The Bridgeport Sound Tigers: First Look

By Joe Muccia
Recently, the Islanders announced some of the front office and staff of their brand new AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport SoundTigers. Gordie Clark was named the General Manager and Steve Stirling was hired shortly after as the first head coach of the new franchise. David Baseggio was hired as an assistant coach, with the expressed purpose of working with the Isles young defensive prospects. Former Islanders owner Roy Boe owns the SoundTigers. It is kind of weird how that worked out; Boe left the Worcester Ice Cats organization (the St. Louis Blues primary affiliate) to return to an Islanders organization that he brought into the NHL.

I would like to look at the possible roster for the SoundTigers, broken down by position. For the most part the list is done in no particular order. Some of the players listed may stay in their native countries or at college so this list could very well change before the puck drops on the SoundTigers first game.

Center

Along with defense and goaltending, this is one of the deepest positions for the SoundTigers. Due to depth on the Islanders, some possible NHLers will probably appear on the Tigers roster.

1. Justin Mapletoft – the Isles 5th pick in 1999 had a monster season for the WHL Red Deer Rebels. He posted 43 goals and 120 points in 70 games. Under the tutelage of former Islanders great, Brent Sutter, the 5’11″, 207lb. center took his game to new heights. Originally thought of as a defensive prospect, his offensive explosion was an unexpected surprise. Expect to see Justin centering the Tigers first or second line and playing in all situations.

2. Jason Krog – signed as an undrafted free agent, his contract has expired and there has been no word whether or not the Isles will resign him. They do retain his rights though. There is no doubt Jason has excellent vision and passing skills. His biggest problem is size and footwork. Last year, Ottawa defenseman Karel Rachunek destroyed Jason behind the Ottawa net while he was making a pass into the slot. If he was more fleet of foot he might have avoided the check that cost him a good portion of his season. Before the injury, Jason showed excellent poise and skill on the Isles dreadful power play. If retained by the Isles, Jason could also find himself centering the Tigers first or second line and getting considerable power play time.

3. Petr Mika – the 6’4″, 195lbs. centerman is huge. Mika is still young at 23 and could, with the right program, put some weight on his tall frame. He was out of his element in the few games he played for the Isles in the 1999-2000 season. He seems to be destined for third line duty with the Tigers.

4. Brian Collins – Collins is the wildcard of the bunch. He is more offensively talented than Mika and this alone would put him ahead on the Tigers depth chart. Collins, drafted in the 3rd round in 1999, had an excellent season for the Terriers, showing proficiency on the power play and even scoring a hat trick during the Beanpot Tournament. In all probability, the young centerman will return to Boston University for his final two years.

5. Marco Charpentier – posted 57 goals and 112 points in 71 games for Baie Comeau (QMJHL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent after attending the Isles 2000 training camp. Marco scored in all situations (15 PPG’s, 6 SHG’s and 9 GWG’s for Baie Comeau) and has good size at 6′, 200lbs. He could be one of those undrafted gems that makes a difference. Look for him to end up in Bridgeport or with the Trenton Titans (the Isles ECHL affiliate).

6. Shawn Bates – due to the Isles depth at center, the versatile Bates could find himself playing on the Tigers. He is a natural center, but can play any forward position. Shawn has played for Isles Head Coach Peter Laviolette during stints with the Bruins and AHL Providence. He has great speed and aptitude for penalty killing and the defensive aspects of hockey. He is also talented enough offensively to not look out of place on the power play. If Krog is not retained, Bates will take his place as the first or second line center. If Krog is signed, Bates will probably shift to left wing, due to the lack of depth there.

The Islanders also own the rights to centers Bjorn Melin, Juha-Pekka Ketola and Dmitri Upper. At last years training camp, Upper played well having a gritty in-your-face style mixed with decent puck skills. He returned to his Russian team needing to work on face offs and bulking up his 176lb. frame. While, Upper will most likely be at camp, it is unknown if Melin and Ketola will attend. The Isles also have 2001 4th round pick, Cory Stillman, but due to organizational depth at center he could find himself back in juniors. The Isles feel Stillman could be the steal of the 2001 draft.

Left Wing

This is probably the thinnest position for the Tigers. The only legitimate left wing prospect, Raffi Torres, has a better than average shot at making the Islanders in September.

1. Raffi Torres – at 5’11″, 207 lbs. Raffi is built like a tank. He has the ability to score from anywhere (goal crease, booming slapper, you name it he can do it), deliver the big hit, make the pretty pass, backcheck, forecheck and win a fight. He posted 33 goals, 70 points and 76 PIM’s in 55 games for Brampton. His value to a team cannot be estimated, proof: his one game suspension in the OHL playoffs sent Brampton into a spiral that eventually cost them the hard-fought series. If Raffi does not make the Isles, he will be the first line left wing on even strength and power plays.

