Syracuse Crunch | CollegeHockeyPlayers

29Jun

Ryan Garlock(14) Vålerenga

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Headed into his 7th pro season, center Ryan Garlock(14) is heading out of the country for 2012/2013 to skate with Vålerenga of GET-ligaen (Norway).

He was originally a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2003 draft (#45 overall) but has yet to play in an NHL game.

The 6’ 196 lbs. forward has 321 AHL games to his credit putting up 22 goals and 57 assists. He also spent parts of 3 seasons in the ECHL, where he easily was a point per game player.

He signed an spc with Springfield Falcons shortly after he joined the team on a pto last season, his second stint but first full year with the team.

He’s a tough one to figure out, because he’s got the size and tenacity and mostly plays an agitating style, leaving it all on the ice but other times he looks like he’s land of the lost and unable to follow the play.

See related post: 10/21/11

22Jun

Jean-Philippe Cote (24)

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Entering his 10th pro season, defenseman Jean-Phillipe Cote(24) becomes the first signing for Tampa Bay Lightning‘s brand new AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch after winning the Calder Cup, his second, with Norfolk Admirals last season.

He inked a two-year minor league deal that will keep him in the system through 2014.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. 30-year old started the year playing 10 games with Ontario Reign of the ECHL (his first appearance in the league) before signing a pto with the Admirals in mid-November that was bumped up to a standard player contract a month later.

Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 9th round pick in the 2000 draft (#265 overall), the big blue liner has appeared in 8 NHL games with Montreal Canadiens and won his first Calder Cup with Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007.

He spent his first 5 seasons with the team skating in 354 games with the team.

He may not be the most prolific scoring d-man but he’s accountable force out there and even put up career highs last season for assists (12), points (15) and plus/minus (+26) and postseason games played, so he’s a good guy to have on any team.

09Jun

Patrick Maroon(19) Anaheim Ducks

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Anaheim Ducks’ jumbo truck-sized left wing Patrick Maroon(19) signs a one-year contract extension joining them for a 3rd season in their system.

He had a career year in 2011/2012 scoring highs in goals, assists and points (32-42=74) in 75 AHL games for Syracuse Crunch, leading the team in points.

In 289 regular season AHL games (first with Adirondack Phantoms) he’s racked up 92 goals and 136 assists.

The 24-year old was originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 6th round pick in the 2007 draft (#161 overall).

He didn’t play his first pair of NHL games until this past season though, not finding his way on the scoresheet.

As the Ducks regroup for the next year, if he has a good training camp there’s reason to think the 6’4″ 225 lbs. forward could find himself on the opening night roster.

10May

Alexandre Picard(9) Norfolk Admirals

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Former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 1st round pick in the 2004 draft (#8 overall), left wing Alexandre Picard(9) is finding his scoring touch in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs with his new team of the 2011/2012 season, Norfolk Admirals.

The 6’2″ 206 lbs. power forward was signed to a one-year two-way contract by Tampa Bay Lightning at the beginning of free agency.

In 67 NHL games over the first five years of his pro career with the Blue Jackets, he only managed a pair of assists. He was not recalled this season and in 49 AHL games scored 6 goals, 19 assists for 25 points.

He did however have his best plus/minus with a +9.

Through 7 seasons, he’s played 351 AHL regular season games scoring 111 goals and 121 assists.

In 9 postseason contests he has seemingly exploded for 6 goals and 6 assists and leads the team and league in scoring.

He potted another two in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, including the winning tally to put the Admirals up in the series 3-2 in the best-of-7.

07May

Iiro Tarkki(35) Salavat Yulaev

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Finnish-born, undrafted Syracuse Crunch rookie goaltender Iiro Tarkki(35) put up some pretty impressive numbers in his first season of AHL action with a 24-17 win/loss record and a 2.45 gaa and .925 SV%. He played less well against a loaded St. John’s IceCaps‘ team in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

He was signed to a one-year entry level deal by Anaheim Ducks and appeared in one game for them getting his first NHL win in his only game, but he also let up a goal on the first shot he faced and was lit up for another 2 in only 9 more in the two periods he played in relief. It just so happened the Ducks popped in 7 goals to get him the W.

