Tagged: Peoria Rivermen

02Apr

Mark Cundari(15) Calgary Flames

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

mark-cundari1

3rd year undrafted defenseman Mark Cundari(15) was a key component in a trade deadline deal that saw him move from St. Louis Blues‘ system to Calgary Flames.

He was chosen to appear in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game, where he had one assist to help the Western Conference to a 7-6 win, in what has been his breakout campaign.

He’s appeared in 172 minor league contests scoring 10 goals and 59 assists, all with Peoria Rivermen.

The under-sized 5’9″ but solid as a rock, 200 lbs. agitator defenseman has yet to make his NHL debut but could net a recall from farm team, Abbotsford Heat before the current season wraps up.

He won back-to-back OHL and Memorial Cup titles in juniors with Windsor Spitfires.

The soon-to-be 23 year old is in the final season of his 3-year entry level deal and scheduled to become a restricted free agent as the end of 2012/2013.

As the Flames are rebuilding a more youthful future, he will undoubtedly be qualified with a contract extension.

30Mar

Michael Pelech(27) Peoria Rivermen

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

michael-pelech

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.

31Jan

Graham Mink(29) Providence Bruins

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

12th year, undrafted veteran right wing Graham Mink(29) took his time when considering who to join for the 2012/2013 season.

After the NHL lockout was over, the 33-year old signed a pto with Providence Bruins. In 8 games he has a goal and a pair of assists. He was recently given a standard player contract to finish out the year with the team.

In his AHL career, he’s played a whopping 694 games scoring 244 goals and adding another 252 assists. He has also won a Calder Cup in 2006 and 2009 with Hershey Bears, one of only 5 (now 6) clubs he has skated with.

At 6’3″ 220 lbs. no doubt he’s a big figure for defensemen to move from attacking the front of the net but just as important always brings strong leaderships qualities to the table and has captained a team or two in his pro career.

He’s played 7 big league games, all with Washington Capitals, the first team to sign him to an NHL contract and the one he’s played most of his minor league games as part of their system.

Graham MInk

25Jan

Andrew Agozzino(11) Lake Erie Monsters

Posted in AHL, NHL | 1 Comment

andrew-agozzino

Lake Erie Monsters‘ undrafted rookie left wing Andrew Agozzino(11) signed a one-year AHL contract with the team to start his pro career.

He’s quickly put up 13 goals and 22 assists in 42 games, which ties him for the team lead in scoring.

He is also a big +15 plus/minus.

At 5’9″ 185 lbs., he’s fairly unassuming out there but obviously sees the ice well and can get the puck to another player for a scoring situation or put the biscuit in the basket on his own.

The under-sized forward consistently put up points in the OHL and was Niagara IceDogs‘ team captain in his last two and a half seasons (one as an over-ager).

He also led them in scoring for three straight campaigns.

The 21-year old did attend a St. Louis Blues‘ prospect camp and suited up for their minor league affiliate Peoria Rivermen at the end of 2010 but that situation failed to go any further.

He was also invited to a Tampa Bay Lightning development camp.

Look for him to score an NHL deal (likely of the two-way variety), maybe not with parent club Colorado Avalanche, but he should latch on with some big league club, especially if he continues to tear up the scoresheet.

He was chosen to participate in the upcoming AHL All-Star Game.

19Jan

Mike Mottau(3) Toronto Marlies

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Heading into 2012/2013 13th year defenseman Mike Mottau(3) was an unrestricted free agent with 313 NHL games to his credit.

Originally a New York Rangers‘ 7th round draft pick in 1997 (#182 overall) he has skated with 5 different teams, his hometown Boston Bruins‘ being the most recent he skated with last season. He was acquired in a trade deadline deal and wore a spoked “B” for 8 games, including 2 in the playoffs.

With a lockout looming, the 34-year old blue liner had a decision to make: either sign a deal with an AHL team or risk not playing for a full year and potentially wrapping up a nice, long career.

He chose the former and inked a pto to join San Antonio Rampage, making his first appearances in the league since 2007. In 16 games, he put up 7 assists and was a +5 plus/minus helping stabilize the team to jump back into the playoff picture.

