Starting with 2008 and then 2011 at the bottom..

2008 featuring Drew Larman, Keaton Ellerby, Jordan Henry, Dan Collins, Franklin MacDonald, Tanner Glass, Michael Caruso, Riley Emmerson, Jason Garrison, David Shantz, Andrew Sweetland, Michal Repik

2009 featuring Tyler Plante, Mike Duco, Andrew Sweetland, Jimmy Bonneau, Shawn Matthias, David Brine, Brady Calla, Luke Beaverson, Evgeny Dadanov, Michal Repik, Jason Garison, Alexander Salak

2010 featuring Jacob Markstrom, Adam Comrie, AJ Jenks, Evgeny Dadanov, Brady Calla, Scott Timmins, Colby Robak, PJ Fenton, Eric Selleck, Paul Baier, Michael Caruso, Tyler Plant.  I’m missing two faces here, who are they?

2010 Bloopers

2011 Version:

Bloopers:

Enjoy!

The Amerks 12 Days of Christmas 2008 to 2011 is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Growing up in the Buffalo area he was also a Sabres fan and has the same favorites growing up that most of us did during the 1990′s.  When he was young he remembers watching Alexander Mogilny and then Pat LaFontaine.  Grant Fuhr was a favorite goalie to watch and then Dominik Hasek during his era in Buffalo.  As he’s gotten older Miikka Kiprusoff is a goalie he’s aways liked to watch and has shared ice time with over a recent summer.

Some kids get on the ice for the first time wanting to be a goalie but that wasn’t the case for David Leggio.  He only moved into the goalie position after he was cut as a forward from the mite travel team when he was eight years old, well more like he didn’t make the team out of tryouts.

“When you’re eight you don’t know you’re at tryouts,” he said.  ”Someone said you want to play goalie?  I said sure and that’s how it started.”

There’s always a kid in a neighborhood that takes the beating by the other kids, not in the bullying fashion but the kid forced to play goalie because no one else wants to.  The kid given the football as running back and always tackled hard.  David Leggio was that kid in his neighborhood, especially with cousins about 3-4 years older living nearby and it prepared him for his current profession.

He graduated high school from St Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, NY in 2002 where he was their goalie.  He also played as a forward for two games in high and scored two goals.

Prior to this past Tuesdays game I teased a misleading headline talking about “Leggio switching positions” because of the way he was passing pucks to TJ Brennan during warmups at a previous game, as it turns out it’s a position he could easily move back into.

The next stop for Leggio after graduating high school was going to Clarkson University to play hockey and study for a business degree.  ”I was a late developer and it was my best option, I favored education,” he said.

“I played for Todd Marchant’s father Pete when I was in peewee’s and just knowing Todd went there and following his career from when I was young, that made Clarkson one of the destinations I wanted to go to.”

During the summer months David Leggio trains other goalies so once his career as a professional goaltender is over down the road it’s likely something he hopes to continue with in life.

Going Pro..

He got his first professional experience signing an ATO (amateur tryout) with the Binghamton Senators at the end of the 2007/2008 season and played in the last game of the season in relief of Jeff Glass against the Hershey Bears.  He had just over 29 minutes of ice time and allowed two goals on nine shots, the Bears won the game in overtime.

In the summer of 2008 through the Carolina Hurricanes he signed a two way contract to play between the Albany River Rats and Florida Everblades.  He only played one game with Albany that season where the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lit him up scoring seven goals on 33 shots.

During that 2008/2009 season he was the number one goalie in the ECHL playing in 39 games for the Florida Everblades with a record of 27-7-3 with a 2.26 GAA and 0.916 save percentage.

The Florida Everblades were also the number one team in the regular season leading the league in points, a great achievement for a team but it seems like a curse (Presidents Trophy in the NHL).  ”We had a very good team but ran into a hot South Carolina team in the second round,” he said.  ”We underachieved but it was a good experience.”

That experience and great season with the Everblades got him noticed by a team on the other side of the world, TPS Turku from Finland.  TPS Turku had talked to Leggio during that year and made it clear they were going to offer him a contract after the season was done.

“Coming out of the ECHL that would be my best chance to go and play at a higher level,” he said.  ”If I signed with an American League team I’d be fighting just for the AHL spot and if I went to Finland I would get to go in one of the best leagues in the world.”

One of many reasons for any goalie to go and play for TPS Turku is to be able to train with one of the best goalie coaches in the world, Urpo Ylonen. Who is Urpo Ylonen you ask?  Ylonen was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997. SM-liiga (name of the league that TPS Turku is in) has named the goalie of the year award after him; the Urpo Ylonen trophy.

Urpo Ylonen has coached Miikka Kiprusoff, Antero Niittymaki and even former Amerks goalie Alexander Salak.  When you watch Leggio play you may notice some similarities to Salak in how he plays.

“When I was there I was training with Kiprusoff and Nittymaki when they were around in August that summer, that was probably the biggest thing for me,” Leggio said.  ”A huge stepping stone in my career so far.”

Not a bad start to a pro career.  Getting his feet wet in the ECHL and earning the honors of being the number one goalie and then going to Finland to be coached by one of the best goalie coaches in the world before coming back to North America.

Buffalo Sabres Era

In 2010 after David got back from the World Championships the Buffalo Sabres said that they were interested in him and but also looking at a few others guys.  The Sabres had asked if he signed anywhere in Europe, which he hadn’t, and he was also talking to a few teams.  As the summer progressed Buffalo offered him a deal to start the season with the Portland Pirates.

“That was my goal, to go to Finland and try to have the chance to come back here,” he said.  He certainly earned it.

Leggio split time with the Pirates during the 2010/2011 regular season playing in 36 regular season games and nine playoff games.  During the regular season he went 22-12 with a 2.80 GAA and 0.911 save percentage.  He went 5-4 in the playoffs before Portland was eliminated in the second round.

