2021-22 Utica Comets and ECHL thread - part V

[Louskoolaid89]

Man that place looks like a ton of fun! Go Comets!

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

Looks like Associate Coach Peter Dineen is still there. Wonder if he's a candidate.

Jerry Dineen was a volunteer Assistant Coach for the Thunder this season after being video coach for NYR since 2003-04.

 

[My3Sons]

Looks like Associate Coach Peter Dineen is still there. Wonder if he's a candidate.

Jerry Dineen was a volunteer Assistant Coach for the Thunder this season after being video coach for NYR since 2003-04.

Are they related to Kevin?

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

Are they related to Kevin?

They are all brothers.

 

[My3Sons]

They are all brothers.

You have to think that with Kevin doing a nice job in Utica that they give the brothers some additional opportunity.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Zetterlund laughed in an Amerk player’s face (it was kind of awesome, he’s just fun) in the 3rd and they didn’t take it to well.

Like I said in my post, they were ALL involved in the yapping, laughing, mocking, in your face insulting, etc. baiting game all night long. There were no polite, nice guy Lady Bing types on the ice last night. Teams develop a respectful hate for opposing teams that they play often and both win and lose against them. Comets and Amerks played 12 times and split the season. Close games, OTS, and blowouts for each of them. Like I said, "these 2 teams do not like each other."

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

You have to think that with Kevin doing a nice job in Utica that they give the brothers some additional opportunity.

November 3, 2020

Sons Peter, Gord and Kevin all played in the NHL. Gord and Kevin both had stints in Ottawa with the Senators, Gord from 1992-94 and Kevin in 1999-2000.

Jerry Dineen has been a fixture with the New York Rangers as a video coach since the mid 1990s. Shawn Dineen is working with the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C., while Peter is an associate coach with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL.

Kevin Dineen had the longest run as a player, putting together an NHL career that spanned close to 1,200 games. Today he is head coach of the AHL San Diego Gulls, the top farm team of the Anaheim Ducks.

Gord Dineen just finished a stint with the AHL Rochester Amerks and is currently working in business in the Finger Lakes region, close to the Glens Falls, NY pulse of the Dineen clan.

Bill Dineen’s legacy lives on as hockey continues fight against cancer

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Zippy316]

I assume he’s likely in Utica next year unless the Devils plan to loan him back to Liiga?

 

[Triumph]

I assume he’s likely in Utica next year unless the Devils plan to loan him back to Liiga?

I assume he will stay in Liiga for one more year and then come over. A 19 year old playing limited minutes in Liiga is likely on the AHL/ECHL shuttle in Utica.

 

[OmNomNom]

ya love to see it (posted like 20 min ago)

 

[Zippy316]

I assume he will stay in Liiga for one more year and then come over. A 19 year old playing limited minutes in Liiga is likely on the AHL/ECHL shuttle in Utica.

Pretty experienced so far in Liiga for his age. Wonder if the Devils think he can play in the A next year.

Logjam at D in Utica makes me skeptical though. He might be able to play but I doubt he plays over the names he’d be going up against.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

I assume he will stay in Liiga for one more year and then come over. A 19 year old playing limited minutes in Liiga is likely on the AHL/ECHL shuttle in Utica.

ep has Vilen loaned to Pelicans for 2022-23.

Topias Vilén - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Topias Vilén, 2003-04-01 Lahti, FIN Finland. Most recently in the AHL with Utica Comets. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

 

[UticaHockey]

ya love to see it (posted like 20 min ago)

They look like they are having some fun.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Guttersniped]

Merman! Loved him.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Pretty experienced so far in Liiga for his age. Wonder if the Devils think he can play in the A next year.

Logjam at D in Utica makes me skeptical though. He might be able to play but I doubt he plays over the names he’d be going up against.

There are only 7 D currently in Utica signed for next season.

1. Okhotyuk - 2 yrs of his ELC remain.
2. Bahl - He will be on the final yr of his ELC
It's more than likely that 1 of these guys will be a Devil. For the purpose of argument let's say only one of them is in NJ and the other returns to Utica.

