St. John's IceCaps | CollegeHockeyPlayers

22Jan

Mark Schiefele(42) Winnipeg Jets

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

19-year old Winnipeg Jets‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#7 overall) center Mark Schiefele(42) initially started his pro career last season but was returned to his junior club Barrie Colts after 7 games. In the brief stint, he did manage to pot his first NHL goal.

After the end of the season OHL season for his team, he joined AHL affiliate St. John’s IceCaps for their deep bid at the Calder Cup. That bid ended at the Eastern Conference Finals.

In 10 postseason match-ups he had one helper to add to his pro scoring stats.

Starting the 2012/2013 campaign, he continued his development in juniors, where he is a more than a point per game player.

As soon as the lockout ended, the 6’2″ 184 lbs. forward was ushered to Jets‘ shortened training camp and once again impressed enough to be on the opening night roster with the big club.

In two games he has yet to reach the scoresheet but will likely stick at this level or be reassigned to help the slumping IceCaps.

20Jan

Brian Sutherby(14) Lake Erie Monsters

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

12th year former Washington Capitals‘ 1st round pick in the 2000 draft (#26 overall) center Brian Sutherby(14) started the season on a pto with St. John’s IceCaps but was released after being a healthy scratch from the first two games.

Two and a half months later, the 30-year forward signs a standard player contract with Lake Erie Monsters.

A veteran of 460 NHL games with Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars and the Capitals, he’s quite literally under-scored where he should be with only 41 goals and 49 assists.

An unrestricted free agent last season, he signed a minor league deal with San Antonio Rampage but failed to produce as they would have liked and was released. He spent the rest of the year sidelined with back ailments. In 85 AHL games he’s scored 13 goals and 31 assists.

At 6’2″ 209 lbs. he’s built like a power forward and skates like one.

Despite having no points in 5 games with the Monsters, he really seems to fit into this team pretty well, making sure that if he has yet to quite hit the scoresheet yet, he’s still a big pest to play against.

30Dec

Peter Mannino(35) Manchester Monarchs

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted 5th year goaltender Peter Mannino(35) had quite the wild ride in his rookie season playing minutes in three different leagues: ECHL (Utah Grizzlies), AHL (Bridgeport Sound Tigers) and NHL (New York Islanders).

He was officially signed to a one-year entry level deal with the Isles before being scooped up by Atlanta Thrashers as an unrestricted free agent for sophomore run. His solid play in net for their farm team Chicago Wolves got him re-signed for another two seasons in their system.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. netminder eventually found himself, after a bit of a logjam in the St. John’s IceCaps‘ backstop prospects, returned to the ECHL to play with the now extinct Chicago Express. Eventually the former NCAA Championship goalie was loaned to Portland Pirates for the remainder of the regular season in a minor league transaction to finish out the remainder of his contract.

Looking into 2012/2013, the 28-year old found himself in unchartered territory without a place to play. He signed a training camp invite with Manchester Monarchs that turned into a pto and was recently upped to a one-year AHL spc.

He’s off to a fantastic start with a 7-3 record in 12 appearances and a 2.00 GAA and .932 SV%, as he looks to be regaining his form. He’s played NHL games in each of his pro career years.

Got to love the old style look to the pads he uses. Although rumor has it he’s in line for some more modern looking gear.

17Dec

Ryan Schnell(38) St. John’s IceCaps

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted, 4th year left wing Ryan Schnell(38) is one of those players that has seemingly still yet to realize most of the potential he could bring to the table.

He spent his first three seasons in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ system, playing the majority of his games in the ECHL with affiliate Wheeling Nailers. Through 114 contests he’s only managed a meager 5 goals and 10 assists.

On the other hand, the 6’3″ 225 lbs. forward has amassed over 400 penalty minutes, which gives more of an indication what style of a game he plays.

Going into the 2012/2013 the unrestricted free agent, the 23-year old signed a deal pretty quickly to change up his scenery, inking a one-year, two-way AHL deal with St. John’s IceCaps.

He was reassigned after the opening month on the sidelines to Colorado Eagles. Although he may be first in pims for the lower league, he’s on for career points, already scoring a career high 4 goals and 7 points through only 12 games, and he’s a +5 plus/minus.

With the right coaching to help direct his abilities, we see a burgeoning power forward in the making. He was recently recalled to the IceCaps and in a pair of games has zero points and one fighting major to his credit. Old habits are slow to fade.