When Terry Pegula bought the Buffalo Sabres the talks almost instantly began to circulate that he would try and buy the Rochester Americans.  I asked Leggio when he found out he’d be moving closer to home and he said, ”there were rumors in Portland.  I heard publicly they were going to stay in Portland, heard rumors about the Amerks, we really had no idea until the deal was down.”

Leggio talked highly of Portland and that it was a great place to live and play but living closer to home isn’t a bad thing.

“I’m really happy to be in Rochester, especially close to home.  Family and friends have season tickets purchased,” he said.  ”They can come and watch anytime they want.  In the past I was in Florida, Finland and Portland.. this year if you’re a friend or family member and don’t come you don’t have an excuse.”

One of the things I’ve noticed early about Leggio is how well he plays down low and is able to stay in position to stop the second chances.

“I’ve always been pretty good down low,” he said.  ”When in tight you have to take up the bottom portion of the net and try to get your hands forward and smother the puck.  You always want to start from the middle out, the puck starts on the ice theoretically and has to go up to go anywhere.”

Those skills are improved by coaching which is another reason to be closer to home and the Buffalo Sabres.

Bob Janosz is the Rochester Americans goalie coach and is on the ice every practice with the team going through drills.  Jim Corsi, the Buffalo Sabres goalie coach, visited Portland a few times during the 2010/2011 season but because of the distance it wasn’t easy.

“It’s only been my second year where I’ve had a goalie coach throughout the whole season, in Finland and now this year,” Leggio said.  ”It’s a really huge asset for the goalies to have a guy watching you everyday and helping you work on things and telling you things you need to work on.”

“At my position you can watch video, you can do whatever, but you can only assess yourself so much, you need another set of eyes and someone else who’s an expert in the field to be able to tell you ‘I think you need to improve this’ or notice you’re doing this.  Sometimes you just don’t see that, a lot of things you don’t see that you need to improve on and just it just pushes you that much harder.”

The lack of a goalie coach for Alexander Salak during the Rochester Americans 2009/2010 season is one of the reasons many people think he faded as the season went on.

Prior to games the only routine Leggio has is to eat some oatmeal about three hours before the game and listen to a couple of songs that as he says, “remind me of times at Clarkson or along the way.  For one reason or another there’s stuff in the playlist and I can’t get rid of them no matter how old they are.”

He wasn’t willing to share what’s on the playlist other than saying there’s a couple of Eminem songs on there.

“Overall nothing crazy that I have to do,” he says.

Goalie Helmet

I’ve written before that goalie helmets are one of the only places on the playing surface that players have a chance to be original and show off part of who they are and David Leggio isn’t any different.

Like a lot of other goalies in the world, his helmet was designed by David Gunnarsson out of Sweden (Daveart.com).

The helmet features the Rochester Americans logo, Buffalo Sabres logo, the picture of a soldier killed in Iraq, Rick Jeanneret, a chicken wing and an eagle.

The last Amerks goalie to have the Amerks logo on his helmet?  Ryan Miller.

“The helmet is a combination his ideas and mine,” Leggio said.  ”Dave wanted to put on an eagle coming through the Americans logo and I wanted to put on my friends dad Terrence K. Crow who was killed in action over in Iraq in 2005 so I wanted to put  soldier on there, something to show respect to his family.”

More on Terrence K. Crow:

44, of New York, N.Y.; assigned to the 10th Battalion, 98th Regiment, 4th Brigade, 98th Division, Army Reserve, Lodi, N.J.; killed June 7 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in Tal Afar, Iraq.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A lieutenant colonel with the Army Reserves from western New York was killed by hostile fire while training Iraqi security forces near the Syrian border, military officials said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Terrence Crowe, 44, of Grand Island, was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in three separate attacks Tuesday. He is the fourth member of the Rochester-based 98th Division to die in Iraq.

Click here to read more here

“On the other side, a chicken wing for Buffalo was my idea along with the Buffalo Sabres logo.  I was also thinking what I could put on there that I’ve always liked about the Sabres and I went with Rick Jeanneret,” Leggio said.  ”He’s in there on the logo (back corner below).  Growing up for me players come and go but he’s always been there, always been exciting the fans, everyone in Buffalo loves him.”

Competition with Drew MacIntyre

The Amerks are considered to have one of the best goaltending duo’s in the American Hockey League this season between David Leggio and Drew MacIntyre.  Here’s two goalies at the top of their game with the dream of playing in the National Hockey League.  It’s inevitable that Ryan Miller or Jhonas Enroth will have some downtime this season which will require a call up from the Amerks.  If the Sabres had to make that decision right now they’d likely have to flip a coin to decide, both have played some great hockey (they get a pass on the first two games of the season).

When asked if the two of them will be having some friendly competition Leggio said, “I think we will.  We’re both older and will do it in a respectful way.  It’s healthy competition, we are going to push each other to both give our absolute best efforts everytime that we’re in the net.  It’s a good thing, a good relationship.”

Amerks coach Ron Rolston has always said that he believes winning starts from the goalie on up.  The season is still young but Leggio and MacIntyre will certainly be the anchor for this team that he believes in.

——-

You can read about Drew MacIntyre’s story here and his helmet here.

Florida to Finland and Back, David Leggio is Closer to Home and His Dream is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Yes, this news is about a month old but someone asked me over the weekend where Salak was playing so I decided to take a minute to post.

Last season Salak played for Farjestad BK in the Swedish Elite League. He ranked second in the league with a 1.97 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.  When he played for the Amerks during the 2009-2010 season he was a fan favorite with his Dominik Hasek style of play.  Teams quickly seemed to figure him out and his stats went downhill thanks to the Florida Panthers not providing him with a full time goalie coach (at least in my opinion).

Salak had been loaned to Farjestad BK of the Swedish Elite League for the 2010-11 season by the Florida Panthers before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 9, 2011.  The Panthers had also sent Michael Frolik to the Blackhawks in exchange for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pecan.  There was little room in the Panthers system since Jacob Markstrom is considered the “goalie of the future” for the Panthers.

