Rochester Americans | CollegeHockeyPlayers

01Jan

Kevin Porter(12) Rochester Americans

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5th year, unrestricted free agent center Kevin Porter(12) signed a two-year deal with Buffalo Sabres in early July. In its first season, the deal is a two-way contract but for the second year it pays him NHL money even if he’s put on waivers and reassigned to their AHL affiliate, Rochester Americans.

Due to the lockout in the big league, the 6″ 190 lbs. forward was loaned to the Amerks to start his first campaign with the organization, his first time playing in the league since late-ish 2010. He was named team captain at the beginning of the season.

The 26-year old won the Hobey Baker Award in 2008 for being the best player in college hockey and was originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 4th round in the 2004 draft (#119 overall).

He spent his rookie season splitting time between the Coyotes and San Antonio Rampage before being dished at the trade deadline to Colorado Avalanche, where he had a career 2010/2011 run before seeing his ice time all but evaporate, limiting his games played to just 35 the following year.

In the AHL, he’s always been a nearly point-per-game player and this season is no different, as he’s scored 9 times with 14 assists in 31 games.

He’ll have to find a role with a team to step up permanently and could very well do it.

28Dec

Hugh Jessiman(19) Binghamton Senators

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8th year, former New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2003 draft (#12 overall), gigantic right winger Hugh Jessiman(19) signed a one-year, two-way deal with Ottawa Senators for the 2012/2013 season.

He (and every other eligible player) was reassigned to their AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators to start the new campaign.

The 6’5″ 233 lbs. mammoth has only ever skated in a pair of NHL games a couple of seasons ago with Florida Panthers.

He’s played 455 AHL regular season games with 7 different teams and last season posted a career high 27 goals and 44 points with Lake Erie Monsters and Abbotsford Heat.

By all accounts he should be a power forward that is impossible to move from the front of the net and a consistent 20+ goals, 20+ helpers forward.

In 25 games so far this season the 28-year old has 6 goals and 4 assists.

09Dec

Brian Flynn (10)

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Buffalo Sabres‘ undrafted rookie right wing Brian Flynn(10) signed a very conservative one-year entry level contract with the team following an NCAA college career that saw him as basically a point per game player.

Starting on reassignment with their affiliate Rochester Americans, while the NHL goes on prolonged lunch break, the 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward is continuing in the pro ranks where he left off. In 20 AHL games he’s well in front of all first year players with 9 goals and 8 assists and is 3rd overall in team scoring, ahead of a roster that is stacked with proven talent. His totals also put him in the top 10 of rookie point totals thus far.

If he stays on this pace, the Sabres would be wise to extend his contract for at least a couple more seasons as he’ll probably fill out that still undersized frame and looks to become a nice power forward pick-up with plenty of scoring punch.

30Nov

Mark Pysyk(13) Rochester Americans

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Buffalo Sabres‘ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#23 overall), defenseman Mark Pysyk(13) is making a seamless transition from junior hockey into the pros. He’s participated in three prospect and two training camps already.

The 20-year old starts his rookie season with their AHL affiliate Rochester Americans and has 1 goal and 6 assists in 17 games and is a +2 plus/minus on a team that is still better on paper than they are on the ice.

He was captain of Edmonton Oil Kings taking his hometown team to a WHL championship last season.

At 6’1 193 lbs. it’s not like he’s an oversized blue liner but is considered a good play-maker and is also accountable in his own end.

He’s really the type of player that has leadership written all over him but we’ll see how his game and on-ice identity develop.

10Nov

Cody Hodgson(19) Rochester Americans

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3rd year Vancouver Canucks‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#10 overall) center Cody Hodgson(19) is back in the AHL after his first successful full season in the NHL that ended with Buffalo Sabres after a late season trade sent him eastward.

In 83 totals regular season games he picked up 19 goals and another 22 assists between the two squads.

The 6′ 185 lbs. gritty forward would have almost assuredly continued to pick up the pace in the big league this year had they not hit the roadblock called a lockout.

Everyone seems to agree though that some more playing time in the AHL (his first since being a Manitoba Moose rookie standout ) with the Sabres‘ affiliate Rochester Americans will continue to help his game reach that next level and becoming a consistent 20-goal scorer is where he looks to be headed.

