Alumni in the Pros - Sept 2005

[Pace]

Haha. If they do, I've got a lovely little place nearby in Kamchatka.

[redhair34]

WOW...that is odd...Iggy would be the last person I'd suspect of juicing

[French Rage]

[Q]redhair34 Wrote:

 WOW...that is odd...Iggy would be the last person I'd suspect of juicing[/q]

Come on, that was clearly the cause of his inability to skate 3 minutes w/o falling down his freshman year. :-D :-D

[RatushnyFan]

Coyotes Web site said that CuJo has been named the official starter.  Lenny will back him up until Boucher is back.  Expectation is that he will be sent down at that point.  Maybe he'll get the chance to at least get in a couple of starts and do a good job.

[Jordan 04]

Based on his play and his experience, we will start with Curtis (Joseph) as our goaltender,” said Gretzky.  â€œBut David has played very well and earned the right to begin the season here.”

It must be an f'in awesome feeling to have Wayne Gretzky give you a vote of confidence.

That is all.

[froogle]

San Jose moved even closer to their 23-man opening night roster on Tuesday when they assigned two players from the 2005-06 San Jose Sharks Training Camp to the Cleveland Barons, their top development affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Lukas Kaspar, the clubs 2004 first round pick, and (B)Doug Murray, a defenseman chosen in the 8th round in 1999 we the two assignees.

The Sharks now have 27 players remaining in camp.


http://www.sjsharks.com/news/news.asp?story_id=1763

[David Harding]

Comments on the Sharks message board about Doug's injury.
http://boards.sj-sharks.com/forums/index.php?s=108f427dff30a738007ba38c702d111a&showtopic=1604

[mgl11]

Latest moves --
Pelletier send to Rochester
Paolini, Downs, and Underhill all sent down by their respective AHL teams.

Iggulden is the only one left whose status for the beginning of the season is uncertain (he's still in Cleveland on a tryout basis).

Also -- Lenny will get his 2nd preseaon start tonight.

Regardless, as far as I can see here's how everyone stacks up:

Nieuwendyk - Florida (NHL)
Leneveu - Phoenix (NHL)
Pelletier - Rochester (AHL)
Murray - Cleveland (AHL)
Bâby - Chicago (AHL)
Hynes - Portland (AHL)
Cook - Philly (AHL)
Vesce - Spingfield (AHL)
Iggulden - Cleveland (AHL - Tryout)
Underhill - Alaska (ECHL - two way contract w/ Peoria of the AHL)
Downs - Johnstown (ECHL)
Wallace - Johnstown (ECHL)
Hornby - Idaho (ECHL)
Paolini - Elmira (UHL)
Rutter - Odessa (CHL)
Palahicky - Bossier-Shreveport (CHL)
Manderville - Timra IK (Sweden)
Knoepfli - Geneve-Servette (Switzerland)
Elliott - Bietigheim-Bissingen (Germany)
Burgoyne - Cardiff (England)
Stienstra - Tilburg (Holland)

[Pace]

I've been wondering, why do certain players go to play in Europe? As I understand it, the level is not as high nor is the pay as good, right? Is it simply because they don't want to play in a crappy league or ride the bench in the U.S.?

[jtwcornell91]

[Q]Pace Wrote:

 I've been wondering, why do certain players go to play in Europe? As I understand it, the level is not as high nor is the pay as good, right? Is it simply because they don't want to play in a crappy league or ride the bench in the U.S.?[/q]

I've watched a lot more European hockey games than US minor league games, but my impression is that the level of play is something like the minors.  I can think of several reasons why playing in Europe might be preferable to playing in the minors, despite the presumed lack of opportunity for advancement to the N:

-- The atmosphere at a pro hockey game in Europe is much more like that at a US college game (and even more like a European pro soccer game): most of the crowd is wearing jerseys, large standing sections, chants, songs, fan clubs with drums and sometimes trumpets.  It's like that all season, and blows away any pro crowd I've seen in the US, with the possible exception of the NHL playoffs.

-- The player may want to live in Europe for personal reasons, such as a desire to expand one's horizons, or family connections.  I remember reading that Ian Burt was planning all along to use hockey as a way to live in the UK.  Others are dual citizens, and can more easily get a roster spot in their home country (Switzerland restricts the number of foreign players per team).

-- Many players know they'll never reach the NHL but want to keep playing competitive hockey; under those circumstances it may be preferable to play with a more consistent roster rather than having players constantly called up to the parent  club.

[KeithK]

[q]-- Many players know they'll never reach the NHL but want to keep playing competitive hockey; under those circumstances it may be preferable to play with a more consistent roster rather than having players constantly called up to the parent club. [/q]I suspect that Euro hockey might provide more job security than AHL/ECHL hockey as well.  The affiliated minor league teams serve as talent feeders for their parent NHL clubs.  If the club decides that you have no future at a higher level they might keep you around as roster filler, but then they might well release you in favor of the kid who just graduated college who might have a slim chance of advancement.  Up or out.

[Beeeej]

The scarves.  It's all about the scarves.

Beeeej

[Larry72]

Lenny shines in 2-1 loss to Sharks

http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/news/story_details.php?op=details&ID=4303

[pfibiger]

[Q]Larry72 Wrote:

 Lenny shines in 2-1 loss to Sharks

[/q]

Another game like that and he may have punched his permanant ticket to the NHL.

A big screw you to all the NCAA haters who say it's just the system! Clearly Schafer et. al. have an eye for goaltenders and can develop them.

[calgARI '07]

[Q]pfibiger Wrote:

 [Q2]Larry72 Wrote:

 Lenny shines in 2-1 loss to Sharks

[/Q]
Another game like that and he may have punched his permanant ticket to the NHL.

A big screw you to all the NCAA haters who say it's just the system! Clearly Schafer et. al. have an eye for goaltenders and can develop them.[/q]

I don't know about that.  Neither Joseph nor Boucher are going down to the minors any time soon.