Chicago Blackhawks Signed Alexander Salak is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Rory Fitzpatrick – Retired
Jamie Johnson – Grand Rapids Griffins
Mike York – Finland
Graham Mink – Peoria Rivermen. He was traded to the St Louis Blues in exchange for T.J. Fast.  With the money the Panthers saved by trading Mink they immediately signed Joe Callahan.
Jeff Taffe – Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Marty Reasoner
Mathieu Roy – Signed 2way deal with Tampa Bay Lightning
Maxime Gratchev – Hartford Wolf Pack
Jordan Henry – KHL
Jimmy Bonneau – Hamilton Bulldogs
Chris Beckford-Tseu – unknown
Alexander Salak – loaned to Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League. With Vokoun and Clemmenson as #1 and 2 in Florida and Markstrom and Plante planned for Rochester there was no room for Salak so the Panthers allowed him to go back to Europe.
Steve MacIntyre – Edmonton Oilers
David Brine – San Antonio Rampage
John de Gray – Syracuse Crunch
Victor Oreskovich – Vancouver Canucks (or Manitoba Moose).. he was traded along with Keith Ballard to the Canucks in exchange for Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner and a 1st round selection (Quinton Howden) in 2010.
Andrew Sweetland – Elmira Jackals
Peter Aston – unknown
Daniel Steiner – Switzerland

If anyone has any info on the “unknowns” please let me know.  There’s other players as well not returning but I didn’t think they were big enough part of the team that anyone would wonder about.

Amerks from Last Season Not Returning is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

One move that seems to have been overlooked is that the Panthers acquired Michael Grabner in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.  The Panthers sent Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich to the Canucks in exchange.  Grabner has spent the majority of the past four seasons (180 games) with the Manitoba Moose and is good for 20 goals and 20 assists.  He’s not a veteran player based on games, but he’s a fast skater and team him up with a speedy center and we’ll have a reliable scoring line.

Jamie Johnson has already said that he’s been in contact with the Panthers and would be willing to come back.  Johnson was a leader on the ice and led the team in scoring.  He ended the season with a disgruntled exit (for good reason – mostly because of Benoit Groulx though) but that’s all in the past.  Styres, Staats, Gage and Nolan run the front office very well here in Rochester and that is what would attract a player back here.  The dedication to winning is very attractive.

To stay current on any moves book mark my Twitter account at http://twitter.com/LetsGoAmerks.  You DO NOT need to sign up for an account, just bookmark that page for any breaking news.  If you do have an account, you can go there and sign up for free text alerts that will be sent to your phone so you don’t have to refresh often.

If this July is anything like last July we should be getting a lot of good news.  In case you forgot, here’s a recap of the first half of July 2009:

The Amerks hired Ted Nolan on the first day of free agency.  Nolan has been a great addition for the Amerks not only for player relations but also working with the business community.  A name and face for the franchise that can sell.

The Panthers signed Clay Wilson on July 2nd to a two year contract that was two way the first season and one way this upcoming season.  Wilson has not been written into the Panthers defensive core by any of the paid experts, he could come back as an Amerk.

Jeff Taffe was signed on July 3rd and immediately added some offense to the team.  His contract was also a two way last season and one way this upcoming season.  That’s $1.5 Million in salaries if both Taffe and Wilson spend most of the season with the Amerks.

Graham Mink was signed on July 10th, Jamie Johnson on July 15th and Chris Taylor signed on July 16th.  Mink was a great upgrade and is probably most remembered for being a healthy scratch in game 7 of the playoffs.  His season was rocky after he was out of the lineup with a back injury but a healthy Mink is an opposing goalies worst nightmare.  Taylor did everything expected of him averaging almost a point a game.

Mink and Taylor will be back in an Amerks uniform.

Mike York was signed later in the summer on August 21st.  York was also signed to a one year deal and his future is unknown.  Some fans complained about his lack of speed but that’s something he made up for with the way he handled the puck.  Any of York’s teammates knew that if they simply put their stick on the ice that York would put the puck on their stick for an easy play.

Below is a potential Rochester Americans lineup for the 2010/2011 season.  I did not include Jeff Taffe or Clay Wilson since they’re technically on one way contracts.  I also did not include Shawn Matthias or Jason Garrison since they’re likely to make the Panthers roster out of training camp.  It’ll take a disaster of an off season for either of them to not make the big club.

Forwards:

Chris Taylor, Graham Mink, Michael Grabner, Michal Repik, Evgeny Dadonov, Mike Duco, Kenndal McArdle, A.J. Jenks, Scott Timmins, Eric Selleck

Defense:

Keaton Ellerby, Michael Caruso, Jordan Henry, Colby Robak, Adam Comrie

Goalies:

Jacob Markstrom, Alexander Salak, Tyler Plante, Marc Cheverie

Two players not included are Brady Calla and James DeLory.  Neither of those players have seemed to fit into a regular role of any kind the past two seasons.

Dale Tallon has a lot of credibility and was the guy that built the Chicago Blackhawks roster that won the Stanley Cup this season.  He has said that he’s looking to build through the draft and that no player will get an easy ride.  A lot of people have already written off the Florida Panthers, but all signs are pointing to the organization heading in the right direction.

Time will tell, but for now there’s still a lot of reasons to be excited to be an Amerks fan.

Again, to stay current on any moves book mark my Twitter account at http://twitter.com/LetsGoAmerks, it’s easy to break any news through there that does also appear on the home page of this site.

Free Agency Impact on the Amerks, This Year, Last Year, Current Players is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Thanks to Eric Bourgeois (frequent reader, supporter and die hard Amerks fan) who contributed to this.  There’s a couple things I disagreed with him on and noted.  You may agree or disagree yourself on a lot of things said and I’d love to hear your thoughts.  These grades are based on a lot more than just a stat sheet.

