Silvertips Alumni Update: April 19
The regular season is winding down in the NHL and AHL, many other professional leagues in North America are into postseason play and pro leagues overseas are wrapping up their championship series. The following is a rundown of some notable former Silvertips making news in the hockey world for the week of Friday, April 19:
National Hockey League
– Tampa Bay defenseman Radko Gudas (with the Silvertips from 2009-10) registered two assists in the last four games, doubling his previous point total for the season and helping the Lightning earn a pair of points in an overtime loss at Washington and a shootout loss at Winnipeg. Tampa Bay has four games remaining this season.
– Florida Panthers forward Peter Mueller (2005-07) and his wife, Taylar, welcomed their first child on Wednesday with the birth of a baby boy. Mueller is currently at home in Florida while the Panthers are away on a Northeastern road trip. On behalf of all of us in Silvertip Country, we’d like to congratulate Peter and his family on their new arrival!
Overseas
– Defenseman Shaun Heshka (2003-06) and the Pori Aces (Ässät Pori) are currently involved in the Championship series of Finland’s SM-Liiga. The Aces trail Tappara Tampere 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 coming up Saturday and Game 5 to follow on Monday. Heshka has two assists in the SM-Liiga Finals, giving him five points (1g/4a) in 13 playoff games with Pori.
American Hockey League
– Defenseman Rasmus Rissanen (2009-11) of the Charlotte Checkers has posted new career highs this season with eight points and 84 penalty minutes for the Carolina Hurricanes’ top affiliate. Rissanen and the Checkers sit in fourth place in the Western Conference standings and are close to wrapping up home-ice advantage in the first round of the AHL playoffs.
– Former Silvertips star Zach Hamill (2003-08) has two goals and three points in three games since joining the Milwaukee Admirals from the San Antonio Rampage last week. Hamill has a career-high 18 goals and is one point off his career best with 43 points this season. After winning two of three games with Hamill in the lineup, the Admirals are tied with Rockford for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot with one game in hand.
– Rockford IceHogs forward Kyle Beach (2005-09) had a goal, an assist and 12 penalty minutes in Rockford’s 7-3 win over the rival Chicago Wolves last Friday night. Beach has tied his career high with 16 goals this season and reached a new career mark with 204 penalty minutes for the IceHogs, who are tied with Milwaukee for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
– Forward Landon Ferraro (2010-11) scored two goals in a 20-second span of the second period Saturday night, but the Grand Rapids Griffins fell short in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Peoria Rivermen. Ferraro ranks third on the team with 44 points (23g/21a) this year and the Griffins are close to clinching the Midwest Division title.
ECHL
– Taylor Ellington (2004-09) and Josh Birkholz (2010-12) of the Cincinnati Cyclones hold the bragging rights over two other former Silvertips after the Cyclones’ first round series victory over Byron Froese (2008-10), Kent Simpson (2008-12) and the Toledo Walleye. The seventh-place Walleye trailed the series 0-3 before winning Games 4 and 5, but Ellington assisted on the overtime winner in Game 6 to help put #2 seed Cincinnati in the second round. Birkholz (2g) and Ellington (1g/1a) each had two points in the series, while Froese led Toledo with six points (2g/4a) and Simpson (0-3) started three games in goal. The Cyclones now face the #3 seed Gwinnett Gladiators in the second round starting Friday night.
– Forward Brady Calla (03-07) and the Western Conference #2 seed Ontario Reign open their second-round series against the #3 Idaho Steelheads with Games 1 and 2 Friday and Saturday on home ice. Calla and the Reign defeated Riley Armstrong (03-04) and the #7 Utah Grizzlies in the first round.
– Forward Cameron Abney (2007-10) and the #4 seed Stockton Thunder are in the second round of the Western Conference postseason bracket after a seven-game series victory over the fifth-place Las Vegas Wranglers. Abney and the Thunder will now face the ECHL’s top overall seed in the Alaska Aces in the second round.
– Goaltender Thomas Heemskerk (2008-10) and the Western Conference #8 seed San Francisco Bulls were defeated in five games in their first-round series against the #1 the Alaska Aces, while forward Chris Langkow (2009-10) and the Eastern Conference #6 seed South Carolina Stingrays were swept by Gwinnett in the first round.
That concludes this week’s alumni feature, but check back for more weekly updates on more former ‘Tips through the remainder of the 2012-13 season and playoffs around the hockey world. To keep up on all the latest Silvertips news, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
