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20Sep

Raymond Sawada(27) Oji Eagles

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5th year right wing Raymond Sawada(27) signs an AHL contract to join St. John’s IceCaps for the 2012/2013. He was reassigned from Texas Stars to the team near the end of last year appearing in 17 regular season and 15 Calder Cup games.

Originally a 2nd round pick of Dallas Stars in the 2004 draft (#52 overall), he has skated in 11 NHL games over three seasons with one goal to his credit. He scored it on his birthday.

In the AHL, the power forward has played in 289 regular and postseason contests for 45 goals and 80 assists, which are somewhat surprisingly low scoring totals for the 6’2″ 205 lbs. high draft pick.

At 27-years old, he’s seemingly still waiting for his breakout campaign but has to be running low on time in North American pro hockey to prove his abilities.

Original story 8/10-12

He would tie his best offensive output in his first full season with St. John’s scoring a new high 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points but was a dismal -24 in 65 games.

Going into 2013/2014 he signed a deal at the start of the ECHL season with Colorado Eagles, his first venture playing in the lower league.

His numbers were that of a point-per-game player (7-8-15 in 18 contests with a +7 plus/minus) but he must have gotten a bit stir crazy as he up and left for SM-liiga of Finland, joining Tappara but his numbers were similar to what he’d put up in the AHL.

He left there for a year in the EIHL with Belfast Giants and fully exploded with 22 goals and 41 assists in 58 games and added another 2 tallies and 2 helpers in 4 postseason match-ups.

For his 8th pro season, the former Cornell University captain has made a somewhat surprising decision to play 2015/2016 in the Asia League with Oji Eagles, where he should once again dominate on the score sheet.

The 30-year was likely offered a lot of money he couldn’t turn down.

03Aug

Jamie Oleksiak(5) Dallas Stars

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Dallas Stars‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#14 overall), mammoth-sized defenseman Jamie Oleksiak(6) made his NHL debut after starting his rookie season with their minor league affiliate Texas Stars.

He skated 21 shifts for 15:32 of total ice time in a 4-3 shootout win.

At 6’7″ 250 lbs. his size speaks for itself but he started to show an offensive upside in the second half, after a trade, of his only year in junior hockey. That followed one season in college hockey.

In 43 AHL games he has scored a modest 3 goals but added a playmaker 20 assists to his scoring totals and leaves the farm club (for now) with a +12 plus/minus. He also was selected to the starting lineup of the recent 2013 AHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition.

The 20-year old signed a 3-year entry level contract that keeps him in the Stars‘ system through 2015. He should easily become a full-time fixture in the show well before then as a solid two-way specialist.

Original story: 2/2-13

He would finish his first season posting a team leading 27 assists and 33 points for d-men with a healthy +19 rating.

He also appeared in 16 games with the big club recording his first two assists.

In his sophomore campaign he played a new high 69 AHL games but only got into 7 contests with Dallas, unable to get any points. His 5 goals, 18 assists and 23 points with a +8 plus/minus were second amongst blue liners on Texas and he would be a part of the 2014 Calder Cup Champions contributing 5 assists and a +13 rating in 21 playoff outings.

He would start his contract year on the opening night roster but was a healthy scratch and called into action for the following game.

For the next few games he’d be back in the stands watching but after that he would start showing up regularly.

He would end up playing 36 contests getting his first NHL goal and 7 assists.

While mostly playing with the big club he was sent down, skating 35 games with the farm club.

Now 23-years old he signed a one-year extension early into his restricted free agency to stay with Dallas Stars and is expected to stick with the big club exclusive in 2015/2016.

11Apr

Fight Card: Mathieu Tousignant(16) vs. Garret Ross(26)

Posted in AHL, Fight Card, NHL | Leave a comment

March 3, 2015: Adirondack Flames‘ fight leader at 14 bouts, the not exactly large 5’11” 185 lbs. center Mathieu Tousignant(16) is fed up with the way the game is going so picks a fight from some feistiness in front of the opposing net with Rockford IceHogs‘ 2nd year left wing Garret Ross(26) who is credited with 4 mix ups this season and is similarly sized at 6′ 182 lbs.

It was basically a draw with some good punches thrown.

Tousignant was just named “Man Of The Year” too.

09Feb

Jyrki Jokipappa(2) Dallas Stars

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Dallas Stars‘ 7th round deep pick in the 2011 draft (#195 overall) 5th year Finnish-born defenseman Jyrki Jokipappa(2) won a Calder Cup in his rookie season on reassignment with affiliate Texas Stars.

In 21 playoff games he had 5 assists and was a +8.

The rangy 6’3″ 210 lbs. blue liner was a late training camp cut showing in preseason action he was ready to step up his efforts.

In 23 NHL games he already has 6 assists.

In 19 AHL games he struck for 3 goals and 2 assists.

With 3 years of pro hockey under his belt with Ilves of Liiga, the top league in Finland, he’s one of many new international players that are taking that route to North America.

He was even loaned back in the first season of his three-year entry level deal to continue his development overseas before arriving here and is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current campaign.

The 23-year old will easily be given a qualifying offer for another year, if not tied up for another two.

21Jan

Taylor Vause (34)

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Undrafted, 3rd year mini-center Taylor Vause(34) has earned every inch of the ice he’s played on.