Right Wing

Where the Tigers have almost no depth at left wing, the total opposite is true of right wing. The Tigers could have at least four solid players available for the start of the season.

1. Juraj Kolnik – While with the Isles last year, he at times looked like a child skating with the adults, even so there is no doubting Juraj’s offensive skills. He has a rocket, proven at the expense of the Edmonton Oilers (hopefully for the Isles with the first of many two goal games) last year. At 5’10″, 182 lbs. Kolnik is small and not especially fast but he has been working hard to improve his skating and back checking. A pure sniper, this youngster could find himself on the Islanders next year due to lack of goal scorers.

2. Mattias Weinhandl – Prior to the Sedin brothers turning pro with the Canucks, it was thought that they carried Mattias along when he was the right wing for them. He destroyed that myth by leading perennial Swedish Elite powerhouse MoDo in points, power play goals and game winning goals. He finished second in league MVP voting to present day Toronto Maple Leaf Mikeal Renberg. He has excellent hands, speed and passing ability. If Mattias comes to the U.S. he will probably end up in Bridgeport to get used to North American hockey and lifestyle.

3. Trent Hunter – A big man at 6’3″, 195 lbs., Hunter excels at doing the dirty work in the corners and at the crease. Tough to move and defend against, his biggest knock has been his skating, which he has been working on improving. Not especially quick, but with excellent hands, he could develop into a Dave Andreychuk-type player. Depending on where Kolnik and Weinhandl end up, Hunter could play right wing on any one of the top three lines along with power play.

4. Marko Tuomainen – Although he posted excellent numbers at Lowell last year, he was unable to duplicate those numbers for the Kings. Marko has good hockey sense and plays excellent defensive hockey. Offensively, he has a deceptive wrist shot and a booming slapshot. Due to the plethora of offensive talent that will possibly be in Bridgeport next year, Marko will undoubtedly draw many of the penalty killing and checking line assignments.

5. Alexander Kharitonov – Unfortunately for Alex, he has three things going against him: he is small, he does not have goal scorers’ instincts and finally he is a right winger (of which this organization has many). He does have excellent speed, passing ability and chemistry with Alexei Yashin. With Czerkawski, Parrish and possibly Kolnik and/or Tuomainen manning the right side on Long Island, this speedy winger could find himself in Bridgeport.

The Islanders also own the rights to Kristofer Ottosson. It is unknown whether Ottosson will come over from Sweden to attend camp.

Defense

This year the Islanders made a concerted effort to improve not only the defensive depth of the organization but the quality of that depth. Both Aris Brimanis and Anders Myrvold are gone. Brimanis was not resigned (the Ducks signed Aris Aug. 1st) and Myrvold spurned an Islanders offer and returned to Europe. To replace them the Islanders signed Dick Tarnstrom, Marko Kiprosuff and brought back Ray Giroux. Branislav Mezei will almost certainly be on the Island this year. That will free up one spot in Bridgeport. With Hamrlik, Jonsson, Haller, Cairns, Mezei, Aucoin and Sutton rounding out the Isles top seven defensive spots many good young defenders will find themselves in Bridgeport. With the organization now having depth, the youngsters will be in Bridgeport refining their game and not being thrown to the wolves on the Island, as was the case in the last few years.

1. Ray Giroux – Ray returns to the Isles organization after a year hiatus in Finland. He played well there and was one of his team’s most dependable defenders. The Isles can only hope that Ray’s time in Finland does for him what it did for Brian Rafalski of the Devils. At only 6′, 180lbs. he gets pushed around a bit as a defender. With any luck, Ray used his time in Finland to improve his positional play. Ray has excellent speed, passing skills and vision. At times during the 1999-2000 season, Butch Goring even used him as a forward. He remains a very capable power play point man. In addition to power play duties, Ray will probably play on one of the two top defensive pairings in Bridgeport.

2. Marko Kiprosuff – Older brother of the Sharks goaltender, Mikka Kiprosuff, Marko was originally a Montreal Canadiens draft pick. A close friend of Montreal captain Saku Koivu, Marko has decent puck skills and hockey smarts. He plays a conservative style that leads to few errors. He does not take many chances. More of a stay at home defenseman, Marko will probably be paired with a puck rushing defenseman. Depending on whether he adapts to North American hockey better than his last attempt, Marko could end up anywhere in the top six of the Tigers defense.

3. Dick Tarnstrom – Of average size, Tarnstrom has very good puck skills. He effectively makes the first pass out of the defensive zone. Like Marko Kiprosuff, Tarnstrom plays a conservative style, but with good individual skills. Tarnstrom has good offensive and defensive instincts so he may end up playing in all situations (PP, PK and regular shift). Because he plays a more consistent two-way game, he has a good shot to be one of the top four defensemen on the Tigers.

