Los Angeles Kings | CollegeHockeyPlayers

02Nov

Adam Mair(11) retired

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12 year veteran center Adam Mair(11) has hung up his skates.

He’s played a total of 685 NHL regular season games scoring 38 goals and 76 assists, while racking up 829 penalty minutes.

Last year he was limited to 32 games for Springfield Falcons of the AHL because of an ankle injury, which required midseason surgery to repair, and also lost playing time to a 4-game suspension for a hit to the head.

The 33-year old forward probably thought it was going to be to difficult to sign a contract in yet another NHL lockout year (he sat idle during the first one in 2004/2005), so this was a good time to call it a career.

He’ll easily be remembered as a player for his 7 seasons in a Buffalo Sabres‘ uniform making sure opponents were held accountable.

His grit and determination will be missed but his path in hockey continues as he signed on to be the Director Of Player Development for Canisius College Golden Griffins in where else, downtown Buffalo.

31Oct

Jordan Hill(5) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | 1 Comment

Undrafted 3rd year Ontario Reign defenseman Jordan Hill(5) signed a pto with Bridgeport Sound Tigers to help their recently depleted blue line guards and in his debut at the end of the weekend scored his first AHL goal of the season in the team’s 5-2 loss.

In 58 games over the last two years with Manchester Monarchs he has a total of 2 goals.

The 6’2″ 195 lbs. d-man had only one assist in six ECHL games before his recall, so it’s not like he’s exactly known for lighting the lamp. Although he did have some decent totals in juniors.

He inked a one year deal to rejoin the Reign for 2012/2013, the team he started his pro career with before traveling back and forth between coasts on pto’s with Manchester.

The 23-year plays a feisty, gritty style but is too often on the minus side of the scoresheet. He needs to add more muscle into his game and better ability to move the puck from defense to offense.

We’ll see where this scoring surge goes but he could find himself hanging around in the AHL as he has league experience.

08Sep

David Kolomatis(6) Los Angeles Kings

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Manchester Monarchs‘ defenseman David Kolomatis(6) is heading into the final season of his 3-year entry level deal with Los Angeles Kings, yet it will be his fourth season in the prospect system.

In a strange arrangement for his rookie season, he signed a series of pto’s with the Monarchs.

His numbers through three AHL seasons have stayed relatively the same, reaching 20+ assists in each of the campaigns. The relatively small-ish looking blue liner at 5’11” 195 lbs. did suffer his first career injury sidetracking him for some of 2011/2012.

One increasing attribute to his game is his improved, more accountable defensive zone play.

Chances are he’ll put up career high numbers in 2012/2013, but it still might leave him short on the depth chart to make his first NHL appearance.

The 23-year old was originally a Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2009 draft (#126 overall), which strangely fell after he signed a pto with Providence Bruins at the end of the 2008/2009 regular season.

24Aug

Cam Paddock(11) Frederikshavn

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9th year grisly veteran center Cam Paddock(11) started last season with Manchester Monarchs after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Los Angeles Kings right before the 2011/2012 season started.

He appeared in 39 AHL games scoring 2 goals and 3 assists and then seemingly disappeared. The 29-year resurfaced, without much of an explanation from the parent club other than they terminated his contract, back in Germany (where he skated in ’10/’11) with Ausburg Panthers for the remainder of the year.

The one-time 5th round pick of Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2002 draft (#137 overall) switches up countries for the new season, joining Frederikshavn White Hawks in the Danish hockey league AL-Bank Ligaen.

The 6’2″ 192 lbs. forward has nasty written all over his game and has played in 16 NHL games, all with St. Louis Blues, registering a goal and a pair of assists to his credit.

It’s likely he’ll ride out his pro career overseas at this point.

22Aug

Ray Kaunisto(24) St. John’s IceCaps

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Undrafted left wing Ray Kaunisto(24) needed to find a new hockey home for 2012/2013 after he was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team he had spent the first two years of his pro career with, Los Angeles Kings in their prospect system.

He skated only with their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs putting up a marginal 15 goals and 21 assists in 131 regular season games. He did post bests in games played, assists and points last season (74 – 15 – 22).

At 6’4″ 193 lbs. much more offensive production would be expected of a player that has power forward size written all over him.

