Tagged: Montreal Canadiens

15Apr

Hunter Bishop (11)

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Undrafted, 2nd year left wing Hunter Bishop(11) signed with South Carolina Stingrays to begin 2012/2013 after an injury put him on the sidelines for all of the previous season.

It just so happened to be the final year of his 2-year entry level deal with Montreal Canadiens.

He became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the contract.

He put up great numbers: 2 goals and 3 assists in 9 games with minor league affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs, when he joined the team after leaving his college career at Ohio State University on the shelf.

Come Calder Cup Playoff time though, he was unable to duplicate the success scoring only one assist in 12 contests.

The 6′ 196 lbs. forward started his rookie season on the injured reserve list and was reassigned to Wheeling Nailers, when he was ready to return and duplicated his output on an ato in higher league just six months earlier.

He was recalled and stuck in the AHL through the entire campaign but was limited to only 4 goals and 4 assists in 34 games.

The 25-year old struck stats gold again in the ECHL with the Stingrays hitting the back of the net on 24 occasions and offering up 25 helpers in 48 games.

He finished the season as their leading scorer with a +13 rating.

He received a brief pair of call-ups to Lake Erie Monsters and Rochester Americans but was held scoreless.

It wasn’t until a couple of months ago that he found another home in the AHL with Manchester Monarchs.

He has been with the club for 21 games on a pto putting up 3 goals and 2 assists (another 5 point mark).

He meshes well with team chemistry and will likely play out the regular season, or return home to Alaska as his lower league team was bounced from the playoff picture in the first round.

He is likely to be on an AHL roster out of training camp in 2013/2014.

Hunter Bishop

09Mar

Ian Schultz(21) San Francisco Bulls

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Montreal Canadiens‘ 3rd year right wing prospect Ian Schultz(21) has been shuffled around a bit more than he likely planned this season.

After two campaigns with AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs (6 goals and 17 assists in 60 games last season, all career highs), he failed to make the team out of training camp and was reassigned to ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers (13 games, 2 assists). He wasn’t alone either; it was a pretty big group of names. From there though he was moved again within the league to join Utah Grizzlies.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward had better luck with that squad putting up 7 goals and 8 assists in 27 games but is better known for his fisticuffs than goal scoring strength.

He earned a short-lived recall to the Bulldogs that lasted only a couple of games before being returned.

Recently he was shuffled again in a minor league deal that the parent club allowed him to be traded to San Francisco Bulls for the remainder of the year.

The 23-year old was originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#87 overall) but was dished to the Canadiens as a minor piece of a bigger transaction before his skates ever hit officially hit the ice for the team.

His 3-year entry level deal expires at the end of the season and where he ends up from here is anyone’s guess.

Ian Schultz

21Feb

Robert Mayer(29) EHC Biel

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Montreal Canadiens‘ undrafted, 4th year, Czech/Swiss goaltender, Robert Mayer(29) only has the remainder of 2012/2013 on his three-year entry level contract and has announced before the season is even over that his opportunity to continue his pro career is better served by splitting the country for Switzerland’s NLA.

Seeing increasing less light to get any playing time in the NHL, the 23-year old signed a two-year deal with EHC Biel. He’s been recalled but only to be the backup goalie.

He’s played 81 games with Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL and posted so-so numbers on what have been so-so performing teams that has consistently failed to make the playoffs.

In his rookie season, almost exclusively skating in the ECHL with Cincinnati Cyclones, he produced good numbers, but when he got to the Kelly Cup Playoffs he literally shut the door going 6-0-1 with a 1.54 GAA and .938 SV% that included 3 shutouts. He was named co-MVP with his fellow net minder, who he split time throughout the postseason.

He may go “home” and come back a whole number kind of player. But we’ll see.

Robert Mayer

 

 

11Jan

Mark Mitera(17) Reading Royals

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Anaheim Ducks‘ former 1st round pick in the 2006 draft (#19 overall) defenseman Mark Mitera(17) must have been doing his own workouts with a wait and see attitude before finally signing with ECHL Reading Royals for the remainder of the 2012/2013. He did have a tryout agreement with St. John’s IceCaps that fizzled.

His three year entry level deal was up at the end of last season. He finished with 75 games for Hamilton Bulldogs after being traded to parent club Montreal Canadiens early at the start of free agency in 2011.

At 6’3″ 213 lbs. he figured to be a bruising blue liner that simply beat his opponents into submission once he turned pro after four big years playing college hockey but that has yet to be realized.

Signing with the affiliate of AHL Hershey Bears could be a smart move for the 25-year old as chances are reasonable that he’ll receive a call-up with them, or he’ll sign a pto elsewhere as soon as post-lockout hockey begins to unfold and settle.

Mark Mitera

 

14Dec

Peter Delmas(39) Wheeling Nailers

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Montreal Canadiens‘ goalie prospect Peter Delmas(39) started his third season in the AHL with Hamilton Bulldogs but only has a handful of games played to his credit with the team. He was signed to a three-year entry level deal after his rookie season, so he’s good until 2014.

He’s mostly been tending net for ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers, where he’s put up some strong numbers and took the team to the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of seasons ago.

The still very young 22-year old net minder was recently reassigned once again to rejoin the Nailers for what becomes a three-peat with West Virginia club. He has thus far sputtered in 3 Bulldogs‘ appearances in 2012/2013 going 0-2 with a 3.49 GAA and .865 SV%.

