Las Vegas Wranglers | CollegeHockeyPlayers

11Apr

Mark Owuya(1) Reading Royals

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Undrafted, 2nd year Swedish goaltender Mark Owuya(1) is in the final season of his 2-year entry level contract he signed with Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011.

He has played virtually an identical amount of games in both the AHL with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies and ECHL affiliate Reading Royals. He was also in net for a half dozen games on reassignment with Las Vegas Wranglers this season.

At least in his sophomore campaign he didn’t spend as much time on the bus as he did in his rookie year, when he was recalled and sent down on 10 different occasions.

He was only reassigned half that much this season.

How a goalie is to get into any kind of a groove with that sort of schedule is a wonder but he’s the pro with the contract, so he adapts.

At 6’2″ 198 lbs. he certainly takes up a good part of the net and has a fairly smooth, somewhat unorthodox style that he makes work.

The 23-year old could easily slide back and play in the Swedish Elite League, Elitserien, where he was coming off back-to-back great seasons for Djurgarden and also won the league’s best SV%.

We’ll see.

19Mar

Adam Huxley(32) Las Vegas Wranglers

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After playing 8 games on a pto with Bridgeport Sound Tigers to fill-in their tough guy role, 9th year right wing Adam Huxley(32) was just released and rejoins Las Vegas Wranglers, as they ready for another Kelly Cup Playoff run.

He has spent his entire pro career in the ECHL playing exclusively for Western Conference teams. He’s played in 479 games in the league with 45 goals and 63 assists to his credit, along with 1863 pims. He regularly eclipsed the 200-minute mark in 6 seasons of play.

The 6′ 200 lbs. forward has also appeared in 31 AHL games with three different teams scoring one assist and always putting up a healthy amount of time in the sin bin.

Hockeyfights credits him with 178 regular season bouts but there’s none listed for his rookie season, when he amassed his career high almost 300 penalty minutes. He also has two NHL preseason fights.

Where the 29-year old decides to sign for his 10th campaign will be interesting to see. It always is for the pro whose playing style is akin to a stick of dynamite.

16Feb

Scott Campbell(4) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted 2nd year center Scott Campbell(4) has spent the majority of his playing time in the ECHL with Las Vegas Wranglers. He’s skated in 75 games, signed to successive one-year contracts, with the team.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. forward has 19 goals and 22 assists with a combined +11 plus/minus and added another 8 goals and 2 assists in 18 2012 Kelly Cup Playoff games, advancing all the way to the Finals before being defeated.

He started his pro campaign under an ato joining Houston Aeros after his collegiate career was done. He received call-ups in his rookie season with Rochester Americans and Texas Stars for a total of 12 games but failed to notch his first point in the league.

The 26-year old once again was on the radar for an AHL recall and got the ring from Bridgeport Sound Tigers to join them just before the Christmas holiday push.

He’s certainly making his mark, continuing to prove he belongs in the upper league with 2 goals and 5 assists in 17 games. He was recently rewarded with a contract to stay for the remainder of 2012/2013 and hopes to keep contributing to make that step up from the get-go next year.

No doubt he has the assets to be a legitimate power forward but seems to shy away from getting too involved, using more of a hard skating style to create his chances by stealing pucks and being in the right place at the right time.

20Sep

Josh Godfrey(3) Las Vegas Wranglers

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He was a high draft pick of Washington Capitals in 2007 (round 2, #34 overall), defenseman Josh Godfrey(3) never seemed to materialize much higher than their then ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, although he did play 18 games with Hershey Bears registering no goals and 6 assists.

Last season on pto’s with a poor Binghamton Senators‘ team is where he has mostly come alive, scoring a couple of goals and adding 6 assists in 38 games, all AHL career highs.

In the ECHL he’s skated in 120 games and netted 26 goals and 45 assists for a modest 71 points. He also holds the league’s hardest slap shot at 102.7 mph as clocked at the 2011 All-Star Classic.

For 2011/2012 he returns to the league signing a one-year deal to join Las Vegas Wranglers, while the AHL pool is fairly well stocked.

12Jul

Nick Ross(42) EC Red Bull Salzburg

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Former Phoenix Coyotes‘ 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#30 overall) defenseman Nick Ross(42) had his most productive season yet in the AHL (5 goals, 13 assists) despite playing only 35 games for Portland Pirates.

He was a healthy scratch for too many games in the final season of his 3-year entry level contract but obviously didn’t let that hinder his on-ice performance.

The 6’1″ 206 lbs. 23-year old blue liner was not issued a qualifying offer to return for 2012/2013 despite finally showing some signs of life and being more than accountable with a +16 plus/minus rating.

