Absurd Goalie Monday: Adam Berkhoel

 After a week off, we get back to the swing of things with a short, but sweet career. This week's AGM had a cup of coffee with the NHL after a stellar college career. While he was in a carousel where he was thrown into the fray in a bad situation and really didn't get another look from the NHL teams in a serious manner. This week, the profile of Adam Berkhoel.

After spending his high school in Minnesota with the Stillwater Ponies, Berkhoel moved to the USHL to play for the Tri-Cities Vulcans; playing 45 games with a 25-15-7, then went 7-6 in 13 playoff games.

Berkhoel moved to the NCAA ranks starting in the 2000-01 season with the University of Denver Pioneers, playing in 15 games his first season and finished with a 7-6-1 record, while in the second season-- Berkhoel played in 18 games with an improved 12-4-1 record. For his junior season, Berkhoel played in 26 games and posted a 12-6-4 record. During his senior season, Berkhoel had a tremendous breakout-- posting a 24-11-4 record in 39 games and helped Denver get an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament where he helped lead the Pioneers to the National Championship. Berkhoel was named to the All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP.

While Berkhoel was in college, he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, but in the summer of 2004, the Hawks moved Berkhoel to the Atlanta Thrashers. During the 2004-05 season, Berkhoel spent most of the time in the ECHL with the Gwinnett Gladiators and finished there with a 9-10-5 record, then going 4-1 in seven playoff games. Also that season, Berkhoel was moved up to the AHL for the Chicago Wolves for a game, losing the only game that he played in.

Berkhoel played in all three top pro leagues in North America during the 2005-06 season, spending most the season in Gwinnett at 15 games (10-4-1), then in Chicago for 11 games (3-6-0), finally; getting a call-up to the Thrashers for nine games (2-4-1). Berkhoel also had a 6-3 playoff record with Gwinnett.

Without a team for the 2006-07 season, Berkhoel played mostly in the ECHL with the Dayton Bombers, potting a 23-17-3 record, then going 12-10 in the post-season, losing in the Kelly Cup Finals. Despite the disappointing ending, Berkhoel was named ECHL Goaltender of the Year and placed on the ECHL First All-Star team. Also that season, Berkhoel played in the AHL for the Rochester Americans, finishing with a 2-3-0 record in six games.

Berkhoel was signed by the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2007 and would play for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the 2007-08 and go 10-14-4 in 31 appearances. Moving to the 2008-09 season, Berkhoel moved to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he would appear in 28 games and finish with the 15-11-2 record. Berkhoel played with WBS again for the 2009-10 season, playing in seven games and had a 4-3-0 record. Most of the 2009-10 season, Berkhoel went 12-11-3 in 28 games with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers. After the season, Berkhoel retired from professional hockey.

Post-playing career, Berkhoel went into the player representation game by being a player rep for Vaughn Hockey for goalies in the pro and college ranks to outfit them with the Vaughn gear.

Though it was only nine games of glory and he ended his career at the young age of 29, his college career is one to be remembered, especially for the University of Denver faithful. Short and sweet and he still kept in the hockey industry and very closed to the game.

Expansion Stat Pack for 01.20.13

There's been a couple of slips, as the Denver Cutthroats in the CHL and the Fort Wayne Komets have lost a little ground since the last check-in, but the Sherbrooke Phoenix are trying to rise from the expansion ashes and are currently in the last playoff spot of the QMJHL. Even the Evansville IceMen are making a small charge, so who knows what could happen down the stretch.

(Stats before the games on 01.20.13; Does NOT include members not on active roster)

ECHL 
Orlando Solar Bears: 17-20-2-2; 5th in South Division, 12th in Eastern Conference
     -Matthew Sisca: 8g, 21a, -5
     -Dan Gendur: 14g, 11a, -15
     -Ryan Cruthers: 11g, 10a, -17
     -John Curry: 15-10-2-0, 2.79 GAA, .911 Sv%

San Francisco Bulls: 14-20-1-4; 4th in Pacific Division, 8th in Western Conference
     -Peter Sivik: 17g, 18a, -8
     -Dean Ouellet: 18g, 15a, -12
     -Rob Kwiet: 6g, 19a, -2
     -Thomas Heemskerk: 11-12-1-2, 3.26 GAA, .899 Sv%

Evansville IceMen: 16-23-1-3; 5th in North Division, 14th in Eastern Conference
     -Josh Beaulieu: 17g. 20a, -10
     -Todd Robinson: 2g, 34a, -22
     -Nathan Moon: 12g, 15a, -9
     -Paul Karpowich: 7-9-1-1, 3.04 GAA, .906 Sv%

Fort Wayne Komets: 22-19-1-1; 3rd in North Division, 7th in Eastern Conference
     -Brandon Marino: 12g, 35a, +7
     -Brett N. Smith: 8g, 23a, -5
     -Jean-Michel Rizk: 15g, 10a, -2
     -Ken Reiter: 12-7-0-1, 2.84 GAA, .913 Sv%

CHL 
Denver Cutthroats: 19-15-4, 6th in Berry Division/Conference/League
     -AJ Gale: 24g, 27a, +2
     -Brad Smyth: 16g, 29a, +12
     -Troy Schwab: 12g, 30a, +8
     -Kent Patterson: 11-7-2, 2.93 GAA, .915 Sv%

QMJHL 
Sherbrooke Phoenix: 12-27-2-4, 6th in Telus West Division, 16th in QMJHL
     -Michael McManee: 14g, 23a, -13
     -Alexandre Comtois: 16g, 18a, -29
     -Denis Kamaev: 9g, 23a, +4
     -Jacob Gervais-Chouinard: 11-16-1-3, 3.87 GAA, .890 Sv%

The Trickle-Down Suffering Effect

With the NHL lockout resolved, the big things to get to are ratification and getting players back into camps and what-not. This may means dragging guys back from Europe or pulling them up for the minor leagues. This, of course, creates a trickle-down theory of minor league teams getting hurt in the process and having their team maybe lose a step here and there.

Of course, the tome of the Oklahoma City Barons have been one that has been followed this lockout because of players like Justin Schultz, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle gracing the OKC ice, but with the absence of those four-- what will happen with the Barons. While they sit 7th in the Western Conference, they lose 65 of their 115 goals from those four and it immediate vaults Mark Arcobello as the team's leading scorer. With a team who is only +7 in the goals for/against column, this adjustment could be a rough one.

Another team losing for NHLers is the ECHL's Alaska Aces-- who lead ECHL with 57 points and will lose team's leading scorer Joey Crabb, Nate Thompson, Brandon Dubinsky, and Scott Gomez-- who has regained his scoring prowess, albeit in the minors, with 13 points (six goals) in 11 games with the Aces. The upside to the Aces is that they'll have other scorer the likes of 2nd and 3rd team leading scorers Nick Mazzolini and Garry Nunn to fall back on. The Aces also always seem to be a top talent getter in the ECHL, so a few trades could probably help, too.

When you look at Europe, while the KHL will lose some talent-- the biggest hit probably will come from Switzerland, who loses plenty of talent like Patrick Kane, Tyler Seguin, Joe Thornton, and John Tavares, amongst others. That said, if there's any league in Europe who got more exposure than the KHL, it'd be the Swiss National League. Not only did they get some bigger name players, but they showed them off in their Spengler Cup tournament and showed that they could be a nice side option for older players who cannot find a place to play later on in their careers.

While there were plenty of players who will need to come back to their NHL clubs, at least a good hunk of them did get some playing time somewhere else. That should make the transition from lockout to mid-season start a little more easier, especially for the fans watching. It'll take little time for rust to be knocked off and will show how well the condition is for all the players coming back.