Starting with highest grade to lowest:

Jason Garrison: A-
– He’ll have a full time job in the NHL soon enough.  Eric had him listed as a B+ but I gave him an upgrade.  The Amerks defense had issues all season and without Garrison in the lineup for the post season (2g+7a) things may have been worst.  Once he masters his shot from the point and can use it more effectively he’ll have a long career ahead of him.

Mike York: B+
– He was the heart and soul of this team and his play making was dazzling.  The Amerks were a better team when he was in the lineup than when he was not.  His skill for feeding the perfect pass or stepping out from behind the net to score a goal were always highlight reel material.  Can’t give an A due to the fact that he disappeared for two months out of the lineup.  It doesn’t really matter anymore if something more than knee surgery happened but when he left the Amerks ability to win disappeared as well.

Jimmy Bonneau: B+
– It seemed like a huge mistake when the Amerks released him after the first game of the season but they quickly called him back.  Jimmy did everything that was asked of him throughout the season.  His span of four fights in x games with Jon Mirasty was a memorable moment of the season.  He proved he could stand toe to toe with anyone and also play a regular shift on the ice without being a liability.  He does not strike fear into the eyes of opponents, but they know he’s there and will have to answer to him.  When Steve MacIntyre arrived his role sort of faded, but I’d love to see him back in an Amerks uniform again.

Jordan Henry: B+
– Led team in +/- and really came into his own offensively.  However, sometimes plays too offensive.  He appeared to have a conflicting style of play this season between trying to be offensive but at times not being defensive.  He’s a bonafide NHL prospect that deserves to get a look over other players.  He’s a leader on the ice but also from the bench.  Very few players were as vocal as him on the bench.  I upgraded him from Erics score of a B to a B+ because he played in 76 regular season games and was more consistent than any other defenseman.

Chris Taylor: B
– He needs to be a player-assistant with a reduced role next season.  Maybe 40-50 games.  Looked gassed in the playoffs.  I say he gets 40 points in 40 games playing rested.  Could be more of an asset in the playoffs rested too.  Taylor was the only player other than Jamie Johnson to play in all 80 games, something Taylor would probably say he was fine with.  At the start of the season he was often making great plays at the right times to win games but that magic faded as the season went on.

Jeff Taffe: B
– Scoring 28 goals and 28 assists were a huge part of the Amerks offense all season but still less than what he produced the year before with the WB/S Penguins.  He’s more of a play maker than a goal scorer but scoring goals is what was expected of him in Rochester.  Expecting something out of a player that he is not is a great way to screw with the way he plays.  Taffe is on a one way contract with the Panthers for the 10/11 season which means unless they send him through waivers he may not be back.

Shawn Matthias: B
– The only game he’ll ever play again in Rochester should be with the Florida Panthers when they play their preseason game here in October against the Boston Bruins.  He’s an NHL player and when matched up with better players he steps his game up.  Playing on a third line in the AHL was slowing his career progression.

Jamie Johnson: B
– Played in all 80 games for the Amerks through the good times and the bad times.  He’s consistently productive and plays hard.  If he had been more of an offensive threat in the playoffs his score would have been higher.  He’s the type of player you’d love to have on your team every season if he stays as productive.  He has clearly stated he would not return next season as he pursues his goal of playing in the NHL.

David Brine: B
– He is what he is – a checking center.  He’s good on draws and the penalty kill.  He showed promise as an NHL player when he played in nine NHL games in the 07/08 season but since then has played to the calibre of being an AHL’er.  He’s not considered a veteran yet 245 career AHL+ regular season games.  He’ll earn a job somewhere but it’ll be somewhere else, not playing for the Panthers or Amerks.

Graham Mink: B
– A back injury in a game against the Hershey Bears cost him an A, but he’s the type of guy you build this team around…not the guy you scratch for a game 7.  BIG, Plays hard, fights, scores, good around the net and in the room.  Goalies hate when Mink is in front of them because of his size.  He may not get a real chance in the NHL but he enjoys playing in the AHL and if the Amerks can continue giving him a great experience here he could stick around fora while.

Steve MacIntyre: B
- Knocked down Mirasty, Knocked OUT Yablonski, took out the Heat bench.  He is THE deterrent in Hockey.  Don Cherry says he’s the best heavyweight in hockey.  Eric said he was not appreciated here AT ALL.  I think it just took some time for fans to realize players are literally afraid of him and did not want to ever fight.  Players do feel safer knowing he’s around.  When he’s given the chance he can look somewhat decent in a semi-regular shift.

Maxime Gratchev: B
– He was inserted into the lineup and did not have the luxury of really knowing players since he only played in 13 games.  Gave us much needed speed, would be an excellent depth signing for next season.  There may not be room in the lineup every game for him but having him on standby with the Florida Everblades would be a great thing.

Daniel Steiner: B
– The guy can produce, but due to the vet rule there may not be room for him in Rochester.  When Mike York was out of the lineup Steiner was vital to this team.  If he decides to stay in North America next season he’ll likely be invited to an NHL camp somewhere and should be a leader on an AHL team.

Kenndal McArdle: B
– Will Florida re-sign him, will he be healthy?  Is he the 10-11 version of Tanner Glass?  Has to play physical to be effective, but gets injured playing that style.  Tanner Glass recovered from similar injuries and spent the season playing in the NHL, the same should happen with McArdle.  If he would’ve been healthy all season he likely would have earned an A.

John de Gray: B
– He’s going to be the “enemy” next season playing in Syracuse.  He’s a solid defensive defenseman that got better as the season went on and was reliable to not give up the puck.  He needs to learn to use his body more than just the long reach of his stick, in other words he seemed to play too nice sometimes.  He was a quality player to get on loan from the Ducks when the defense was really hurting.