Unfortunately he was recently derailed for at least a few weeks with a broken hand suffered in the third week of the season. In 9 games he’s been quick to notch a goal and 9 assists.

01Nov

Zemgus Girgensons(28) Rochester Americans

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Talk about a sprint to get your career started, Buffalo Sabres‘ 1st round pick in this year’s draft (#14 overall), Latvian center Zemgus Girgensons(28) goes from his second season of scoring a point per game in the USHL, American junior hockey to the pros.

He had committed to attend University of Vermont next year but he excelled so well in prospect camp that the higher ups were thinking he might be ready to step right into the game and signed him to a 3-year entry level deal.

With the NHL on lockdown, he lacks the chance to make the big club out of training camp and starts his rookie season in the AHL with their close-by affiliate Rochester Americans.

At only 18 years old this is somewhat unprecedented. There’s no doubt that he possesses the size, 6’1″ 198 lbs. to compete and he’s known for playing a battler style of hockey.

Some of that seemed to be on display during the Amerks recent visit to the Glens Falls Civic Center in their 6-2 pounding of Adirondack Phantoms but they might be pushing this one along a bit fast.

He has 2 assists in 8 games and is a -1 plus/minus.

He seems like a really bright kid so there’s no doubt he’s going to be playing pro hockey for a long time and is now, but will he continue to this season?

26Oct

Brian O’Hanley(38) San Antonio Rampage

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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.

02Oct

Kenndal McArdle(22) Norfolk Admirals

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6th year left wing Kenndal McArdle(22) was a former Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2005 draft (#20 overall) but has yet to realize his potential, putting it lightly.

At 5’11” 190 lbs. he really doesn’t have that much size up front yet he definitely can be a pest to play against.

He’s never had what you’d call a stellar goal scoring season in the AHL, where he’s mostly been relegated to, aside from the 42 NHL games he’s appeared in with the Panthers and last season with Winnipeg Jets one year removed.

His totals are minimal at one goal and a pair of assists.

In 54 games last season split with St. John’s IceCaps to start before being loaned to Portland Pirates, he scored 10 goals and 8 assists, while amassing 98 minutes in penalties.

He was also part of that magical Vancouver Giants‘ team that won the Memorial Cup in 2007.

The still young 25-year old signed a try-out deal to play with Norfolk Admirals in 2012/2013. There’s no time like the present for this player to start answering the bell.

04Sep

Bobby Robins(21) Providence Bruins

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Undrafted 7th year center Bobby Robins(21) signed his first AHL contract since his rookie season with Binghamton Senators by re-upping for a full campaign with Providence Bruins, the team he spent 33 games with in 2011/2012. He was originally recalled from the ECHL, signed to a pto and upped to an spc as he continue to stick with the team.

The stat that pops out from his sheet is penalty minutes. He ended the regular season with 150 pims. That’s 3 games shy of a five minute (fighting) major per game. His actual number of incidents was more like 20 though, good enough for a three-way tie for 3rd in the league. It’s likely that he accomplished his feat in lesser contests than the other players did, which is a key reason why the P-Bruins found it necessary to get him under contract before the new season starts.

The knock on the team the last few years of postseason drought has been how undersized they were. This, at the very least, gives them 6’1″ 220 lbs. of protection out on the ice. The almost 31-year old also had a pair of goals and 10 assists (a career high) and we’d expect that number to go up too.

27Aug

Corey Fienhage(5) Rochester Americans

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2nd year defenseman Corey Fienhage(5) re-signs with Rochester Americans for 2012/2013, while still under the guidance of the parent club Buffalo Sabres.

He was a 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft (#88 overall) but has only been signed to standard AHL contracts. He also was reassigned to Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL for a good chunk of his first season, where he has managed a bit better success on the scoresheet so far.

In 32 games last season he had 5 goals and 8 assists while going a -4 plus/minus.

In the AHL he’s a +2 with 4 assists in 20 games.

At 6’2 215 lbs. he plays like a big defenseman out there but at only 22-years old it could be said he’s still growing into his pro game.