Tagged: Norfolk Admirals

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2o11 draft (#39 overall) goaltender John Gibson(43) got the ultimate call-up in his young career when he was chosen to be the starting net minder for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships.

He helped backstop the team to a bronze medal, their first ranking in almost ten years at the competition.

After participating in two NHL training camps, including the shortened 2013 camp, the still only 19-year old was sent back to rejoin his junior club Kitchener Rangers.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal at the end of the 2012 season, the parent club elected to wait and used a first year slide based on his age.

The sizable 6’3″ 209 lbs. backstop is highly touted in a Ducks‘ system that is already very deep at the goalie position but he already looks to be capable to stealing a job in his first year with the team.

If that doesn’t happen, he’ll likely shoulder a lot of the playing time with AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals, a team he joined briefly, appearing in one game before their 2012/2013 season concluded.

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Anaheim Ducks apparently think much of their latest prospect, undrafted defenseman Kevin Gagne(36) since signing a three-year entry level deal and joining minor league affiliate Norfolk Admirals on an ato.

He posted junior career bests in his final year as an over-ager, basically doubling his scoring totals from the previous two seasons.

The small 5’8″ 170 lbs. forward split his final campaign between Saint John Sea Dogs, a team he’d spent the four and a half years with, winning a pair of QMJHL championships, one Memorial Cup, and was voted “Defenseman Of The Year” and then traded to Rimouski Oceanic.

He played pretty effectively in all situations in the two AHL contests we saw him skate.

Finishing with 5 games played, he registered one assist and a -3 rating on a team that fell apart late to see their spot in the postseason berth slip away.

He was a Hamilton Bulldogs‘ training camp invitee at the beginning of 2012/2013 but ended up being one of the last players released.

It will be interesting to see if the Ducks recall him to become a member of the black aces for their Stanley Cup run.

He will no doubt be in prospect camp in the next couple months.

Undrafted, 3rd year giant-sized center Brayden Irwin(29) was released from his pto with Norfolk Admirals and returned to Florida Everblades to help them with another Kelly Cup run.

The 6’5″ 219 lbs. forward has seen action in 20 AHL games in 2012/2013 scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.

In 38 ECHL games, he’s struck for 14 goals and 15 assists. He also won last year’s championship with the team, registering 6 goals and 7 assists in 17 postseasons contests on the way to victory.

Originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal with Toronto Maple Leafs, he played his only pair of NHL games directly after wrapping up his collegiate career at University Of Vermont.

From there he skated 45 games with their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The 26-year attended St. John’s IceCaps‘ training camp but was released and rejoined Florida for another campaign.

Brayden Irwin

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4th year center Michael Pelech(27) finally struck for his first tally in his fifth AHL recall, third this season.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. power forward has been basically a point-per-game guy in the ECHL for his last couple of campaigns, including the current one, in which he has 13 goals and 33 assists in 50 contests with Cincinnati Cyclones.

Originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#156 overall), he spent his entire rookie year with Ontario Reign but signed to a one-year deal with affiliate Manchester Monarchs.

He started his sophomore season with the Monarchs but was reassigned once again after 5 games with no points.

His point production also slumped slightly in 2010/2011.

By the start of his third year, he needed to find a new home and inked a deal with Toledo Walleye.

It wasn’t too far into the season though before he was traded to Cincinnati, the team that he would find his scoring stride with.

He finished 2011/2012 with them popping in 16 goals and 44 assists in 60 games, and a career best +17 rating.

He also earned a one game call-up to Norfolk Admirals.

In a no-brainer move he re-signed with the Cyclones and continued on his point scoring streak through the new year, when he started get phone calls from AHL teams.

His first call was to join his older brother Matt’s team Worcester Sharks for four games.

He got his first point, an assist.

A couple weeks later he was summoned to Connecticut Whale but failed to connect and released.

It wasn’t until his current recall to Peoria Rivermen that he finally found the back of the net.

He has been with the team through 7 games.

The still only 23-year old could very easily play out the regular season where he is or once again get reassigned soon to start the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Neither roster moves seems so bad, unless the Rivermen don’t make the playoffs and the Cyclones end in one round.

7th year center Kyle Wilson(25) joins his 5th NHL team as he was involved in a recent trade that sent him from Tampa Bay Lightning to Anaheim Ducks‘ organization.

He never suited up for the Lightning in his short time with the team after an offseason deal with Nashville Predators.

Signed in 2011 for two years (1-way in the 2nd year), he spent almost his entire first campaign with minor league affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, where the 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward had an AHL career high 32 assists in 68 games. He did suit up for 5 games with the Preds but registered no points.

As the lockout loomed to put off the start of 2012/2013 season, the 28-year old sat out until it was resolved, reporting to Tampa Bay training camp but reassigned to Syracuse Crunch, where he stumbled with only 5 goals in 22 games.

A former Minnesota Wild 9th round pick in the 2004 draft (#272 overall), he spent the first 4 seasons of his pro career with Washington Capitals but only appeared in 2 games (2 assists) with them.