Tyler Plante: B
– A solid AHL goalie.  He would make a nice veteran goalie to have around, especially with his fire.  He needs to be given the chance to play or he seems to get rusty.  He protects his crease and is not afraid to get physical or allow the physical part of the game to get to him mentally.  The Panthers have a logjam of top goalie prospects coming in (Cheverie, Markstrom and Salak) so his time may be over due to the numbers, not his skill.  Watch out for him to come back and haunt the Amerks like David Shantz did this season.

Jason Cipolla: C+
– A lot of people questioned how he became an assistant coach in the AHL but he has done a good job with what he has had to work with.  It’s been widely discussed the issues players seemed to have with Benoit Groulx but no one had any issues with Cipolla.  He was the coach on the ice with players well after practices had officially ended.  He was constantly working with players and always talked with players during games.  Eric had given him a much lower score, but I think Cipolla did the best he could do with what he had to work with and even possibly allowed to do.

Evgeny Dadonov: C+
– He becomes invisible, but was only a rookie AND in a foreign country.  He will continue to become a better player and probably needs to be put on the same line as players with more speed.  Playing with Graham Mink and Chris Taylor will teach you a lot, but those two are not the fastest.  He needs to work on his ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone.  He will be better next season and should grow into an NHL player.

Clay Wilson: C+
– He was one of the top scoring defensemen in the AHL this season and a great power play QB but his size in the defensive zone was often an issue.  He’s a small player and was never afraid to stand up to another player but was easily overpowered.  He made costly turnovers that resulted in the other team scoring, something often overlooked because he would make an offensive play to make people forget.  Even though we gave him a C+ I would have no problems seeing him in an Amerks uniform again.  The Panthers saw enough interest to offer him a two way NHL contract and he deserved the call up which he finally got at the end of the season to try and show something more.

Michal Repik: C+
– Invisible in the playoffs and down the stretch.  Can’t sustain a good game over the course of a full season.  Eric said he can’t envision him being in the NHL at this point.  I disagree.  I think he’s like Shawn Matthias and he’ll play better in a better league.  His development may have been hindered due to the number of veterans that seemed to get more ice time than he did.

Mike Duco: C+
– When he plays like like Mike Duco is supposed to play he could be an energy NHL’er.  When he doesn’t play physical he isn’t worthy of an AHL roster spot.  When he did play physical he was a force on the ice and the type of player that other teams are frustrated by and fans love.  Some games he played with that force and energy, many he did not.

Rory Fitzpatrick: C
– He had a horrible end to his career but looking at the bigger picture it’ll just be a small note.  He played okay for the most part when he was healthy and could play.  Someone players relied on for assistance on and off the ice.  If anyone could predict injuries he never would have been signed but in theory it was the right decision to sign him.

Luke Beaverson: C
– A reliable defenseman when others are injured but he’s likely going elsewhere.  He’s got the size but too much depth hurt his chances to really try and move up the rankings.  Some time in the ECHL playing full time will help him try and get noticed by someone else.

Michael Caruso: C
– He was never bad but was never great either.  He struggled in the middle of season.  Definitely not a top prospect anymore.  Maybe not a prospect anymore?  You’re either a vet contributor or a true prospect.  Caruso could turn out to be the type of defenseman that suffered from not having a solid defensive coaching staff.  He’s not a player you’re worried about having in the lineup but he’s also not a game changer.

Alexander Salak: C-
– There’s two ways people will look at Salak, one way would be off of the stat sheet and the other would be for those who saw him play.  He was near the top of the league with 29 wins and only 14 losses but he needs help.  As the season went on he was not an AHL goalie.  His desire to compete gets him hot and is something to build on but that desire also seemed to have an impact on his game, unlike Tyler Plante.  Salak was new to North America and started off the season on a streak but opposing teams quickly figured him out.  He was easy to get out of position and score goals on.  If he would have had a goalie coach working with him all season instead of about 10 days total he probably would have been much better.

Victor Oreskovich: D
– Is it effort with him?  History suggests it is.  He was physical the last 2 games, and shows signs of promise, but was not consistent and not offensive at all after the first 5 games of the regular season.  After taking two years off it was probably too quick for the Florida Panthers to call him up and rely on him for half the season.  Once his productivity slowed he was sent back down and he never had that fire and passion he had at the start of the season.  If they had allowed him to continue playing in the AHL and building upon his game he may not have regressed as the season went on.

Keaton Ellerby: D
– He has regressed.  That is not arguable.  Defensively he’s a huge liability (and he doesn’t posses a Wilson type of offense).  Unless you’ve watched him play on a regular basis you’ll probably disagree with this grade.  His avoiding a hit to gain the red line on an icing in game 7 was the type of play that took momentum away from the team.  A horrible giveaway in game 6 that the Heat turned into a goal was a play that costs the Amerks the series.  It’s not entirely his fault, but it could be argued that the Amerks were worst defensively with him on the ice.  The scouting reports from Juniors questioned him, and now we have our own questions.

Peter Aston: D
– He was a warm body that knew how to play defense when someone else was called up or injured.  Players spoke highly of him in the locker room but will never be a top six defenseman in the AHL.

Andrew Sweetland: D
– One of the most baffling comments ever was when Benoit Groulx said he was the best player on the ice after a game.  It’s amazing to think he played in 51 games this season.  If the Panthers had thought so highly of him they should have had him playing in the ECHL to improve his offensive game, not playing on the fourth line in the AHL.

Benoit Groulx: F
– After what many felt was a terrific rookie season where he never made excuses, team played hard, and he said all the right things…this year everything fell apart.  After a hot start where we still were playing subpar some nights, we had many injuries and recalls and when the players came back nothing clicked.  Line juggling, no emotion (almost took a nap as Mirasty attacked the Amerks bench), getting out-adapted by an always in motion Playfair in the playoffs are all examples of why he had a terrible season.  Rumors of players not respecting him have turned out to be true as exit interviews with Johnson and Fitzpatrick indicate.  His willingness to yank a goalie is a strength, but his decision to go with Salak in game1 may have cost us a sweep.  His decision to sit a winner with proven playoff experience in Mink was as bizarre a move as I’ve ever seen by a coach.  Him not sitting down with Fitzpatrick and explaining his scratching in Game 1 was wrong.  For all this – he needs to be removed as head coach of the Rochester Americans.  His lack of awareness and poor communication aren’t helping us win a cup, sell seats….nor is it helping Florida develop players.

