WBS Penguins | CollegeHockeyPlayers

21Dec

Derrick Pouliot (51)

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (#8 overall) rookie defenseman Derrick Pouliot(51) scored his first NHL goal in his debut.

It turned out to be the game-winner and he was also named third star for his efforts.

The 6′ 208 lbs d-man was an absolute fiend for points in four years with Portland Winterhawks scoring 42 goals and 163 assists in 247 games.

He also won the 2013 WHL Championship and was named the league’s and 2014 CHL Defenseman Of The Year, while leading all blue liners through the postseason in assists with 27.

Starting the season with the parent club as he rehabbed from off season shoulder surgery, he was reassigned to affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to start his pro career.

Out of the gate quickly in his debut and before his recall in 23 AHL games he’d already struck for 7 goals and 13 assists.

18Dec

Paul Bissonnette(15) Manchester Monarchs

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10th year veteran left wing Paul Bissonnette(15) for the first time in five years found himself on the outside as an unrestricted free agent after five seasons under contract with Arizona Coyotes.

Definitely a character guy out there for a team, he scored himself an invite to tryout with St. Louis Blues‘ training camp. He was released as the season was about to begin.

He was first rumored to sign with Cardiff Devils but then pulled the switch and inked a pto to join the Coyotes‘ farm club Portland Pirates.

The 6’3″ 220 lbs. forward is well known for putting his nose in the middle of trouble but in recent years has seemed to shy away from it mostly averaging only 50 minutes a season in the box and has fought only occasionally in the last three years.

Maybe his little goal scorer spree in the EIHL (6 goals, 11 assists in 15 games), while the NHL was on lockout, made him think of his game differently. He has 202 games in the big league to his credit and almost surprisingly is the proud owner of a +7 rating.

He was released from his tryout with Portland and the next day Manchester Monarchs chose to sign him.

He’s used very sparingly on a fourth line and seems mostly to be there to give the younger players a guy with some toughness and leadership to feed off.

The 29-year old was originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2003 draft (#121 overall) and played in their system for four years.

16Dec

Bryan Rust(36) Pittsburgh Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#80 overall) right wing Bryan Rust(36) is having himself a fun and fantastic rookie run.

Despite having a great pair of final campaigns in college at University Of Notre Dame (32 goals, 35 assists in 81 games), he was an early cut from training camp and looked ready to start his pro career with a full season skating for affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The solid 5’11” 192 lbs. forward pretty much picked up where he left off after school putting in 10 goals and 4 assists (puck hog) in the first 25 games of the AHL season.

With the flu and injury bug shaking up the parent club’s lineup the farm team’s leading scorer received his first recall but was up and back in an overnight.

It was for his second summons a week later that he’d get his skates wet.

He was used sparingly in his debut appearance picking up a double minor roughing penalty but for his second game he came to play and popped his first NHL goal while skating 16 shifts for 10:54 total ice time and even was out there for close to a minute on the power play.

In all likelihood the still super-young 22-year old graduate will likely be returned but he’s picking up some amazing valuable experience being up so quickly and probably soaking it all in as he’s not a restricted free agent until the end of 2016.

14Dec

Bobby Farnham (24)

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It was a dream come true for Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 3rd year undrafted pugulist right wing Bobby Farnham(24) to score a recall and play in his first NHL game.

He skated 9 even strength shifts for a minimal 5:31 ice time, had one hit and mixed it up in the opening frame for his first big league fighting major.

The not-so-big 5’10” 188 lbs. already has 7 AHL bouts this season and 30 in his career.

A former Brown University forward signed his first one-year deal with Wheeling Nailers.

He lasted all of 9 ECHL games (3 goals, 1 assist), including four 5-minute stays in the penalty box before being called-up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he would be offered an spc one month in to his visit and basically never left.

That is until the parent club took notice and signed him to a one-year deal for his sophomore campaign and although he played the full season with the farm team it was good enough to get him re-upped for another.

And now he’s in the show and although it may have a time limit now, if he continues to demonstrate he can contribute he’d be a low cap hit for a team that may be looking for someone that plays his style.

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

31Oct

Tyler Kennedy(8) Worcester Sharks

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9th year veteran right wing Tyler Kennedy(8) was reassigned by San Jose Sharks to their farm team Worcester Sharks on a long-term conditioning loan after suffering a nagging upper body injury early in training camp.

He last played in the AHL in 2007 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2004 draft (#99 overall) he spent 7 years with the team posting career highs with 21 goals and 24 assists through 80 appearances in 2010-2011. He was a pretty nice playoff contributor, helping them to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2009.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward has skated 439 NHL games scoring 80 goals and 105 assists with a +22 rating.

His totals in the past pair of campaigns have faltered though and he was given a fairly lucrative two-year deal wooing him away quickly from his first turn as an unrestricted free agent.

He managed only 4 tallies and 13 helpers with a -10 plus/minus in 67 contests last season.

The 28-year old may be finding himself a bit on the cusp as to where he will fit in best unless he starts stepping it up quickly.

26Oct

Scott Munroe(33) Springfield Falcons

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9th year undrafted goaltender Scott Munroe(33) returned to North American hockey for a second time after tending net for Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL last season. He also spent an earlier year overseas in the KHL with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Although he put up pretty excellent numbers in Sweden (2.05 GAA, .913 SV% in 36 games) he was cut loose.

He decided to come back to this side of the pond signing a one-year, two-way deal with Springfield Falcons.

To start the new season the now 32-year old was for the first time in his pro career dispatched to ECHL affiliate Kalamazoo Wings, where he appeared in one game, getting the win.

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. backstop was immediately recalled and started his first AHL game in about a year and a half, winning his second straight of 2014/2015 in two different leagues.

His last stint was his second go-round with Adirondack (Philadelphia) Phantoms.

He’s had three NHL contracts and was invited to Columbus Blue Jackets’ training camp but never played an official big league game.

When he finally decides to hang up the skates, he’d be a great goaltending coach for a team.

See related: 8/28-12

22Sep

David Marshall(42) San Antonio Rampage

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After seeing playing time last season with three AHL teams (Worcester, Wilkes-Barre, Rochester for a combined 43 games, scoring 5 goals, 4 assists and another 11 playoff games with WBS Penguins), undrafted 3rd year pro signs a contract with San Antonio Rampage for the 2011/2012 season. No official word, but it’s believed to be a one-way deal.

He’s had stints in the ECHL with Wheeling and Charlotte over the course of the last couple seasons.

Playing for one team, I expect him to be at least a 20-point guy for the Rampage.

21Aug

Mike Sgroi(17) Evansville Icemen / Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Central Hockey League‘s newest team, Evansville Icemen recently signed 6’5″ 235lbs of grit in Mike Sgroi(17) for the upcoming season.

A 12-year veteran, he usually finds himself playing for multiple minor league teams each season, either with call-ups or trades for his services. In 2008-2009, he played games for no less than 6 teams in the AHL and ECHL (Syracuse Crunch, Binghamton Senators, Norfolk Admirals, Johnstown Chiefs, Utah Grizzlies, Elmira Jackals).

Last season, seeming out of nowhere, he signed a pto with Bridgeport Sound Tigers and appeared in a couple of games at the end of the season registering no points and more surprisingly no penalty minutes.