3. Vulojevic - 2 yrs of his ELC remain.

4. Walsh - He will be on the final yr of his ELC.
5. Groleau - He will be on the final yr of his ELC.
A decision will have to be made on these 2 at the end of the year. Do they get qualifying offers, traded, released?

6. Russo - He is the only veteran D-man on a 2-yr contract so he will be a Comet.

7. Mukhamadulin - He was on record as saying he didn't want to play in the AHL. He would exercise the European Assignment Clause. He did such this season, '21-22, and still has the option for the '22-23 season. Has he changed his mind? I know he's here now. Does that mean he intends to return to NA next season? Playing in the AHL on the smaller rinks with players he is likely to play with in NJ is a plus for his future.

Does the year he just spent in Russia after signing his ELC slide and thus, yr 1 of his 3-yr ELC begins in '22-23? I repeat the same question If he opts for yr 2 of the EAC. If that's not the way it works are we to understand that he has burned 2 years off his ELC without ever playing for a team in the Devils franchise making him an RFA in 2024-25. This tells the NA kids F*** You! Take your years of $70K in the AHL if you aren't a Devil and like it. Meanwhile Shakir makes a couple $mil give or take a couple $100K, comes to NA for 1 season on the same money deal the NA kids had for 3 seasons, but after 1 season of that contract he's an RFA looking to be qualified and seek at least $1mil.

#8 Topias Vilen - So, if we are only dealing with Bahl or OK leaving for NJ, the Comets would have 6 D-men. This would make Vilen 1 of 7. I can assure you that with injuries and call-ups a 7-man D-corps sees all 7 getting lots of game time. This past season the Comets ran just such a roster.
- Russo played 70 of the 72 games.
- Ok played 63
The other 5 were all in the 50 games played.
Bahl 54
Vukpjevic 54
Wotherspoon 53
Walsh 52
Groleau 50

If Shakir opts to play in Russia again. Vilen would be 1 of the 6 currently under contract.

So, unless the Comets end up with more D-men under contract to play in the AHL, Vilen is not bogged down in a "D logjam" in Utica. I will give you the fact that another veteran D-man is not out of the question. Their +/- leader on the backend was 29-yr-old Tyler Wotherspoon. He finished the regular season at +26.

Am I missing an incoming rookie D-man who will be starting his ELC this coming season?

 

[Guttersniped]

There are only 7 D currently in Utica signed for next season.

1. Okhotyuk - 2 yrs of his ELC remain.
2. Bahl - He will be on the final yr of his ELC
It's more than likely that 1 of these guys will be a Devil. For the purpose of argument let's say only one of them is in NJ and the other returns to Utica.

3. Vulojevic - 2 yrs of his ELC remain.

4. Walsh - He will be on the final yr of his ELC.
5. Groleau - He will be on the final yr of his ELC.
A decision will have to be made on these 2 at the end of the year. Do they get qualifying offers, traded, released?

6. Russo - He is the only veteran D-man on a 2-yr contract so he will be a Comet.

7. Mukhamadulin - He was on record as saying he didn't want to play in the AHL. He would exercise the European Assignment Clause. He did such this season, '21-22, and still has the option for the '22-23 season. Has he changed his mind? I know he's here now. Does that mean he intends to return to NA next season? Playing in the AHL on the smaller rinks with players he is likely to play with in NJ is a plus for his future.

Does the year he just spent in Russia after signing his ELC slide and thus, yr 1 of his 3-yr ELC begins in '22-23? I repeat the same question If he opts for yr 2 of the EAC. If that's not the way it works are we to understand that he has burned 2 years off his ELC without ever playing for a team in the Devils franchise making him an RFA in 2024-25. This tells the NA kids F*** You! Take your years of $70K in the AHL if you aren't a Devil and like it. Meanwhile Shakir makes a couple $mil give or take a couple $100K, comes to NA for 1 season on the same money deal the NA kids had for 3 seasons, but after 1 season of that contract he's an RFA looking to be qualified and seek at least $1mil.

