New York Islanders | CollegeHockeyPlayers

20Oct

Micheal Haley(18) CT Whale

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Our favorite player movement of the 2012 offseason.

6th year undrafted fists of fury forward Micheal Haley(18) didn’t have to trade in his number when he to the drive up the street to join his new team.

After 5 straight seasons in New York Islanders‘ prospect system playing mostly for their affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, the now veteran 26-year old calls Hartford home.

In the offseason the unrestricted free agent was signed to a 1-year 2-way deal with New York Rangers and is currently playing the same role and penalty killing for Connecticut Whale.

He had career highs in goals (15), assists tie (10), points (25) and even managed less penalty minutes, but not by much.

He’s the type of player we love to see out there. At only 5’11” 198 lbs. he’s all guts and glory.

The pic is post-first fight to bloody up the new uniform a bit with old teammate Blair Riley.

19Oct

Kael Mouillierat(20) Idaho Steelheads

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Undrafted 3rd year forward Kael Mouillierat(20) must have been holding out to see if any higher league offers trickled in after his best pro season yet in 2011/2012 on recall by Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He finished the year having played a career high 44 AHL games and achieved bests in scoring with 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points and a mighty impressive +16 plus/minus.

With no takers, he once again signed with Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL for a third straight season. He’s an asset on the ice though as the 6′ 185 lbs. skater is basically a point per game guy with the team and in his first appearance of the 2012/2013 season he hit the scoresheet for both a goal and an assist.

Once the NHL shakes hands on a new CBA, the 25-year will almost certainly continue his playing time in the AHL.

This highlight reel goal is a thing of beauty.

14Oct

Kirill Kabanov(77) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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20-year old Moscow-born, rookie left wing Kirill Kabanov(77) comes into the pro ranks with a lot of promise riding on his shoulders.

He was a 3rd round New York Islanders‘ pick in the 2010 draft (#65 overall) that has size (6’3″ 194 lbs.) and shown on every level thus far that he can definitely put the puck in the net or dish a sweet set up for a goal. And he’s even better in the playoffs. His contract is a three-year entry level deal without many bells or whistles, so this is a player that’s got something to prove.

We won’t know until the lockout gets settled if he starts the season in the NHL or stays where he’s already contributing now, with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He had a pair of assists in the team’s opening game 6-4 win on the road and looks to be a strong skater that personifies power forward. He’ll just have to keep his head in the game.

05Sep

Tony Romano(8) Vienna Capitals

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4th year center Tony Romano(8) was not qualified by New York Islanders after his three-year entry level contract expired at the conclusion of last season.

He was a local player, born on Long Island in Smithtown, NY.

For 2012/2013 he signed a tryout agreement with Vienna Capitals of the Erste Bank Hockey League (Austria).

It would be a big surprise if he failed to make the team.

In 2011/2012, his third AHL season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers the 24-year old put up career highs in just about every category scoring 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points, finishing 5th on the team.

He was also a +3 plus/minus and connected with 117 shots on net.

Still, the 5’10” 177 lbs. is relatively small and not always as strong on the puck as he should be, so found himself in and out of the lineup at times and was even reassigned to the ECHL Chicago Express for a wake-up weekend.

It actually worked because his point production soared afterwards.

He was originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in the 2006 draft (#178 overall) but traded to the Isles before he ever signed.

03Sep

Fight Card: Mike Moore(8) vs. Micheal Haley(18)

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Former Worcester Sharks‘ captain/defenseman Mike Moore(8) and former Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ left wing Micheal Haley(18) had an axe to grind all season mixing it up on a number of occasions when the two teams met during the 2011/2012 season. The sluggers match up fairly well at roughly the same size and weight.

They won’t get to see much of one another next year though as both players have signed contracts that will see them play in different conferences.

Moore will likely be guarding the blue line for Milwaukee Admirals, while Haley moves up the highway joining Connecticut Whale.

Both could see some time in the NHL with affiliates Nashville Predators and New York Rangers, which could reopen the can of worms.

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.

21Jul

Kenny Reiter(30) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted, Pittsburgh-born goaltender Kenny Reiter(30) will start his pro career after 3 years of college at UMD, which included an NCAA Division I Championship in 2011, with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He was with the team on an ato late last season and received an invite to participate in New York Islanders‘ prospect camp in June. He turned enough heads to almost immediately get offered an AHL contract for 2012/2013.

The 5’11” 170 lbs. backstop will turn 26 years old right after the start of his rookie season and hopes he continues to impress enough not be reassigned to their ECHL affiliate. Regardless, you know he’ll work hard toward that ultimate goal, reaching the NHL.

What do you think, odds good?

18Jul

Sean Backman(16) New York Islanders

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New York Islanders‘ qualified and re-signed undrafted, 3rd year right wing Sean Backman(16) for another one-year, two-way deal.

The 5’8″ 165 lbs. forward skated in 66 AHL games last season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers putting up 7 goals and 11 assists, but was a rather terrible -11 on what was a fairly strong team.

He put up better numbers in his rookie campaign with Texas Stars, who were also a good team with a winning record.

The 26-year old was born only 30 minutes up the road in Connecticut and went to college about equal distance away from his current arena. Definitely must be nice to play his pro hockey so close to home and where he went to school but we’re sure the ultimate goal would be to be skating a little further south.

He has definitely shown the ability to find his way onto the scoresheet and digs for every second he’s on the ice.

17Jul

Brandon DeFazio(24) New York Islanders

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Undrafted, rookie left wing Brandon DeFazio(24) enters his 2nd pro season with a one-year, two-way NHL contract courtesy of New York Islanders that will very likely see him play much of the year with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He signed an AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2011/2012. In 66 games, the almost 24-year old forward scored 11 goals and 5 assists with 104 shots on goal and an equal number of pims, ranking him second on the team.

The 6’1 200 lbs. forward plays a very feisty style of game but it’s still to be determined what the Isles saw in him to offer him a big league contract to join the team’s system.

15Jul

Jon Landry(7) New York Islanders

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It would be easy to have a case of mistaken identity in this roster move: defenseman Jon Landry(7), who last year played with Bridgeport Sound Tigers for 34 games on call-up and scored 2 goals and 18 assists, while going a +11 plus/minus is not to be confused with Jon (now) A. Landry, who played for Bridgeport in 2011 but didn’t skate last season.

This Jon Landry, like the other one though, was called up from the ECHL, where he was under contract with Colorado Eagles. The 6’3″ 220 lbs. d-man had 12 goals and 18 assists when unknowingly he left for good.

The couple seasons before that he played in the EIHL for a year and parts of one in Germany’s DEL. Mostly though, he was sort of hiding as an undrafted player in the Central Hockey League with Arizona Sundogs for his first 4 seasons since turning pro.

He did manage to win a President’s Cup Trophy as the top team in the league in his second campaign in.

Now the 29-year old seemingly out of nowhere signed his first one-year, two-way NHL contract with New York Islanders and will likely see more time in Bridgeport to continue to confuse everyone. Until he makes his NHL debut that is.