05Dec

Zach Redmond (24)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

St. John’s IceCaps‘ sophomore defenseman Zach Redmond(24) is in the final year of his 2-year entry level deal with parent club Winnipeg Jets.

He was originally an Atlanta Thrashers‘ 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#184 overall).

The 24-year old is on pace to have a career year for goals scored, having already potted 6 in 22 games.

He finished his rookie season with 8 tallies and 23 assists, which he doesn’t look to beat with only 3 helpers so far in 2012/2013.

There’s always room for him to come alive moving the puck though.

Another area he looks to post a career high is in penalty minutes.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. d-man has 28 at this early point in the season.

He was only tagged for 33 pims in 72 games in 2011/2012, so he’s increasing the aggressive effort.

He becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the regular season but look for the Jets to qualify him for another shot.

01Dec

Eric O’Dell(14) St. John’s IceCaps

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

St. John’s IceCaps‘ 2nd year center Eric O’Dell(14) is in the final season of his 3-year entry level deal he signed with parent club, Winnipeg Jets (technically Atlanta Thrashers, who picked him up in a trade at the end of 2010/2011, their curtain closer).

In 13 appearances this season he’s notched 4 goals and 4 assists but like last season he has also found himself on the wrong side of being a healthy scratch on too many occasions. Admittedly though, they did have an uncanny amount of depth on that 2011/2012 squad, which is probably why they went to the Conference Finals.

The one-time Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft (#39 overall) managed only 39 games but struck for 12 goals, which was 9th in scoring, and added 10 assists while skating a +6 game.

It’s a bit of a wonder why the 6’ 195 lbs. forward isn’t in the lineup on a regular basis. It will be interesting to see what the Jets have in mind after this season when he hits restricted free agent status.

22Nov

Shayne Wiebe(24) Connecticut Whale

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted rookie center Shayne Wiebe(24) signed an AHL contract last season with St. John’s IceCaps after participating in Winnipeg Jets‘ training camp.

12 games and 4 assists into the 2011/2012 season and he worked out a release to pursue his education and skated the rest of the year with University of New Brunswick. He was basically a point per game player.

2012 rolls in and he’s back at the pro level in training camp with Connecticut Whale, a team he played one game with signed to an ato after his career in junior hockey was up.

The 5’10” 190 lbs. forward started the season with the team but only under a pto.

After one game he was reassigned to their ECHL affiliate Greenville Road Warriors and in 12 games has socked away 7 goals and 5 assists with a +7 plus/minus.

The performance earns the 22-year a recall and another pto with the Whale. Let’s see if the former captain of Brandon Wheat Kings can make it stick.

04Nov

Alex Burmistrov(8) St. John’s IceCaps

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Atlanta Thrashers‘ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#8 overall), Russian-born center Alex Burmistrov(8) starts the final season of his 3-year entry level deal with Winnipeg Jets‘ AHL affiliate St. John’s IceCaps, while the NHL ponders playing at all.

He already has 150 games of experience in the show scoring 19 goals and 29 assists, including career highs in games played, goals, assists, points, penalty minutes and shots on net in 2011/2012.

The rather lightweight-looking 6′ 175 lbs., just turned 21-year old forward has the entire skill set he needs to compete on the top level and is already starting to gel in the AHL with a goal and 5 assists in 10 contests.

There’s little doubt he could add some muscle to his stick-handling assets but he may be just quick enough to continue to elude opponents and put up points at an elite pace.

02Oct

Kenndal McArdle(22) Norfolk Admirals

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

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.

22Aug

Ray Kaunisto(24) St. John’s IceCaps

Posted in NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted left wing Ray Kaunisto(24) needed to find a new hockey home for 2012/2013 after he was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team he had spent the first two years of his pro career with, Los Angeles Kings in their prospect system.

He skated only with their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs putting up a marginal 15 goals and 21 assists in 131 regular season games. He did post bests in games played, assists and points last season (74 – 15 – 22).

At 6’4″ 193 lbs. much more offensive production would be expected of a player that has power forward size written all over him.

St. John’s IceCaps stepped up with a one-year AHL contract to see if the 25-year old is ready for his breakout year.

We’re sure a few extra pounds of muscle on his frame couldn’t hurt his chances of scoring, battling in front of the net. He’s a fun guy to follow on Twitter @rayk71.