New York Islanders | CollegeHockeyPlayers

08Feb

Aaron Ness(27) New York Islanders

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

New York Islanders‘ rookie defenseman Aaron Ness(27) was a 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft (#40 overall). He got an unexpected emergency basis call-up from their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers and got to experience his first NHL action.

The game turned out to be an Islanders‘ 1-0 shootout win and he probably logged a bit more ice time (14:25 minutes) than he anticipated he’d get in his first game.

He skated in 13 games with the Sound Tigers at the end of last season after signing with the team and popped in his first professional goal and also served up a pair of helpers. In 46 games this season he’s got a couple of goals and 15 assists with a +6 plus/minus.

At 5’10” 170lbs. he’s not the biggest guy by no means but plays an aggressive, defensive style that has gotten him noticed.

02Feb

Joel Rechlicz(19) Washington Capitals

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Washington Capitals is in desperate need of adding some necessary roughness to their game and turn 5th year undrafted tough guy Joel Rechlicz(19) contract into an NHL deal and he’s immediately recalled from his AHL team, Hershey Bears. In 27 games he has 1 goal and 1 assist to go along with 184 penalty minutes, which pretty much equal career highs all around for him in a season.

In a pair of games for the Caps he’s played a minute and a half and 2:37 of ice time in each of the games with no fighting majors (yet). This season he leads the AHL in penalty minutes.

He did have 23 games of NHL experience with New York Islanders, a team he spent a couple of seasons with, first playing in the ECHL with Utah Grizzlies and AHL with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He has one assist to his scoring credit and 95 pims. At 6’4″ 220 lbs. he could convert himself into some sort of power forward but doesn’t have the most deft hand abilities, except for fighting. He’s very much a Dale Hunter, coach of the Capitals‘ style of player.

31Jan

Casey Cizikas(11) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

1st year center Casey Cizikas(11) leads the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers in team scoring with 14 goals and 24 assists in 44 games played.

He’s tied for third in the league in rookie scoring and leads all rookies in plus/minus with a +20, which is good for 2nd overall.

Originally picked by New York Islanders in the 4th round of the 2009 draft (#92 overall) look for him to get his first NHL call-up sooner than later.

He’s currently on a scoring tear getting 4 goals and 5 assists in his last three games and was chosen to play for the Eastern Conference in the 2012 AHL All-Star Game and collected himself a goal in the 8-7 shootout loss.

19Jan

Trevor Smith(23) Tampa Bay Lightning

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year undrafted winger Trevor Smith(23) has played in 7 NHL games (all with New York Islanders) but that was back in the 2008/2009 season.

He’s bounced around the AHL with a couple of teams since then but signed a one-year, two-way contract in the offseason to join Tampa Bay Lightning‘s prospect system.

As the team’s assistant captain, he’s having himself a heck of a first half of the season with their affiliate, Norfolk Admirals. In 39 games, he leads the team in points posting 16 goals and 28 assists and is an outstanding +17 plus/minus.

This play has earned him his 1st recall in three seasons and some more ice time in an NHL game, where he hopes to add to his one goal and no assists scoring.

22Dec

Tim Wallace(36) New York Islanders

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

6th year undrafted wing Tim Wallace(36) played his first five seasons in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ system appearing in 24 NHL games (0 goals, 2 assists) but spent most of his time with their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he skated in 304 games, putting up 70 goals and 53 assists.

In the offseason he signed a new one-year, two-way deal with New York Islanders and in his first season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers was an alternate captain and the team’s leading scoring with 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists) when he was recalled.

He’s now played in 7 games with the Isles and has an assist but his first NHL goal still alludes him.

16Dec

Calvin de Haan (12)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

New York Islanders‘ 2009 1st round pick (#12 overall) rookie defenseman Calvin de Haan(12) received his first call-up from their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he was assigned at the beginning of the season.

In 22 AHL games he scored 2 goals and 6 assists.

He played a total of 13:01 ice time in his first game, had a couple of shots on net and went a +1 plus/minus in the team’s 3-2 loss vs. Dallas Stars.

12/16: de Haan is reassigned to Bridgeport.

12Dec

Benn Olson(33) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Get that man the puck.

Undrafted 5th year defenseman Benn Olson(33) is known more for his fighting abilities than he is for scoring touch but got his first AHL goal (in 74 games played) over the weekend.

The 6’4″ 215 lbs. pro has amassed a healthy 277 penalty minutes in the league and 300+ pims with Florida Everblades and Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.

This was his first season, where he was signed to a one-way AHL deal and looks to be making the best of the opportunity with Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He skated in 17 games with the team last year and obviously made an impression.

04Dec

Dylan Reese(2) New York Islanders

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year defenseman (his 3rd in the Islanders‘ system) Dylan Reese(2) is making the most of his 1st NHL call up of the 2011/2012 season.

He potted a flutterer from the point in his 2nd game with the team, which also turned out to be a win for the team.

Originally a 7th round pick by New York Rangers in 2003 (#209 overall), the Isles is the only team he’s played in the NHL with. He has just under 300 games of AHL experience with Bridgeport Sound Tigers (his current team), Syracuse Crunch, San Antonio Rampage and Hartford Wolf Pack.

He does have the ability to be an offensive threat from the point.

25Nov

Micheal Haley(18) New York Islanders

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Micheal Haley(18) has spent his entire 5 year pro career in the New York Islanders‘ system.

Last season he appeared in 27 games registering 2 goals and an assist to go along with 85 penalty minutes. Of those minutes, his most famous had to be when he took on Pittsburgh Penguins‘ goaltender Brent Johnson.

He was reassigned to start the season with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he’s been a terror in over 200 games; but last year his scoring touch came back to life for the first time since his final year in juniors and rookie season to start his pro career with ECHL Utah Grizzlies.

He was recalled and played his first game of the season with the badly slumping Isles. He’s no doubt been summoned to give the team a much needed infusion of energy.

Every picture I have of him, he looks like he wants to start a fight, which he showing some restraint, waited to do until his 2nd game back.

21Nov

Blake Kessel(2) Adirondack Phantoms

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

defenseman Blake Kessel(2), younger brother of NHL point leader and leading goal scorer Phil, was originally a 6th round pick of New York Islanders in the 2007 draft (#166 overall) but never signed with the team. Instead he was signed to an entry level deal with Philadelphia Flyers, but was reassigned their AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms to start the season.

He put in his first pro hockey goal last week to go along with a pair of assists giving him a 3 points in 14 games played.