Offered a chance to fight for a spot on Toronto Maple Leafs‘ roster in a shortened training camp the 6’ 193 lbs., 2000 Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey, took it.

He had a strong enough showing that he was signed to a 1-year, two-way contract for the shortened season. Reassigned to their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies, he played his first game with his new team notched an assist in the loss.

Mike Mottau

 

 

 

 

 

15Jan

Bryce Lampman(27) Portland Pirates

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

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

 

23Dec

Chris Conner(14) Portland Pirates

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Diminutive, undrafted 7th year right wing Chris Conner(14) has played NHL games with three different teams through the first six seasons of his pro career. The 5’7″ 180 lbs. forward has skated in 147 games with Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings‘ last season amassing a total of 17 goals and 26 assists.

He has also appeared in 297 AHL games scoring 88 goals and 147 assists in regular season action.

For the 2012/2013 season, the free agent signed a one-year, two-way deal with Phoenix Coyotes and has been reassigned to their affiliate Portland Pirates. Through 23 games with the team, he’s definitely been a leader on and off the ice, is on pace to put up career highs in all categories and has helped the club into solo possession of 1st place in the Atlantic Division through the Christmas break.

With the NHL lockout in effect, the 29-year old could have found himself a bit of a home for at least another campaign and should get continued big league looks from the parent club once they start playing hockey again.

Chris Conner

 

11Dec

Patrick Wellar(33) Hershey Bears

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

9th year veteran defenseman has skated in his last five seasons with Hershey Bears or their ECHL affiliate.

He was originally a Washington Capitals‘ 3rd round pick in the 2002 draft (#77 overall) but didn’t start playing within their organization until 2009. He has yet to sign an NHL contract with any team.

The 29-year old d-man won the Kelly Cup with South Carolina Stingrays in 2009 and Calder Cup in 2010 with Hershey as he split time during both seasons playing games for each team.

He’s a big presence out on the ice at 6’3″ 231 lbs. but could utilize all his size a bit more effectively knocking down opposing players that dare to stand around in front of his net putting condiments on their sandwich as they wait for scoring chances.

For the first time in a couple of seasons he was sent down to skate 18 games with new affiliate Reading Royals before recently getting called back up.

It would be little surprise to see him get his name on the Kelly Cup a second time, as the Royals have the kind of team that could very well go the distance.

He’s played a career 282 AHL regular and postseason contests and 360 in the ECHL.

Patrick Wellar

 

 

26Oct

Brian O’Hanley(38) San Antonio Rampage

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year defenseman Brian O’Hanley(38) was originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 9th round pick in the 2003 draft (#267 overall) and bounced his way around from ECHL to the AHL in pretty much each of his pro seasons, although he continues to call Cincinnati Cyclones his home base having played games with the team in every year, including one full season, 2009-2010; the only time he ever skated for a single club in a campaign.

He appeared in AHL career highs last season with 44 games scoring 4 goals and 7 assists, most of them with his real hometown team, Worcester Sharks. He was born in one hour away Quincy, MA and played his college hockey at Boston College.

At 5’11” 191 lbs. he isn’t the biggest of the blue liners out there but plays the puck pretty well and is accountable for his space on the ice.

Heading into the new season he signed a training camp tryout with San Antonio Rampage and stuck but was reassigned, yes, once again to Cincinnati to start the season. And he did scoring 2 goals and adding 2 assists in 3 games earning him his first call-up.

The 27-year old should be able to flourish with all the talent in the upper league.

18Sep

Brent Regner(28) Peoria Rivermen

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

brent-regner

Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#137 overall), defenseman Brent Regner(28) found himself without a team heading into his fourth pro season, despite putting up career high games played, assists and points (75 – 29 – 31) with Springfield Falcons in 2011/2012.

Turns out the Jackets weren’t interested in qualifying him for another campaign and cut ties with the 23-year old, who also displayed better on-ice accountability with a +4 plus/minus.

No worries as Peoria Rivermen stepped in an offered the 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner a one-year AHL contract for 2012/2013.

In 181 AHL games he has 12 goals and 58 assists. With the NHL lockout looming, he may be in a dog fight for a spot on his new team’s roster.

He also was a part of the fabled 2007 Vancouver Giants‘ squad that captured the Memorial Cup.