Alumni in the Pros - September 2007

[David Harding]

FWIW,The David McKee Wikipedia entry hasn't been updated for a while. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McKee_(ice_hockey)
http://elf.elynah.com/read.php?1,117589

[pfibiger]

Looks like Dan Glover has signed with the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL:

http://www.fresnofalcons.com/news/index.html?article_id=248


So, Bitz was the only drafted player who was signed by his drafting team? McCutcheon, Glover, and Carefoot weren't signed.

[JDeafv]

While not signed, McCutcheon is at Colorado's rookie camp.

[The Rancor]

SGood news about Sasha Pokulok.

[The Rancor]

FWIW: McCutchen has scored the first goals in each of the first 2 games of the rookie camp. It looks like he is making the most of his tryout in Colorado.

[profudge]

From San Jose Mercury News  Doug is challenged!

. . .
On the blue line, Wilson said he wants to "make sure our defense doesn't lose any traction" without Hannan, whose 22:49 average ice time was the most of any Shark last season.

"We will have Craig Rivet for the entire year," the coach added, noting that he also needs to see that "the younger guys who did well last year show improvement."

Although competition ultimately will determine who fills the vacant top-six defensive slot - the first five are Rivet, Kyle McLaren, Christian Ehrhoff, Matt Carle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Wilson indicated he was looking a little more closely at one player in particular.

"I'm expecting Dougie Murray to step it up," the coach said. "It's time for him to get it right all the time."

Still, under the "no limitations" philosophy of the two Wilsons, Sharks followers also have come to expect the unexpected. Unheralded forward Nils Ekman made the starting lineup in 2003; last year, Vlasic cracked the roster at 19.

Who could end up being this year's training-camp surprise?
. . .

[Jacob '06]

Matt Moulson picks up a goal and an assist in the first preseason game of the NHL season. I'm going to be at their next game on Saturday so i guess i'll break out my Cornell jersey to show my support.

[Al DeFlorio]

Avs assigned Mark McCutcheon to Lake Erie of the AHL.

[DeltaOne81]

[quote Al DeFlorio]Lake Erie of the AHL.[/quote]

What what what? Man that league's hard to keep up with.

[Rita]

[quote DeltaOne81][quote Al DeFlorio]Lake Erie of the AHL.[/quote]

What what what? Man that league's hard to keep up with.[/quote]

Are the home games actually played on Lake Erie? Or are the games rotated among the states and one province that border Lake Erie? What is the team nickname... Lake Effect?

Just questions to ponder in the remaining few days of the  interminably long off-season. ;-)

[jtwcornell91]

Insert joke about Tampa Bay.

[sah67]

[quote Jacob '06]Matt Moulson picks up a goal and an assist in the first preseason game of the NHL season. I'm going to be at their next game on Saturday so i guess i'll break out my Cornell jersey to show my support.[/quote]

A goal and an assist against the Stanley Cup champs no less, albeit with Bryzgalov instead of Giguere in net, and apparently with both teams playing a lot of prospects.  For those curious about the details...it was a PPG off a Chris Pronger penalty.

[David Harding]

[quote Rita][quote DeltaOne81][quote Al DeFlorio]Lake Erie of the AHL.[/quote]

What what what? Man that league's hard to keep up with.[/quote]

Are the home games actually played on Lake Erie? Or are the games rotated among the states and one province that border Lake Erie? What is the team nickname... Lake Effect?

Just questions to ponder in the remaining few days of the  interminably long off-season. ;-)[/quote]
The Lake Erie Monsters fill the hole left in Cleveland by the departure of the Barons.
http://www.theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=7396
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie_Monsters
http://www.lakeeriemonsters.com/

[David Harding]

The Athletics web site http://cornellbigred.com/News/mhockey/2007/9/14/mih_nhlcamps.asp?path=mhockey reviews the NHL preseason camps:

ITHACA, N.Y. -- With preseason camps for the National Hockey League opening this week, 10 former Big Red players have been invited to the practice with the top clubs. The 10 players for Cornell are the second-most among ECAC Hockey teams, just one behind Clarkson's 11...

Gleed
O'Byrne
Iggulden
Murray
LeNeveu
McKee
Hynes
Moulson
Pokulok
Bitz

[Josh '99]

[quote David Harding]The Athletics web site http://cornellbigred.com/News/mhockey/2007/9/14/mih_nhlcamps.asp?path=mhockey reviews the NHL preseason camps:

ITHACA, N.Y. -- With preseason camps for the National Hockey League opening this week, 10 former Big Red players have been invited to the practice with the top clubs. The 10 players for Cornell are the second-most among ECAC Hockey teams, just one behind Clarkson's 11...

Gleed
O'Byrne
Iggulden
Murray
LeNeveu
McKee
Hynes
Moulson
Pokulok
Bitz[/quote]
Various comments, all gleaned from Hockey's Future:

[Ryan] O'Byrne made a successful transition from the collegiate ranks to the AHL last season. In fact, his play was so impressive that there was much talk that the 6'5 blueliner would break camp with the Habs this season.

While that may be the case, recent acquisitions, including the arrival of Habs retread Patrice Brisebois, somewhat call that assumption into question. But what O'Byrne brings to the table is something the Habs desperately need on the point - size.

With the departure of Sheldon Souray, who despite his size never played overly big, the club is slight on the blue line. O'Byrne blends imposing size with defensive responsibility in an attractive package that should find him in the NHL sooner rather than later.

The product of Cornell University won't win any speed records, nor will he invoke memories of Doug Harvey's offensive talents, but he is expected to be an effective crease-clearer who has shown an ability to make the smart first pass out of the zone.

[Mike] Iggulden has overcome some injuries in college and also being limited to a defensive forward while there. This experience has probably benefitted him in that he now has the two-way awareness needed of third and fourth line NHL hockey players. In order to play in the NHL, Iggulden will have to continue to hone his offensive skills, but these are largely skills he didn't get to use a lot in college. His upside is that of a third or fourth line NHL forward. In order to fit in more to the third or fourth line role he's likely to fill, he may need to become more physical, especially if he cracks the NHL as a wing. At the least, he can make a responsible two-way emergency recall as is.

Building the team from the back end out, the Coyotes currently don't have a prospect in the running for the netminder position. David LeNeveu, no longer a prospect per HF criteria, is still in the mix, but he's going to face stiff competition from David Aebischer, Alex Auld and last season's incumbent netminder, Mikael Tellqvist.  Josh Tordjman will be at camp, but expect him to take over or split the starting role in San Antonio.

Sasha Pokulok is one of the feel-good stories of camp as he is finally returning from what could have been career-ending post-concussion syndrome.  He was barely able to train last season due to incredible headaches but has shown up early to training camp to compete and prove he is healthy, even participating in full contract scrimmages without side effects.  At around 6'4, 220 lbs. he has the physical tools to have a successful career as long as he can stay healthy.

I don't see any mention of Gleed any more recently than December 2006.  The comments at that point were favorable, though, so I'd guess he'll be with Hamilton (Montreal's AHL affiliate) this coming season.

Latest about McKee still involves him being with Anaheim, which is no longer the case, and though reports are that he's in training camp with Phoenix, he's not mentioned in the bit about LeNeveu.

Murray is too old to be considered a "prospect" at this point but I think, given what we saw last year, he'll be a 6th/7th defenseman for the Sharks this coming season.

Hynes is buried way down on Anaheim's prospect depth chart, as is Bitz on Boston's.  Ditto Moulson in LA, though if he keeps scoring in preseason games he could change that.