Northern Michigan Alumni

[aparch]

With Pronger out for another couple weeks the Philadelphia Flyers have called up Erik Gustafsson.

I see they made some salary cap room by putting Schenn on LTIR.

Saw that Mark finally was cleared to ride the exercise bike... I got a hunch that he did have a concussion.

[NMUPete]

Article on Matt Walker and now that the flyers have put him on waivers, what it could mean for Gustafsson.

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/201...waivers-flyers

[aparch]

Elite Prospects has done a good job of making my random updates seem lacking.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/where_...=&order=League

Every former player (even the one year transfers) who is currently playing hockey somewhere in 2011-12.

[Cat Country]

I came upon this just now through a series of friends facebook posts. Thought everyone viewing this might like it. Spady fighting: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/...u4Dfp.facebook

[NMUPete]

Well Gustafsson is out for 6 weeks with wrist surgery. I wouldn't be surprised if they sent him back down to the AHL for rehab.

[aparch]

Uhoh. Seems Santorelli has fallen into the rut that he had with Nashville.

From the Twitter world:

@OnFrozenPond: Mike Santorelli has been in#FlaPanthers doghouse for his play the past few games; spent most of 3rd on bench v #Sabres...only 9:20 on Fri

@OnFrozenPond: I'm sure we'll see Mike Santorelli back for #FlaPanthers on Tuesday v #NJDevils ... This is just a kick in his pants

@hfialkov: Dineen said Santorelli got to earn his way back into playing time #nhl #flapanthers

[aparch]

Updated to reflect changes to Gussy and Olver. Both are with their respective AHL clubs now. Mark is still recovering (presumably, he has been removed from the Avalanche lineup and placed on their "In the System" roster).

[NMUFAN]

Gussy had 2 assists in his first game after being reassigned following wrist surgery. He'll probably see action tonight as his team plays in the AHL's outdoor classic in Philly. It's scheduled to be rebroadcast on the NHL Network tomorrow at 4:00.

[NMUPete]

Gustafsson is back in the NHL. There are some rumblings that he was brought up to showcase his talents for a trade.

[NMUFAN]

Great timing for Directv to have a free week of NHL Center Ice!

Gustafsson gets his first career NHL goal and it comes against the Buffalo Sabres' Ryan Miller who came in relief in the second period.

[NMUFAN21]

Mark Olver was called up by Colorado yesterday (2/16)

[NMUFAN]

Olver has a goal and an assist in his first NHL action this year. He was named 1st star of the game and the announcers on the Altitude network (the Avs home network) couldn't stop with the praise for Mark. He deserved all of it too as he looked really good on their No. 1 line.

[aparch]

Not directly NMU related, here's a great article about Tuomas Tarkki's younger brother:
http://theahl.com/tale-of-two-brothe...cle&bblh=other

By the time Iiro Tarkki was born in southeastern Finland in the town of Rauma, ice hockey was already a big part of the landscape in the Tarkki household. His father Timo, had already begun coaching youth hockey, including his older brother Tuomas, who was a goaltender. Young Iiro was immediately introduced to the sport and became what he calls a “rink rat,” watching his brother take to the ice with his father behind the bench.

“Every time my brother had a game, with my father coaching, I would be there,” said Tarkki. “I’d walk around the rink searching for loose pucks.”

At the age of four, Iiro took to the ice, lacing up skates suited for a forward, not a goalie. But after one season playing up, Iiro elected to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

While his brother Tuomas was beginning to make a name for himself in the United States, ultimately becoming a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his senior year, Iiro was putting up modest numbers at the junior level. But Iiro continued to press to improve his game.

In 2006-07, Iiro turned pro, and Tuomas returned to Finland from North America after just one year of playing professional hockey, spent mostly with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Upon his return to Finland, Tuomas signed with one of the top teams, Karpat, while Iiro began his career in the first division.

