Hartford Wolf Pack | CollegeHockeyPlayers

05Feb

Jeff Taffe(20) Hershey Bears

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Hershey Bears‘ 11th year, veteran center was originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 1st round pick in the 2000 draft (#30 overall) but was traded before ever playing with the team.

He signed his first AHL only contract since the last lockout in 2004/2005, when he was a member of Utah Grizzlies for a partial campaign.

Despite only appearing in 180 NHL games, the almost 31-year old forward has managed appearances in each of his pro years. He has 21 goals and 25 assists to his credit, skating with 6 different teams.

In the minors though, he’s amassed a hearty 533 games, scoring 185 goals with 244 helpers.

At 6’3″ 209 lbs. he’s always a big presence to contend with in front of the net and is the consummate team guy.

What the future holds for him is anyone’s guess but with 9 strikes and 29 assists in 43 contests, he leads the Bears . in scoring.

He’s good to have around if a team needs some points and has five 20 goal seasons and 8 years of 20+ assists (with one year where he hit the 50 mark).

He was selected to appear in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game when a teammate was on call-up.

19Jan

Mike Mottau(3) Toronto Marlies

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Heading into 2012/2013 13th year defenseman Mike Mottau(3) was an unrestricted free agent with 313 NHL games to his credit.

Originally a New York Rangers‘ 7th round draft pick in 1997 (#182 overall) he has skated with 5 different teams, his hometown Boston Bruins‘ being the most recent he skated with last season. He was acquired in a trade deadline deal and wore a spoked “B” for 8 games, including 2 in the playoffs.

With a lockout looming, the 34-year old blue liner had a decision to make: either sign a deal with an AHL team or risk not playing for a full year and potentially wrapping up a nice, long career.

He chose the former and inked a pto to join San Antonio Rampage, making his first appearances in the league since 2007. In 16 games, he put up 7 assists and was a +5 plus/minus helping stabilize the team to jump back into the playoff picture.

Offered a chance to fight for a spot on Toronto Maple Leafs‘ roster in a shortened training camp the 6’ 193 lbs., 2000 Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey, took it.

He had a strong enough showing that he was signed to a 1-year, two-way contract for the shortened season. Reassigned to their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies, he played his first game with his new team notched an assist in the loss.

15Jan

Bryce Lampman(27) Portland Pirates

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Originally a New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2001 draft (#113 overall) defenseman Bryce Lampman(27) is probably best known for his days with their then farm club, Hartford Wolf Pack. He played 287 AHL regular and postseason games with the team and had two 25 point seasons.

He spent the last couple of years skating with a pair of teams in the German Elite League (DEL) before returning to North America to play in 2012/2013 with the first year ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.

In 21 games, the 30-year old blue liner could be on a bit of a scoring tear with three goals and 9 assists. He could realize career highs on the scoresheet if he’s not careful.

He was recently signed to a pto by Portland Pirates as some of their regulars abandoned them for NHL training camps.

The last time the fairly steady 6’1″ 200 pounder played in the AHL was a cup of coffee a couple of years ago with Houston Aeros but the year prior he was on the ice for 54 games with Peoria Rivermen, where he had a 20 point season.

He has dressed for 10 NHL games (all with the Blueshirts, of course) with no points.

14Jan

Patrick Rissmiller(28) Worcester Sharks

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Heading into the 2012/2013, undrafted 11th year left wing Patrick Rissmiller(28) found himself in somewhat unchartered territory: without a contract to play.

He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado Avalanche for last season but for the first time in awhile failed to receive a big league call-up from their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters.

The 6’4″ 220 lbs. power forward has skated in 192 NHL games scoring 18 goals and 28 assists including two full seasons with San Jose Sharks, where he also appeared in 30 postseason match-ups.

In the AHL, he has played a phenomenal 524 games, lit the lamp 125 times and dished out 227 helpers but a disturbing trend to his game is also a combined -40 plus/minus.

Signing a pto halfway through the season with Worcester Sharks, the 34-year old Massachusetts’ native comes full circle as he spent his college playing time at Holy Cross and started his pro career in 2002 with then San Jose farm team Cleveland Barons.

The hope is that he comes alive with some hometown cooking.

28Dec

Hugh Jessiman(19) Binghamton Senators

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8th year, former New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2003 draft (#12 overall), gigantic right winger Hugh Jessiman(19) signed a one-year, two-way deal with Ottawa Senators for the 2012/2013 season.