Expansion Stat Pack for 12.30.12

Since we last left you-- the Fort Wayne Komets seem to be the only consistent team out there. Many of the other teams have slipped just a bit, though their standings don't necessarily say as much. However, one surprise is that the Sherbrooke Phoenix are playing pretty well and after the Christmas break should have healed them up-- they'll make a run at the last spot of the QMJHL playoffs, as they are just behind the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

(Stats before the games on 12.30.12; Does NOT include members not on active roster)

ECHL 
Orlando Solar Bears: 14-15-2-2; 5th in South Division, 11th in Eastern Conference
     -Matthew Sisca: 8g, 18a, E
     -Michael Wilson: 2g, 19a, +1
     -Dan Gendur: 10g, 9a, -7
     -John Curry: 12-7-2-0, 2.61 GAA, .913 Sv%

San Francisco Bulls: 10-14-1-2; 3rd in Pacific Division, 8th in Western Conference
     -Dean Ouellet: 16g, 12a, -9
     -Peter Sivik: 11g, 17a, -7
     -Justin Bowers: 8g, 19a, -14
     -Thomas Heemskerk: 11-12-1-2, 3.26 GAA, .899 Sv%

Evansville IceMen: 11-19-0-3; 5th in North Division, 14th in Eastern Conference
     -Josh Beaulieu: 13g. 16a, -11
     -Todd Robinson: 1g, 22a, -22
     -Dylan Clarke: 10g, 12a, +1
     -Paul Karpowich: 4-7-0-1, 3.49 GAA, .890 Sv%

Fort Wayne Komets: 16-13-1-1; 3rd in North Division, 6th in Eastern Conference
     -Brandon Marino: 10g, 28a, +8
     -Josh Brittain: 13g, 14a, +10
     -Brett N. Smith: 6g, 13a, -8
     -Ken Reiter: 8-6-0-1, 2.90 GAA, .911 Sv%

CHL 
Denver Cutthroats: 18-11-2, 3rd in Berry Division/Conference/League
     -AJ Gale: 18g, 22a, E
     -Brad Smyth: 16g, 23a, +10
     -Troy Schwab: 9g, 26a, +7
     -Kent Patterson: 10-5-0, 2.87 GAA, .911 Sv%

QMJHL 
Sherbrooke Phoenix: 10-21-2-3, 6th in Telus West Division, 17th in QMJHL
     -Michael McManee: 9g, 19a, -14
     -Denis Kamaev: 8g, 18a, -1
     -Alexandre Comtois: 10g, 15a, -24
     -Jacob Gervais-Chouinard: 9-12-1-2, 4.06 GAA, .882 Sv%

A Look At The Minor League Lifer

In the course of a week, there has been two different articles talking about players being the "Crash Davis" of minor league hockey. NHL.com talked about Darren Haydar's time in the AHL, while Adrian Dater was all about Brad Smyth's cross-continent approach when playing.

Haydar has played 23 NHL games over four seasons over an 11-year career and Smyth has 88 over eight seasons over an 18-year career; so I would give an edge to Haydar when it comes to the Crash Davis tag since he has much more of a "cup of coffee" status rather than Smyth.

The idea of having two Crash Davis's confuses me because, much like the Highlander, there must only be one. Aside from the 1980s movie references, it got me thinking who could be the most minor league of minor league players. There has been many lifers in the lower leagues without getting the most notoriety when all is said and done.

You have to go to the record books, obviously, to see who has the most games played and how they go about the minor league approach. The AHL has the types like Willie Marshall, who played in the 50's and 60's where the AHL itself was a very competitive league and had talent almost like the NHL, but were hooped because of the limited amount of teams in the NHL. Marshall did play 33 games with the Maple Leafs over four seasons, his last game during the 1958-59 season and didn't retire until 1971-72, finishing with a record 1,205 games in the AHL.

Harry Pidhirny could be the biggest proponent of the Crash Davis tag, playing only two games in the NHL and 1,071 in the AHL. Fred Glover was in the older era as well, but played 93 games in the NHL and 1,201 in the AHL; as well Mike Nykoluk who played in 1,069 in the AHL and 32 in the NHL. More recently, Jody Gage and Bryan Helmer are over the 1,000-game plateau in the AHL, though Helmer did see 145 NHL games to Gage's 68.

The ECHL has a lot of older soldiers of the minor league lifers, Cam Brown playing 789 ECHL, one NHL game, two IHL seasons, and 15 in the AHL; almost making him very much the lifer of all lifers. That is, until you see Louis Dumont's stat line, having him play 771 in the ECHL and only 10 games above the "AA" league system (5 AHL, 5 IHL) and 318 in the CHL, plus 14 in the British Leagues. Wes Goldie only played 697 games in the ECHL and only two AHL games to show for his career, as well as a stint in the Quebec Semi-Pro League.

On the horizon, Boyd Kane is at 891 games (as of 12.17.12); but probably won't catch the 1,205 of Marshall, but could top the 1,000-game mark. You have Sam Ftorek chasing Brown's ECHL record and only 36 games away from surpassing Goldie's games played, while Randy Rowe would be on the list if he didn't have extended stints in the AHL a couple of times. Tyler Fleck is chasing Travis Clayton's CHL record of 880 games, but Fleck is at 733 and has Scott Wray (646) and Sebastien Thinel (591) on his tail-- though Thinel could be a little more set-up to overtake Clayton as he is a bit younger-- but injuries can halt many things.

There's plenty of lifers in the minors that people don't know about, but all it takes is a lockout and need for news that makes these names come to light and makes people take notice to guys who have led a vibrant career in the minors, but may never get the chance to take NHL ice for a long time, if at all.

Expansion Stat Pack for 12.14.12

Since we last left you, the Denver Cutthroats have made HUGE strides in the CHL, going from 9th in the League all the way up to 3rd on the back of AJ Gale and Brad Smyth. Even the Sherbrooke Phoenix have made some impressive strides to get into the playoff chase, but still have a lot of ground to make up. The ECHL has the steady up and down of Orlando and San Francisco while the Fort Wayne Komets are the only playoff team out of the four new ECHL teams thus far.

(Stats before the games on 12.14.12)

ECHL 
Orlando Solar Bears: 10-11-2-2; 5th in South Division, 9th in Eastern Conference
     -Nick Petersen: 11g, 13a, E
     -Matthew Sisca: 5g, 13a, -3
     -Ryan Cruthers: 8g, 7a, -5
     -John Curry: 9-5-2-0, 2.64 GAA, .911 Sv%

San Francisco Bulls: 10-14-1-2; 3rd in Pacific Division, 6th in Western Conference
     -Dean Ouellet: 14g, 11a, -6
     -Justin Bowers: 6g, 19a, -9
     -Peter Sivik: 10g, 13a, -5
     -Thomas Heemskerk: 9-10-1-1, 3.41 GAA, .897 Sv% 

Evansville IceMen: 10-14-0-2; 5th in North Division, 12th in Eastern Conference
     -Josh Beaulieu: 11g. 10a, -7
     -Todd Robinson: 1g, 17a, -15
     -Nathan Moon: 9g, 7a, -7
     -Rod Madore: 4-7-0-0, 3.11 GAA, .905 Sv% 

Fort Wayne Komets: 12-9-0-1; 3rd in North Division, 8th in Eastern Conference
     -Brandon Marino: 9g, 20a, +7
     -Josh Brittain: 10g, 9a, +7
     -Colin Chaulk: 2g, 15a, +2
     -Ken Reiter: 5-4-0-1, 2.78 GAA, .919 Sv% 

CHL 
Denver Cutthroats: 14-8-1, 3rd in Berry Division/Conference/League
     -AJ Gale: 13g, 18a, -2
     -Brad Smyth: 13g, 16a, +7
     -Troy Schwab: 7g, 18a, +3
     -Kieran Millan: 7-4-1, 2.25 GAA, .929 Sv% 

QMJHL 
Sherbrooke Phoenix: 8-20-2-2, 6th in Telus West Division, 17th in QMJHL
     -Michael McManee: 9g, 17a, -10
     -Cole Hawes: 8g, 17a, -5
     -Alexandre Comtois: 6g, 14a, -25
     -Jacob Gervais-Chouinard: 7-12-1-1, 4.19 GAA, .878 Sv%

Absurd Goalie Monday: Doug Dadswell

While a college career is often useful for some for a short time, others need a longer time. This week's AGM appeared to give the old college try for so long before the NHL came calling-- and it could have been a bad decision. He did have himself a hiccup while playing, but got back to it only to finally call it a career not long after. This week, the profile of Doug Dadswell.

