Manitoba Moose | CollegeHockeyPlayers

29Dec

Dan Gendur(9) Orlando Solar Bears

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5th year unrestricted right wing Dan Gendur(9) started the 2012/2013 season with an invite to participate in Springfield Falcons‘ AHL training camp.

Originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 7th round pick in the 2007 draft (#206 overall) he has some experience in the league with 20 games played but only a goal and an assist to show for it.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward spent most of the last two seasons in the Central Hockey League with the now extinct Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, where in 2011/2012 he posted 28 goals and 45 assists for 73 points in 62 regular season appearances, all career highs and good enough for top ten scoring in the league.

He was originally signed to a three-year entry level deal that expired as an unrestricted free agent with Nashville Predators in 2011 after being involved in a minor league deal.

The 25-year inked a deal with Evansville IceMen in the offseason to join the team for their inaugural season in the ECHL, moving up from the CHL to the better AA league, where he had played during his first two pro campaigns. In 14 games he tallied 4 goals and 3 assists.

But found himself to be involved in another trade that dished him and a teammate to another first season team, Orlando Solar Bears, where he currently resides and has posted 6 goals and 3 assists in 10 contests.

The winger put up 5 of those points (4 goals and an assist) in one game (12/28).

12Nov

Ryan Parent(3) Norfolk Admirals

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6th year, former 1st round draft pick of Nashville Predators in 2005 (#18 overall) defenseman Ryan Parent(3) has over 100 games of NHL experience but none since a couple of seasons ago, 4 games with Vancouver Canucks despite signing a two-year one-way contract with the team.

He spent all of 2011/2012 that he was healthy enough to play for with their new AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves but only managed to be 22 of a 76-game season.

Ironically he finished the season with a goal and 5 assists, which would have put him on pace for career highs on the scoresheet.

He also have a goal and 6 assists in the NHL.

As an unrestricted free agent approaching 2012/2013, he signed a pto with Norfolk Admirals a couple of weeks into the season.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. d-man has one assist in 6 games but is a -5 plus/minus.

Admirals must like having the 25-year old on their team though, because they inked him to an spc. Still, it looks to be a smart move on their part.

10Nov

Cody Hodgson(19) Rochester Americans

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3rd year Vancouver Canucks‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#10 overall) center Cody Hodgson(19) is back in the AHL after his first successful full season in the NHL that ended with Buffalo Sabres after a late season trade sent him eastward.

In 83 totals regular season games he picked up 19 goals and another 22 assists between the two squads.

The 6′ 185 lbs. gritty forward would have almost assuredly continued to pick up the pace in the big league this year had they not hit the roadblock called a lockout.

Everyone seems to agree though that some more playing time in the AHL (his first since being a Manitoba Moose rookie standout ) with the Sabres‘ affiliate Rochester Americans will continue to help his game reach that next level and becoming a consistent 20-goal scorer is where he looks to be headed.

Unfortunately he was recently derailed for at least a few weeks with a broken hand suffered in the third week of the season. In 9 games he’s been quick to notch a goal and 9 assists.

05Oct

Jamie Tardif (9)

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6th year right wing Jamie Tardif(9) got the 2nd campaign of his tw0-way deal with Boston Bruins off to a productive start in AHL preseason.

He scored the first two goals, including the game-winner for Providence en route to a 4-1 win.

The 27-year old has appeared in 376 AHL regular season games posting 93 goals and 91 assists.

Originally a Calgary Flames‘ 4th round pick in the 2003 draft (#112 overall), he never signed with the team despite showing some impressive scoring skills in juniors.

The 6’ 207 lbs. forward started his pro career modestly, signing an ECHL deal with Toledo Storm but managed to skate for 3 different AHL teams in his rookie year on call-up.

From there, one of his suitors, Grand Rapid Griffins saw enough promise to sign him up for his full sophomore season.

Doing well in his first full run in the AHL, Detroit Red Wings offered him a 2-year entry level deal and he stuck with the Griffins for what amounted to 4 + years.

Although he has yet to appear in an NHL game, he possesses the ability to light the lamp and plays a gritty game, so there’s a small window he still has the ability to crawl through.

We’ll see if changing to number 9 from his long-standing 25 will give his game a psychological boost.

The pic is right after he flipped the puck up and in for his goal.

01Aug

Nathan McIver(8) New York Islanders

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Long-shot 8th round pick by Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 draft (#254 overall) defenseman Nathan McIver(8) has made the most of his pro career playing 4.5 years in their system on a couple of different occasions, appearing in his first 18 NHL games with the team as well.