He (and every other eligible player) was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators to start the new campaign.

The 6’5″ 233 lbs. mammoth has only ever skated in a pair of NHL games a couple of seasons ago with Florida Panthers.

He’s played 455 AHL regular season games with 7 different teams and last season posted a career high 27 goals and 44 points with Lake Erie Monsters and Abbotsford Heat.

By all accounts he should be a power forward that is impossible to move from the front of the net and a consistent 20+ goals, 20+ helpers forward.

In 25 games so far this season the 28-year old has 6 goals and 4 assists.

23Oct

Julien Brouillette (29)

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Undrafted 5th year defenseman Julien Brouillette(29) started his pro career in the ECHL but has played the last two seasons exclusively with AHL teams.

He had career highs for games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (74-7-14-21-24) last season in the league with Hershey Bears, who he was signed with for the season.

The small-ish 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner re-upped with the club for 2012/2013 but was a healthy scratch for the first contest and reassigned to their new ECHL affiliate Reading Royals midweek for a game to get in some playing time.

He was inserted into the lineup for their second road contest and scored his first of the new campaign but sat for the home opener the next night.

The soon-to-be 26-year old will likely always be the type of player that needs to earn his spot.

07Oct

Paul Crowder(11) Wheeling Nailers

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4th year undrafted center Paul Crowder(11) started the season in Austria’s Erste Band Eishockey Liga with Znojmo Ovli HC but got injured half a dozen games into the season and was put on waivers.

No problem as the 27-year old returns for a third ECHL season with Wheeling Nailers, where he has found a home and a good deal of success in addition to being named team captain last season.

In 94 regular and postseason games, he struck for 31 goals and 50 assists and had just joined the team when they made their Kelly Cup run that took them to the Eastern Conference Final.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward started his career signed to a one-year entry level deal with New York Rangers but played his entire rookie season in the AHL with Hartford Wolf Pack.

He failed to get a call-up in his sophomore year but was recalled by Manchester Monarchs for 5 games in last season.

He definitely has size to his advantage but even if he’s playing on an energy line should show more of a flare for scoring like he does in the lower league.

06Sep

Fight Card: Dane Byers (34) vs. Sena Acolatse (14)

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Opponents got much more than they bargained for mixing it up with Worcester Sharks‘ rookie defenseman Sena Acolatse(14) last season than they probably expected.

Standing in at only 5’11” 205 lbs. he may have not seem like a lot to handle, but once those gloves come off opponents quickly found him to be much stronger than his size might indicate and on the losing end of the battle.

Springfield Falcons 6’3″ 202 lbs. veteran left wing Dane Byers(34) got himself acquainted, only to get pummeled in his exchange with the smaller player.

Both guys will be around again with their respective teams for 2012/2013, so we’ll see if any rematch ensues.

Watch the fight here.

25Aug

Brodie Dupont(9) HC Valpellice Bulldogs

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Facing unrestricted free agency status, 6th year left wing Brodie Dupont(9) jumps ship after one dismal season with Milwaukee Admirals to skate with HC Valpellice Bulldogs of Italy pro hockey for 2012/2013.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. forward was originally a New York Rangers 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft (#66 overall) but skated only one NHL contest with the team. He appeared in 297 AHL games with their affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale scoring 58 goals and 90 assists before being traded as an rfa to Nashville Predators at the start of 2011 free agency.

The 25-year old is a big man on ice but seems to lack the aggressive follow through punch that would make him a more effective power forward. Maybe the time overseas will help his overall game.

11Aug

Lee Baldwin(77) Greenville Road Warriors

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Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Lee Baldwin(77) signed a 2-year entry level deal with New York Rangers to start his pro career. But that didn’t necessarily mean if he failed to make the NHL roster he was automatically going to end up with their AHL affiliate. In fact, he played in more ECHL games over the last two seasons with Greenville Road Warriors (85 total, 8 goals and 21 assists with a +16 rating) than he did with Connecticut Whale (38 for 0 points).

Heading into 2012/2013 as an unrestricted free agent, the 24-year old, 6’4″ 205 lbs. blue liner, signed a one-year deal to play again with the Road Warriors. No doubt, if Connecticut needs a defenseman, he’ll be the first called up, signed to a pto.