Montreal Canadiens | CollegeHockeyPlayers

26Feb

Ben Maxwell(49) St. John’s Ice Caps

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4th year center has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride between a few teams this season, but has settled in pretty well in his AHL home with St. John’s Ice Caps, scoring 7 goals and 10 assists in 26 games.

He started 2011/2012 with Winnipeg Jets and appeared in 4 games before being waived for reassignment in mid-November, only to get picked up by Anaheim Ducks.

He skated in 6 games with them picking up an assist before he was sent down and reclaimed by the Jets.

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft (#49 overall), he played 20 NHL games but spent most of his time with their affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

He was sent to Atlanta Thrashers before the trade deadline and scored his 1st NHL goal last season.

Tough to say when he’ll get another look in the show.

He’ll likely have to ignite that scoring touch and play a bit tougher of a game to stick.

16Feb

Jeff Woywitka(2) New York Rangers

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9th year New York Rangers‘ defenseman Jeff Woywitka(2) has been in and out of the lineup and injured this season, seeing action in 26 games. He’s on the scoring sheet with a goal and 5 assists and a modest +2 plus/minus.

He was plucked off waivers from Montreal Canadiens early in the season and signed to fill the role as an alternate defenseman.

To start February, he was sent down to get some playing time in the AHL with Connecticut Whale on a conditioning stint. He appeared in 6 games and had three assists to help the team get back into the win column after going on a terrible losing skid.

Now that he has been recalled it will be interesting to see if he’ll be able to find his way back into a lineup that has settled very nicely for the Eastern Conference leaders.

He was originally a Philadelphia Flyers 1st round pick in the 2001 draft (#27 overall). He has played 277 NHL games, recording 9 goals and 55 assists.

09Feb

Louis Leblanc(20) Montreal Canadiens

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Highly touted Montreal Canadiens‘ 1st round 2009 draft pick (#18 overall), 21-year old center Louis Leblanc(20) started the season with their AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs but was called up in November and then returned in early January only to be recalled again earlier this month.

He’s made the most of his NHL playing time, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in 18 games.

In 25 games with the Bulldogs he has 9 goals and 8 assists.

Listed at 6′ 178 lbs. he doesn’t look all that big out there in whatever league he’s playing in. He is considered a sniper though and should become a valuable scoring asset once he grows into his pro game.

09Jan

Ryan Russell(20) Columbus Blue Jackets

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5th year New York Rangers 2005 7th round pick (#211 overall) center Ryan Russell(20) played his 1st NHL regular season games over the weekend on call-up from Springfield Falcons by his new team Columbus Blue Jackets.

When he couldn’t come to terms with the Rangers on a contract he signed to a two-year entry deal and then another one year, two-way deal with Montreal Canadiens but spent time only with their AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs before he was traded in the offseason to start 2011/2012.

In 2 games with the Blue Jackets (a win and a loss), he’s skated an average of 12 minutes of ice time including a good amount on the pk. He’s played 30 games in the AHL and has 9 goals and 6 assists while maintaining an even plus/minus.

His twin brother Kris Russell plays defense for St. Louis Blues. He was a Blue Jackets‘ player up until mid-November, when he was traded. They did play in the preseason together though.

30Dec

JT Wyman(15) Tampa Bay Lightning

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Give that man the puck (or two).

Signed by Tampa Bay Lightning on the first day of free agency to a one-year two-way deal, right wing JT Wyman(15) not only scored his first NHL goal but also got a helper in the same game against the team that drafted him.

Originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (#100 overall), he played 3 years in their system, mostly with Hamilton Bulldogs but skated in 3 NHL games with them, registering 0 points.

In 29 AHL games with Norfolk Admirals this season he has 6 goals and 6 assists in 29 games and on a good team is a +10 plus/minus.

17Dec

Drew MacIntyre(31) Rochester Americans

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9th year Rochester Americans‘ goaltender Drew MacIntyre(31) keeps an eye on the play in front of his net.

He was originally picked by Detroit Red Wings in the 4th round of the 2001 draft (#121 overall) and spent the first three years of his pro career with their AHL and ECHL affiliates before getting a short chance in the NHL with Vancouver Canucks, where he made a couple of appearances.

From there he bounced around in the minors signing one-year deals with Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens before inking another one-year two-way contract with Buffalo Sabres for the 2011/2012 season, ultimately ending up in Rochester.

He has played in 250 AHL games.

13Dec

Pierre Dagenais(26) Akwesasne Warriors

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14-year veteran wing Pierre Dagenais(26) has spent the last couple of seasons playing in the single A level Federal Hockey League with Akwesasne Warriors and even won the Commissioner’s Cup with the team, as the league’s best.

He’s the leading scoring so far this season with 28 goals and 20 assists in 17 games and a crazy +21 plus/minus.

He’s almost strictly a one-way player for the team and seemingly moves with incredible finesse at half speed out there and never takes the body against the opposing team’s player.

In 142 NHL games most notably with Montreal Canadiens, he put up 35 goals and 23 assists.

New Jersey Devils actually drafted him twice, once in 1996 (2nd round #47 overall) and again in 1998 (4th round #105 overall) and played for four years in their system. He is currently 33 years old.

07Nov

Mark Flood(8) Winnipeg Jets

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7th year defenseman Mark Flood(8) scored his first NHL goal with Winnipeg Jets, the team that signed him at the end of last year. He skated last season with Manitoba Moose, who were the old tenant of the MTS Centre.

It was only his 7th NHL game in a career that has seen ice time in 317 AHL games. He was called up after 11 games with St. John’s IceCaps, where he put up a goal and 6 assists in 11 games and is a respectable +4. In 3 games with the Jets he’s put up a couple of points.

He was originally drafted by Montreal Canadiens in the 6th round of the 2003 draft (#188 overall).

No doubt about it, I need to find a better picture of him, but he’s off to the left in this shot (a little out of focus).

11/9: Flood scores his 2nd NHL goal in his 4th game with the Jets.

04Nov

Ryan McDonagh(17) New York Rangers

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2nd year defenseman Ryan McDonagh(17) is stepping it up big time with the only NHL team he has ever played for, New York Rangers.

He was originally picked by Montreal Canadiens in the 1st round of the 2007 draft (#12 overall).

Last season in 40 games with the Rangers he put up 1 goal and 8 assists but most impressively was a +16 for the team. In the first 11 games of the 2011/2012 season he already has 3 goals to go along with a pair of assists.

Very doubtful that he’ll be back in Connecticut anytime soon, unless he gets injured and it’s on a conditioning stint.

02Nov

David Aebischer(1) St. John’s IceCaps

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Here’s this year’s pro hockey thinker.

33-year old, Swiss-born 1997 Colorado Avalanche 6th round draft pick (#161 overall) David Aebischer(1) is back playing in a league he hasn’t played in for over a decade, the AHL.

He won the Stanley Cup in 2001. Sure he only played in one game, because some goalie named Patrick Roy happened to be the starter.

To his credit he has 214 games of NHL experience and posts a fairly impressive 2.52 GAA and .912 SV%.

During the last four seasons he has been playing net in his native Switzerland for the team he signed with the year of the lockout, HC Lugano.

In 2011/2012 seemingly out of nowhere, Winnipeg Jets offered him a training camp tryout and he was subsequently signed and reassigned to their AHL affiliate, St. John’s IceCaps.

Weirdo fact: he has an action figure of his goaltending likeness with the Avalanche.