McIntyre, Griffins reach one-year deal

David McIntyre has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

McIntyre, 26, is entering his fourth year in the AHL. A fifth round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in 2006, McIntyre had his rights traded twice before landing a contract with the New Jersey Devils, but was traded just over a year later to the Minnesota Wild.

With the Wild, McIntyre would suit up for seven NHL games, and spend the bulk of his time with the Houston Aeros. With Houston, McIntyre scored 31 goals and 35 assists in 131 regular season games, adding another two goals and one assist in 9 playoff contests.

Likely, McIntyre will suit up on the second or third line for the Griffins. Most useful in a two-way role, he won’t ‘wow’ with his offensive talent, but he has the work ethic that will make him become a fan favourite.

In 235 AHL games –playoff and regular season combined — McIntyre has tallied 49 goals and 57 assists.

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Tremblay signs AHL deal with OKC

24-year-old centre Nicholas Tremblay has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Oklahoma City Barons.

Tremblay, drafted by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, has only played in nine AHL games, but was a point per game player in the ECHL last season with the Bakersfield Condors.

In 29 games with the Condors, Tremblay posted 16 goals and 13 assists. The product of Clarkson University — Tremblay suited up in 143 games and tallied 88 points (33-55) — is entering his second full professional season.

Tyler McNeely heads to Germany

The second division DEL team Starbulls Rosenheim have announced they’ve come to terms with Tyler McNeely.

McNeely, 26, split last season between the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays and the AHL. In 31 games in the AHL — four with Providence, 27 with Lake Erie — McNeely potted one goal and eight assists, scoring another 44 points (13-31) while in the ‘E’.

The former Northeastern University captain came to the AHL after finishing his four year tenure in the NCAA. McNeely’s career high AHL totals came in 2011-12 while a member of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. That season, McNeely tallied nine goals and 12 assists in 66 games.

 

Goloubef signs one-year deal with Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets have come to terms with Cody Goloubef.

Goloubef, a 23-year-old blue liner who was drafted by the Jackets in the second round of the 2008 draft, has signed a one-year deal with the team.

A University of Wisconsin product, Goloubef has spent the last three years in the Blue Jackets system, and suited up in a career high 11 NHL games last season. In his AHL career, which spans 143 games, Goloubef has potted 11 goals and 33 assists.

In just 38 games with the Springfield Falcons last season, the 6-foot-1 defenceman tied a career high with five goals, and fell four points short of tying his career high in points (17).

Stuart back in North America with Canucks

After spending a season with the DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters, Colin Stuart has signed a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks.

Stuart, 31, has plenty of AHL experience and he will bring that to the Utica Comets when he suits up for them next season. Since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2001 draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, Stuart has spent nearly his entire pro career in the ‘A’, suiting up with the Chicago Wolves, Abbotsford Heat, Portland Pirates, and Rochester Americans.

In his nine AHL seasons, Stuart has played in 531 games, tallying 105 goals and 119 assists. The 6-foot-2, Rochester, Minn. native came to the AHL after spending four seasons at the NCAA’s Colorado College, where he put up 38 goals and 39 assists.

A member of the 2007-08 Chicago Wolves, Stuart contributed six points (3-3) on that run.

His contract with the Canucks is a one-year, two-way deal.

BC boys Santorelli, Hamill sign with Vancouver

British Columbia natives Mike Santorelli and Zach Hamill have signed deals with the Vancouver Canucks.

Santorelli, a 27-year-old Vancouver native, comes to the Canucks by way of the Winnipeg Jets. In ten games with the Jets last season, Santorelli failed to score a goal, but did register an assist. On a deep Canucks team, there is a possibility he could crack the big league roster, but in all likelihood he will suit up with the Utica Comets in 2013-14.

Over his career, Santorelli has suited up in 238 AHL games, scoring 85 goals and assisting on another 109. A 2008-09 AHL All-Star, Santorelli tallied 27 goals and 43 assists in 70 games that season.

Hamill, the eighth overall pick in the 2007 draft, has never quite lived up to his billing. In five pro seasons, however, the centre has been able to play a big role in the ‘A.’ After four seasons in Boston Bruins organization — where he suited up in 20 NHL games — Hamill was dealt to the Capitals for Chris Bourque.

During 40 games in Hershey in 2012-13, Hamill posted 11 goals and 11 assists, but was dealt midway through the year to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Casey Wellman. Hamill would post another nine goals and 15 assists after his stint with the Bears, which included 18 points with the San Antonio Rampage and six with the Milwaukee Admirals.

In 328 regular season AHL games, Hamill has scored 63 goals and added 120 assists, with another 12 points (3-9) coming in 29 playoff contests. Hamill will suit up with the Utica Comets next season.

