Reading Royals | CollegeHockeyPlayers

23Oct

Julien Brouillette (29)

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Undrafted 5th year defenseman Julien Brouillette(29) started his pro career in the ECHL but has played the last two seasons exclusively with AHL teams.

He had career highs for games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (74-7-14-21-24) last season in the league with Hershey Bears, who he was signed with for the season.

The small-ish 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner re-upped with the club for 2012/2013 but was a healthy scratch for the first contest and reassigned to their new ECHL affiliate Reading Royals midweek for a game to get in some playing time.

He was inserted into the lineup for their second road contest and scored his first of the new campaign but sat for the home opener the next night.

The soon-to-be 26-year old will likely always be the type of player that needs to earn his spot.

09Oct

David Civitarese(7) Reading Royals

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Rookie forward David Civitarese(7) will start the first full season of his pro career with ECHL’s Reading Royals.

He appeared in 10 games at the end of last season with Hershey Bears, signed to an ato after finishing up his college playing career. The 6’2″ 211 pounder ended up scoring his first professional hockey goal, his only point in the run.

Entering 2012/2013 as an undrafted free agent, he signs a one-year AHL deal to return to Hershey Bears for his first campaign.

The 23-year old attended their training camp but was recently reassigned after one exhibition game.

He was never much of a scorer in college but that could change.

30Sep

Adam Courchaine(1) Greenville Road Warriors

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3rd year undrafted goalie Adam Courchaine(1) signs a one-year deal with Greenville Road Warriors for 2012/2013.

He was in Boston Bruins‘ system for the first couple of seasons of his pro career (one year slide on his 3-year entry level contract) but only appeared in 4 AHL games with Providence (3 of those in late 2012) through that time.

The 6’3″ 185 lbs. backstop skated mostly on reassignment in the ECHL with Alaska Aces, where he appeared in 62 games amassing a 36 – 17 – 7 record that included hoisting the Kelly Cup in 2011, his official rookie season. He only played in one postseason game but was very much a key part of the championship run.

At only 23-years old he still has time to grow into his game.

06Aug

Zach McKelvie(24) Abbotsford Heat

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Undrafted, 2nd year defenseman Zach McKelvie(24) took one of the more unlikely paths to turning pro.

After his college career finished, he went into a couple of years of military duty. He tried to defer it as he was signed an entry level deal with Boston Bruins but was told otherwise, although was still able to maintain a contract for the time he was away.

Upon finishing up his responsibilities with the army, he inked a one-year, two-way deal that would finally start his rookie season at age 26.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner played in 39 games with their AHL affiliate Providence Bruins scoring a goal and an assist, while going a rough -11 plus/minus. He also appeared in 7 games regular season and 5 postseason games towards the end of his debut campaign in the ECHL with Reading Royals.

For 2012/2013, the Minnesota native jumps up to Canada, where he has signed a one-year standard AHL contract to continue with Abbotsford Heat. Good story all around.

21Mar

Ethan Cox(40) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted 2nd year right wing, Ethan Cox(40) waited the whole season to receive his first call up to the AHL but he’s fortunate to join a potent Bridgeport Sound Tigers in their quest for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

He was recently involved in an late season ECHL deal that sent him from Alaska Aces, a team he’d been with for two seasons and won the Kelly Cup with in his rookie year, to Reading Royals.

He barely got in a pair of games when he was called up. In 3 games he has one assist but already been released from his pto and will rejoin Reading as they push towards a spot in the postseason.

He played three AHL games last season with Portland Pirates and Peoria Rivermen, recording one assist.

12Mar

Dean Arsene(29) Portland Pirates

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11th year undrafted veteran defenseman, current captain of Portland Pirates, Dean Arsene(29) played his 500 career AHL game over the weekend.

He’s so excited about the prospect, he’s seen blowing bubbles during warm-ups before game 499. He was supposed to set the mark last month but an upper body injury has hampered his ability to play consistently.

He accomplished the feat playing games with only 5 different teams, but 6 of his pro seasons have been spent with Hershey Bears, a team he won two Calder Cup Championships with in 2006 and 2009.

The 31-year old has only appeared in 13 NHL games (all with Edmonton Oilers) but no tallies on the scoresheet to show for it.

He’s never been the biggest point producer (13 goals and 64 assists) but his leadership presence in the locker room and out of the ice is priceless.

No doubt about it, after his playing career he would be an excellent coach.

29Feb

Marc Cantin(27) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Undrafted, rookie defenseman Marc Cantin(27) gets dished by Boston Bruins in a deal that sent two youngsters to New York Islanders for a pair of veterans.

Signed to a 3-year entry level contract, he didn’t seem to find a spot with Providence Bruins and was reassigned to their ECHL affiliate Reading Royals on numerous occasions. This season he’s played 15 games with them and has a goal and 5 assists. For the P-Bruins he guarded the blue line in 19 contests but failed to register a point.

At 6’1″ 192 lbs. the Isles could have just got themselves a nice 21-year old prospect for practically nothing.

12Nov

Michael Hutchinson (33)

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Boston Bruins‘ 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#77 overall) 2nd year goalie Michael Hutchinson(33) came into the new season prepared with a newly painted mask paying homage to a pair of Bruins‘ great.

Gerry Cheevers looking at you on one side and Bobby Orr‘s classic goal on the other.

Once again with Providence Bruins, he’s playing back-up but has gotten into a couple of games already registering an 0-2 mark with a 3.00 GAA.

05Nov

Matt Schepke(45) Reading Royals

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3rd year wing Matt Schepke(45) has skated mostly in the ECHL in his pro career and this year is not much different than the last two as he signed a deal in the offseason to join Reading Royals‘ stacked squad in hopes of capturing the Kelly Cup Championship that’s eluded the team, especially in 2010 and 2011 playoffs.

On call up he’s played in 6 AHL games with 3 different teams but has yet to put up any points on the scoresheet.

He scored the first goal in Greenville Road Warriors history and was a part of the Michigan State University Spartans‘ team that won the NCAA Championship in 2007.

Last year he played a career high 4 games at the end of the regular season with Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

05Nov

Danny Taylor(1) Springfield Falcons

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By the numbers, 6th year pro goaltender Danny Taylor(1) is making an argument for Springfield Falcons to sign him to an American Hockey League standard player contract.

He is currently signed to a pto.

His 2.31 GAA puts him at #17 on the AHL goalie leaders and his .931 SV% ranks 6th.

As of October 7 he signed a contract with Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL but did not appear in a regular season game.

We’ve seen it: this former Los Angeles Kings‘ 7th round pick in the 2004 draft (#221 overall) may have found his zone.

He has one game of NHL experience.