Showing posts with label American Hockey League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Hockey League. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Brad Malone vs Rich Clune



According to Hockeyfights.com, that the first NHL fight of former fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone's NHL career. Malone has been in eight, AHL fights during the course of his hockey career. Rich Clune of the Nashville Predators on the other hand, has been in 10 fights this season.
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Friday, November 30, 2012

Justin Schultz goal against the Aeros



At the 43 second mark of this video, former Badgers and current OKC Baron's defenseman Justin Schultz scores an absolutely beautiful goal against the Hoston Aeros. Schultz is leading the Baron's team in scoring (11g-18a--29pts)... Just for the record the Barons aren't a bunch of hacks either, you can see for yourself.

Can you imagine if the Badgers still had this guy in their lineup?
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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Saturday night thoughts



I was checking out the box scores from the American Hockey League - this box score caught my attention. What jumps out at you here? There are a couple things that piqued my attention - see if you can find them?
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Friday, June 08, 2012

Admirals were offsides for game winning goal by Kostka



There seems to be a bit of a controversy surrounding Norfolk Admirals forward Mike Kostka's goal, the on-ice officials missed the Admirals being offside and the game winning goal against the Marlies shouldn't have counted.

According to the Marlies, Norfolk forward Brandon Segal was six to eight feet inside the blueline when Kostka shot the puck into the corner causing the linesman to call delayed offsides.
 You can watch the video again on this link [ click to open].

Here is the official statement by the AHL

“We have spoken with Toronto Marlies management and confirmed that a rules interpretation error by the on-ice officials occurred on the Norfolk Admirals’ overtime goal during Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals.

“On the play, a dump-in from center ice by a Norfolk player caromed off a stanchion and into the Toronto net. The correct application of AHL Rule 83.4 would have negated the Norfolk goal due to a delayed offside call.

“As AHL By-Laws do not allow for any change to the final result of a game based on an incorrect rule interpretation, the result of the game stands.”
This is what the Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins had to say about the goal that cost his team the game.
I saw it and it’s a real interesting one for the referees,” Eakins said. “The puck comes out, the puck’s rimmed in, there’s a guy that’s offside by about eight to 10 feet, the puck hits the stanchion, but now he is onside and it goes in your net. It’s a fairly grey area. Once again, something that I’ve never seen. I’m sure the referees have never seen anything like that either.”
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(Video) Admirals lead Calder Cup Series against Marlies 3-0


Last night the Norfolk Admirals took a strangle hold lead in the series against the Toronto Marlies three games to none after this fluky goal in overtime.

The reaction by the Marlies players after the game is very telling after the goal was scored the Marlies players returned to the player’s bench and watched the replay of the goal in disbelief. I don’t know if you can fault the Marlies goalie Ben Scrivens on this goal or not.

Admirals forward Mike Kostka (University of Massachusetts Amherst)scored what we could only classify as a fluky goal that bounced off the glass at the 9:09 mark of the first overtime to give Norfolk Admirals a 1-0 win over the Toronto Marlies.
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Tuesday, June 05, 2012

CBS Sports Network to air Calder Cup Finals

Since the Stanley Cup could be over in four quick games the CBS Sports Network has decided to pick up the AHL Calder Cup Finals.  The Norfolk Admirals lead the Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup Finals two games to none.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has announced that CBS Sports Network will televise Games 3 through 7 of the 2012 Calder Cup Finals, bringing the AHL’s championship series to millions of homes across the United States in high definition.

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Thursday, May 31, 2012

NHL wants to take a look at hybrid icing

Original NHL logo, used until 2005. A version ...
Original NHL logo, used until 2005. A version of the logo features it in the shape of a hockey puck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I think this is a great idea for the NHL to look at the hybrid icing rule that is currently in use in the NCAA and USHL. If used correctly could prevent unnecessary injuries that are caused by the touch- up- icing.
New York --- Hybrid icing is the standard at the NCAA level and in the United States Hockey League. For next season, the NHL is expected to ask the AHL to use hybrid icing, which involves a linesman determining the winner of a race to the closest faceoff circle instead of who touches the puck first on plays in which the puck is sent the length of the ice from the defending team's side of the center-ice red line.

"We like it. We want to make sure we're not moving too quick," Detroit GM Ken Holland said. "We'd like to move it to the American League. We'd like to get it to the best league in the world below the National Hockey League and evaluate it with those players. Obviously it's in college and some other players [use it], but those players aren't nearly as good as the ones we're dealing with. I think there was one player injured this year on an icing. Obviously, we'd like zero, but it is one -- it is not 10, it is not 20."

