WHL | CollegeHockeyPlayers

04Apr

Wacey Hamilton(36) Binghamton Senators

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Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd year undrafted center Wacey Hamilton(36) is putting up some career high AHL marks with farm team Binghamton Senators.

Although maybe not the biggest numbers at 13 assists and 15 points, they do show a fairly good increase, doubling what he had in two campaigns for helpers and achieving almost the same in the overall category.

The not exactly huge 5’11” 185 lbs. forward achieved over point-per-game status in his final two runs with Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL (he was team captain in 2010/2011) but continues to look for that scoring touch as a pro, while playing a mostly checking line role.

He is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season upon completion of his 3-year entry level deal.

The parent club may take a bit of a while before qualifying the 23-year old to see if more can delevop or could release him to seek playing time elsewhere.

Regardless, this is a player that needs to ignite more fire in his game to elevate it.

22Feb

J.C. Lipon(34) St. John’s IceCaps

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 3rd round pick in the 2013 draft (#91 overall), rookie right wing J.C. Lipon(34) is having the kind of first year pro that he’ll easily be able to build on.

He signed a three-year entry level deal that keeps him in the prospect system through 2016.

Reassigned to minor league affiliate St. John’s IceCaps, he’s posted a tidy 6 goals and 21 assists in 48 AHL games with a -7 rating.

The 6′ 180 lbs. forward also exhibits a willingness to stick his nose into developing situations, never shying away from any of the rough stuff and is a bit of a pest to play against.

He’s on his way to putting up triple digits in penalty minutes much like he did in three seasons with Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.

He also showed signs of marking up the score sheet with a lot of assists passing out 99 helpers to go with 55 goals in his final pair of junior hockey campaigns.

The still super-young 20-year old is very likely to get a look in the show and could stick with his feisty play.

13Feb

Daine Todd (3)

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ undrafted rookie defenseman Daine Todd(3) is another recent player to take a somewhat Jeffy, Family Circus route to turning pro.

He even sat out the entire 2008-2009 campaign and lost another pair of seasons to injuries before he ever signing a contract.

To make matters stranger he played an over-age year with Medicine Hat Tigers and won two WHL Championships before being sidelined and returned for four campaigns with University Of New Brunswick.

He also won a college title with them.

The small-ish looking 5’10” 185 lbs. former forward turned blue liner battles pretty hard but is a -14 plus/minus so far in his first season but is also on the ice for many different kinds of game situations because of his versatile play.

On the upside he has 2 goals and 21 assists in 44 games with Portland Pirates.

His helper total is first among rookies and third overall on the team.

He’s signed to an AHL contract under the watchful eye of the parent club .

At 27-years old he might become one of the oldest players to sign a one-year entry level deal.

05Feb

Stefan Warg (8)

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Anaheim Ducks‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#143 overall), sizable 6’3″ 220 lbs. Swedish-born defenseman Stefan Warg(8) heads back to his home country to play the remainder of the season with Skellefteå of the SHL.

Before signing a two-year entry level deal, he had already played three pro seasons in the lower Allsvenskan league after completing a pair of campaigns in the WHL.

There was definitely a buzz after last season’s performance with Västerås, where he put up 4 goals and 15 assists with a +21 rating in 52 games.

In his rookie season the 24-year old was mostly on the AHL roster with affiliate Norfolk Admirals but all too often a healthy scratch until injuries to the blue line basically forced the team to play him.

In 21 games he only had an assist playing a very conservative brand of defense that wasn’t always pretty to watch but had a good level of accountability.

Word has it that overall he was somewhat uncomfortable fitting in with the minor league American lifestyle and was going to be bought out of the remainder of his contract.

He moves back home with a new 2-year deal.

08Jan

Dominik Uher(26) WBS Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#144 overall), Czech Republic-born center Dominik Uher(26) has already surpassed his rookie season highs in assists and points and is one goal away from setting a new mark in goals as well.

In 31 AHL games with minor league affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins he has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points. Last season in 53 regular season contests he tallied 7 points total.

The 6’1″ 199 lbs. forward plays a feisty style of game out there and only really started to light the lamp before turning pro in his final season of junior hockey in the WHL with Spokane Chiefs, when he was a bit over a point-per-game guy.

Signed to a three-year entry level deal through the end of the 2015 campaign, the still very young 21-year old seems to be just hitting his stride.

It would be no shock to see him continue to increase his point totals and maybe get a look at his NHL game by the parent club.

07Jan

Chris Bruton(16) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ 3rd year undrafted center Chris Bruton(16) was given a one-year, two-way NHL contract for 2013/2014 by New York Islanders to captain the young minor league affiliate squad.

Unfortunately he broke his hand early into the campaign and missed a month of action, leaving the team to field three assistants in his absence.

