Toronto Marlies | CollegeHockeyPlayers

16Mar

Nicolas Deschamps(9) Hershey Bears

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Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft (#38 overall), center Nicolas Deschamps(9) is in the last season of his 3-year entry level deal.

He was skating with AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch, putting up good numbers (15 goals and 31 assists in 80 games) in his rookie campaign before his point production all but evaporated in the first half of his sophomore season.

The 6′ 173 lbs. forward was dished mid-year to Toronto Maple Leafs in a minor league transaction and was reassigned to the Marlies.

It was easily the change of scenery he needed because he finished the regular season with 7 goals and 23 assists in 40 games and added another 3 strikes and 9 helpers in a playoff run that went the distance to the Calder Cup Finals before falling.

The 23-year has been erratic at best in 2012/2013, barely marking up the scoresheet.

Realizing there’s still potential and really having nothing to lose, Washington Capitals become the latest suitors hoping he can kickstart that scoring touch and help Hershey Bears gain a more solid run in the postseason.

Chances are the low-risk gamble will put the fire back on his stick in the last 20 or so games that remain, but will it be enough?

19Jan

Mike Mottau(3) Toronto Marlies

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Heading into 2012/2013 13th year defenseman Mike Mottau(3) was an unrestricted free agent with 313 NHL games to his credit.

Originally a New York Rangers‘ 7th round draft pick in 1997 (#182 overall) he has skated with 5 different teams, his hometown Boston Bruins‘ being the most recent he skated with last season. He was acquired in a trade deadline deal and wore a spoked “B” for 8 games, including 2 in the playoffs.

With a lockout looming, the 34-year old blue liner had a decision to make: either sign a deal with an AHL team or risk not playing for a full year and potentially wrapping up a nice, long career.

He chose the former and inked a pto to join San Antonio Rampage, making his first appearances in the league since 2007. In 16 games, he put up 7 assists and was a +5 plus/minus helping stabilize the team to jump back into the playoff picture.

Offered a chance to fight for a spot on Toronto Maple Leafs‘ roster in a shortened training camp the 6’ 193 lbs., 2000 Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey, took it.

He had a strong enough showing that he was signed to a 1-year, two-way contract for the shortened season. Reassigned to their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies, he played his first game with his new team notched an assist in the loss.

15Dec

Mike Brennan(27) Worcester Sharks

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5th year, undrafted defenseman Mike Brennan(27) signed his first ECHL contract with last year’s Kelly Cup Champs Florida Everblades to start 2012/2013.

He’s a career AHL player having appeared in 288 regular season games with a few different teams but did sign a 2-year entry level deal with Chicago Blackhawks.

After 9 contests with the ‘Blades and some rough stuff, which the 6′ 205 lbs. d-man has never shied away from, he was signed to a pto with Worcester Sharks to fill in for an injury depleted blue line. He played his college hockey at BC, so in a sense it was a homecoming.

The 26-year old has definitely not ever been looked to for his goal scoring ability and has mostly been seriously on the minus side on ice.

But in 6 games with a grisly Worcester team, he already has three assists, is skating at a +2 plus/minus and fitting in nicely with the team chemistry, meaning his already dropped the mitts at least once.

He may have just found himself a home for pro hockey in a league he’s more familiar with in this NHL lockout season.

11Dec

Patrick Wellar(33) Hershey Bears

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9th year veteran defenseman has skated in his last five seasons with Hershey Bears or their ECHL affiliate.

He was originally a Washington Capitals‘ 3rd round pick in the 2002 draft (#77 overall) but didn’t start playing within their organization until 2009. He has yet to sign an NHL contract with any team.

The 29-year old d-man won the Kelly Cup with South Carolina Stingrays in 2009 and Calder Cup in 2010 with Hershey as he split time during both seasons playing games for each team.

He’s a big presence out on the ice at 6’3″ 231 lbs. but could utilize all his size a bit more effectively knocking down opposing players that dare to stand around in front of his net putting condiments on their sandwich as they wait for scoring chances.

For the first time in a couple of seasons he was sent down to skate 18 games with new affiliate Reading Royals before recently getting called back up.

It would be little surprise to see him get his name on the Kelly Cup a second time, as the Royals have the kind of team that could very well go the distance.

He’s played a career 282 AHL regular and postseason contests and 360 in the ECHL.

06Dec

Kelsey Wilson(11) Nottingham Panthers

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After starting 2012/2013 on a training camp invite from Providence Bruins, undrafted 7th year veteran left wing Kelsey Wilson(11) was released by the team before the regular season got underway.

From there he bounced from coast-to-coast in the ECHL with San Francisco Bulls then Trenton Titans, his first appearances in the league, before finally settling on a contract overseas to join Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL.

He’s skated in 395 total AHL games (mostly with Milwaukee Admirals), while signed to a somewhat undocumented 3-year entry level deal with Nashville Predators. After his contract was up he left North American hockey for a year to play in Austria, where he won the Erste Band Liga with EC Salzburg.