Dadswell moved in and out of the Ontario Junior A and B scene, playing for the St. Michael's Buzzards, Thronhill Thunderbirds, and Pickering Panthers in Junior B and the Richmond Hill Rams in Junior A from the 1980-81 season until the 1983-84 season.

Going to the NCAA route, Dadswell played at Cornell University for the Big Red starting in the 1984-85 season, playing in 28 games and finishing with a 17-10-1 record, then a 20-7-3 record in 30 games during the 1985-86 season. Dadswell received ECAC Second All-Star Team honors and NCAA East First Team All-American during that season, as well.

Foregoing his last two years of eligibility, Dadswell signed with the Calgary Flames before the 1986-87 season, playing mostly in the AHL with the Moncton Flames, posting a 23-12-0 record in 42 games, then going 4-2 in the playoffs. Dadswell also played in two games with the Flames, going 0-1-1. During the 1987-88 season. Dadswell backed up Mike Vernon and went 8-7-2 in 26 appearances with the Flames.

However, the Flames got experience back-up Rick Wamsley for the 1988-89 season, sending Dadswell to the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles and he put up a 15-10-0 record with Salt Lake and also spent time with the Indianapolis Ice, going 4-15-0 in 24 games there.

Dadswell took off the entire 1989-90 season, coming back in the 1990-91 season with the Canadian National Team were he would post a 16-6-1 record in 20 games. The 1991-92 season saw Dadswell start with the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones for 24 games (14-9-1) before getting a call up to the AHL's Utica Devils for 22 games (7-9-2) and appearing in two playoff games-- both losses.

For the 1992-93 season, Dadswell returned to the Cincinnati Cyclones-- who now played in the IHL-- and going 5-11-1 before he moved to the ECHL's Birmingham Bulls for eight games with a 3-3-0 record. Dadswell returned to Calgary in the summer of 1993, but it was to play for the Roller Hockey International team, the Calgary Radz, where he would go 5-4-0 in 10 appearances before he would hang up the pads for good.

While Dadswell college accomplishments were good enough to get him into the Cornell Hall of Fame in 2000, I'm sure he'd much like to be considered for his professional career-- but it was much too short to register for some people. While he was unceremoniously shuffled out of the Flames line-up, it seemed taking time off to regroup didn't do him any favors when all was said and done.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Philippe Sauve

With many family lineages, the goaltending position is one that is the hardest to have success from top to bottom. This week's AGM is a guy who's father blazed a trail for the Buffalo Sabres and was one of their first great goalies. Although, in the end-- the son couldn't make the same impact and shouldn't have been expected to. This week, the profile of Philippe Sauve.

Sauve started with his midget AAA team in Laval-Laurentides and post a 9-10-0 record in 25 appearances and then 7-8 in 15 playoff games. In the 1996-97 season, Sauve moved to the major junior ranks for Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, putting up an 11-9-2 record in 26 games, while in the 1997-98 season, Sauve went 23-16-0 for Rimouski and then 0-5 in seven playoff appearances. The Colorado Avalanche drafted Sauve in the 2nd Round of the Draft and then in the 1998-99 season, Sauve posted a 16-19-4 record for Rimouski and then 6-4 in 11 playoff games.

During the off-season, Sauve moved to Drummondville to play for the Voltigeurs for the 1999-2000 season and would go 12-12-2 in 28 games, then was traded to the Hull Olympiques mid-season and would go 9-7-1 in 17 games and 6-6 in the playoffs. Sauve also played for the USA in the World Juniors and go 0-1-1 in two games.

Embarking on his professional career, Sauve went to the Hershey Bears of the AHL in the 2000-01 season and finish 17-18-1 in 42 appearances, then 0-3 in the playoffs. The bulk of the starts went to Sauve in the 2001-02 season when he played in 55 games and compiled a 25-20-6 record with six shutouts and then a 3-5 record in the playoffs. Sauve would play 60 games in the 2002-03 season for the Bears, finishing there with a 26-20-12 regular season record and 2-3 playoff record.

In the 2003-04 season, Sauve was the back-up for the Colorado Avalanche behind David Aebischer and play in 17 games, putting up a 7-7-3 record, but would be sent down to Hershey for the end of the season and play in 10 games, finishing with a 3-7-0 record. During the lockout season of 2004-05, Sauve signed with the ECHL's Mississippi Sea Wolves and would go 13-4-4 in 21 games while going 1-3 in the playoffs.

In the summer of 2005, the Avalanche traded Sauve to the Calgary Flames for future consideration, but Sauve would only play for eight games in Calgary (3-3-0); then he would be traded in February to the Phoenix Coyotes with Steven Reinprecht for Brian Boucher and Mike Leclerc; though Sauve would go 0-4-0 in five appearances for the Coyotes.

The 2006-07 season was a whirlwind for Sauve. At first, he reported to the Coyotes' AHL affiliate-- the San Antonio Rampage-- for 10 games (4-5-0), but he would get traded to the Boston Bruins for a prospect. Sauve appeared in only two games for Boston, but didn't have a win-loss record. Sauve did go to the Providence Bruins in the AHL and go 10-11-1 in 23 games and then would be loaned out to the Hamilton Bulldogs for six games and post a 2-3-0 record.

In the 2007-08 season, the Iowa Stars called Sauve to play for them and he would play for 12 games and have a 5-5-0 record to show for it. Mid-season, Sauve went to Germany to play for the Hamburg Freezers for 13 games and have a 9-4-0 record, then 3-4 playoff record. At the end of that season-- Sauve hasn't been heard from.

Though it was hard to deal with the shadow that his dad casted over him with his name, Philippe did what he could to make his own mark. Whether it was mismanagement by those who tutored him or his skill being overvalued, Sauve seemed to just never reach the brass rings set out for him.

An Ode to the Minor League Super Teams

During the lockout of 2004-05, the minor leagues saw a little bit of a boon when you had some select NHL players dropping down the rank to keep in shape for a season that never happened. This lockout, we're seeing a bit of the same thing-- but with a couple more teams.

Of course, this doesn't include the AHL teams that have the young prospects-- like the Oklahoma City Barons-- who are tearing up the league because they have experience in the NHL, but I'm more talking about the AA leagues like the ECHL who have been doing well enough for their teams to thrive, but not overly dominating the league.