We honestly think he didn’t want to spend another year in the minors so decided to sign on with Salavat Yulaev of the KHL and work that angle. He started his career playing three years for the top league in his own country.

At 26-years old, he may just be one of those late-bloomers, because he seems to have a pretty good skill set.

05May

John Mitchell(24) Anaheim Ducks

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3rd year undrafted left wing John Mitchell(24) was rewarded for working hard with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch despite not being signed by Anaheim Ducks with a two-year, two-way entry level NHL deal that will take him through 2014.

He originally signed an AHL contract with the Crunch as a rookie in 2010/2011 and re-signed for a second campaign last season.

The 25-year old basically had mirror image seasons on the scoresheet but was a very respectable +7 plus/minus this year and played hard for them in their first round exit of the Calder Cup Playoffs scoring a goal.

He’s listed at 6’5″ 216 lbs. which seems big from when I saw him play. But if he is, then he should be banging like an extra large power forward.

26Apr

Riley Holzapfel(26) Syracuse Crunch

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Love this minor (league) detail when the AHL Calder Cup Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Playoff match-ups were set.

4th year center Riley Holzapfel(26) was traded from Winnipeg Jets‘ affiliate St. John’s IceCaps to Anaheim Ducks AHL team, Syracuse Crunch for Maxime Macenauer.

In 28 games with the Crunch he has 8 goals and 14 assists but nothing in the postseason as of yet.

At 6’3″ 190 lbs. the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets‘ 2nd round pick in the 2003 draft (#43 overall), the 23-year old can get in there and get points but he sometimes plays more of a finesse game than he should considering his size.

Macenauer has only appeared in one of the 3 games, an IceCaps‘ loss but looks to be on the team that will continue their playoff push.

20Apr

Mark Fraser(29) Toronto Marlies

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6th year, 25-year old defenseman Mark Fraser(29) will definitely help Toronto Marlies in their quest for the Calder Cup.

He’s had quite the ride in the 2011/2012 season as he started the season with the team that selected him in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft (#84 overall), New Jersey Devils. In 5 years in their system, he’s skated 98 NHL games (3 goals, 5 assists) and has appeared in 233 AHL contests.

Never really considered a big point producer, he is however a big presence on the blue line at 6’3″ 220 lbs.

A trade in mid-December, saw him go to Anaheim Ducks but he didn’t appear in a game before being reassigned to Syracuse Crunch, where he played some mean, shutdown hockey and was a career high +13 plus/minus.

Only a couple of months later though, he was dished again in a minor league deal that has him playing in the AHL postseason for the first time in his pro career. He got himself an assist on the game-winning goal to boot.

08Apr

Peter Holland (22)

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#15 overall) rookie center Peter Holland(22) lit it up and gets some notice in the month of March earning the AHL Rookie of the Month honor.

He notched 4 goals and 14 assists in 15 games, not to mention had a tidy +12 plus/minus on a team that’s all of the sudden streaking at the right time towards a Calder Cup Playoff berth, Syracuse Crunch.

In 4 NHL games he got his 1st goal but hasn’t been back since mid-November 2011.

In 69 AHL games he ranks 2nd on the Crunch in scoring with 23 goals and 37 assists.

At 6’3″ 200 lbs. the 21-year old is probably still at a bit light for where his prime playing weight will be but he’s not afraid to get dirty and should get a longer look in what might be a bit of a rebuilding Ducks for 2012/2013, especially considering he’ll only be in the 2nd year of his three-year entry level deal.

04Apr

Mat Clark(2) Anaheim Ducks

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2nd year Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#37 overall), defenseman Mat Clark(2) played his first NHL game on April Fool’s. He skated 11 shifts for 11:02 of even strength ice time and pretty much that was his lone pair of stats, which isn’t a bad thing in the 2-1 loss.

At 6’3″ 205 lbs. the 21-year old still has time to grow into his game and at the very least this year in the AHL, his second with Syracuse Crunch, he’s become a more accountable d-man.

He has another year left on his 3-year entry level deal.

Another guy that just has to take a million shots from the point and get them in on net consistently.