The GMs remain divided on the issue, so observing the results in the AHL could provide better clarity before making a final decision on it for NHL games.
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Frattin done for the season

The Toronto Marlies got some bad news today when they learned that former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin has suffered a knee injury and will need surgery. That's a big loss for the Marlies because Frattin is tied for the lead in scoring for the Toronto Marlies with (10g-3a-13 pts). Frattin is a restricted free agent and will need to be signed in the off-season.
Lance Hornby,Toronto Sun --- Winger Matt Frattin, who was a force physically and on the scoresheet, will be lost for the rest of the American Hockey League playoffs with a knee injury that will require surgery.

Frattin, who has a league post-season best 10 goals and shares the team lead with 13 points, was hurt in Game 5 of the Western Final in a bold play to score an empty netter to eliminate the Oklahoma City Barons. Frattin crashed into the net in a race for the puck.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

German goalie Named Patrick Fücker - No Really there is

This was a funny story that I found on line and I thought I would pass it along - can you imagine if this guy or someone with a funny name like this guy actually made the NHL or AHL.

I would love to see this happen, because it would be funny listening to the play-by-play folks have a good time with his last name. Can you imagine some of the story lines this guy's name would inspire... Well I guess we can only dream right?

Here is a link to Patrick Fücker's profile, you can see that he is an active player in Germany.
Glenn Davis, Sports Grind Daily --- We’re sure Patrick Fücker is a humble guy just trying to make his way. The 19-year-old has been a competitive hockey player in Germany for years now, working his way through the nation’s junior ranks and last month moving to the Rostock Piranhas, who play in Germany’s third-highest league. Just a guy who apparently loves the Rangers and trying to play the game he loves for a living.

But he’s more than that. He had to be more than that. Because his name is out on the internet. And his last name is Fücker. Someone was going to find it eventually, and they were going to love it, and they were going to send it to Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski, and he was going to love it. Who wouldn’t love a name like this, except Patrick Fücker himself, when he’s around English-speakers? We encounter names we love all the time, but this may be the best of them.

And that’s why we have to hope against hope that Fücker one day makes it to the NHL. Granted, the third-best league in Germany is a long, long way from there (and these last couple GAAs look pretty high), but can you imagine the clusterFück that would ensue each time Fücker’s name had to be mentioned? The stifled giggles? The uncomfortable announcers?
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Monday, May 21, 2012

Frattin Scores two as Marlies win


Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward Matt Frattin has been in beast mode during the Toronto Marlies run through the Western Conference Finals series against the Oklahoma City Barons. In today's game, Frattin scored his seventh and eighth goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs that leads the AHL.

Frattin's second goal of the game was the game winning goal for the Marlies  and I would classify that goal as  a thing of beauty - your classic toe drag goal that was shot from the top of the face-off circles that blew by the Barons goalie Yann Danis.

 Former Fighting Sioux forward Chris VandeVelde has a goal in the losing effort for the Oklahoma City Barons, VandeVelde now has five goals during the Calder Cup playoffs.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Oklahoma City Barons bury Toronto Marlies 5-1


The OKC Barons and the Toronto Marlies is a series of interest for college hockey fans as well as Fighting Sioux Hockey fans. Last night, former Fighting Sioux forward Chris VandeVelde scored the fourth goal of the game for the Oklahoma City Barons as they evened their series in the Western Conference Finals against the Toronto Marlies with a 5-1 victory. The next three games of this series are in Toronto.

This series features three ex-Fighting Sioux hockey players (TOR) Matt Frattin (OKC) Taylor Chorney and Chris VandeVelde. There will be a least one former Fighting Sioux hockey players in the Calder Cup Finals and there is a "slight" possibility that three former Fighting Sioux players could face off against each other - if Jason Gregoire and Jake Marto's team the St. John's Ice Caps make the Calder Cup Finals, the are currently down 1-0 against the Milwaukee Admirals - Gregoire and Marto have yet to play for the Ice Caps in the Calder Cup Playoffs and both players have been a healthy scratch according to Chad from A Tradition of Excellence.

Just a few points of interest - only 2621 fans attended last night's game, that seems kind of low for a playoff hockey game in any league. After looking at this attendance figures I went back and looked at the OKC Barons attendance figures for the season and they averaged 3684 fans per game, there are 19 Division I college hockey teams that have have better attendance than the OKC Barons.