He joined Texas Stars on an ato after four plus seasons of junior hockey in the WHL, where he was team captain with Swift Current Broncos scoring more than a point-per-game in his last campaign (37-46-83 in 72 games).

Generously listed at 5’10” 185 lbs. he was able to put up his first pro goal and an assist in 5 AHL contests.

He signed a pto to continue in the lone star state for his rookie year and re-upped with a second tryout before getting a full-on contract.

While it took him a little time to find his spot in the lineup, once in he was a bit slow to start but finished with 4 goals and 13 assists in 55 games, which was a decent debut for the tenacious forward.

He also appeared in 3 postseason matches registering no points.

It was reported he signed a one-year deal with Idaho Steelheads in the off-season but after attending Texas‘ training camp was kept on board once again and split his playing time with both clubs gaining more consistency on the score sheet.

And even though he played in only a pair of playoff games, he did have his name included on the 2013 Calder Cup Trophy.

The 23-year decided to ink his next deal with Colorado Eagles and quickly established himself as a scoring threat.

It didn’t take the Calgary native to earn a recall and signed another pto with Adirondack Flames.

He had been in their training camp.

The small pivot made an impact almost immediately and one month in was given an spc to stay with the team, although he was later reassigned back down after cooling off.

It only took him a week to return as he exploded for a 3 goal, 3 assist performance in his 3-game ECHL stint.

He’ll certainly have to keep his energy level up and connect but he might have found his home for at least the short term and will likely get an NHL camp look.

04Jan

Brett Richie(25) Dallas Stars

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Dallas Stars‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#44 overall) 2nd year right wing Brett Richie(25) is making quite the argument to stay put on the hot-and-cold parent club after only a pair of games since his first recall.

In two team wins, the big 6’3″ 220 lbs. power forward scored his first NHL goal in his debut, then added another tally and an assist in his next appearance with a +4 rating.

Over the pair of games he was also credited with 4 shots on net, 8 hits, 1 takeaway, 1 giveaway and 2 takeaways in an average of 16 shifts and a conservative 11 minutes of ice time.

He has spent most of his playing time with the parent club’s affiliate Texas Stars, where in 90 AHL games he’s scored 33 goals and 33 assists with a monster +24 rating and has amassed a gargantuan 314 shots.

The 21-year old was also big part of the 2014 Calder Cup Championship and contributed another 7 goals and 4 assists in 13 games to the title.

Makes sense that he’s getting his opportunity now as he could be the spark plug the big league teams needs heading into the second half of the season.

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.

07Nov

Joe Morrow(45) Boston Bruins

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Boston Bruins‘ defenseman Joe Morrow(7) is technically only playing the second season of his entry level contract but is in his third pro year under contract with already with his third team.

Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in 2011 (#23 overall) he was traded late in his rookie campaign to Dallas Stars in a no relation deal for namesake veteran forward Brendan Morrow.

He finished out the regular calendar and 8 Calder Cup Playoff games with affiliate Texas Stars.

Before the former Portland Winterhawks‘ blue liner could even get an apartment in the Lone Star state, he once again found himself on the move as a minor add on in a blockbuster trade that had him heading east to Boston.

He spent his sophomore season (first of his contract) on reassignment to Providence Bruins taking up where he left off in 4 years of WHL junior hockey, handing a lot of pucks to scorers for assists.

The 6’1 206 lbs. d-man had 6 goals, 23 assists in 56 AHL games and 128 shots on net. He added another pair of tallies and 5 assists with a +7 rating in 10 postseason matchups.

The still only 21-year old picked up where he left off to start 2014/2015. In 5 games he has a goal and an assist but is an already outstanding +4.

With injuries running rampant for the parent club, he gets his first chance and completes the NHL appearances of the four players picked up in the swap that brought him to the team.

In three games, all wins, he has yet to record a point but is a +2 plus/minus, has 8 shots on the goal and averaged 24 shifts each outing with over 17 minutes time on ice.

See related: 10/21-12

11May

Matt Fraser (25)

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Boston Bruins‘ 3rd year right wing Matt Fraser(25) accomplishes scoring an overtime game-winner in the NHL and in the AHL (for minor league affiliate Providence Bruins) in the same postseason, a first in hockey history.

The undrafted forward was signed to a one-year extension making it three straight seasons in Dallas Stars‘ prospect system, but only a week or so later found himself tied as a spare part in a 7-player deal that sent him east.

The bigger than he looks at 6’2″ 209 lbs. forward added an assist in his second Stanley Cup playoff appearance.

The almost 24-year is old is set to become a restricted free agent for the second time in his pro career but it would be zero surprise to see Boston tie him up for a couple more campaigns.

See related: 2/26-13

20Apr

Joey Martin (14)

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

Stockton Thunder undrafted center Joey Martin(10) posted career highs for games played, assists and points in his third ECHL season.

He skated in 66 contests, scoring one less goal than he did as a rookie, with 21 tallies and a new record 45 helpers, 66 points; all team leading offensive totals.

He also managed to tie his AHL scoring mark in 2013/2014 with a pair of goals on loan to affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers; and his 2 assists for 4 points with a +3 rating in 9 games were new personal bests.

He’s skated in higher league games in each of his years.

The 5’10” 174 lbs. forward is now once again lighting up the postseason score sheet and will undoubtedly eclipse his former totals as in just 2 games he has already evened up with his 5 points, including a new best 4 assists.

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