#8 Topias Vilen - So, if we are only dealing with Bahl or OK leaving for NJ, the Comets would have 6 D-men. This would make Vilen 1 of 7. I can assure you that with injuries and call-ups a 7-man D-corps sees all 7 getting lots of game time. This past season the Comets ran just such a roster.
- Russo played 70 of the 72 games.
- Ok played 63
The other 5 were all in the 50 games played.
Bahl 54
Vukpjevic 54
Wotherspoon 53
Walsh 52
Groleau 50

If Shakir opts to play in Russia again. Vilen would be 1 of the 6 currently under contract.

So, unless the Comets end up with more D-men under contract to play in the AHL, Vilen is not bogged down in a "D logjam" in Utica. I will give you the fact that another veteran D-man is not out of the question. Their +/- leader on the backend was 29-yr-old Tyler Wotherspoon. He finished the regular season at +26.

Am I missing an incoming rookie D-man who will be starting his ELC this coming season?

Vilén only turned 19 this April and was drafted in the 3rd Rd, leaving him in Liiga for another season doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me if that happens. We’ll see.

Mukhamadullin’s ELC slides one year and starts in 2022-23. He didn’t spend a year in Russia after signing his ELC, he signed in December during the KHL season.

The Devils have to do what’s best for their development, you only have so many years to make it work with a player after you bring them to NA from Europe. Rushing them doesn’t help the process. I assume they would bring him over the year after.

If he was 2021 3rd round pick from Canadian Juniors it wouldn’t be shocking for him to go back there for another year either. The our two CHL defensemen drafted in 2019, Vukojevic and Okhotiuk, went to the AHL earlier due to COVID shutdown of the OHL.

We don’t have a ton of drafted guys to sign this off-season actually, I’m curious who gets the contract spots.

 

[Triumph]

Vilén only turned 19 this April and was drafted in the 3rd Rd, leaving him in Liiga for another season doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me if that happens. We’ll see.

Mukhamadullin’s ELC slides one year and starts in 2022-23. He didn’t spend a year in Russia after signing his ELC, he signed in December during the KHL season.

The Devils have to do what’s best for their development, you only have so many years to make it work with a player after you bring them to NA from Europe. Rushing them doesn’t help the process. I assume they would bring him over the year after.

If he was 2021 3rd round pick from Canadian Juniors it wouldn’t be shocking for him to go back there for another year either. The our two CHL defensemen drafted in 2019, Vukojevic and Okhotiuk, went to the AHL earlier due to COVID shutdown of the OHL.

We don’t have a ton of drafted guys to sign this off-season actually, I’m curious who gets the contract spots.

Okhotiuk is a late 2000 so he was eligible to play in Binghamton in 2020-21.

I don't think it's that hard to fill out the rest of the Utica roster with either established pros or camp invitees. Vilen in Utica does not make much sense next season.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

Schneider, Cory

4

12:49

9

5

TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League

theahl.com

 

[UticaHockey]

Vilén only turned 19 this April and was drafted in the 3rd Rd, leaving him in Liiga for another season doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me if that happens. We’ll see.

Mukhamadullin’s ELC slides one year and starts in 2022-23. He didn’t spend a year in Russia after signing his ELC, he signed in December during the KHL season.

The Devils have to do what’s best for their development, you only have so many years to make it work with a player after you bring them to NA from Europe. Rushing them doesn’t help the process. I assume they would bring him over the year after.

If he was 2021 3rd round pick from Canadian Juniors it wouldn’t be shocking for him to go back there for another year either. The our two CHL defensemen drafted in 2019, Vukojevic and Okhotiuk, went to the AHL earlier due to COVID shutdown of the OHL.

We don’t have a ton of drafted guys to sign this off-season actually, I’m curious who gets the contract spots.