Davies re-signs with Wolves

Michael Davies, who spent 57 games with the Chicago Wolves last season, has signed another one-year AHL deal with the club.

Davies, a 26-year-old from Chesterfield, Miss., has spent the last three seasons in the AHL with brief stints in the ECHL in between. In his three years with the Wolves, Davies has suited up in 167 games and tallied 34 goals and 35 assists.

After moving on from his four years at University of Wisconsin, Davies signed a tryout deal with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but failed suit up in a game or stick with the Islanders top affiliate. As a free agent in 2010-11, Davies was inked to a deal with the Chicago Wolves. In his rookie pro season, Davies spent 49 games with the Wolves, registering 20 points (8-12) and another eight games in the ECHL, scoring two goals and tallying five assists.

This past season, Davies posted career highs in goals (15), assists (10), and points (25) in the AHL. The 5-foot-8 forward is entering his fourth pro season.

Report: Ludwig Karlsson signs with Sens

Elliotte Friedman has reported that Ludwig Karlsson prepared to sign a deal with the Ottawa Senators.

Karlsson, 22, spent last season with Northeastern University and scored five goals and three assists in 17 games. By signing a deal with the Sens, Karlsson voids his NCAA eligibility and would likely join the Binghamton Senators.

The Stockholm native spent two seasons with Northeastern, and came to North America in 2009-10, joining the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. In his two seasons in the USHL, Karlsson — no relation to Ottawa defenceman Erik — scored 24 goals and 51 assists in 137 games, as well as helping the Gamblers to a Clark Cup as league champions.

A member of the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2011-12, the 6-foot-2, 194 pound forward scored 34 points (15-19) in his 49 game NCAA career.

 

Haydar leaves AHL for Germany

After 11 seasons in the AHL, Darren Haydar has signed a one-year deal with EHC Munchen of the DEL.

Haydar, who captained the Chicago Wolves last season, leaves the AHL as 14th all-time in points. In 774 regular season games, Haydar has registered 292 goals to go along with 496 assists — he’s 10th all-time in assists — putting him at over a point-per-game in the AHL, territory shared with some of the greatest players in AHL history.

Maybe the most notable offensive season of Haydar’s career came in 2006-07, when the 5-foot-9 forward put up an amazing 122 points in 73 games. That season, Haydar set career highs in both goals and assists with 41 and 81 respectively. He followed his regular season performance up with another 24 points (10-14) in 15 playoff games, but his Chicago Wolves fell short of a Calder Cup.

However, the following year, Haydar helped the Wolves to a Calder Cup Championship. With 27 points (12-15) in 24 playoff games, the Milton, Ont. native lead the way for the Wolves. The 2007-08 championship was the second of his career — he had won his first in 2003-04 during his sophomore season with the Milwaukee Admirals — and signalled the end of Haydar’s most productive years of his career, but he would continue to be nearly a point per game player.

The laundry list of honours heaped upon Haydar reads like those of a future AHL Hall of Famer: Two time Calder Cup Champion, 06-07 Sollenberger Trophy (Most Points), Les Cunningham Award (MVP), and First Team All-Star, 02-03 Red Garrett Award (Rookie of the Year), 11-12 AHL All-Star.

While there will be those that argue Haydar’s talent — in 23 NHL games he scored one goal and tallied seven assists — the fact of the matter is that he maintained steady production and stayed in the AHL while having veteran status for several seasons. He was a bonafide AHL star, something the league doesn’t have in droves, and, at 33 years old, it may be unlikely he comes back.

Haydar will join recently departed AHL forward Jon DiSalvatore in Munchen. During his career, Haydar suited up with the Wolves, Lake Erie Monsters, Grand Rapids Griffins, and Milwaukee Admirals.

Rampage announce deal with Timmins

Scott Timmins will be back in the black and silver this coming season.

Timmins, a 23-year-old centre, has signed a new one-year, two-way deal with the Florida Panthers. Drafted by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2009 draft, Timmins came to the Cats after five seasons in the OHL split between the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers.

During his OHL career, the Hamilton, Ont. native suited up for 285 games and potted 104 goals and 105 assists. While he’s not the most pure scorer, Timmins has shown an ability to get to the net and get the goals you wouldn’t necessarily see from your all-star forwards.

Last season, in 65 games with the Rampage, Timmins tallied 11 goals — which tied his career high — and added 13 assists. His 24 point campaign saw the 5-foot-11, 190 pound forward fall just short of his 2011-12 career high of 27 points (11-16).

The Panthers brought Timmins up to the NHL for a brief stint in the lockout shortened season, having the three time OHL and two-time Memorial Cup Champion suit up in five games with the big club.