Portland Pirates | CollegeHockeyPlayers

07Dec

Francis Wathier(11) Portland Pirates

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10th year veteran center Francis Wathier(11) was for the first time in his long career without a contract heading into 2014/2015.

Previously he had been in Dallas Stars‘ prospect system from the get-go. He was originally their 6th round pick in the 2003 draft (#185 overall).

The sizable 6’4″ 210 lbs. forward has a lengthy 525 game career in the AHL but only 10 NHL contests to his credit with zero points.

He’s not exactly a wizard on the score sheet with the farm teams either scoring 91 goals and 107 assists but he a ceaseless battler and although keeps his time in the penalty box to a minimum is unafraid to drop the mitts, usually good for at least 6-12 fights a year.

The 30-year old unrestricted free agent was an invite to Toronto Maple Leafs‘ training camp and released early.

He next arrived in affiliate Toronto Marlies‘ camp but was also let go.

He signed at pto joining Portland Pirates a couple weeks into the new season and has found his spot as he signed his first minor league contract recently to play the entire year with the team.

05Nov

Tobias Reider(9) Arizona Coyotes

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Arizona Coyotes‘ 2nd year German-born right wing Tobias Reider(9) was one of the final cuts from training camp heading into the 2014/2015 season.

He took it in stride and continued to pile up points with minor league affiliate Portland Pirates.

The maybe not blessed with huge size but speedy skating 5’11” 185 lbs. forward with plenty of hockey smarts struck for 28 goals and 20 assists in his rookie campaign, putting him 2nd on the team in tallies and third overall scoring.

He already has 4 goals and a pair of helpers in 9 AHL games this season, which was good enough for the parent club that’s struggling out of the gate to summon him for a hopeful burst of offense.

The still very young skater, who played a year of pro in DEL2 as a 16-17 year old, scored his first NHL goal, the game-winner in his debut, a high-scoring shootout at the OK carrol 6-5 victory and went a +2 plus/minus.

We predict that he’s just getting started, even if he’s called up and sent back down on numerous occasions.

See related: 12/6-13

02Oct

Mathieu Brodeur(6) Chicago Wolves

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Former Arizona Coyotes‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#76 overall) biggie defenseman Mathieu Brodeur(6) was left unqualified going into a second restricted free agency after the one year extension on his three-year entry level deal was up.

At 6’6″ he’s certainly one very large man on the ice but weighing only 215 lbs. he still seems like he has some more room to completely fill out that frame.

His skating style is a bit awkward with all that size that maybe that’s an area a little more muscle would help.

He certainly fires a decent number of shots at net from the point but maybe he has let it fly even more.

In 176 AHL games the fifth year blue liner only has 8 goals and 30 assists, which ain’t half bad, all with minor league affiliate Portland Pirates.

The 24-year played most of his rookie season in the ECHL with Las Vegas Wranglers.

He signed his first contract after three campaigns in the QMJHL Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, where he had a some offensive prowess in the assist department with 25.

For 2014/2015, he signed a one-year deal to join Chicago Wolves.

He’s going to have to bring it.

06Dec

Tobias Rieder(9) Portland Pirates

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Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#114 overall) German-born right wing Tobias Rieder(9) was traded in a prospects’ deal to Phoenix Coyotes and quickly signed to a 3-year entry level contract.

He starts his pro career on reassignment to AHL affiliate Portland Pirates, where he’s making things happen in short order on the score sheet with 6 goals and a pair of assists in 11 games. He got sidelined with a lower body injury suffered in the debut but also scored his first two tallies.

The not so huge 5’11” 190 lbs. forward is always squarely in the middle of the play and usually comes out on the other end with a puck and a scoring chance.

At only 20-years old, he’s already played one campaign professionally in the Germany2 league for his hometown EV Landshut and did pretty well scoring 10 goals, 13 assists in 45 games as a teenager.

After that he left for three years of junior hockey in the OHL with Kitchener Rangers and amassed 231 points in 205 regular season and playoff games.

There’s little doubt he is a player that can make the jump up to the NHL. It’s just a matter of being given an opening, which looks likely to happen for him as a rookie.