Tagged: NHL draft pick

02Dec

Chad Johnson(30) / Cameron Talbot(33) Connecticut Whale

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Having a hot backstop heading into the playoffs is always a recipe for success. Having two is flat out insane.

This could very well be the scenario for Connecticut Whale as they march through the 2011/2012 season.

The goaltender tandem of 2006 Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th round pick (#125 overall), traded to the Rangers in 2009, Chad Johnson(30) and undrafted free agent signing in 2010, Cameron Talbot(33) looks to make the Whale favorites for the 2012 AHL Calder Cup.

Johnson already picked up AHL Goaltender Of The Month honors for October.

The pair played the majority of last season with the team but something for this team feels a lot different this year.

01Dec

Chris and Ryan Bourque(17)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

It was dubbed the Bourque Bowl by the folks in the media with Connecticut Whale and honestly that’s pretty much exactly what it was.

Stanley Cup Champion / Hall Of Fame defenseman, Ray Bourque‘s two sons play for a pair of AHL teams and this would be the first time in not only their pro playing career but pretty much ever that the brothers would play against each other.

Because of the 5 year age difference they really never had the chance: until now.

In his 7th year, Washington Capitals‘ 2004 2nd round pick (#33 overall), Chris Bourque(17) is absolutely tearing up the scoring sheet with Hershey Bears. His 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) have him in second amongst the league leading scorers.

His younger brother, Ryan Bourque(17) was New York Rangers‘ 2009 3rd round pick (#80 overall). He played two  seasons in juniors before turning pro this season and gets his pro start with Connecticut Whale.

He’s described as a good overall player that forechecks ferociously. In 13 games he has 1 goal and a pair of assists. Listed at 5’9″ 164 lbs, he’s small like his older brother but plays much bigger than his listed size suggests.

The brothers both wear the number 17.

28Nov

John Mitchell (79)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

After being acquired in a trade with Toronto Maple Leafs for a bag of rocks (7th round pick), center John Mitchell(79) spent the rest of the 2010/2011 season with New York Rangers‘ AHL affiliate Connecticut Whale and basically put up a point per game in 20 regular season and playoff games.

He was re-signed quickly in the offseason to a two-way, one-year deal and has been taking up with the Whale where he left off, notching a point in every game.

He received his first call-up to the Blueshirts and continued in the scoring column already putting up a couple of assists in his first two games with the team.

Originally a Maple Leafs‘ 2003 5th round pick (#158 overall), he has accumulated 161 games of NHL experience for 20 goals and 37 assists.

11/29: Mitchell gets his first goal with the Rangers.

In 4 games he has one goal and a pair of assists. Nice start (and hat).

26Nov

Dana Tyrell(42) Tampa Bay Lightning

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#47 overall) center Dana Tyrell(42) spent the entire 2010/2011 season with the parent club after skating with their AHL affiliate, Norfolk Admirals in his rookie year.

In 78 games with the Lightning, he put up 6 goals and 9 assists. While playing for Norfolk in his first season, he 9 goals and 27 assists in 74 games.

At the start of 2011/2012 he was reassigned to the AHL after a poor training camp, getting beat out for a position on the opening night roster by Prince George Cougars‘ pick Brett Connolly.

He received his first call-up and will have to prove himself again. He’s said to be reuniting with his old playing partners, Nate Thompson and Adam Hall for what was dubbed the “DNA” line.

He is in the last year of his 3-year entry level contract.

11/28: Just like that Tyrell gets re-upped by the Lightning for two more years on a one-way contract through 2014.

26Nov

Dov Grumet-Morris(1) San Antonio Rampage

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

It’s a bit of a wonder that 7th year pro goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris(1) didn’t sign with at least an AHL team in the offseason after posting solid numbers for Connecticut Whale in 22 games last season (13 wins against 5 losses, 2.12 GAA and .923 SV%).

But seemingly no one bit, until recently when the first team he tended net for in the league along his journeyman career would come calling once again.

San Antonio Rampage signed him to a standard player contract, a scenario he’s a bit unfamiliar with in his time spent with 10 different teams in North American hockey. Only his two seasons overseas had him on one team for the duration, but otherwise it’s been mostly pto’s for the former star goalie at Harvard University.

The Whale did eventually sign him to a contract last year but he was third wheel as soon as their starters were healthy. The Rampage are in a similar pickle.

He posted a 5-0 shutout in his first game. It’s a wonder that he has yet to appear in the NHL.

24Nov

T.J. Brennan(3) Buffalo Sabres

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

In his 1st NHL game, Buffalo Sabres‘ 2007 2nd round draft pick (#31) overall, defenseman T.J. Brennan(3) gets a goal on Tim Thomas in the team’s 4-3 shootout loss vs. the Cup Champs’ Boston Bruins. It was one of those fortuitous bounces that landed right on his stick for him to bury.

He wears number 33 for the Sabres, doubling the number 3 on his AHL Rochester Americans‘ sweater.

Last season in 74 games with the Portland Pirates, the former Buffalo affiliate he connected for 15 goals and 24 assists.

 

 

23Nov

Kevin Marshall(4) Adirondack Phantoms

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

kevin-marshall

3rd year Philadelphia Flyers‘ 2007 round 2 draft pick (#41 overall) defenseman Kevin Marshall(4) got his first call up and NHL action earlier this week.

In the team’s 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, he logged 14+ minutes of ice time and was a -1 plus/minus.

That’s it for now though.

He was reassigned back to Adirondack Phantoms, where he has played some 168 games with in three AHL seasons.

Not really a big point getter he’s also mostly been on the minus side in yearly stats.

This is the last year of his entry level deal with the Flyers.

21Nov

Jordan Szwarz(12) Portland Pirates

Posted in AHL | Leave a comment

jordan-szwarz-1

Rookie forward Jordan Szwarz(12) got that first professional hockey goal monkey off his back last week.

Phoenix Coyotes picked him in the 4th round of the 2009 draft (#97 overall).

He has played in 11 games for their AHL affiliate, Portland Pirates and has 3 points.

In juniors, he put up some very respectable numbers in the OHL for Saginaw Spirit (including a fantastic +33 plus/minus rating in 65 games) and was named their 2010/2011 team captain.

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.