St. John’s IceCaps stepped up with a one-year AHL contract to see if the 25-year old is ready for his breakout year.

We’re sure a few extra pounds of muscle on his frame couldn’t hurt his chances of scoring, battling in front of the net. He’s a fun guy to follow on Twitter @rayk71.

14Aug

David Meckler(55) Los Angeles Kings

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Los Angeles Kings‘ soon-to-be 6th year left wing David Meckler(55) originally signed an AHL only contract with Manchester Monarchs in 2007, his rookie season to stay in the system of the team he was drafted by in the 5th round of 2006 (#134 overall).

From there he scored an NHL 3-year, two-way entry level contract that still kept him fighting for a recall from the triple A minor league team.

The 25-year old signed a one-year, two-way deal last season after putting up a good season, which followed a couple years of deteriorating numbers. He had a weird hand injury that kept him from more than 44 regular season games and 4 postseason contests in 2011/2012 but did alright with 10 goals, 7 assists and a +10 plus/minus.

The 6′ 213 lbs. forward will see if he can rebound in 2012/2013 and earn his first recall to the show. In 342 AHL games, he has 74 goals and 61 assists. He should be 20/20 on the scoring sheet.

13Aug

Jake Muzzin(3) Los Angeles Kings

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3rd year defenseman Jake Muzzin(3) was originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th round pick in the 2007 draft (#141 overall) but never signed with them and instead inked a 3-year entry level deal with Los Angeles Kings that saw him on the team’s opening night roster in his rookie season, 2010.

He was ultimately reassigned and recalled a few times that year but managed to skate in 11 games notching a single assist, while averaging some 12-13 minutes of ice per contest.

That has basically been it though as he enters his third season, having accepted the Kings‘ qualifying offer to stick around.

In 116 regular season AHL games with their affiliate Manchester Monarchs he netted 10 goals and assisted on 39 more.

The 6’2″ 216 lbs. 23-year old blue liner put up career bests: goals (7), assists (24), points (31) and penalty minutes (40) in also a high, 71 games.

He’ll probably need an outstanding training camp to get another look in the show. “I get knocked down…”

07Aug

Andrew Campbell(2) Los Angeles Kings

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Los Angeles Kings‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#74 overall) defenseman Andrew Campbell(2) is rewarded with a two-year, two-way contract after posting career high assists, points and plus/minus last season with their top minor league affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

In 76 2011/2012 regular season games he scored a pair of goals and added 17 assists with a +14 rating, good enough for 2nd on the team.

He has yet to make his NHL debut but with his consistent play over the last two years, the 24-year old has to be close to a recall.

The xl-sized 6’4″ 207 lbs. prospect has already skated in a hefty 298 AHL games. Although he plays a physical game defending the zone, the big blue liner could continue to add more muscle and a little extra weight for greater impact.

05Aug

Garrett Roe(13) Adirondack Phantoms

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2nd year left wing Garrett Roe(13) re-signed an AHL contract to skate with Adirondack Phantoms for 2012/2013. As a rookie he was fifth on the team in overall scoring with 8 goals and 32 assists in 70 games. He also ranked second in helpers.

Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#183 overall), he never signed with them, although participated in a few of their development camps.

He’s not overly blessed with size standing only 5’9″ 180 lbs, but obviously has a knack for controlling the puck and dishing it to teammates that can put it in the back of the net.

He should get another look from the parent Philadelphia Flyers at their upcoming training camp and who knows the 24-year old may just impress enough to score himself a two-way contract.

16Jul

Eric Neilson(29) Syracuse Crunch

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8th year right wing Eric Neilson(29) is known mostly for not shying away from any on ice situation and it certainly serves a much needed role on any team. In 47 games last season he scored one goal and was assessed 74 minutes in the penalty box, a surprising career low.

For the 2012/2013 he signed a one-year standard AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch, which essentially keeps him in the same system that he spent last season with, the Calder Cup winning Norfolk Admirals. He did not appear in a playoff game though.

Still at 6’1 201 lbs., the almost 28-year old forward is one of those players that’s better to have on your team than have to play against.

He was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2004 draft (#143 overall) but really didn’t spend any time with the team but rather played a few seasons in the ECHL before moving up a notch.

He was also one of the guys on that 2005 Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL champion team with Sidney Crosby.