For example, in the 2004-05 season, the United Hockey League's Motor City Mechanics were the darling of the minor league world, as they had a roster than included Chris Chelios, Derian Hatcher, Bryan Smolinski, and Sean Avery, while Kris Draper was signed, but never played. It was a team that looked very good on paper, but none of those players played more than 24 games (Hatcher) and Avery was the leading scorer of all of them with 15 goals, 11 assists, and 149 PIMs in only 16 games. The Mechanics didn't make the playoffs and dissolved after the next season.

This lockout, the ECHL has been quite the travel adventure for NHLers, with the Alaska Aces really sporting the names of the NHL. While Brandon Dubinsky, Joey Crabb, and Nate Thompson have played all season, Scott Gomez just signed on to play after training for the longest time with his hometown team. Crabb has really flourished with the team with 8 goals and 21 points leading the team and 13th in the league in scoring.

Another Western ECHL team with a good amount of NHLers is the Ontario Reign who have Paul Mara, Devin Setoguchi, and Kyle Clifford are on the roster, despite none of them really turning the league upside down. Only Mara has played the entire season, while Setoguchi (6 games) and Clifford (3) are still working their way into the line-up.

Ryan Clowe has also been around the ECHL, practicing and coaching with the San Francisco Bulls, but won't play until he knows that the NHL is either coming back or going away outright. Plus, it's not like these NHLers are tearing up the scoring chart, as three Colorado Eagles-- Chad Costello, Jack Combs, and Michael Forney-- lead the ECHL in scoring.

While some in the ECHL are upset about teams stockpiling this talent when this is supposed to be a development league, I've pointed out elsewhere that the number of teams using their ECHL teams is few and far-between-- granted this is different circumstances where the NHL teams could utilize their ECHL teams more-- but still, very few really have.

There's plenty of people out there who don't like the minor leagues because it's not the NHL and won't check out minor leagues because the games there aren't as smooth (which isn't a bad thing and understandable), it seems that the longer the lockout turns on, the better the talent could get domestically rather than them going overseas.

Expansion Stat Pack for 11.23.12

(These stats are for before the games of November 23rd)

While some things change, some things stay the same. Most teams have been standing pat when it comes to positioning, but there's other teams who make small advances and making up ground. The San Francisco Bulls seem to be the most bi-polar of teams, trying to find their identity in the ECHL and the Pacific Division.

ECHL
Orlando Solar Bears: 8-7-2-1; 3rd in South Division
     -Nick Petersen: 9g, 11a, +1
     -Olivier Fortier: 8g, 9a, -1
     -Matthew Sisca: 5g, 12a, -1
     -John Curry: 7-5-2-0, 2.82 GAA, .907 Sv%

San Francisco Bulls: 6-10-0-2; 3rd in Pacific Division
     -Justin Bowers: 5g, 12a, -4
     -Dean Ouellet: 6g, 7a, -5
     -Sacha Guimond: 5g, 8a, -1
     -Thomas Heemskerk: 5-7-0-1, 3.65 GAA, .893 Sv%

Evansville IceMen: 5-11-0-1; 5th in North Division
     -Todd Robinson: 1g, 15a, -16
     -Josh Beaulieu: 7g. 5a, -7
     -Patrick Kennedy: 4g, 6a, -3
     -Rod Madore: 3-6-0-0, 3.23 GAA, .899 Sv%

Fort Wayne Komets: 8-5-0-1; 3rd in North Division
     -Brandon Marino: 7g, 15a, +6
     -Colin Chaulk: 2g, 13a, +5
     -Josh Brittain: 6g, 4a, +6
     -Charlie Effinger: 4-3-0-0, 3.63 GAA, .891 Sv%

CHL
Denver Cutthroats: 6-7-0, 9th in Berry Division
     -AJ Gale: 9g, 11a, -5
     -Brad Smyth: 6g, 9a, +3
     -Troy Schwab: 3g, 11a, -4
     -Kieran Millan: 4-3-0, 2.36 GAA, .926\Sv%

QMJHL
Sherbrooke Phoenix: 4-18-1-1, 6th in Telus West Division
     -Cole Hawes: 8g, 15a, -3
     -Michael McManee: 8g, 14a, -9
     -Alexandre Comtois: 6g, 8a, -28
     -Jacob Gervais-Chouinard: 3-11-0, 4.80 GAA, .859 Sv%

Expansion Stat Pack For 10.19.2012

With me, I enjoy running bits and this one will be no different. Rather than get hung up on the NHL scuttlebutt, it's time to keep up with the new teams in the minor league ranks. Overall, the expansion teams have budded up over the ECHL this year, while the CHL had some teams taken and introduced a new team to their fold of teams. On this, we'll put the records, placement, and top scorers/goalie on their team. Something to expand your mind about the place of expansion teams.

ECHL
Orlando Solar Bears: 0-1-1-0, 3rd in South Division
     -Nick Petersen: 2g, 2a, -2
     -Ryan Cruthers: 2g, 1a, E
     -Matthew Sisca: 1g, 1a, -4
     -John Curry: 0-1-1, 4.00 GAA, .881 Sv%

San Francisco Bulls: 1-1-0-1, 2nd in Pacific Division
     -Justin Bowers: 2g, 5a, +1
     -Sacha Guimond: 2g, 2a, +1
     -Jordan Clendenning: 1g, 3a, +2
     -Thomas Heemskrek: 0-1-0-1, 3.86 GAA, .893 Sv%

Evansville IceMen: 0-1-0-0, 5th in North Division
     -Brett Sonne: 1g, 1a, E
     -Tyler Shattock: 1g, 0a, E
     -Jason Dale: 0g, 1a, E
     -Rob Madore: 0-0-0-0, 1.57 GAA, .875 Sv%

Fort Wayne Komets: 1-1-0-0, 4th in North Division
     -Brandon Marino: 3g, 2a, +2
     -Colin Chaulk: 0g, 3a, +1
     -Eric Giosa: 2g, 0a, -2
     -Ken Reiter: 1-0-0-0, 1.50 GAA, .958 Sv%

CHL
Denver Cutthroats: Season starts tonight, October 19th

QMJHL
Sherbrooke Phoenix: 2-8-0-1, 6th in TELUS West Division
     -Cole Hawes: 3g, 7a, E
     -Michael McNamme: 5g, 4a, -9
     -Alexandre Comtois: 4g, 2a, -16
     -Jacob Gervais-Chouinard: 2-6-0-0, 5.22 GAA, .835 Sv%

Better Know A Minor League: The ECHL

With the impending lockout doom-- DOOOOOOOM-- it's probably for the best that the actual NHL fans actually get acquainted with some other leagues out there. Yes, that's right, folks-- there's other hockey leagues out there besides the NHL. Crazy, I know. So, here we go. 

A crazy thing about the ECHL is that the league is just that-- the ECHL. The letters don't stand for anything anymore, especially with the acquisiton of another league. In any case, this league was started out of the ashes of the All-American Hockey League at the end of the 1987-88 season. The ECHL was known then as the East Coast Hockey League, as the teams were predominately on the East Coast-- oddly enough. The first season, the ECHL had five teams and within five years had 19.

The ECHL soon expanded to more southern locales like Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana by the 1995-96 season, moving to New Orleans and Peoria in the 1997-98 season, while in the 2001-02 season, the league would see their peak at 29 teams under the East Coast Hockey League name. The name change to just letters would be in the 2003-04 season, when the West Coast Hockey League disbanded and joined up with the ECHL, creating a 31-team league for that season, spread out across the US-- including Alaska. There have been trying times for the ECHL, but for the 2012-13 season-- the league will have 23 teams, two new expansion teams in Orlando and San Francisco, and picked up Fort Wayne and Evansville from the Central Hockey League.

