Blues AHL prospects update

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Written by: Courtney Wagner on 01/12/2006

Jason Bacashihua

The Peoria Rivermen are now the St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate, previously their ECHL affiliate. The Alaska Aces are now the organization's AA affiliate. Below is a look at how the Blues prospects have done this year with both teams.

Goaltenders

Jason Bacashihua

Drafted: 26th, 2001

Height/Weight: 5'11, 175 lbs.

Bacashihua started the season with Peoria, where he had nine wins, a 2.63 goals against average and two shutouts in 15 games. In December, the Blues exchanged Patrick Lalime and Reinhard Divis with Bacashihua and Curtis Sanford. He made his NHL debut on Dec. 16th in relief of Sanford and has had a rocky start in the NHL with three wins in 10 games, a 3.95 goals against average and a .864 save percentage.

A first-round draft pick by the Dallas Stars in 2001, Jason Bacashihua was traded to the Blues in 2004 in exchange for Shawn Belle. Playing in the AHL since 2002, he played 35 games for the Worcester IceCats in 2004-05, then the St. Louis affiliate. He came away with 18 wins, a 2.51 goals against average, a .902 save percentage and two shutouts. A highly touted goaltender who has displayed tremendous confidence, Bacashihua has the natural talent and the instincts to become a No.1 goaltender in the NHL. His talent has garnered him a spot with the Blues this season.

Team	GP	W	L	GAA	SV%	SO
Peoria	15	9	4	2.63	.903	2
St. Louis	10	3	4	3.95	.864	0

Defensemen

Jeff Woywitka

Drafted: 27th, 2001

Height/Weight: 6'3, 215 lbs.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2001, Jeff Woywitka has been part of two NHL trades since. In 2003 Philadelphia sent him to Edmonton for Mike Comrie. This past summer Woywitka was part of the package that was sent to St. Louis in exchange for Chris Pronger. Last season he was the top scoring defenseman on the Edmonton Road Runners with six goals and 26 points in 80 games.

Woywitka has good size at 6'3 and 215 lbs., and is effective on the power play. He has split his time between the Blues and Rivermen this season. In 10 games with the Blues he went scoreless with 14 penalty minutes and a -6 rating. In 23 games with Peoria he has struggled a bit overall, with one goal, four points and a -1 rating.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	23	1	3	4	23	-1
St. Louis	10	0	0	0	14	-6

Dennis Wideman

Drafted: 241st, 2002

Height/Weight: 6'0, 200 lbs.

Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2002, Dennis Wideman signed with the Blues as a free agent in 2004. In his first pro season in 2004-05 with Worcester, Wideman displayed his offensive skills with 13 goals and 43 points in 79 games, best for a defenseman on the team and third best overall. Solid at both ends of the ice, Wideman has a strong shot and is effective on the power play. He has shown the ability to continue his offensive production since moving up from the junior ranks. He has split his time between Peoria and St. Louis this season and is currently with the Blues. In 12 games with the Rivermen, he has two goals, six points and a -1 rating. With the Blues he has three goals, 11 points and a -9 rating in 26 games. His 11 points are second best on the team for a defenseman.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
St. Louis	26	3	8	11	35	-9
Peoria	12	2	4	6	31	-1

Trevor Byrne

Drafted: 143rd, 1999

Height/Weight: 6'3, 205 lbs.

Drafted in the fifth round by the Blues in 1999, Trevor Byrne re-signed with the Blues this past summer. In 2004-05 he split his time between Peoria and Worcester. In 33 games with the Rivermen he had six goals, 18 points and 28 penalty minutes. In the 40 games he played with the IceCats he had one goal, seven points and 18 penalty minutes.

At 6'3 and 205 lbs., Byrne has good size and athletic ability. He plays aggressive and physical and has shown consistent offensive ability. In 35 games with Peoria this season he has two goals, 18 points and 22 penalty minutes.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	35	2	16	18	22	0

Aaron MacKenzie

Free agent signee

Height/Weight: 6'0, 193 lbs.

