With NESCAC hockey just around the corner - official team activities in 10 days, opening night in 24 days - but not yet here yet, we thought it might be time to check in with NESCAC alums that are still trying to ply their trade in professional hockey. The list is only for North American leagues, but we'll try to get an update for 'Cac puckers overseas soon as well.
AHL
Jon Landry (Bowdoin '06) The most successful NESCAC alum currently active, Bowdoin's Landry ('06) plays for the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate Iowa Wild. It's not just Landry's first year in Iowa after signing a two-way contract with the Wild in July, it's the first year for the Wild in Iowa as well. The franchise was previously known as the Houston Aeros before moving to Iowa for the 2013-14 season.
Jon Landry (Bowdoin '06) The most successful NESCAC alum currently active, Bowdoin's Landry ('06) plays for the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate Iowa Wild. It's not just Landry's first year in Iowa after signing a two-way contract with the Wild in July, it's the first year for the Wild in Iowa as well. The franchise was previously known as the Houston Aeros before moving to Iowa for the 2013-14 season.
Like he did with the Islanders last year, Landry opened NHL training camp with the top club, as can be seen from this Minnesota Wild's blog post from day two of training camp. By September 24th, he was placed on waivers by the Wild. After clearing waivers, he made the three and-a-half hour commute down to Des Moines, Iowa to join the AHL club for training camp.
The Iowa Wild have played four games (3-1-0) with the blueliner Landry playing in three of them. Not much in the way of stats yet this early in the season, Landry has amassed 4 penalty minutes and a +/- of +1. During training camp, Iowa Wild TV interviewed the former NESCAC standout and asked him about the upcoming season and moving to Des Moines (embed below).
The Iowa Wild have played four games (3-1-0) with the blueliner Landry playing in three of them. Not much in the way of stats yet this early in the season, Landry has amassed 4 penalty minutes and a +/- of +1. During training camp, Iowa Wild TV interviewed the former NESCAC standout and asked him about the upcoming season and moving to Des Moines (embed below).
ECHL
Mike Baran (Amherst '12) After reaching the D-III Frozen Four and graduating from Amherst, 2012 All-NESCAC Second Team defenseman Mike Baran has had an interesting pro-hockey ride. Like his Lord Jeffs teammate and 2012 D-III Player of the Year Jonathan La Rose, Baran started out the 2012-13 season in the Southern Pro-Hockey League. The 'Cac and all of NCAA hockey do not allow fighting, but, of course, that ban doesn't exist in minor league hockey. So we have video of Baran's first pro hockey fight as a member of the Mississippi RiverKings on November 17, 2012 (embed below).
While La Rose would never get past goaltending for the Huntsville Havoc, Baran would make the jump from the RiverKings up to the ECHL, thanks to some AHL call-ups and injuries.
Desperate for a defenseman, the Alaska Aces of the ECHL got Baran on loan from the RiverKings in January 2013. One day Baran was in his Memphis apartment and the next day he was in Idaho playing for the Aces. When he finally got to Alaska, he stayed with the family of former Amherst teammate, Nathan Corey ('13), La Rose's backup.
Thanks to Baran's stellar play, what started as a stopgap for the Aces turned into a roster spot for the rest of the season for Baran. In 22 games, the blueliner produced eight points (2-6-8) and a +/- of +3. This season, Baran is playing for the the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL, the team NHL goaltender and amateur astrophysicist/Liqueur connoisseur/Russian law expert Ilya Bryzgalov trained with while prepping to find a new NHL team.
Some of the best things about minor league hockey are crazy promotions. Last year, the Arizona Sundogs, a team in the Central Hockey League that Landry used to play for, created a sky prison to sell season tickets that got the attention of DeadSpin. While not quite as crazy, Baran's Wranglers did a meet and greet with fans at the Stratosphere Casino, where some players (including Baran) jumped off the side of the casino. At 829 feet, SkyJump Las Vegas holds the Guinness World Record for highest commercial decelerator descent. Only in Vegas, baby.
#Skyjump #survivor what's a rush!Baran hasn't dressed for the Wranglers' first three games.
— michael baran (@baran_mike) October 7, 2013
Nick Craven (Wesleyan '13) As we mentioned last season, Nick Craven won Spring Break among his friends, playing four games for the AHL's Binghamton Senators on an Amateur Tryout Contract last March. This year he entered training camp with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL. At the start of camp, Grizzlies coach Tim Branham said, "Nick is a big body who protects the puck well, he had a short stint last season in the AHL and has shown the ability to put points on the board.” Unfortunately, Craven was not able to make the final roster for the Grizz.
Craven got picked up by the Fayetville Fire Antz of the SPHL this week and is made his debut against the Hunstville Havoc Friday night, against fellow NESCAC alums Scott Harff (Colby) and
on the Huntsville Havoc. The Havoc won the game 4-2.
Brandon Hew (Amherst '13) The 2012-13 First Team All-NESCAC defenseman got to try out with the Bakersfield Condor in his native California, but unfortunately Brandon Hew was cut before the first pre-season game.
SPHL
Nick Craven (Wesleyan) See above.
Scott Harff (Colby '13) Recent Colby defenseman and 2012-13 Mules co-captain Scott Harff made the trek down to Huntsville, Alabama to open training camp with the Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL a few weeks ago. The team had two exhibition games this past weekend against Baran's old team, the Mississippi RiverKings, with the Havoc winning both contests. This week the Havoc made final cuts, and Harff made the final roster of 18 players. The Havoc traveled to North Carolina on Friday when they opened their season against the Fayetville FireAntz.
Leland Fidler (Bowdoin '10) After graduating from Bowdoin in 2010, the 6'0" defender has been on a pro hockey roller coaster, with 10 different teams in four different leagues (FHL, CHL, ECHL and SPHL). Fidler starts the 2013-14 season on the Havoc, a team he played with for part of last season, along with Harff. With Fidler, there were three NESCAC alums in the SPHL opening night game on Friday between the Fayetville Fire Antz and Hunstville Havoc (Craven, Fidler, Harff).
Tom Maldonado (Middlebury '08) The only player on this list to win a NCAA national championship (two, in fact), the 2008 First Team All-NESCAC defenseman has been in pro hockey since graduating from Middlebury in 08. He bounced around Europe and North America until landing with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the SPHL midway through the 2010-11 season. Maldonado has been on the Cottonmouths since, netting 71 points (15-56-71) in 134 games. One of those goals came on Friday in the Cottonmouths regular season opening 4-2 loss to the Pensacola Ice Flyers.
Nick Metcalfe (Tufts '13) Nick Metcalfe's NESCAC career did not end well. In his final game as a collegian, the 2012-13 Tufts co-captain and defenseman was ejected in the first period of a loss at Colby that sealed the Jumbos last place finish in the 'Cac, just a year removed from hosting their first ever conference playoff game.
But the fighting that was proscribed by the NCAA can actually be an asset at the next level. The past weekend, the Ice Bears played two exhibition, which they split with the Columbus Cottomouths, and Metcalfe got himself into quite a few fights. He also scored a goal in Friday's game, something he did only twice in four years at Tufts.
The Ice Bears open their season in Georgia on Saturday against the Cottonmouths. The Ice Bears released their opening day roster on Wednesday and Nick unfortunately did not make it.
If you know of any other NESCAC alums playing pro-hockey in North America, please let us know, so we can update (email: hockeynescac@gmail.com).
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