Upon returning he accepted his qualifying offer to rejoin the Preds‘ organization and was once again reassigned to their affiliate, Milwaukee. But his point production seemed to have ticked down a notch until the postseason, where he struck for almost a point-per-game.

In 2011/2012, the feisty 6’1″ 209 lbs. forward played the full campaign with eventual Calder Cup finalists Toronto Marlies although he appeared in only one playoff game.

At 26-years old, he’s likely still got plenty left in the tank and will probably do well with his abilities in the English pro league but will need to find it from within if he wants to climb back up the ranks in North America.

24Oct

Tyler Brenner(16) Bakersfield Condors

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Toronto Maple Leafs undrafted 2nd year right wing Tyler Brennan(16) split time in his rookie season with both their AHL and ECHL affiliates Toronto Marlies and Reading Royals but also spent time on the sidelines as a healthy scratch and bitten by the injury bug.

He’s signed for a 2-year entry level deal and has shown he can put numbers up on the scoresheet (3 goals and 6 assists in 29 games over a season and an ato with the Marlies and the same totals in 20 games with the Royals). He also contributed very well in college at RIT playing Division I Atlantic Hockey and has some size at 6’2″ 200 lbs.

The 24-year old was just reassigned to Bakersfield Condors to start 2012/2013 after not appearing in the first 5 games of the AHL regular season. He should fit in well in California and will probably help them win more.

26Sep

Ashton Rome(44) Greenville Road Warriors

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Double draft pick, 7th year right wing Ashton Rome(44) makes an interesting move for the 2012/2013 season by signing with Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL.

The move comes one season removed from his most productive AHL campaign with Portland Pirates, where he had league career highs in games played, goals and points.

He has skated in 91 games over a couple of years in the ECHL with a pair of different teams scoring 42 goals and 38 assists, so point productivity isn’t a problem for him in the lower level of hockey.

With the glut of talent being absorbed in the AHL, it’s seemingly a smart move for the almost 27-year old, who could also be setting up a path for himself post-playing pro hockey. There is little doubt he will help mentor the younger teammates and be a huge asset on ice and in the locker room.

He’ll also almost assuredly be on the short list for call-up by a number of teams and if the lockout lifts for the NHL he could find a permanent spot in the AHL sooner than later.

The 6’1 205 lbs. forward was originally a Boston Bruins’ 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (#108 overall) but was thrown back in the pool and picked up in the 5th round of 2006 by San Jose Sharks (#143 overall).

25Sep

Troy Bodie(20) Norfolk Admirals

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7th year left wing Troy Brodie(20) was part of a list of six players recently signed to an AHL contract by Norfolk Admirals, the new minor league affiliate of Anaheim Ducks.

He had a one-year, two-way deal with Anaheim last season but skated no NHL games.

In all, split half with the Ducks and one season picked up on waivers by Carolina Hurricanes, the 6’4″ 219 lbs. forward has skated in 107 games in the show registering 6 goals and 5 assists. He should be a bigger, more intimidating upfront power forward than his style indicates.

The 27-year was originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 9th round pick in the 2003 draft (#278 overall).

He started his pro career with Stockton Thunder of the ECHL, put up some big numbers and that was his only stop there.

This will be an interesting year him. It’s his first without an NHL contract and he definitely has something to prove.

02Aug

Brett Festerling(5) Nürnberg Ice Tigers

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Heading into his 6th pro season, undrafted defenseman Brett Festerling(5) figures trying out hockey in a different country for right now is the route to take, as he signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL for the 2012/2013 season.

The 6’1″ 208 lbs. blue liner has appeared in 88 NHL games in each of his last 4 years, mostly with Anaheim Ducks, who he was initially under contract with from 2007-2011. He registered no goals and 8 assists.

In 2010/2011, he found himself on the trading block three times, finally ending up with Atlanta Thrashers‘ farm team Chicago Wolves.

From there the now 26-year old re-signed with Winnipeg Jets for 2011/2012 and put up some AHL career highs with their affiliate St. John’s IceCaps scoring 15 assists, 18 points and a +8 plus/minus, while making it to the Eastern Conference Finals with the team in its’ inaugural season. He also appeared in 5 NHL games with the Jets.

An interesting bloodline fact to him picking Germany as his next place to play professionally in, his twin brother Garrett plays there and his grandfather is a native of the country.

He was also captain of the Vancouver Giants team that captured the Memorial Cup in 2007.

25Jul

Justin Pogge(1) Renon/Ritten

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Heading into his 7th pro season former Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2004 draft (#90) Justin Pogge(1) splits for Renon/Ritten of the Italian Serie A league after 254 regular season AHL games.

The big 6’3″ 21o lbs. backstop has almost quietly always had a winning record and put up decent numbers for whatever minor league team he’s played with.

Last season with Portland Pirates he posted a 14-13 record with a .890 SV% and a 3.07 GAA, which was a bit higher than his average play in the league.

In 7 NHL games, all with Toronto Maple Leafs, he didn’t fare so well. He had an amazing season in his last of juniors.

He’s still only 26-years old and probably has a good amount of juice left in the container. A couple good years overseas and we may see him again.