Other players worth noting but never really played enough to be given a grade…

Brady Calla
– He’s not a goal scorer, he’s not a great passer and he’s not really a physical player.  What role does that leave him to fill?

Ernie Hartlieb
– 2 stints, 10 games…represented us well.  I wanted to give both he and Andrew Lord kudos for helping out this season.  Lord took a lot of punches the week he was here, and deserves a look in September.  If guys like Carlson, King and Delory were signed for depth than players like Lord and Hartlieb deserve to be kept on speed dial in times of need.

Carl Hudson
– Just what the doctor ordered.  A young angry D not afraid to hit, punch or slash.  I want him here next season.  Florida ought to think about signing him even… not just us.  At the end of the 08/09 season I said the same thing about Matt Duffy and he never really progressed, but certainly worth keeping around as he could become one of those rare finds.

Matt Duffy
– A solid defenseman for depth in times of need but never really continued on the same path he had at the end of the 08/09 season.  He may have been another casualty of depth.

Mathieu Roy
– He’s a 7th defensemen in the NHL.  He has the toughness for the position.  He didn’t get a grade as he was really only seen in the playoffs and even then it seemed as if he was still favoring his ankle at times which may have slowed him a bit.  He seems to want to play in the NHL more than the AHL which is fine, but not the type of distraction needed from a player here next season.

Grading the 2009-2010 Amerks Player by Player is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Currently Under Contract for 10/11:

Coaches: Benoit Groulx and Jason Cipolla

Goalies: Alexander Salak, Marc Cheverie

Defense: Michael Caruso, Keaton Ellerby, Adam Comrie, James DeLory

Forwards: Evgeny Dadonov, Michal Repik, Brady Calla, Graham Mink, Chris Taylor, Shawn Matthias, Victor Oreskovich, Eric Selleck, AJ Jenks

One Way: Clay Wilson and Jeff Taffe are signed but to one way contracts with the Florida Panthers.  If they don’t fit into their plans it’s still possible the Panthers will try and have them clear waivers to be sent to the Amerks.

***** Shawn Matthias has probably played his last game in the AHL and should be able to earn a job with the Panthers going forward.  Keaton Ellerby will be trying to earn a job as well but he has some work ahead.  It’s amazing that James DeLory is still under contract but has never been given a chance in the AHL.

Likely To Sign:

Goalie: Jacob Markstrom

Defense: Colby Robak

Forward: Scott Timmins

Restricted Free Agents:

Goalies: Tyler Plante

Defense: Jason Garrison, Jordan Henry, Peter Aston, Luke Beaverson

Forwards: Andrew Sweetland, Kenndal McArdle, Dan Collins, Mike Duco

***** It’s a no brainer that Jason Garrison will be offered a contract and likely battle for a full time job in Florida.  Jordan Henry, Mike Duco and Kenndal McArdle should be made offers as well.  The status of Tyler Plante will likely depend on what the Panthers have in store for Jacob Markstrom and if they’re going to try and trade Tomas Vokoun.  We can probably say goodbye to Peter Aston, Andrew Sweetland, Luke Beaverson and Dan Collins.

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Goalies: Chris Beckford-Tseu

Defense: Mathieu Roy, Rory Fitzpatrick

Forwards: Steve MacIntyre, Jimmy Bonneau, David Brine, Jamie Johnson, Mike York

***** Jamie Johnson has made it clear he’s not coming back.  Mike York was on an AHL contract with the Amerks and said he’d love to come back.  MacIntyre had an NHL contract, Bonneau was AHL only with the Amerks.  It’d be nice to have at least one of them back into the lineup.  They both proved they could be enforcers and also play the puck as well.  Fitzpatrick is retiring and Roy will likely be looking for an organization that can offer him a real chance in the NHL.  The same can probably be said about David Brine, I imagine he’ll be chasing the dream elsewhere.  Chris Beckford-Tseu, well we all know he won’t be back.

Others:

Daniel Steiner, Matt Duffy, Carl Hudson, Maxime Gratchev, John Scott Dickson, Andrew Lord, Corey Syvret, Scott Hotham, Ernie Hartlieb

***** These players were all either signed to AHL, PTO or ATO deals by the Amerks throughout the season.  I could see Daniel Steiner getting another look if he can’t find an NHL deal somewhere.  Carl Hudson was a tough gritty defenseman who may have earned himself a look somewhere.  Gratchev and Hartlieb could be a couple of players offered deals but spend a lot of time with the Florida Everblades.

There’s always a lot going on when it comes to the status of players and contracts.  I think I have everyone but open to feedback if anyone see’s an error somewhere.

Contract Status for Amerks Players Heading into Next Season is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The only other time in Amerks history that they had a 3-1 series lead that eventually went to a game seven they won the series on their way to a Calder Cup in 1983.

That’s what we have to hope at least.  On to the game….

The Abbotsford Heat scored three goals in a span of two minutes and nine seconds that turned out to be too big of a hole for the Amerks to climb out of.  The Heat won the game thanks to speed, passing, bad giveaways and poor defensive coverage by the Amerks.

Evgeny Dadonov gave up the puck after being chased down by Mikael Backlund in the Amerks zone which led to a goal by Jason Jaffray.  It only took 41 seconds for the Heat to score again as Jon Rheault went flying past Keaton Ellerby on the outside and back in to beat Tyler Plante with a fancy move.

Jordan Henry made a bad move on the Heat’s third goal as he went chasing after the puck to the side boards which was the same side that Mathieu Roy was already covering.  That allowed Mikael Backlund to feed a pass to Jon Rheault who turned on the accelerator to go into the Amerks zone on a breakaway and score on Tyler Plante.