He’s played 36 overall, registering only a single assist but scoring isn’t exactly 6’3″ 195 lbs. blue liner’s strong point.

A couple of seasons ago with the Providence Bruins he was assessed a team and career high 178 penalty minutes. Injuries last season hampered his willingness to drop the gloves.

Free to sign with any team of his choosing for 2012/2013, his eighth year pro, the 27-year old inked a one-year, two-way deal with New York Islanders that will probably see him handing out punishment with their affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He is a veteran of 345 AHL regular season games.

08Jul

Jason King(5) St. John’s IceCaps

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Heading into his 11th pro season, St. John’s IceCaps‘ assistant captain Jason King(5) re-signs for two more years with the hometown team.

He had a pretty solid 2011/2012 year playing in a career high 70 regular season games putting up a team leading 22 goals and 19 assists. The only downside was a miserable -14 plus/minus on the second best team in the AHL Eastern Conference.

Originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 7th round pick in the 2001 draft (#212 overall), the 6’1″ 192 lbs. forward was fairly legendary with their AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose.

He also appeared in 59 NHL games, almost all with the ‘Nucks skating on the “mattress” line with the Henrik and Daniel Sedin: two twins and a King. Now that’s humor right there but he got 12 goals and 9 assists that year. Unfortunately by the next season had fallen lower on the depth chart as was strictly playing in the AHL.

The almost 31-year old is a good fit for the IceCaps.

05Jul

Evan Rankin(15) Rochester Americans

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Undrafted, 5th year pro, right winger Evan Rankin(15) spent more time in the AHL this season with Rochester Americans than he did in a lower league.

He spent his most of his first three campaigns almost entirely in the ECHL or the CHL, where he played in his rookie year.

Called up in late November, he signed to a pto and never looked back.

By early March, the 6’1″ 196 lbs. forward inked an spc to finish out 2011/2012 with the team.

He arguably ended up having a career year scoring 15 goals and adding 14 assists in 35 games.

His time in the penalty box much was limited as well with 12 pims and he’s accountable +9 plus/minus.

For 2012/2013, he was rewarded with an AHL contract to return to the Amerks.

This 26-year old could be a late bloomer.

We love this moment from his personal life that’s made it’s way to youtube. masterful.

28Jun

Marco Rosa (19)

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Entering his 10th pro season, center Marco Rosa(19) skips the country to play with Espoo Blues of the SM-liiga for the 2012/2013 season.

Hampered by post-concussion symptoms, he was limited to just 31 games during the regular season but did manage to produce close to a point per game with 6 goals and 21 assists.

He was on par to beat his career high point totals from 2 years ago until he got sidelined.

Although he did return for 9 postseason contests, he wasn’t nearly the same player, getting only one assist.

Originally a Dallas Stars‘ 8th round pick in the 2001 draft (#255 overall), the 6’ 180 lbs. forward worked his way up through the ranks first with a few years in the ECHL and for the last 5 seasons he’s been an AHL mainstay.

At 30 years old, no doubt he’s making the right decision to possible play his final years in Europe.

24Jun

Michel Ouellet(28) Boston Bruins

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10th year veteran right wing Michel Ouellet(28) was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, where he won the Calder Cup Championship last season with AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals, to Boston Bruins in a draft day deal.

If signed, he’ll most likely be reassigned to Providence to start 2012/2013.

The former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2000 draft (#124) has 190 games of NHL experience 52 goals and 68 assists.

In the AHL he has 105 goals and 131 assists in 330 regular and postseason games.

No doubt the 30-year old, 6’1″ 210 lbs. forward will bring some much needed size to the P-Bruins‘ lineup but they are certainly going to need him to regain that scoring touch to help them get back into the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons.

He could also pull some effective 4th line duties for the big club if injuries occur.

06Jun

Greg Amadio(5) Springfield Falcons

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Undrafted 9th year defenseman Greg Amadio(5) signed a two-year AHL only deal with Grand Rapid Griffins last season before being traded half way through the year to Springfield Falcons, where he finished up 2011/2012 with.

He’s never been the biggest point scorer from the blue line but the 6’2″ 225 lbs. is built like the trunk of a redwood and will go to bat for a teammate any time he’s needed.

The 31-year old has skated in 479 regular and postseason AHL games and won back-to-back Calder Cups with Hershey Bears.

Where his services will be employed in the 2012/2013 season is still up in the air, unless the Falcons have to honor the contract he signed. It might do the team well to invite the veteran d-man back for a full year of patrolling their zone.