For the season, the Toronto Marlies draw better than the Oklahoma City Barons as they averaged 5,480 fans per game. There are 10 Division I hockey teams that draw better than the Marlies.
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Monday, April 16, 2012

Brock Nelson named Inside College Hockey All-American

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athl...
University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athletic logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Official Press Release

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota sophomore forward Brock Nelson has been named to Inside College Hockey’s 2011-12 All-America Third Team. Nelson enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2011-12, leading the Fighting Sioux in points (47) and goals (28) in 42 games and becoming the program’s youngest 20-goal scorer since Jonathan Toews scored 22 in 2005-06.

A native of Warroad, Minn., Nelson led the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in goals and was the WCHA’s only player to score 20 goals during league play. He ranked third nationally in goals, tied for third in game-winning goals (6) and tied for sixth in power-play goals (10). His six GWG tied him for the 10th-best single-season total in school history.

Earlier this month, Nelson was also named to the All-College Hockey News Second Team, as well as the Red Baron WCHA Final Five and NCAA West Region All-Tournament teams. He helped guide the Sioux to their league-record third straight Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions, as well as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional. Following the season, Nelson signed with the New York Islanders and is currently playing for their American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport, Conn.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound Nelson was a first-round draft pick of the Islanders in 2010, when he was selected 30th overall. Nelson finished his collegiate career with 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in 84 games.
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Thursday, February 16, 2012

20 questions with former Sioux Matt Frattin


I really enjoyed this interview that Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward Matt Frattin did for the Toronto Maple Leafs web site. Notice his favorite goal was the game winner in the Final Five against DU.
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Friday, December 23, 2011

Where are they now Joe Finley...

Buffalo SabresImage via WikipediaHere is a nice article talking about former Fighting Sioux defenseman Joe Finley and his journey this season as Finley finally is healthy and made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres a few weeks ago.
Dan Peters, AHL On The Beat ---- When Joe Finley came into training camp this season with the Rochester Americans on a try-out basis, he was simply attempting to earn an American Hockey League contract.

Plagued by injuries in the first two years of his professional career, the 24-year-old Finley had suited up for just eight AHL contests with the Hershey Bears over that span, while also appearing in 43 games in the ECHL.

After playing four years at the University of North Dakota, Finley suffered a forearm injury early in 2009-10 which ended his season, and followed that up with a knee injury last season, prompting him to be out of commission for three months.

Selected in the first round (27th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound blueliner chose to battle it out and earn a contract with the Buffalo Sabres organization rather than go to a different team, where he may have been given a contract immediately.

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Malone vs. Malone

English: Ryan Malone of the Tampa Bay Lightnin...Image via WikipediaFormer Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone who now plays for the Colorado Avalanche will be playing his cousin former SCSU Huskies Ryan Malone's team the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight.
Mike Chambers, Denver Post ---- [Brad]Malone is the cousin of Avalanche rookie forward Brad Malone.

“Pretty excited, obviously, because he’s one of those guys growing that up I looked up to,” Brad Malone said. “Any opportunity to skate with him in the summer is pretty exciting, so to now go up against him here is pretty special.”

Brad Malone, 22, began his pro career with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. He was called up Dec. 8 and made his NHL debut the following night at Edmonton. He has played left wing on the Avs’ third line in the past three games, and has an assist in each of the last two. His helper in Thursday’s 3-2 win over St. Louis was on Jay McClement’s game-winning goal. The kid remains in the lineup, even though Brandon Yip is back from a groin injury, and Malone will unquestionably stick around for a while — at least until Chuck Kobasew (head) and David Jones (groin) — and possibly Peter Mueller (head) — return from injuries.
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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Patrick Wiercioch takes a puck in the throat


s/t to Sean Leahy of Puck Daddy... Former DU Pioneer Patrick Wiercioch was struck with a puck in the throat while playing for the Binghamton Senators, the AHL team of the Ottawa Senators. Goon’s World would like to wish Patrick a speedy recovery. Ouch!
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Senators have issued the following statement regarding defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, who suffered a throat injury in Friday’s game versus the Norfolk Admirals:

“The Binghamton Senators can confirm that Patrick Wiercioch is resting peacefully and his being evaluated at the hospital. There are no further updates on his condition at this time.”
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sabres sign Finley to multi-year deal


Former Fighting Sioux defenseman Joe Finley has been signed by the Buffalo Sabres. If you have lost track of Joe Finley, this is the first year since leaving college that big Joe has been remotely healthy. If you go to Joe Finley Hockey fights page you will see that Joe has been wracking up the fights as well since leaving college. Sounds like Finley is doing what ever it takes to help his team win games.
TheAHL.COM --- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that the team has signed defenseman Joe Finley to a multi-year contract.

