Phoenix Coyotes | CollegeHockeyPlayers

10Dec

Chris Summers(5) Portland Pirates

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2006 1st round pick (#29 overall) defenseman Chris Summers(5) recently received his first playing time in his second call-up of the 2011/2012 season for a couple of NHL apprearances; he played 2 games with the team last season.

He fared better on this recall going a +1 with a shot on net.

He’s been since reassigned to their AHL affiliate Portland Pirates where he will continue to work on his game in just his second year pro.

In his rookie year with San Antonio Rampage, last year’s Coyotes‘ AHL affiliate, he put up 1 goal with 9 assists in 75 games.

Through 15 games this year he’s got a couple of assists but is a bit more impressive a +5.

Look for him to get another look this season.

30Nov

Andy Miele(21) Portland Pirates

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2010/2011 Hobey Baker Award winner and college player of the year, Phoenix Coyotes‘ undrafted, entry level signing at the end of last season, rookie center Andy Miele(21) was recalled quickly to the NHL but failed to register a point in 5 games played.

He was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Portland Pirates in early November and has been lighting the lamp for them big time, putting up 7 goals and 13 assists in 14 games played.

It’s likely a no-brainer that he’ll get another look soon.

He’s small, listed at 5’9″ 175 lbs. but he’s got the finesse to set up plays and that scoring touch to finish them.

12/1: Miele is named AHL Rookie Of The Month for November.

21Nov

Jordan Szwarz(12) Portland Pirates

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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.

17Nov

Shaun Heshka(37) Peoria Rivermen

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6th year undrafted pro, defenseman Shaun Heshka(37) returned from one season overseas playing in Austria for Salzburg EC and signed a contract to play with Binghamton Senators for 2011/2012.

Only 10 games in, they have dished him to Peoria Riverman for future considerations (a bag of rocks), where he should join the team for tonight’s game vs. Lake Erie Monsters.

Originally signed by Vancouver Canucks to a 3-year entry level deal, he spent 3 seasons with Manitoba Moose without ever getting called up.

It wasn’t until the next season, where he signed a one-year contract with Phoenix Coyotes that he got into his first NHL action (8 games, no goals and 2 assists).

02Nov

David Aebischer(1) St. John’s IceCaps

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Here’s this year’s pro hockey thinker.

33-year old, Swiss-born 1997 Colorado Avalanche 6th round draft pick (#161 overall) David Aebischer(1) is back playing in a league he hasn’t played in for over a decade, the AHL.

He won the Stanley Cup in 2001. Sure he only played in one game, because some goalie named Patrick Roy happened to be the starter.

To his credit he has 214 games of NHL experience and posts a fairly impressive 2.52 GAA and .912 SV%.

During the last four seasons he has been playing net in his native Switzerland for the team he signed with the year of the lockout, HC Lugano.

In 2011/2012 seemingly out of nowhere, Winnipeg Jets offered him a training camp tryout and he was subsequently signed and reassigned to their AHL affiliate, St. John’s IceCaps.

Weirdo fact: he has an action figure of his goaltending likeness with the Avalanche.

23Oct

Benn Ferriero(21) San Jose Sharks

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2006 7th round draft pick (#196 overall) center Benn Ferriero(21) never played a game for the team, but instead was signed by San Jose Sharks as a free agent in 2009 and has played in 59 NHL contests registering 8 goals and 7 assists.

His most recent might have been one of the sweetest in his 3-year pro career (getting a goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on his birthday probably ranks up there too) but last weekend he got the game-winner at the TD Garden vs. the Bruins.

In this rink the Boston native played many a Beanpot game in throughout his 4-year Boston College Eagles’ hockey days.

18Sep

Brian McGrattan(38) Anaheim Ducks

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Mammoth-sized (6’4″ 235 lbs) 10th year vet, Brian McGrattan(38) signed a one-year, two-way deal to stay in the Anaheim Ducks‘ system after he was traded late last season by Boston in what amounted to a 4-player minor league swap.

He had played mostly in the NHL for the prior five seasons but last year failed to catch on with a club in the big league. The Ducks already have a guy named George Parros to do their dirty work, so he’ll likely find most, if not all of his playing time with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

08Sep

Dane Byers(34) Columbus Blue Jackets

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Dane Byers(34) had a busy AHL season last year getting traded from New York Rangers (Hartford Wolf Pack) to Columbus Blue Jackets (Springfield Falcons) early in the season and then Phoenix Coyotes (San Antonio) at the trade deadline.

Not being signed by Phoenix at the start of unrestricted free agency, Columbus came right back to the table and offered him a one-year, two-way contract for 2011/2012.

In 5 years, he’s played 6 NHL games scoring 1 goal but we expect to see him in Springfield to help them into the Calder Cup for the first time in forever.

26Aug

Pier-Oliver Pelletier(31) Evansville IceMen / Connecticut Whale

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For a third straight season 2005 Phoenix Coyotes 2nd round pick (#59 overall), Pier-Oliver Pelletier(31) signed to tend net in the Central Hockey League. He’s under contract for 2011/2012 with Evansville IceMen soon after having his signing rights traded to them by Laredo Bucks, the team he’d spent his rookie and 2nd year with.

He played in one game in ’10/’11 with Connecticut Whale on call-up but didn’t fair too well. He still may get more AAA looks next season.

19Aug

Tyler Eckford(7) Phoenix Coyotes / Albany Devils

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New Jersey didn’t qualify 4th year defenseman Tyler Eckford(7), who they drafted in 2004, round7 #217 overall. Free to go, Phoenix signed him to a 1-year, 2-way contract soon after free agency started.

He could play some more games in the NHL (he has 7 to his credit, 1 assist), but Portland Pirates are already using him as their lead image on their website, so he’ll likely be seeing more time in the AHL Eastern Conference for a third straight season. He’s appeared in 170 games with Albany and Lowell Devils, who played just an hour and a half down the highway from the Pirates.