On Dec. 7, 2006, Iiro got the call from SaiPa to start his first SM-liiga game. Coincidentally, the game was against his brother Tuomas. It was quite the circumstance, and Iiro was up for the challenge.

Just as Tarkki was settling into playing door operator for the Ducks bench, Hiller suffered an injury with about a minute to play in the first period, paving the way for Tarkki’s National Hockey League debut.

“I was a little bit nervous, but I’m always nervous and excited going into a game,” said Tarkki. “It happened so fast that I don’t really remember what guys were saying to me except for maybe ‘good luck.’”

Tarkki ultimately picked up the victory, stopping seven of 10 shots in just over two periods of work.

“After the game I got a lot of phone calls and text messages,” said Tarkki. “My brother was one of them, sending me congratulations from Finland.”

While he may have followed in his brother’s footsteps for more than two decades, Iiro will always be able to lay claim over his brother, Tuomas, that he reached the pinnacle of the sport, playing in a National Hockey League game.

[aparch]

New alumni to keep an eye on:

Tyler Gron has signed with Bridgeport (AHL) and Andrew Cherniwchan with South Carolina (ECHL).

[aparch]

Sad news 'Cat fans:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/1...rs-roster.html

For the past few weeks, Mike Santorelli has been sporting the light blue day after day. A breakout season in which he scored 20 goals in 82 games for the Panthers last year has bled into a disappointing one this time around.

Santorelli, who signed a two-year deal worth $3.2 million in July, has been a healthy scratch in nine consecutive games and in 12 of the past 13. He hasn’t played since March 21.

With the playoffs opening Friday against the Devils, Santorelli — as well as the likes of Krys Barch, Keaton Ellerby and others — have to keep their spirits up and their workouts long. Barch was practicing on the fourth line (and thereby wearing green) on Monday as Marco Sturm was out.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/1...#storylink=cpy

Looks like Santorelli won't be getting much (if any) playing time this postseason.


Erik Gustafsson took a knee-to-knee hit and is day-to-day.

I'll update the list of players when I get a chance.

[NMUFAN]

Sad news 'Cat fans:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/1...rs-roster.html


Looks like Santorelli won't be getting much (if any) playing time this postseason.


Erik Gustafsson took a knee-to-knee hit and is day-to-day.

I'll update the list of players when I get a chance.

Thanks for the update. I figured it was lack of performance from Santorelli that was keeping him out of the lineup. I was thinking the Flyers were looking for size on the d-line heading into the playoffs when I noticed Gussy hadn't played in a couple weeks. He's actually been quite steady for them and his +/- is pretty good. Too bad about the knee.

[aparch]

Thanks for the update. I figured it was lack of performance from Santorelli that was keeping him out of the lineup.

Yep. He'll string together some good games, but then he'll be scratched again. He benefited for the first 1/2 of the season due to injuries, but when the injuries kept piling up and Florida traded/called up extra forwards and when Santorelli's linemate Booth got traded to Vancouver, it really set Santos back. Then just before the All-Star break, he somehow got into Coach's doghouse and has remained pretty much since then.

He's not a fourth line center, he needs to be given more ice time. But, he can't earn better ice time it if he's not performing on that fourth line. It's the paradox that got him in trouble with Nashville. Which really sucks because he was able to do a lot last season with Booth on the top two lines.

I was thinking the Flyers were looking for size on the d-line heading into the playoffs when I noticed Gussy hadn't played in a couple weeks. He's actually been quite steady for them and his +/- is pretty good. Too bad about the knee.

Seems I was a bit wrong with my search on Twitter. Gussy is shown as being in Adirondack (AHL) and playing for them as they make a push for the playoffs.


The first page should be mostly current.

For the AHL, the Portland Pirates are holding onto 8th in the East with Nathan Oystrick and two games to go; Manchester Monarchs and Ray Kaunisto are 9th just two points behind with three games yet to play; Erik Gustafsson and the Adirondack Phantoms are in 10th place, just three points out of eighth; the Providence Bruins and Justin Florek are 11th, just six points out of 8th with three games to go.