The 6-foot-8, 260-pound Finley has two points (1g, 1a) and a plus-10 rating in 18 games played with the the Rochester Americans and leads the team with 57 penalty minutes. Finley, 24, is in his third professional season out of the University of North Dakota and has totaled one goal, two assists and 79 PIM in 26 career AHL games with Rochester and Hershey.

The Edina, Minn., native was originally selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (27th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

He was signed to an AHL contract by the Rochester Americans on Oct. 4, 2011.
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Sunday, August 07, 2011

Jake Marto gets a gig with Winnipeg (RW77)

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athl...Image via WikipediaNewly former UND defenseman Jake Marto has earned himself an AHL Contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Here is the story:

Jets agree to terms with Jason DeSantis & Jake Marto on AHL Contracts

Thursday, 04.08.2011 / 10:09 AM / News Articles
The Winnipeg Jets, in conjunction with St. John’s IceCaps, are pleased to announce today they have agreed to terms with Jason DeSantis and Jake Marto on new American Hockey League contracts. As per club policy, terms of the agreements are not disclosed.

DeSantis, 24, split the 2010-11 season between the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. The defenceman from Oxford, MI played 19 games with the Penguins recording five points (1g, 4a) and eight penalty minutes. He also recorded 27 points (6g, 21a) and 38 penalty minutes in 45 games with the Wheeling Nailers. DeSantis helped the Nailers reach the third round of the 2011 Kelly Cup Playoffs scoring three points (1g, 2a) in 15 games. DeSantis has played in 85 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Philadelphia Phantoms collecting 27 points (2g, 25a) and 26 penalty minutes. He joined the Phantoms in 2008 after four seasons of college hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Marto, 23, recently finished his senior season on defence with the University of North Dakota where he played 157 games over four seasons collecting 57 points (21g, 41a) and 48 penalty minutes. The native of Grand Forks, ND helped the Fighting Sioux to consecutive conference titles in the 2010 & 2011 WCHA tournament. Marto played two seasons with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers before joining UND. While with Omaha, Marto played in a total of 114 games and recorded 45 points (6g, 39a) and 54 penalty minutes.


I'm happy he's getting a chance at pro hockey. Not sure where it will lead but it's pretty cool.

As an aside, the date on this article is actually August 4th, not April 8th. They use the European date format.
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Friday, May 20, 2011

So are the Thrashing moving to Winnipeg?

MTS CentreImage via WikipediaThere seems to be a buzz around the "Internet" that the Atlanta Thrashers are going to be moving to Winnipeg, I know we have seen and heard this story before but this time it sounds like this might actually be true. Of course Gary Bettman denies that there is a deal in place to sell the Thrashers to True North, which would in turn relocate the team from Atlanta to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Here is the link to the interview that was on Sports Radio 1290 A.M. CFRW out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. [Click to listen]

Stephen Brunt; Globe and Mail ---- An agreement to sell the National Hockey League’s Atlanta Thrashers to a Winnipeg group which plans to relocate the franchise to the Manitoba capital is done.

Sources confirmed tonight that preparations are being made for an announcement Tuesday, confirming the sale and transfer of the Thrashers to True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns and operates the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League and the MTS Centre arena, which would become the NHL team’s new home.

Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the National Hockey League, is expected to travel to Winnipeg to make the news official.

The announcement would end months of speculation about whether one of the NHL’s financially-troubled American sunbelt teams might move north, filling the void left when the Winnipeg Jets packed up and left for Phoenix in 1996, where they became the Coyotes.

Much of the talk this spring had centred on that failing franchise, which was bought by the league after being placed in bankruptcy by its former owner Jerry Moyes in 2009.

But sources in Winnipeg suggest that the Thrashers had in fact been the primary target of potential owners Mark Chipman and David Thomson all along, and that some months back, the NHL board of governors quietly approved the sale and transfer of the team, pending the negotiation of a purchase agreement between Atlanta Spirit LLC, the Thrashers’ owners, and True North.

In the meantime, no potential owner materialized who was prepared to keep the team in Georgia, and local governments there showed no interest in propping up the Thrashers.

“There seems to be a consensus there is going to be a team in Winnpeg,” former major league pitcher Tom Glavine, who had tried unsuccessfully to find new ownership for the hockey team in Atlanta, acknowledged last week. ““The question is who, and unfortunately the bullseye seems to be on the Thrashers’ back.”

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