At 6’3″ 190 lbs. he’s the perfect size to tend and somewhat ironically he never had the best numbers in juniors but has shown those flashes and will have to display more of it in to play in the higher league, as there’s already two top goalies filling those spots this NHL lockout season.

Peter Delmas

13Dec

Jason Missiaen(31) Greenville Road Warriors

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New York Rangers‘ goalie prospect Jason Missiaen(31) is signed to a three-year entry level deal through next season.

He played exclusively in the ECHL with affiliate Greenville Road Warriors in his rookie campaign putting up respectable numbers with a couple of visits north to Connecticut Whale on recall but no game minutes.

To start 2012/2013 the mammoth 6’8″ 220 lbs. goaltender was a natural fit for an AHL job and what do you know got the nod in net on opening night. He would eventually get yanked at the start of the third after letting up 5 goals on a 38 shot barrage.

The 22-year old big man in the crease has gotten off to a soft start in his sophomore season posting a 2-3 record, which isn’t horrible but his 4.94 GAA and .850 SV% could definitely use some work.

And work he will likely get as he was recently reassigned back to Greenville to fine-tune his shot-blocking confidence.

He’s got the size and the skills but still looks to be figuring out how to move that frame into position quicker to stop more shots.

He was originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#116 overall) but was never signed.

Jason Missiaen

02Aug

Brett Festerling(5) Nürnberg Ice Tigers

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Heading into his 6th pro season, undrafted defenseman Brett Festerling(5) figures trying out hockey in a different country for right now is the route to take, as he signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL for the 2012/2013 season.

The 6’1″ 208 lbs. blue liner has appeared in 88 NHL games in each of his last 4 years, mostly with Anaheim Ducks, who he was initially under contract with from 2007-2011. He registered no goals and 8 assists.

In 2010/2011, he found himself on the trading block three times, finally ending up with Atlanta Thrashers‘ farm team Chicago Wolves.

From there the now 26-year old re-signed with Winnipeg Jets for 2011/2012 and put up some AHL career highs with their affiliate St. John’s IceCaps scoring 15 assists, 18 points and a +8 plus/minus, while making it to the Eastern Conference Finals with the team in its’ inaugural season.  He also appeared in 5 NHL games with the Jets.

An interesting bloodline fact to him picking Germany as his next place to play professionally in, his twin brother Garrett plays there and his grandfather is a native of the country.

He was also captain of the Vancouver Giants team that captured the Memorial Cup in 2007.

29Jul

Phil DeSimone(10 ) Albany Devils

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Center Phil DeSimone(10) was originally a Washington Capitals‘ 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft (#84 overall) but never signed a deal to play with the team.

Instead he scored himself an invite to join Montreal Canadiens‘ training camp on a tryout. It went well enough for the 6’1″ 191 lbs. forward that he offered a one-year AHL contract to join their affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs for his rookie season.

He appeared in all 76 regular season games scoring 14 goals and 19 assists, good enough for fourth overall. Playing with a club that struggled in net though, he had an eye-popping ugly team high plus/minus -30.

Heading into his second year as an unrestricted agent, New Jersey Devils‘ welcomed him to skate at their 2012 prospect camp, yet strangely wasn’t listed on their roster. Impressive enough as one of the older attendees, they hooked him up with Albany, where he took another AHL contract to continue his pro career.

At the very least, he should have a much better netminding situation and might even show more strength up front for a few more points.

27Jul

Jay Leach(2) New Jersey Devils

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New Jersey Devils‘ defenseman Jay Leach(2) will be entering his 12th pro year at the start of next season. He re-signed for another 0ne-year, two-way deal that will possibly see him taking over as team captain for their AHL affiliate in Albany.

Originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 5th round pick in the 1998 draft (#115 overall), it wasn’t until four years of bouncing between ECHL and AHL teams that he got his first taste of NHL action with Boston Bruins. He’s appeared in 70 games with 5 different teams scoring only one goal and adding a pair of assists.

He’s never really been counted on for his scoring touch so much as his 6’4″ 215 lbs frame to keep the attackers at bay.

The almost 33-year old has what seems to be a small-ish count of 439 regular season AHL games to his credit. You’d think he’s played more but he also has a surprising 177 ECHL contests on his resume.

This could be his final season playing. We could see him going into coaching with ease, if that’s where he sees the next step in his hockey career.  He barely play any last season succumbing to what seemed like a series of injuries.

 

 

 

16Jul

Jimmy Bonneau(43) Worcester Sharks

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Big and tough guy Jimmy Bonneau(43) signed up for another season to keep the opposing players honest for Worcester Sharks, a job he handled with ease for the team in 2011/2012.

Going into his 8th pro year, the 6’3″ 220 lbs. left wing inked an AHL standard player contract to return.

He isn’t exactly looked to for goal scoring but put in a modest pair of pucks in the net, while dishing out 3 assists. His penalty minutes were up there for 54 games played at 168, which tied him for team lead in the category and was the leader in fighting majors with 22. Worcester led the entire league in fights (120).

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 8th round pick in the 2003 draft (#241 overall), he skated mostly with their ECHL affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones before bouncing around the AHL with a few clubs, including another trip back to Hamilton Bulldogs.

For the time being though, he’s found a home in Central MA.