He won back-to-back Calder Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010 with farm club Hershey Bears.

Looking for renewed opportunity, he reports to a streaking Norfolk Admirals to play out the remainder of his contract unless recalled by the equally hot Ducks.

Where the unrestricted free agent ends up from here is another puzzle piece but we’re guessing he heads to Europe to see what’s left in the tank.

Kyle Wilson

Undrafted rookie defenseman Sacha Guimond(39) received two AHL call-ups from ECHL teams (so far) this season for a total of 6 games; first a pair with Worcester Sharks and later he joined Norfolk Admirals in four appearances.

He failed to put up any points but at least for the Admirals he was pressed into all types of situations and looked pretty effective and comfortable in a 2-1 overtime loss we saw.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. blue liner did go a +1 plus/minus. The team had a 3-0 record and shootout loss with him in the lineup and he seemed to fit in with the team mix pretty well. Maybe no room for him on their roster now, so he returned to Gwinnett Gladiators, where he’s a point per game d-man with 5 goals and 13 assists in 18 games.

His first year pro numbers with San Francisco Bulls, where he started 2012/2013 were also good. In 33 games he put up 7 goals and 18 assists. He also currently leads all defensemen in league scoring by a considerable margin.

The soon-to-be 23-year old should at the very least be invited to an AHL camp next season, where he could easily stick and continue his upward progress.

Sacha Guimond

 

Anaheim Ducks‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#85 overall) center/left wing Brandon McMillan(15) is in the final season of his 3-year entry level contract.

He played more NHL games in his rookie campaign than he did through his sophomore season, spending more time with their minor league affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

He put up some pretty decent numbers, in 55 AHL games scoring 12 goals and 18 assists. The small-ish 5’11” 190 lbs. forward actually produced respectably for the Ducks in first season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 60 games and added another goal and an assist in 6 playoff match-ups.

No telling which league he would spend more time in for 2012/2013 with the lockout effectively knocking out half the year, but he received his first recall after 36 games with new farm team, Norfolk Admirals.

In his 2013 debut he skated 11 shifts for 6:32 total ice time, was a -1 plus/minus in the overtime loss and won 62% of his face-offs. He’s making his 2nd appearance of the season and looks to be getting some increased opportunities.

Brandon McMillan

 

Anaheim Ducks‘ undrafted 7th year defenseman Jordan Hendry(6) has appeared in NHL games in 5 of his pro years. In 130 contests he has 4 goals and 9 assists, while maintaining a reliable +2 rating. He was also on the Chicago Blackhawks2010 Stanley Cup Championship team but left unsigned after his fifth season in the system.

As an unrestricted free agent, he agreed to a training camp tryout last year with Minnesota Wild and by all accounts had a good run during preseason. He reported to their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros on a pto but was ultimately released after only 10 games.

He then signed a deal to skate with Lugano of the NLA in Switzerland to finish out the season.

The 28-year returned for 2012/2013 when offered a 1-year 2-way deal with the Ducks.
He was on the NHL opening night roster but reassigned to Norfolk Admirals (his second go round with the team under his only two parent clubs), when he didn’t crack the lineup for a second appearance. In 31 AHL games, he had a pair of goals and assists before he was recently recalled.
The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner skated 24 shifts and was on the ice for an average of 17 minutes in both wins. He’s easily a 5-6 depth guy on defense but fairly accountable and that won’t hurt his chances to continue making visits to the show.
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Originally a New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2001 draft (#113 overall) defenseman Bryce Lampman(27) is probably best known for his days with their then farm club, Hartford Wolf Pack. He played 287 AHL regular and postseason games with the team and had two 25 point seasons.

He spent the last couple of years skating with a pair of teams in the German Elite League (DEL) before returning to North America to play in 2012/2013 with the first year ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.

In 21 games, the 30-year old blue liner could be on a bit of a scoring tear with three goals and 9 assists. He could realize career highs on the scoresheet if he’s not careful.

He was recently signed to a pto by Portland Pirates as some of their regulars abandoned them for NHL training camps.

The last time the fairly steady 6’1″ 200 pounder played in the AHL was a cup of coffee a couple of years ago with Houston Aeros but the year prior he was on the ice for 54 games with Peoria Rivermen, where he had a 20 point season.

He has dressed for 10 NHL games (all with the Blueshirts, of course) with no points.

Bryce Lampman

 

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#106 overall), Finnish defenseman Sami Vatanen(9) isn’t the biggest of the blue liners playing pro hockey measuring in at 5’9″ 163 lbs. but he competes hard and definitely has a huge potential offensive upside.

In 30 games with AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals, the rookie has 4 goals and 14 assists and isn’t exactly easily beaten in his own zone at a -3 plus/minus on a team that is challenged to win games more than they should be.

The 21-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal that carries him through 2014 in the Ducks‘ prospect pool.

Tough to say if he makes it stick in the NHL but he’s definitely worth a few looks.