Dutchmen Ex-Files - 12/29/13

by Ryan Fay

The latest round-up in former Dutchmen news for the week ending December 29:

Ex-Union Player of the Week
G Keith Kinkaid (Albany, AHL)

Kinkaid won his 50th game at the AHL level and recorded his league-high fourth shutout of the season with 19 saves in a 2-0 blanking of Adirondack on Friday. The shutout, the ninth of his career, also tied an Albany franchise record for shutouts in a season - and it's only December.

Things have been pointing in the right
direction for Kinkaid this season

Kinkaid extended his shutout streak to 95 minutes and 46 seconds before allowing a second period goal in Saturday's 4-1 win over Portland. He finished the night with a season-high 38 stops.

The sterling performances helped Kinkaid gain the league lead in goals against average at 1.92. He's also in the top five in wins (13, 5th) and save percentage (.927, 5th).

“He’s a good goalie and the team plays well in front of him,” Adirondack head coach Terry Murray told the Troy Record following Friday's contest.

With another organization, those kind of numbers might put him in line for a look with the parent club, but the need just isn't there with New Jersey, which has a formidable duo in net with Cory Schneider and future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.

Albany will be glad to have Kinkaid in the meantime.

In other former Dutchmen news:

D Greg Coburn (Las Vegas, ECHL)
Coburn registered an assist in Las Vegas' 5-2 defeat to Idaho on Friday. Coburn, who took a career-high six shots on goal, has three goals and three assists in 24 contests.

G Troy Grosenick (Worcester, AHL)
Grosenick didn't have his strongest week, though apparently he didn't receive a lot of help. He tied his career-high with four goals allowed in a 4-0 loss to Portland on Thursday. On Friday, he surrendered a goal on three shots in relief duty during a 5-2 win against St. John's. He sits at 6-4-0 on the year with a 2.27 GAA (8th in the league) and a .916 save mark.

F Josh Jooris (Abbotsford, AHL)
Jooris had one of his better games as a pro in Friday's 5-1 victory over Oklahoma City. He notched a goal and an assist and finished the night with a career-high plus-3 rating.

Jooris has come on of late, picking up seven points (2 g, 5 a) in his last 12 games after being held off the scoresheet in the 12 games before that. He has a 3-9--12 line in 31 games this season.

F Wayne Simpson (South Carolina, ECHL)
Simpson assisted on what proved to be the game-winning goal in South Carolina's 3-2 win over Greenville on Friday. He's up to 15 points (8 g, 7 a) in 23 games this season. The 24-year-old still hasn't taken a single penalty this season.

D Shawn Stuart (Drakkars de Caen, French Elite League)
Stuart chipped in an assist in Drakkars' 5-3 loss to Angers on Sunday. He's the club's top scoring blueliner with six points (g, 5 a) in 16 games.
Recent feature: Catching Up With... Shawn Stuart

D Nolan Julseth-White (Las Vegas, ECHL)
Julseth-White scored his second goal of the season in Thursday's 4-3 setback to Bakersfield. The 25-year-old also has three assists in 27 games.

F Kelly Zajac (Albany, AHL)
Zajac collected an assist in Albany's win over Portland on Saturday, raising his season totals to 2-13--15 in 24 games.

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Forgaard lands in Las Vegas, joins Julseth-White

by Ryan Fay

Former Union defensemen Ryan Forgaard and Nolan Julseth-White, teammates from 2009-2012, will be reunited this season.

Forgaard signed with the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers on Thursday. Julseth-White has played with Las Vegas since the start of last season.

Forgaard (cred: Union)

"I am very excited to play with Nolan again," Forgaard said. "He was always a great teammate and a great guy. That did factor into my decision. He had great things to say about the organization and the people that surround you everyday along with the city of Las Vegas. I am extremely excited to get started and begin my professional career."

Forgaard was originally slated to start his professional career with Drakkars of the French Elite League. Forgaard and another former Union defenseman, Shawn Stuart, signed with Drakkars in June.

But the club announced on August 31 that Forgaard was moving on.

"I was in France for about a month and just felt that it was not the right fit for me and my hockey career," Forgaard said. "I spoke with my agent and asked to look for opportunities in North America and Las Vegas gave me an opportunity I couldn't turn down."

In 110 career games with Union, Forgaard collected nine assists.

Simpson to Providence Bruins camp

According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins will invite ex-Union standout Wayne Simpson to training camp.

The Boxborough, Massachusetts native recently competed in Boston Bruins rookie camp, and spent time last summer in Bruins development camp.

Simpson, 23, scored 115 points (56 goals, 59 assists) in 153 career contests with Union.

Think you know the Dutchmen?

See if you can name the leading scorer in each of the past 10 seasons in this interactive quiz. You'll have 90 seconds to do it.

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Julseth-White re-signs with Wranglers

by Ryan Fay

Former Union defenseman Nolan Julseth-White has re-signed with the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers, the club announced Thursday.

Julseth-White, the captain on Union's 2011-2012 Frozen Four team, appeared in 56 contests for the Wranglers last season. He scored three goals and added 18 assists while registering a plus-9 rating. His play in Las Vegas earned him a four-game stint with the American Hockey League's San Antonio Rampage and a single game with the AHL's Providence Bruins.

“Nolan is coming into his second year as a professional, but his maturity is far beyond that,” Wranglers head coach and general manager Mike Madill said in a release. “He is a tremendous athlete who plays every game like it’s the playoffs. If he gets a chance to climb to the American League, we may never get him back, but we’re excited that he’s chosen to start the year with us. He’s another true professional who logs a lot of minutes.”

Julseth-White, 25, is glad to return to the sin city.

“I’m excited to come back and play for a great organization and fans,” said Julseth-White. “With the group returning, I know Mike [Madill] will put together a winning product that is hungry for a championship.”

Joining Julseth-White in the ECHL is another former Union player, center Kyle Bodie, who signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones earlier this month. The two teams do not meet this year.

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AUDIO: Mougenel on Julseth-White

Julseth-White earlier this season (ecachockey.com)

by Ryan Fay

In his four years with the Dutchmen, Nolan Julseth-White was consistently one of the best defensemen on the roster. Since graduating last spring, the former captain has been playing with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL (one step below the AHL). In 36 games, he has two goals and 14 assists, better offensive numbers than he ever had at Union. He's seen as a candidate for next week's ECHL All-Star game in Loveland, Colorado.

For an update on Julseth-White, I chatted with his head coach, Ryan Mougenel. The Las Vegas coach discusses what impresses him about Julseth-White, his potential, and more.

Listen to Mougenel's remarks here or via the player below. The mp3 runs just under five minutes.

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