One of the biggest thing you'll see about the ECHL is how much they love when the alumni makes it to the NHL. Calling themselves the "Premier 'AA' Hockey League," the ECHL keeps a running total on the amount of alumni who have made it to at least one game in the NHL, which is at 490 after the 2011-12 season and 234 in the last seven years.

An interesting sidebar to the AA moniker is that not many teams use their ECHL affiliate. I pointed something out in April of this year how very few teams actually put their ECHL teams to good use. However, some teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets did just that with Allen York coming onto their roster and making a splash by coming directly from the ECHL to the NHL, bypassing the AHL entirely. Even though the honing of the player's skill happens in the AHL, the ECHL takes plenty of claim for their development-- rightfully or not is another story all together.

The ECHL is also the league that the Johnstown Chiefs used to play in before the team folded and moved to Greenville and became the Road Warriors. The Chiefs played in the same arena that the infamous movie "Slap Shot" was filmed in and the team was named after the fictional one. The Chiefs were one of the founding members of the ECHL, but the longest tenured team now is the Wheeling Nailers, who started in the 1991-92 season and moved from Winston-Salem, North Carolina where they were called the Thunderbirds.

With five divisions, two sides of the country, and untapped resources in Alaska; the ECHL is a very fun, spread out, and pretty talented league-- even if it does have some lifers in it. With a less corporate atmosphere, the ECHL is allow to have a lot of gimmick games and be able to show personality where other leagues may not want to. In a time were it'd be nice to have personality, the ECHL definitely helps fill some of that void.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Danny Lorenz

This week's AGM set records in junior and was the face of a franchise who wasn't all that good, but made a decent name for himself. However, he was drafted to a team with a wealth of goaltending prospects, which stifled his movement upward, hitting a glass ceiling in the minors. However, he did make the most of the situation and travelled the world a bit to boot. This week, the profile of Danny Lorenz.

Lorenz started his trek with the Burnaby Hawks of the BCHL in the 1985-86 season for 25 games, but would move to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL for the 1986-87 season; posting a 12-21-2 record in 38 appearances. Lorenz got the starting role in Seattle for the 1987-88 season, playing in 62 games and compiling a 20-37-2 record. Lorenz was drafted in the third round by the New York Islanders in the 1988 Draft, but would play in Seattle for the 1988-89 season, going 31-33-4 record in 68 games, which was enough to give him Goaltender of the Year honors in the WHL. Also in 1988-89, Lorenz played in four games for the AHL's Springfield Indians, going 2-1-0. The 1989-90 season saw Lorenz finish out his time in Seattle with a 37-15-2 record in 56 games and then going 6-7 in 13 playoff games.

Upon leaving the WHL, Lorenz held the all-time saves record during their WHL career with 6,958 (since broken by Seattle's Calvin Pickard in the 2011-12 season). Sadly, he also holds the record for most career goals given up with 974. With Seattle, Lorenz still holds most games played by a goalie, but behind Pickard in not only saves, but also minutes played.

In the 1990-91 season, Lorenz joined the Islanders organization splitting time between the AHL's Capital District Islanders (5-9-2) and the ECHL's Richmond Renegades (6-9-2), while spending two games with the New York Islanders, finishing with a 0-1-0 record. The 1991-92 season had Lorenz spend most of the time with Capital District, playing in 53 games and putting up a 22-22-7 record and 3-4 in the playoffs; while also going 0-2-0 in two games with New York. The 1992-93 season, Lorenz posted a 16-17-5 record in 44 games with Capital District (0-3 in four playoff games), while going 1-2-0 in four games on Long Island; while in the 1993-94 season, Lorenz split his season between the AHL's Springfield Indians (5-7-1) and the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles (4-12-0).

In the summer of 1994, Lorenz signed with the Florida Panthers--who placed him in the IHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones for the 1994-95 season, where he would go 24-10-3 in his first season and 2-3 in five playoff games. In the 1995-96 season, Lorenz went 28-12-2 in 46 games, while going 1-2 in five playoff games.

Lorenz would move to the Milwaukee Admirals for the 1996-97 season, posting a 33-27-6 record in his first season, while going 0-3 in the playoffs. During the 1997-98 season, Lorenz compiled a 28-18-4 record in 54 appearances while going 5-5 in the playoffs.

For the first part of the 1998-99 season, Lorenz went to Germany to play in 22 games for Alder Mannheim, but would return late in the season to the IHL's Houston Aeros for seven games going 3-2-2 and then appearing in one playoff game, but no decision.

It was a globe-trotting season in the 1999-2000 campaign for Lorenz, who played the majority of his season playing in the ECHL with the Tallahassee Tiger Cats, going 15-12-2 in 33 games; as well as playing in the AHL for the Rochester Americans (0-2-1) and the West Coast League's Tacoma Sabercats (2-0-0). Lorenz would stay with the Tacoma Sabercats for the 2000-01 season, posting a 23-25-6 record , then 1-2 in the playoffs.

Starting in the 2001-02 season, Lorenz went across the pond to play in the British Leagues, starting in the Elite League with the Nottingham Panthers for 46 games, then moving to second-tier league with the Guildford Flames and Newcastle Vipers in the 2002-03 season. 


Lorenz moved back to North America for the 2003-04 season to play with the Central League's New Mexico Scorpions, playing in 32 games with a 17-10-3 record. After that season, he would hang up the pads for good. 


After his playing career, Lorenz went back to where his junior career began and is now the Director of Hockey in the Kent Valley Hockey Association in Kent, Washington; which is where the Seattle Thunderbirds actually play.


While he had a late charge in juniors, the fact he was in an organization where there was a surplus of young goalies made him expendable and lost in the shuffle. While he tried to get his game back in the minors, he could never reach the brass ring that was set out for him. However, he returned to his roots and his helping out the next wave of players coming out of the Pacific Northwest. 

Absurd Goalie Monday: Scott Gordon

From humble begins to a decent college career and a scrambled pro career, this week's AGM could be more notable for his coaching career than his playing career. In fact, many may forget his playing time-- which I wouldn't blame many for as he may not be the most recognized former player turned coach. This week, the profile of Scott Gordon.

Gordon started his career in Boston high schools with the Oliver Ames Tigers and then moving onto New Hampshire prep academy Kimball Union Academy.

After his prep career was done, Gordon moved on to the Boston College Golden Eagles for his college days, starting in the 1982-83 season, going 3-3-0 in nine games. The 1983-84 season saw Gordon get plenty of time in next, playing 35 games and finishing with 21-13-0 record. Gordon was again the starter for BC in the 1984-85 season, going 23-11-2 in 36 appearances. During the Frozen Four of 1985, Gordon and former AGM Chris Terreri were the first pair of goalies to put water bottles on the top of their net during the triple-overtime game, seeing Providence beat BC 4-3. Gordon's senior year in 1985-86 had a 17-8-1 record in 32 games, to which Gordon got named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team.

Before the 1986-87 season, Gordon was signed by the Quebec Nordiques, but spent that season toiling in the AHL for 32 games with the Fredericton Express finishing with a 9-12-2 record. In the 1987-88 season, Gordon stayed in the AHL, but with the Baltimore Skipjacks, going 7-17-3 in 34 games. However, the 1988-89 season had Gordon play the majority of the season with the ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs, going 18-9-3 in 31 games, then 7-4 in 11 playoffs games; which helped Gordon get named to the ECHL First All-Star Team. Gordon also spend two games back in the AHL with the Halifax Citadels that season, both losses.