Upon his return, he has skated in 26 AHL games scoring a goal and an assist but is mostly counted on for his leadership and backing up his teammates when called upon.

He was team captain in his last season with Spokane Chiefs when they won both the Western Hockey League Championship and Memorial Cup. There was also an unfortunate incident that happened with the latter trophy.

At only 5’11” 205 lbs. he isn’t exactly the biggest guy out there but as his fighting record and time spent in the penalty box indicate, he welcomes any challenge.

One of those was after his junior career wrapped up, instead of turning pro immediately he decided to attend Acadia University.

After three years in school he signed his first contract with Alaska Aces after attending training camp with Peoria Rivermen but on his second loan to the club inked a deal in the higher league and re-signed for a 2012/2013.

The 26-year old definitely seems to be enjoying his time as mentor and could be headed for a nice coaching career once he’s ready to step off the ice.

01Jan

Matt Lowry(17) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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2nd year undrafted center Matt Lowry(17) signed a pto to join Bridgeport Sound Tigers after tearing it up in the early season with Evansville IceMen.

He posted 7 goals and 8 assists in 19 ECHL games with a +9 rating.

The feisty 6′ 190 lbs. forward originally an invite to Ottawa Senators‘ training camp in 2009, went down the ladder with Binghamton Senators after three seasons in the WHL, where he put up decent numbers (47-113-160 in 207 games) but was mostly reassigned to play with affiliate Elmira Jackals.

After his rookie season he decided to jump at an opportunity to enroll under a full free scholarship to attend University Of Manitoba.

At the conclusion of his third school year he signed an ato with Greenville Road Warriors. In 9 games he scored a goal and 3 assists but had no points in the playoffs.

The 25-year old has only 1 assist in 10 games with the Sound Tigers but the team has run an impressive 4-6 record with lineup stocked full of call-ups.

26Dec

Kyle Beach (14)

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Chicago Blackhawks‘ 1st round pick in the 2008 draft (#11 overall), 4th year right wing Kyle Beach(14) finally saw his time expire in the team’s prospect system.

Unable to secure an NHL recall while playing with minor league affiliate Rockford IceHogs, he was still qualified for another season after his three-year entry deal was up.

The fairly big 6’3″ 210 lbs. player definitely has power forward size but seems to have a bit of unwillingness to use it where he is for anything more than getting it skirmishes with opponents.

In 175 AHL games he has 41 goals and 36 assists with 4 of those tallies coming in 7 contests in the current campaign.

He was a point-per-game guy though four WHL seasons, while always putting up close to 200 penalty minutes each year. He also concluded his junior hockey career with a +51 rating.

Traded to New York Rangers‘ organization and reassigned to their farm club, Hartford Wolf Pack, he has only notched one assist in 7 contests.

The still super-young 23-year old is only under contract through the end of the season and it’s possible his game will pick up to where it needs to be with the change of scenery, but he’s going to have to connect soon or his ice time may dry up.

20Dec

Brendan Shinnimin (16)

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Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2nd year undrafted center Brendan Shinnimin(16) is sort of quietly putting up decent scoring numbers for minor league affiliate Portland Pirates.

Through 24 AHL games he has 4 goals and 8 assists.

In his rookie season he scored a handy 12 tallies and added 21 helpers in 74 contests.

He was also an unfortunate -18 plus/minus.

At 5’10” 185 lbs., he’s not necessarily the biggest looking guy out there but has shown the ability to connect with decent consistency on the score sheet.

In his final WHL campaign with Tri-City Americans, he put up a league high 134 points (58 goals, 76 assists).

He finished his junior hockey career scoring 131 goals and 201 assists in 267 games with a monstrous +85 rating.

The 22-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2015.

If he can stay active on the score sheet, he’s bound to earn himself an NHL recall.

11Dec

Brandon Kozun(15) Manchester Monarchs

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Los Angeles Kings‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#179 overall), right wing Brandon Kozun(15) signed a qualifying offer to stay put in the prospect system for another year.

The small 5’8″ 162 lbs., smart playing-making forward has skated in 246 AHL games with affiliate Manchester Monarchs scoring a handy 75 goals and 95 assists with a +19 rating.

In four seasons of junior hockey in the WHL with Calgary Hitmen he absolutely tore up the score sheet with over 100 points in each of his last two years putting him at a 1.24 points-per-game and won the league title in 2010. His plus/minus was completely through the roof at a +103.

He also finished that campaign, both regular season and playoffs as the league’s assist and point leader and added CHL Top Scorer Award to the mix.

The 23-year has yet to realize his first NHL action and his smaller size may affect that possibility on a team that has a history of recalling bigger players.

See related: 3/5-11