One Wildcat will make the AHL playoffs (unless Syracuse and Tuomas' little brother Iiro Tarkki stumble). This weekend's going to be fun to watch the AHL.
Oh, and I'm mistaken.

[aparch]

Gustafsson is now a black ace for the Flyers in the post season. Was called up a day ago.

[aparch]

Erik Gustafsson got a chance to play top minutes paired with Braydon Coburn in yesterday's playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Played a key role in scoring what became the insurance goal as they eliminated the Penguins yesterday.



Of the four other Flyers on the ice at that time: Coburn, Hartnell, Giroux, and Jagr, I wouldn't have expected Gustafsson to be the person to score. I don't want to call it a snipe, because it looks like he's trying to take a dump shot to allow the line-mates to pick up the rebound, but what a shot!

[aparch]

For archiving purposes, here's (approximately) how the season ended for our boys.

The who and where of former Wildcats still playing professional hockey.

NHL - The Big Show
Colorado Avalanche: Mark Olver
Florida Panthers: Mike Santorelli
Philadelphia Flyers: Erik Gustafsson

AHL - American Hockey League
Manchester Monarchs: Ray Kaunisto
Portland Pirates: Nathan Oystrick
Providence P-Bruins: Justin Florek

ECHL - East Coast Hockey League
Alaska Aces: Jacques Lamoureux
Elmira Jackals: Brian Stewart
Kalamazoo Wings: Kory Karlander, Nick Sirota
South Carolina Stingrays: Andrew Cherniwchan, Zach Tarkir

CHL - Central Hockey League
Dayton Gems: Tim Hartung
Fort Wayne Komets: Jamie Milam
Quad City Mallards: Jared Brown
Rapid City Rush: TJ Miller
Texas Brahmas: Phil Fox, Eric Spady

Euro Leagues
KHL - Kontinental Hockey League
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk: Tuomas Tarkki

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
KHL Medveščak Zagreb: Matt Siddall, Geoff Waugh

Elite Ice Hockey League
GMB Nottingham Panthers: Craig Kowalski

Deutsch Eishockey Liga
Berlin Polar Bears: Darin Olver

Serie A2 (Italy Tier 2)
WSV Sterzing – SSI Vipiteno Broncos: Dirk Southern

Norway
Rosenborg: Jim Jackson

Allsvenskan
Södertälje: Greger Hanson

Denmark
Frederikshavn: Andrew Sarauer
Rødovre: Andy Contois

France
Rouen: Juha Alen
Reims: Blake Cosgrove

Asia League
Nikko Icebucks: Dave Bonk

NLA
Bern: JP Vigier

NLB
Lausanne: Bernie Sigrist



Coaching/Front Office
National Hockey League
Chicago Blackhawks Amateur Scout: Rick Comley
Tampa Bay Lightning Head Amateur Scout: Darryl Plandowski
Edmonton Oilers Scout: Morey Gare

AHL
Texas Stars: Jeff Pyle (Head Coach)

Canadian Hockey League
WHL: Tri-City Americans: Jim Hiller (Head Coach), Scott Beattie (Associate Coach)

NCAA
University of Alaska Anchorage: Dave Shyiak (Head Coach)
Northern Michigan University: John Kyle (Asst. Coach), Walt Kyle (Head Coach), Rob Lehtinen (Hockey Operations Supervisor)

Midget AAA: Sudbury Nickel Capitals Wolves: Peter Michelutti (Head Coach)
Junior A: Bozeman Icedogs: Bill Zaniboni (Head Coach)

Euro Leagues
Germany - EC-Hannover Indians: Joe West (Co-Trainer)
France - Villard de Lans: Rich Metro (Head Coach / GM)

Player Agent/Representative: Tom Laidlaw, Ed Ward