Here’s the description of the goal from the Heat’s press release:

In eerily similar fashion to his goal in Game 5, Rheault provided the Heat with a three-goal cushion by taking  a beautiful breakaway pass from Mikael Backlund then deking Tyler Plante out of his pads, guiding the puck thru the wickets of the Amerks goalie.

The crafty forward said it was his ‘go to move.’

“Most goalies think I’ll pull it to my backhand and then I pull it back and get them five-hole. [Backlund] made a great pass that allowed me to go in there,” he said.

That was the game in the first period.  The Heat have the clear advantage in this series with speed and the way they have prevented the Amerks from getting the puck behind their defense.

Tyler Plante was pulled from net after the third goal scored by the Heat but he was not to blame, as usual his teammates left him hanging out to dry.  The strategy by coaches in pulling a goalie is to try and create a change, get something going, change of scenery.  When the goalie is not to blame it can be debated how effective that really is.  If anything Keaton Ellerby and Evgeny Dadonov should have been glued to the benches but they were back out on the ice minutes later.

Jamie Johnson scored the lone goal for the Amerks giving some sense of hope but there wasn’t much to be found.  Mike York took the initial shot on the side along the boards and Johnson stood in front of the net to hit in the fumbled rebound by David Shantz.

I was not at the game so we’ll have to wait for the morning edition of the Democrat and Chronicle for quotes from the Amerks about the game.  I assume it’ll be talking about not thinking about the past, what they have to do and getting it done.

———–

Abbotsford Heat 5 At Rochester Americans 1 – Status: Final
Apr 25, 2010 – Blue Cross Arena

Abbotsford 3 1 1 – 5
Rochester 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Abbotsford, Jaffray 1 (Van der Gulik, Backlund), 9:09. 2, Abbotsford, Rheault 3 (Sutter), 9:50. 3, Abbotsford, Rheault 4 (Backlund, Sutter), 11:18. Penalties-Mink Rch (goaltender interference), 3:31; Salak Rch (holding), 18:43.

2nd Period-4, Rochester, Johnson 2 (York, Garrison), 8:25 (pp). 5, Abbotsford, Van der Gulik 2   17:51 (pp). Penalties-Murray Abb (roughing), 2:59; Henry Rch (roughing), 2:59; Pelech Abb (tripping), 7:29; Pelech Abb (tripping), 12:15; Henry Rch (cross-checking), 16:15; Murray Abb (roughing), 20:00.

3rd Period-6, Abbotsford, Rheault 5 (Sutter), 7:26. Penalties-Baldwin Abb (interference), 2:48; Brine Rch (hooking), 8:40; Latendresse Abb (fighting), 18:39; Taffe Rch (fighting), 18:39.

Shots on Goal-Abbotsford 13-13-15-41. Rochester 6-11-6-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Abbotsford 1 of 4; Rochester 1 of 4.
Goalies-Abbotsford, Shantz 3-2-0 (23 shots-22 saves). Rochester, Plante 3-2-0 (7 shots-4 saves); Salak 0-1-0 (34 shots-32 saves).
A-3,185
Referees-Chris Ciamaga (41).
Linesmen-Brian Lemon (25), Derek Sylvester (76).

Amerks Feel the Heat and are Forced to a Game 7 is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Tyler Plante was the hot goalie down the stretch and will get the start on Saturday night for game 2.  Just about everyone in attendance was wondering why that did not happen in the first place.

The Heat had 11 power play opportunities, the Amerks had eight.  Both teams scored two power play goals.  The penalties were an issue but both teams had plenty of chances, the difference was playing at even strength and the Heat had that advantage scoring a goal only 35 seconds into the game.  Rochester was not able to recover from that at all.

Chris Taylor could have wrote this article in one sentence with his comment saying, “One bad period really cost us the game.”

The Abbotsford Heat also deserve credit for a well played and well coached game.  They got out to an early lead and held on to that lead and played a great defensive game, played the body all night, attacked, forechecked and did not allow the Amerks offense to really get much going.  Seems like the basics of a hockey game, something the Amerks have not really done since December.

Benoit Groulx said, “You have to give them credit.  Abbotsford played their game, a tight checking game, worked very hard and they deserved to win and it’s up to us to be better the next game.”

“That’s why it’s a seven game series, big one on Saturday,” Chris Taylor answered talking about moving forward.  “It was the first game, everyone had a little jitters, we’ll get there.”

Keith Seabrook scored the first goal for the Heat with a slap shot from the blue line only 35 seconds into the game.

Shawn Weller scored at 8:16 of the first on the power play after Staffan Kronwell tossed the puck in from the blue line.  The Amerks players and coaches argued it went in off of someones glove and should not have been allowed but the disagreement only lasted about 10 seconds.

Jordan Henry put the Amerks on the board with a power play goal as well at 15:32 of the first period.  Graham Mink did a great job tying up three Heat players in front of the net which allowed Henry to step in and tip in a rebound into the net.

Keith Seabrook scored his second of the game and third for the Heat at 18:17 of the first period with another slapshot and it appeared as if maybe Salak was screened.

That was the game right there.

Mike York got the Amerks within one goal scoring on the power play with 27 seconds left in the game by tipping in a rebound from his favorite spot at the side of the net.  It was too little too late.

Thursday nights game was a playoff game and the season is on the line at this point and yet again we have to question the coaching strategy.  When there was a whistle with four minutes left in the game most teams would have called a time out to try and not wait until the last minute to score two goals.  Not the Amerks.  Any other team would have started the goalie that was just goalie of the month and player of the week in the league.  Not the Amerks.  Penalties were an issue it’s not like the Heat completely walked away with the game.

“Overall we had a solid effort, never quit.  They’re a tough team to play against,” Benoit Groulx said.  “I think tonight we were a tough team to play against as well.”