The 1989-90 season is where Gordon got some better footing in Halifax and putting up a 28-16-3 record, then 2-4 in the playoffs. Also, Gordon would get called up to Quebec in mid-season for 10 games, going only 2-8-0 in those games. The 1990-91 season was a bit dismal, as Gordon would play only 24 games in Halifax with a 12-10-2 record and appear in 13 games with Quebec, sporting a 0-8-0 record. Gordon would play for the US in the World Championships, losing his only appearance.

For the 1991-92 season, Gordon spent the start of it with the United States National Team in hopes of playing in the 1992 Olympics. He played 28 games with the touring team, putting up a 13-12-3 record, while playing on one games in the Olympics, but did not factor in the decision. Once he returned, Gordon played seven games for Halifax (3-3-1) and four games for the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL (3-1-0).

Gordon was a free-agent by the 1992-93 season, opting to play in the ECHL with the Nashville Knights, putting together 13-9-1 record in 23 games, then going 5-4 in nine playoff games. Gordon would move to the Knoxville Cherokees for the 1993-94 season, finishing with a 15-10-1 record in 26 games, while also getting a call to the IHL's Atlanta Knights to play in five games, finishing with a 0-1-3 record.

In 1994, Gordon retired and began coaching with the Atlanta Knights as an assistant and would be with the team from 1994 until 1998, when the team was then the Quebec Rafales. Starting in 1998, Gordon got a head coaching job in the ECHL with the Roanoke Express, a post he would hold for two seasons. From the 2000-01 season until the 2007-08 season, Gordon would coach the AHL's Providence Bruins, winning the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award for Coach of the Year in his last season. In the 2008-09 season, Gordon became the head coach of the New York Islanders, but after a couple dismal seasons-- he would be dismissed as the head coach in the middle of the 2010-11 season. Currently, Gordon is an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gordon has also helped USA Hockey as an assistant in the 2009 World Championships and 2010 Olympics and the 2011 Worlds as the head coach.

While he didn't do much for some lackluster teams, the knowledge picked up and the international experience that Gordon was able to pick up was something that is invaluable. With the amount of situations he's been in, it has helped Gordon adapt to whatever is thrown his way.

Hockey in Hoffman Estates Derailed Again

While the spirit of hockey has come back in the Chicagoland area, the fact that some professional leagues try to make a third team work hasn't provided the turn-out some would have thought. For the second time in five season, Craig Drecktrah had to cease operations of a third professional team in the Chicago area. First it was the Chicago Hounds of the old UHL and today, the Chicago Express of the ECHL. Both teams played only one season.

The Express were a team who averaged last in the league for attendance, averaging just over 2,500 in the 8,632 seat Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Also, the Express would have a hard time to actually get 1,000 people into the arena during their week-night games. Drecktrah seemed to have the same issue with the Hounds, mostly for the fact that the Sears Centre management wanted to give the team primarily weekday dates rather than the weekend, which would set the team up for failure for the most part due to work and school and such.

However, with this being the second straight hockey team to fail in that arena and area; it makes you question if it's the arena or the fact there's a lot of teams in the area. Albeit, the Blackhawks are 30 minutes away from Hoffman Estates and the Wolves, based in Rosemont, are 20 minutes away; there could be too many options for hockey fans to choose from and stretch their dollar on. While many hockey fans would love to see as many teams around them as possible, the ability to spend that much on three teams in professional leagues in such a small area. The perk for it all is that it was three different leagues, three different affiliations, and many different teams coming in-- which the variety is great, but again-- as affordable as minor league hockey can be, hard to have loyalty to one side of things or another.

More over than the fans is that you have to actually wonder how viable big metropolitan areas are for multiple hockey teams. Especially in Chicago, where the Wolves would often beat out the attendance of the Blackhawks in the mid-2000s, but trying to force a third team in there just seems to be a set-up for failure right from the start. Heck, the most hardened hockey fans would have issues trying to support all their hockey teams. For a time, the Toronto area had an issue with the NHL and AHL with the Toronto Roadrunners in the 2003-04 season (they would move to Edmonton for the 2004-05 season) and then when the Marlies came to play with the 2005-06, but the Marlies have seemed to have gotten more interest in them and fended for themselves pretty well.

If a Canadian city has difficulties with maintaining two pro hockey teams, is there a hockey city in the US that can handle two or more professional teams within a 30-mile span of each other. The New York City area has their allegiances drawn, Boston would probably have their own team's pride that they might not be able to deal with another team, even in a minor league format. So far, the Chicago area seems to be a two-team town and any third team would be hard-pressed to not only find an arena to work with them, but also garner the attention to take away from the two top teams and make themselves profitable.

While it stinks for those loyalist to the Express for that one season, it's hard for them to not be without a team, even though it was for just a season. Plus, it's hard to build a fanbase for a team when they actually only have one season to get fans into the building and make the numbers work. That said, some times the diluting of a sport in a centralized location may be a great idea in theory, but the execution never yield the desired results. You can blame the owner, the arena, the lack of attention overall-- but no matter how you slice it-- whoever is to blame doesn't matter, as it leaves a black-eye on the team, league, and area for not being able to sustain a team in a locale for more than just a season.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Frederic Chabot

With an unorthodox way into the NHL, this week's AGM is a guy who travelled through two major junior leagues before he was signed by a NHL team. While he did have a great career in the IHL and overseas; he got into organizations who didn't need the goaltending or didn't have the space for him to fit into. This week's AGM is Frederic Chabot.

Chabot started off in Midget AAA in Quebec with Trois-Rivieres Selects, playing in 34 games with a 25-9-0 record before moving onto the QMJHL in the 1986-87 season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, playing in 62 games that season with a 31-30-0 record, then 2-6 in eight playoff appearances. The 1987-88 was a better on while in Drummondville, with Chabot going 27-24-4 in 58 games, but a 10-6 record in 16 playoff games; though they lost to the Hull Olympiques in the Finals. Chabot also went 0-3 in the three Memorial Cup games that Drummondville played in.

As an "over-aged" player, Drummondville waived Chabot and he landed in the WHL for the 1988-89 season, playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors, but ending his season there with the Prince Albert Raiders.

As his junior career ended, Chabot went to the IHL to play with the Fort Wayne Komets for the 1989-90 season, playing in 23 games with a 6-13-3 record. However, midway through the season, Chabot signed with the Montreal Canadiens, where they would place him in the AHL with the Sherbrooke Canadiens, going 1-1-0 in two games.

Chabot was back in the AHL for the bulk of the 1990-91 season, playing with the Fredericton Canadiens, going 9-15-5 in 35 games; also getting called up by Montreal for three games, going 0-0-1 in those appearances. Chabot was back with Fredericton in the 1991-92 season, compiling a 17-9-4 record in 30 games; then a 3-4 record in seven playoff games. Chabot also spent 24 games in the ECHL with the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds, finishing with a 15-7-2 record. The 1992-93 season had Chabot play in 45 games for Fredericton and finishing with a 22-17-4 record, then a 1-3 playoff record. Chabot racked up the travel miles for himself in the 1993-94 season, playing for Fredericton for three games (0-1-1), then moving to the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder for two games (1-1-0) and Montreal for one (0-1-0).

Chabot was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for cash, playing in four games for the Flyers and going 0-1-1. He would spent the bulk of his time with the AHL's Hershey Bears, finishing with a 13-5-6 record in 28 games, then 7-4 in 11 playoff games. Chabot was awarded the Baz Bastien Award for AHL's Outstanding Goaltender.

