs. Harry Zolnierczyk(16) vs. Hartford Wolf Pack 6’2″ 216 lbs. defenseman Steve Spinell(44).

Unsure of what set this one off but the smaller Zolnierczyk was feisty enough to hold his own.

It was both combatants first and probably only fight of the 2014/2015 season.

The best part of the fight though are the people’s expressions in the background, especially the guy that pops in and out of shots.

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12Feb

Mat Bodie (2)

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New York Rangers‘ undrafted rookie defenseman Mat Bodie(2) was captain of the Union College team  that won their first, a Cinderella Story style, 2014 NCAA Championship in his fourth and final season.

They did win back-to-back ECAC Championships in 2012 and 2013.

He slipped under the radar possibly due to where he was playing and even though his numbers have been good, his somewhat small 6′ 175 lbs. size may have been slightly prohibitive for other clubs to take the chance.

They were definitely missing a pretty smart playing blue liner that’s a sharp thinker on ice and can put up points, which is necessary because his physical game is definitely low impact.

He already seems to be out there as a player with more pro experience despite this being his first season. It’s likely it’s due to him already being 24-years old when he started.

Signed to only a one-year entry level deal, he was a bit of a late cut from training camp.

Reassigned to start with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack, he’s managed to get 3 goal, 14 assists and has a +1 rating in 48 AHL games with a squad that’s fighting for their playoff life.

The parent club will probably want to continue to watch this prospect develop.

He’s set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season and it would be a surprise to see them step away from a qualifying offer to stay put.