4. Evgeny Korolev – At 6’1″, 186lbs., Korolev is a steady low-risk defenseman who has played well for the Islanders on emergency call-up basis. Recently resigning with the Isles for two years, he also holds the distinction of being drafted by the Isles twice. Although not terribly big, Korolev combines decent positional play and good passing skills. Larger forwards can push him around and this is his downfall. He will likely round out the top four in Bridgeport. If he cannot bulk up to improve his play against larger forwards that are prevelant in the NHL, who could be a staple of the Tigers defense for a long time.

5. Radek Martinek – This 6’1″, 200lb. defender could possibly play on the top defensive pairing in Bridgeport. He skates well and is a good shooter. After his impressive showing at the World’s, it was thought that he might even push Haller and/or Sutton out of a job at Nassau Coliseum. Keep an eye on Radek; I believe he has the best chance out of this group to end up permanently with the Islanders.

6. Ray Schultz – “Sgt.” Schultz, as he is called, has also played well for the Isles when called upon. He plays a hard checking, sandpaper-in-your swimsuit style that is appreciated by fans and teammates alike. Additionally, “Sarge” is not afraid to drop the gloves to come to the defense of a teammate. He plays within his limits and is a solid no-frills/thrills defenseman who does his best to get the job done. He doesn’t have the skills to be an everyday NHL defenseman, but will be there when the Isles call. The fans in Bridgeport will love the intensity that Schultz will bring every night, especially when he crunches some unfortunate opposing player into the boards.

7. Chris Armstrong – Signed to a one-year contract on Aug. 1st by the Isles, Armstrong was an unrestricted free agent who had played three games for the Minnesota Wild last year. The 6′, 215lb. left-handed shooting defenseman will provide even more depth for the staff at Bridgeport

In addition to the players listed above, the Islanders own the rights to defensemen Johan Halvardsson, Arto Tukio and Ryan Caldwell, but it is not known whether any of the three will even attend Islander training camp in September.

Goalies

It seems that the Islanders have a glut of goaltenders. They just don’t have glut of experienced goaltenders. It also seems to be Mike Milbury’s wish that Rick DiPietro remain with the Islanders this year. Unfortunately, it would be much better for his development and confidence if he started the year in Bridgeport. I will not list DiPietro here because of this.

1. Stephen Valiquette – It looked as if “Big Valley” was ready to stake his claim in the NHL last year. John Vanbiesbrouck’s wonky back had him in and out of the lineup. Wade Flaherty was in need of a back-up and then wouldn’t you know it, one of Valiquette’s Springfield Falcon teammates stepped on his barefoot with a skate in the locker room. The damage done to his foot healed but another chance was missed buy the amiable goalie. Stephen is the biggest goalie to ever play in an NHL game (yes even bigger than Ken Dryden). Unless DiPietro ends up in Bridgeport or “Big Valley” is totally outplayed by Salficky and/or St. Germain, Stephen should have the inside track on the number one goalie spot. He challenges well, has good lateral movement and is surprisingly agile for a big man. In addition to those qualities he is one of the nicest people in the game. Stephen recently resigned with the Islanders for two years.

2. Dusan Salficky – The Islanders are hoping to reproduce the magic the Flyers came up with last year. In a move reminiscent of the Flyers and Roman Cechmanek, the Isles drafted the 29-year-old Salficky in the 5th round of this year’s draft. Dusan was considered one of the top goalies in the Czech Extra League. The physically flexible Salficky and the Islanders both haggled a bit, but in the end were able to hammer out a one-year one-way contract. There is the possibility that Salficky could end up on the Island with Garth Snow. Regardless of where he ends up, from his interviews Dusan seems to have an engaging personality and maybe has something to prove. The competition will do both the Isles and SoundTigers good.

3. David St. Germain – Teammate of Marco Charpentier on Baie Comeau (QMJHL), the underrated St. Germain posted very respectable numbers for a goalie in the run-and-gun “Q” (G-53, W/L 32-13-4, 3.48 GAA, .899 save percentage). His numbers got even better in the playoffs where he went 6-4-0 with a shutout, 2.55 GAA and .920 save percentage. With David being relatively young and the crease on the Island and Bridgeport already crowded, he could be destined for Trenton. It won’t be long before fans start seeing him in a SoundTiger uniform.

Conclusion

For the first time in quite a while, the Islanders have organizational depth. The quality of that depth has been improved markedly. They will also benefit from having a farm team that is only a short ferry ride away. They also have chosen the staff so that the Islanders management can be comfortable in knowing that a coaching theory and style that they approve of is being taught. Hopefully, the Islanders will have a long and successful relationship with Bridgeport in the same manner as the Sabres and their top farm, the Rochester Americans or the St. Louis Blues and the Worcester Ice Cats and the Colorado Avalanche and the Hershey Bears. The foundation of any great team starts with the quality of its top developmental farm team. Players that are taught by an AHL staff that is of one mind with the NHL club staff are easier to plug into the parent teams lineup. Good luck SoundTigers, I for one can’t wait to see your graduates don the white, blue and orange!