The fact that Mukhamadullin was willing to fly over and join the Comets for a best of 5 series not knowing how many games he will play in impresses me. Sounds like he is serious about developing his game in North America. Hopefully he gets some game action and the Comets go on a deep run to make his trip worthwhile.

 

[Bad Goalie]

The fact that Mukhamadullin was willing to fly over and join the Comets for a best of 5 series not knowing how many games he will play in impresses me. Sounds like he is serious about developing his game in North America. Hopefully he gets some game action and the Comets go on a deep run to make his trip worthwhile.

Is he able to play here next season or is he committed to the KHL? He is already a late 20 with a January birthday and that's the age most of the good NA kids start out in the AHL. Most of the posts I have read from NJ posters seem to be quite high on him. I agree your take on his willingness to come here without any kind of guarantees is impressive and gives me the feeling he does want to be on this side of the ocean. He has a great group of kids to help make his arrival a pleasant experience. There are a good mix of nationalities, some real characters on this squad, and some very level headed older guys to offer him an opportunity to see how easy it would be to become a part of the Comets hockey family.

We all know the opinions the players who have come before him have of the community and they have communicated those feelings throughout the North American hockey world and maybe Europe as well. This is a hockey city and it doesn't care where you are from. They welcome every player with open arms and support them to the max.

Maybe a good visit here with a chance to familiarize himself with the community, it's offerings, and the Eastern European population will ease any nervous uncertainties he might have feared he would encounter and put those feelings to rest. On the whole the Mohawk Valley has become a very welcoming community to immigrants. from all over the world and you don't have to be a hockey player to receive the welcome.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

I'm sure Sarge is taking good care of Shak.

 

[Nubmer6]

Is he able to play here next season or is he committed to the KHL? He is already a late 20 with a January birthday and that's the age most of the good NA kids start out in the AHL. Most of the posts I have read from NJ posters seem to be quite high on him. I agree your take on his willingness to come here without any kind of guarantees is impressive and gives me the feeling he does want to be on this side of the ocean. He has a great group of kids to help make his arrival a pleasant experience. There are a good mix of nationalities, some real characters on this squad, and some very level headed older guys to offer him an opportunity to see how easy it would be to become a part of the Comets hockey family.

We all know the opinions the players who have come before him have of the community and they have communicated those feelings throughout the North American hockey world and maybe Europe as well. This is a hockey city and it doesn't care where you are from. They welcome every player with open arms and support them to the max.

Maybe a good visit here with a chance to familiarize himself with the community, it's offerings, and the Eastern European population will ease any nervous uncertainties he might have feared he would encounter and put those feelings to rest. On the whole the Mohawk Valley has become a very welcoming community to immigrants. from all over the world and you don't have to be a hockey player to receive the welcome.

As far as I know, we officially signed him with the agreement that he would be loaned to his KHL team next year.

Just watching him being interviewed the day he was drafted, he really seemed like he wanted to play in North America.

I'm still not sure exactly what we have in him. He was a late 1st rounder, but was viewed as a reach. He's big and a very good skater, and was reported to be good defensively, but at the same time was a converted forward (although I'm not sure exactly how long ago he converted) so he has some offensive ability. Because of that, I'm not sure if he's going to end up being a shut-down guy, offensive guy, or a true two-way defenseman.

 

[Xirik]

As far as I know, we officially signed him with the agreement that he would be loaned to his KHL team next year.

Just watching him being interviewed the day he was drafted, he really seemed like he wanted to play in North America.

I'm still not sure exactly what we have in him. He was a late 1st rounder, but was viewed as a reach. He's big and a very good skater, and was reported to be good defensively, but at the same time was a converted forward (although I'm not sure exactly how long ago he converted) so he has some offensive ability. Because of that, I'm not sure if he's going to end up being a shut-down guy, offensive guy, or a true two-way defenseman.

Wasn't Dustin Byfuglien a forward who converted to defensemen? Perhaps he'll turn out like him?