“We gotta use the momentum we picked up in the last two periods of today’s game and roll with that into Saturday,” Tyler Plante said after the game.

Chris Taylor talked about the next game saying, “We need to play five on five, keep the forward lines rolling and we’ll be a much better team.”

The team has said the same thing all season after Friday night games.  Only time will tell if they’ll ever learn from their continued mistakes.  As Chris Taylor said, it’s a seven game series.  Thursday was not what everyone wanted but there’s still a lot of hockey to be played.  As I said above it’s not like the Heat completely walked away with the game, the Amerks can beat this team and will do that on Saturday night.

————–

Abbotsford Heat 3 At Rochester Americans 2 – Status: Final
Apr 15, 2010 – Blue Cross Arena

Abbotsford 3 0 0 – 3
Rochester 1 0 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Abbotsford, Seabrook 1 (Murray, Rheault), 0:35. 2, Abbotsford, Weller 1 (Spurgeon, Kronwall), 8:16 (pp). 3, Rochester, Henry 1 (Mink, York), 15:32 (pp). 4, Abbotsford, Seabrook 2 (Kronwall, Wahl), 18:17 (pp). Penalties-Stuart Abb (boarding), 2:10; MacIntyre Rch (slashing), 7:00; Backlund Abb (roughing), 9:41; Duco Rch (roughing), 9:41; Matthias Rch (roughing), 9:41; Roy Rch (delay of game), 11:09; Lammers Abb (hooking), 15:01; Mink Rch (elbowing), 16:17; Wilson Rch (high-sticking), 18:09; Stuart Abb (interference), 18:53.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Baldwin Abb (cross-checking), 6:33; Palin Abb (hooking), 8:45; Taylor Rch (high-sticking), 13:16; Weller Abb (goaltender interference), 13:35; Ellerby Rch (tripping), 15:37; Cunning Abb (diving), 17:06.

3rd Period-5, Rochester, York 1 (Mink, Garrison), 19:33 (pp). Penalties-Wilson Rch (hooking), 3:50; Hudson Rch (high-sticking), 7:43; Henry Rch (tripping), 10:18; Taffe Rch (elbowing), 16:58; Stuart Abb (slashing), 19:01.

Shots on Goal-Abbotsford 9-13-7-29. Rochester 11-11-10-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Abbotsford 2 of 11; Rochester 2 of 8.
Goalies-Abbotsford, Shantz 1-0-0 (32 shots-30 saves). Rochester, Salak 0-1-0 (9 shots-6 saves); Plante 0-0-0 (20 shots-20 saves).
A-2,296
Referees-Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Derek Sylvester (76), Fraser McIntyre (94).

Regular Season Mistakes Sink the Amerks in Game 1 is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

A few quick things before the part about Matthias:

** Rory Fitzpatrick is a healthy scratch, that’s the biggest news.  Mathieu Roy is in.  Roy has only played in one game for the Amerks and is coming off of an ankle injury. Sucks for Fitzpatrick, but a healthy Roy is probably better.  Is game #1 of the playoffs the time to really take a gamble and expect 20 minutes out of the guy?  Groulx is taking a gamble, hopefully it pays off.

Has the Captain of a team ever been forced to sit in game 1 like this? Rory didn’t sound too happy in his comments to Kevin O at Hockey O-Zone.  It’s part of the game, but… why make him the captain if you don’t think you can count on him?

** Rob Tallas, the Panthers goalie coach has already left town.  At least Salak and Plante got some help this week.. back to being on your own boys.  Is Tallas limited to three days of travel? The Panthers are out of the playoffs, what else does he have to do?  Unreal.

** Panthers GM Randy Sexton will be at the game tonight watching.  Doesn’t really mean all that much, but good to know someone is here to check out the prospects.

** Abbotsford Heat head coach Jim Playfair was on the ice with his team for the their gameday skate.  Was Groulx with the Amerks?  Nope.  Does he have to be?  Has never been his style but it is the playoffs.  Just an observation.

The common question around this time of year is talking about the veteran players and them leading the younger players in the playoffs.  A lot of times it’s because they have been in this situation before.  Those with experience can offer advice about what’s different, menatally preparing and really explaining what’s on the line.

That’s not always the case though, just ask Shawn Matthias who is only 22 years old.  Matthias has just as much “big game” experience as anyone else on this team.  He played for Canada in the 2008 World Juniors tournament and won a gold medal.  He also played in the Memorial Cup tournament when he played for the Belleville Bulls in the OHL.  He’s been in big games like this before.

Matthias said, “I have my playoff experiences, I think I’m ready for it and know what to expect.”  He also went on to say that it’s important in the regular season but even more so in the playoffs, “knowing when your team a needs a goal or your down a goal you have to battle hard.”

When talking about playoff experience (in general, not just pro level), he’s played in more playoff games than Mike York and Jeff Taffe combined.

In one season Matthias went from getting boo’ed by the peanut gallery in the balcony in Rochester to playing in 55 games in the NHL this season with the Florida Panthers.  He has only played in 27 games for the Amerks this season and a lot of people may have forgotten about him, but don’t count out his past experiences and the time he spent playing in the NHL.

“Even though i haven’t been here most of the year I feel like I’m one of the guys which just shows the character of our team,” Matthias said.  “Teams like that usually do pretty well this time of year.”

It’s pretty clear that he hates being asked about last season, for obvious reasons but there’s a clear difference and improvement in the way he plays.  He skates faster.  He’s better defensively.  He plays more physical.  He’s done what you’re supposed to do, improve.

“This is the time to show up.  If you’re not ready to play you’ll be out of place.  This is the biggest time of year, some guys who scored a ton of points in the regular season are a no show in the playoffs,” Matthias said.  “This is where you see who the big players are.  I definitely want to show up every night and give the team a chance to win.”

Gameday: Rory Out, Observartions, Matthias has the Experience is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.