No worries, as he takes his pro game overseas to the Austrian Hockey League/Erste Bank Eishockey Liga signing with EC Red Bull Salzburg.

He’s still so young that we can easily see him continue to develop and impress enough to score another NHL contract down the road.

09Jul

Mathieu Beaudoin(26) Hershey Bears

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6th year right wing Mathieu Beudoin(26) is set to join Hershey Bears for the 2012/2013 season. It will be his fifth AHL team in the last five years for the undrafted, 28-year old.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward is definitely capable of finding the back of the net with reasonable consistency but was injured for two months in the middle of last season with a dislocated thumb and couldn’t find the groove with Portland Pirates after reaching career highs in goals, assists and points in 2010/2011.

He was on the Texas Stars‘ team that went all the way to the Calder Cup Finals and lost to these very same Bears.

So, once again becoming an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season after his one-year two-way deal with Phoenix C oyotes was up, the Bears wasted no time signing him to an AHL contract to fill the roster with more veteran leadership.

For the first time in recent memory, Hershey‘s team seems to be full of intangibles. It’s a bit of a wonder what type of season they’re going to have, which never happens.

25Jun

Colin Long (10)

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ restricted free agent center Colin Long(10) may have been reading the tea leaves with his decision to join Dusseldorfer EG Metro Stars of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) for 2012/2013, leaving that status on the table for now.

It was the final year of his 3-year entry level contract, which saw his playing time limited to just 53 AHL games with San Antonio Rampage and last season Portland Pirates, due to head and upper body injuries that continued to follow him.

He also played 50 games in the ECHL with Las Vegas Wranglers during his second year and was almost a point per game skater.

The former Coyotes‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#99 overall) doesn’t exactly have the size out there at 5’11” 186 lbs. but he does bring an edginess to his style, when he’s fully involved in the game.

Coming from a couple of years of big numbers in juniors, bigger things were expected of him but sidetracked due to multiple injuries to the 23-year old.

There’s still plenty of time for him to develop if he can stay healthy.

31May

Dany Sabourin(35) Hershey Bears

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Heading into his 13th season, Hershey Bears‘ goaltender Dany Sabourin(35) signs a one-year, two-way extension with Washington Capitals‘ organization for a third straight season.

Originally a Calgary Flames‘ 4th round pick in the 1998 draft (#108 overall), he has almost always consistently put together a winning season for whatever club he’s been with.

The 31-year old has played in 59 NHL games mostly with Pittsburgh Penguins over a few seasons and appeared in net with Vancouver Canucks and the Flames as well.

In the AHL he has 278 regular and postseason contests to his credit.

Whomever the Bears end up with to split time with him in the upcoming season, he is more than capable of shouldering the starting job or splitting the 76-game schedule with another netminder as he did in 2011/2012.

He has been recalled by the Caps but yet to tend for them in a game. Maybe that will change in 2012/2013.

09May

Alex Bourret(22) Wichita Thunder

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Wichita Thunder 6th year right wing Alex Bourret(22) was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 1st round pick in the 2005 draft (#16 overall).

He started his pro career playing 168 AHL games with a few different teams, a couple of trades later.

By his fourth year, he seemed to burn out or something because he went off the pro map playing a couple of games in the LNAH, 16 in the Czech Elite League and even 16 in the Asian Hockey League but each of the last two seasons also kept a toe-hold in North American hockey with a couple of teams in the ECHL.

For 2011/2012 season, he signed with the Thunder of the Central Hockey League and tore it up with 57 points (20 goals, 37 assists) in 43 games and a mighty +20 plus/minus.

The 5’10” 205 lbs. 25-year old forward was called up for 6 games with Worcester Sharks this season and chipped in with 3 helpers. It was his first action in the A since 2009.

By all indications he should be playing in higher league. He helped Wichita to the Ray Miron President’s Cup Finals but was injured and limited to 14 games (5 goals, 9 assists).

25Apr

Mike Brodeur(29) Houston Aeros

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For the first time in his 8-year pro career, goaltender Mike Brodeur(29) didn’t sign a contract to play with a team for the 2011/2012 season.

This is after two seasons in the Ottawa Senators‘ system, where he appeared in 7 games from 2009-2011. Last season he appeared in NHL, AHL and ECHL games.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, he signs a pto 3 weeks before the end of regular season with Houston Aeros and finds himself to be the back-up but would come in to relieve an injured Matt Hackett in each of the first two games AHL Calder Cup Playoffs and got the call to start game 3 backstopping 31 shots for the 1-0 win to put them back in the series.

Aeros did get bounced from the Calder Cup Playoffs by Oklahoma City Barons on Tuesday night.

Originally a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 7th round pick in the 2003 draft (#211 overall), it’s a wonder where the 29-year old will end up next season. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him go the Europe route.