Chabot signed with the Florida Panthers before the 1994-95 season, but he would play in the IHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones, posting a 25-12-7 record in 48 games, then 3-2 in five playoff games. Back in Cincinnati for the 1995-96 season, Chabot had a 23-9-4 record in his 38 games, then going 9-5 in 14 playoff games. The 1996-97 season saw Chabot play with the Houston Aeros of the IHL, going 39-26-7 in 72 games before going 8-5 in 13 playoff games. That season, Chabot was awarded the James Gatschene Memorial Trophy for IHL MVP.

The Los Angeles Kings signed Chabot for the 1997-98 season, but only played 12 games for them, finishing with a 3-3-2 record. Chabot spent the rest of the year with Houston again, finishing with a 12-7-2 record and 1-3 playoff record that season.

The summer of 1998 was confusing for Chabot-- who was claimed by the Nashville Predators in the Expansion Draft; then picked off waivers by the Kings again, finally picked up off waivers again by the Montreal Canadiens. Chabot spent 11 games with Montreal in the 1998-99 season, finishing with a 1-3-0 record in Montreal, but most of his time would be back in Houston; going 16-4-1 in 22 games there. In the 1999-2000 season, Chabot was back in Houston, playing in 62 games and finished with a 36-19-7 record and going 6-5 in 11 playoff games. Chabot racked up the awards, winning the Gatschene Trophy for MVP again, sharing with Nikolai Khabibulin, while also winning the James Norris Trophy for fewest goals against. Chabot was back in Houston in the 2000-01 season, finishing with a 23-16-5 in 47 games, then going 3-4 in the playoffs.

Starting in the 2001-02 season, Chabot moved it over season-- playing for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers from 2001 until 2004. In the 2004-05 season, Chabot moved to Austria to play with the Vienna Capitals before going back to Germany for the 2005-06 season, this time with Alder Mannheim. After that season, Chabot hung up the pads for good.

Chabot would go far from hockey, as he stayed in Europe to be the goaltending coach for AIK Stockholm (Sweden) in 2006, then over to Germany to coach for the Berlin Ice Bears, before returning to North America to be the goaltending coach for the Edmonton Oilers. Chabot has also had ties with Hockey Canada's World Junior Program.

While he did get bounced around a lot and mostly made relief duties, the time he spent in the minors allowed him to garner knowledge to pass around to the youth players coming up through the ranks and now onto the new generation of goalies in Edmonton.

Logos Aplenty

That logo above is for this year's Thanksgiving Showdown. To me, not only does it give the Bruins/Red Wings game a title, but it shows that the NHL love logos. They'll make a logo for any kind of event and will often make reasons to have their design team come up with something.

With that in mind, and the fact we're awaiting the player draft logo for this year's All-Star Game, a list of my favorite event logos that the NHL has rolled out with-- in no particular order, of course. (Thanks to SportsLogos.net for all the logos anyone could ever ask for.)

-Draft Logos 2001-2009: The reason these stand out is because there's not templated design like we see now. The identity of the teams were well represented in these logos, which gave it a personalized feel for the events in terms of the host city and allowed plenty of freedom for designers. Now, with the templated work they have now, it's basically just adding small elements of the host city in the already made main logo.

-2009 Winter Classic: While many of the Winter Classic logos do have elements of the host city into it, the iconic use of the Wrigley Field scoreboard helps set this one away from the rest. Plus, it's the only logo in the Winter Classic cluster that is tilted to give a three-dimensional appeal to it rather than just being flattened.

-1994 All-Star Game: New York City is one of, if not the most, iconic city in the world. Their skyline is one of the most memorable, so when you combine that with an All-Star logo, you're basically yelling for it to be a fantastic one. While the jersey selection disappointed, the logo itself is one of the more fantastic logos of any ASG.

But, I couldn't let the NHL have all the fun....

-1999 ECHL All-Star Game: Sure, it's not the NHL, but the incorporation of the coast line and the lighthouse element is pretty damn fancy for the ECHL.

-2011 AHL All-Star Game: Where to start-- the Bear slapping a Hershey's Kiss; the HersheyPark roller coaster coupled with the Hershey's chocolate factory, coupled with the Giant Center in the top silhouette; the team logo inclusion-- it all makes for a fantastic event logo.

Though, you always have to have a logo to show during the breaks and to promote a product (read: All-Star Fantasy Draft), some times it's a bit overkill....like this game and the event I mentioned in parenthesis. Yet, at the same time-- logo nuts like me will clamor for something like these to come out because we enjoy the aesthetics of it all.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Derek Wilkinson

While you always hate to see a goalie have his career cut short due to lack of opportunities, the fact that this week's AGM was able to make it to the show and then make a solid name for himself after his playing days is always a good thing. This week, the profile of Derek Wilkinson.

While he first busted on the scene in the 1989-90 season in Junior B and C hockey with the Windsor Bulldogs and Belle River Canadiens respectively, he broke out a bit in the 1990-91 season in Junior B with the Chatham Micmacs Jr. team, playing in 24 games with a 3.61 GAA in that year.

Wilkinson moved up to the OHL for the 1991-92 season with the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors, where he would play 38 games and go 16-17-1 in the regular season, with a 3-2 record in seven playoff appearances. The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted Wilkinson in the 1992 Entry Draft in the 7th Round. The 1992-93 season had Wilkinson in Detroit with the newly named Jr. Red Wings, going 1-2-1 in four games before getting traded to the Belleville Bulls-- playing in 59 games and finishing with a record of 21-24-11, then 3-4 in seven playoff games. Returning to Belleville for the 1993-94 season, Wilkinson went 24-16-4 in 56 games and then 6-6 in 12 games of the playoffs.

Moving up to the professional ranks in the 1994-95 season, Wilkinson spent the year in the IHL with the Atlanta Knights, playing in 46 games and finished with a 22-17-2 record, then going 2-1 in four playoff games. Wilkinson had the bulk of the 1995-96 season spent in Atlanta again, playing in 28 games and compiling an 11-11-2 record, then getting called up to Tampa Bay; playing in four games and posting a 0-3-0 record.

The Bolts changed affiliates to the Cleveland Lumberjacks in the 1996-97 season, where Wilkinson would be for most of the year-- playing in 46 games with a 20-17-6 record, then going 8-6 in the playoffs. Wilkinson got the call to Tampa Bay again, this time going 0-2-1 in five games. The 1997-98 season had a bit of a split, as Wilkinson only played 25 games in Cleveland (9-12-2) and then appeared in eight games with Tampa Bay (2-4-1). Wilkinson had another split year in the 1998-99 season, playing in Cleveland for 34 games whilst finishing with a 10-15-2 record; then moving up to Tampa for five games with a 1-3-1 record.

The 1999-2000 season had Wilkinson as a free agent, which he would serve the bulk of the season with the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers, playing in 31 games and finishing with a 11-13-2 record. Wilkinson would also play a game with the IHL's Chicago Wolves, were he would get a tie out of it. Wilkinson got signed by the Belfast Giants of the British Elite League for the 2000-01 season, playing 23 games there before hanging up his pads for good at the age of 26.

While he had his career ended early, Wilkinson was able to land on his feet afterwords, getting hired by the Charlotte Checkers as an assistant coach in the 2002-03 season, then moving to head coach in the middle of the 2003-04 season. Wilkinson would be the head coach in Charlotte until they moved into the AHL, in which he took over the role of Senior VP of Business Operations of the Checkers. He remains the winningest coach in Checkers history at 237-182-42.

It was a long road and it seemed that Wilkinson wasn't able to find his niche in the NHL, Wilkinson made his mark in the minors and then parlayed that into a coaching role and making a very successful run for himself. It was short and sweet, but he'll last forever due to this post.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Daryl Reaugh

I'm quite surprised I haven't gotten to this week's entry sooner. He has a bigger presence in his post-career life than he did during his career. Even so, if not for the experience in the pros that he had, he may not be as good on the mic as he is now. Yet, one big injury shortened his career, though allowed him to get to the booth sooner than usual, which benefits fans ten-fold. This week, the career of Daryl Reaugh.

Reaugh started it off with the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the BCHL starting in the 1982-83 season, but would move to the WHL's Kamloops Jr. Oilers starting in the 1983-84 season; putting together a 34-10-0 record in 55 games, then going 14-3 in 17 playoff games, helping the Jr. Oilers to the WHL Championship. Reaugh went 1-2 in the Memorial Cup, as well. During the 1984 Draft, the Edmonton Oilers selected Reaugh in the second round; but he would play again in Kamloops, posting a 36-8-1 record in 49 games and 10-5 in the playoffs, losing in the Finals. Reaugh was awarded First All-Star Team honors for the WHL West.

During that 1984-85 season, Reaugh played one game with Edmonton, a loss, and would join the organization in the 1985-86 season with the Nova Scotia Oilers of the AHL. Reaugh had a 15-18-4 record in that first year while playing 38 games. The 1986-87 season saw Reaugh get into 46 games and finishing with a 19-22-0 record and 0-2 in two playoff appearances. The 1987-88 season had Reaugh bouncing everywhere. He would play in Nova Scotia for eight games (2-5-0) and for the IHL's Milwaukee Admirals for nine games (0-8-0), but would spend the majority of his time in Edmonton with the Oilers, dressing for 60 games, but playing in only six (1-1-0).

Reaugh dressed enough for the Oilers that year that he received a Stanley Cup ring for the Oilers' victory and was included in the team picture, but did not get his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

The 1988-89 season was an interesting one for Reaugh. First, he started out with the Cape Breton Oilers, but would move over to Finland to play with Karpat Oulu for 13 games and going 7-5-1, then returned to Cape Breton. With Cape Breton, Reaugh went 3-10-0 that entire season.

Reaugh signed with the Hartford Whalers in the summer of 1989, but would spend most of the 1989-90 with the Binghamton Whalers of the AHL, playing in 52 games and ending with a dismal 8-31-6 record for the season. Reaugh would split his 1990-91 season between Hartford and with the Springfield Indians, who relocated from Binghamton. In Springfield, Reaugh went 7-6-3 in 16 games, while in Hartford-- Reaugh went 7-7-1 in 20 games, but would have his season end abruptly as his catching hand was skated over by an opponent's skate. Reaugh was back in Springfield for the 1991-92 season, playing on 22 games and finishing with a 3-12-2 record.

There was little work for Reaugh in the 1992-93 season, as he would play only one games with the Hershey Bears of the AHL that season, which was a no-decision. The 1993-94 season had Reaugh in the ECHL wth the Dayton Bombers for four games (1-3-0) before a severe hamstring injury would end his career at age 28.

Yet, Reaugh was able to get back into the game easily, first contributing to the play-by-play spot in Dayton after his injury Then, he would become the Dallas Stars color commentator in 1996, a position he still holds today; as well as blogging for the team's site.. Along with that, Reaugh has been a contributor for the Versus Network, NBC, ESPN, ABC, Fox, and EA Sports. This season, Reaugh will also contribute to CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for the late broadcasts. Reaugh has great comedic timing in the booth, as well as being a very articulate broadcaster with catch-phrases for days....whatever that means.

While severe injuries cut his time in the pros short, at least he was able to get back on his feet just after his career did end. There was a lot of promise, but it just seemed fate wasn't there for him. He did have a couple championships to his credit, though, and you can't take that away from him.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Darrin Madeley

With the amount of players jumping for college hockey to the major junior route, this week's AGM didn't go that way. He had an outstanding career in college; but he wasn't a part of the trend of college goalies going on to surprise and astound in the NHL ranks. This week, the profile of Darrin Madeley.

Starting off, Madeley played in Junior "C" in Ontario with the Bradford Blues in the 1984-85 season where he played in 10 games and went 7-2-0 in ten games that season. The 1985-86 season had Madeley back in Bradford for four games, going 2-1-0; while also going up to Junior "A" with the Newmarket Flyers for three games, going 0-1-0 in those games. The 1986-87 season had Madeley move on to the Richmond Hill Dynes of the Junior "A" Ontario League, where he would play in 14 games and go 6-9-1. The 1987-88 and 1988-89 season had Madeley drop down to the Junior "B" side with Richmond Hill, playing in 59 games over those two seasons, but no record is available.

Madeley moved onto the NCAA ranks at Lake Superior State for the 1989-90 season, where he would play in 30 games and compile a 21-7-1 record, which was able to get him CCHA Second-Team All-Star accolades. The 1990-91 season was great for Madeley and Lake Superior State, as Madeley would go 29-3-3 in 36 games, while Lake Superior State would go on to win the CCHA, but go down in the NCAA Tournament. However, Madeley gathered up CCHA First-Team All-Star honors, NCAA West First-Team All-American honors, as well as NCAA All-Tournament Team honors. The pinnacle for Madeley was the 1991-92 season, where he went 23-6-4, but him and Lake Superior State went on to win the CCHA again, as well as taking the NCAA Championship over Wisconsin in the Final. Madeley again had CCHA First-Team All-Star, NCAA-West First-Team All American, and NCAA All-Tournament team for a second straight season.

Coming off the high of his performances in college, Madeley made the jump to the pros, signing with the Ottawa Senators, becoming one of the first Senators to come to the team via free agency. Madeley made two appearances with Ottawa in the 1992-93 season, losing both games; before he would be sent down to the AHL's New Haven Senators-- playing in 41 games with a 10-16-9 record on that team, which enabled him to take home AHL Second-Team All-Star honors. The 1993-94 season had Madeley stay in Ottawa for the majority of the season; being able to get into 32 games for Ottawa and finishing off with a 3-18-5 record, while going 0-4-0 in six games with the AHL's PEI Senators. The traveling for the 1994-95 season was the story for Madeley, playing in the IHL for the Detroit Vipers for nine games (7-2-0), then going to the PEI Senators for three games (1-1-1), then finishing the season with Ottawa, going 1-3-0 in five games in that season.

The 1995-96 season saw Madeley in the IHL with Detroit for the majority of the season, getting him 40 appearances and finishing off with 16-14-4 record in the end, while going 3-3 in seven playoff games. Madeley would win his only game with the PEI Senators.

Madeley signed a contract with the San Jose Sharks just before the 1996-97 season, while it landed him in the AHL with the Saint John Flames where he would play 46 games and go 11-18-11, while playing with the Detroit Vipers for four games going 2-0-0 on the season.

For the 1997-98 season, Madeley tried his hand at international play, going over to Finland to play with TPS Turku. That would only last for two games, going 1-0-0 before returning to North America. The Richmond Renegades of the ECHL signed Madeley, where he would play five games with a 1-1-0 record. Madeley went back overseas in the 1998-99 season to play in Germany for Star Bulls Mannheim for three games before returning to North America and the ECHL, but with the Pensacola Ice Pilots, going 12-16-3 in 32 games before he would hang up his pads.

After his playing career, Madeley went onto the coaching ranks, where he is the Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Hockey at Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois.

He had his success in college, but because of the whole debacle of going to an expansion team; which stifled his possible success in the professional ranks. Though you have to wonder with all the personal accomplishments, would he gives those up for team success in the pros or would he keep all of that because of what became of him when he made the move?? Maybe we'll never know.