Signed by the Blues as a free agent in 2003, Aaron MacKenzie joined the Worcester IceCats that same year, after he graduated from the University of Denver. A stay-at-home defenseman who will play physical, MacKenzie plays well at both ends of the ice. He has put up consistent numbers in the last two seasons in Worcester. In 2004-05 he had two goals, 15 points and 106 penalty minutes in 75 games. He has been sidelined most of this season with Peoria due to a broken finger and has two points and 10 penalty minutes in 10 games. He returns to the lineup tonight.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	10	1	1	2	10	1

Forwards

Peter Sejna

Free agent signee

Height/Weight: 5'11, 194 lbs.

Peter Sejna has split his time between Peoria and the Blues this season. He has been called up twice and has a goal and an assist in six games and a +1 rating. The former winner of the Hobey Baker award in 2002, for being the top U.S. collegiate player, is currently tied for first in scoring for the Rivermen with 17 goals, 41 points and a +1 rating in 31 games. These totals also put him seventh in the league scoring race. He was selected to the PlanetUSA All-Star squad by AHL coaches this week.

Sejna has tremendous offensive potential and hockey sense, but needs to prove he has what it takes to stay in the big league for the long haul. He was just assigned to Peoria again and will need to display his skills in order to receive another call-up.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	31	17	24	41	12	0
St. Louis	6	1	1	2	4	+1

Lee Stempniak

Drafted: 148th, 2003

Height/Weight: 5'11, 202 lbs.

In his first year out of college, Lee Stempniak has split his time between the Blues and the Rivermen. In 2004-05, his senior year at Dartmouth College, he had 14 goals, 43 points and 34 penalty minutes. He was captain of his team and was in the running for the Hobey Baker award. A quick, speedy player, Stempniak has shown he can contribute offensively, which has gotten him a few call-ups to the Blues this season. In 24 games with St. Louis he has three goals, seven points and a -5 rating. In 11 games with Peoria he has two goals, six points and a +2 rating.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
St. Louis	24	3	4	7	10	-5
Peoria	11	2	4	6	14	+2

Jon DiSalvatore

Drafted: 104th, 2000

Height/Weight: 6'1, 180 lbs.

In his third season in the AHL, after graduating from Providence College in 2003, Jon DiSalvatore has yet to appear in his first NHL game, despite putting up consistent numbers the last two seasons and displaying more offense this season with Peoria. Last season with Worcester, DiSalvatore netted 22 goals and 45 points in 79 games, good for second on the team. The year previous with the Cleveland Barons he had 46 points in 74 games.

Known for having a strong work ethic and good hockey sense, DiSalvatore has good two-way awareness and will battle for the puck along the boards and in the corners. He currently sits third in scoring for the Rivermen with nine goals, 31 points and a -3 rating in 34 games, and is on pace to obtain a career high in points in the AHL.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	34	9	22	31	24	-3

Colin Hemingway

Drafted: 221st, 1999

Height/Weight: 6'0, 195 lbs.

A standout player in the junior ranks who was very offensive-minded, Colin Hemingway has yet to display that kind of offensive skill at the next level. In 2004-05 he split is time between the ECHL and the AHL. In 20 games with Peoria in the ECHL he had eight goals, 18 points and six penalty minutes. In 24 games with Worcester he had five goals, seven points and six penalty minutes.

Hemingway was briefly called up by the Blues this season, recording no points in three games and a -2 rating. He has played only 12 games with Peoria, due to injury, notching six goals, 12 points and a +1 rating. He has been sidelined for the past six weeks with a back injury.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	12	6	6	12	13	+1
St. Louis	3	0	0	0	0	-2

Troy Riddle

Drafted: 129th, 2000

Height/Weight: 5'10, 175 lbs.

A former NCAA champion with the University of Minnesota Gophers in 2002 and 2003, Troy Riddle split his first season out of college between Peoria and Worcester in 2004-05. He combined for 13 goals and 27 points in 56 games. Riddle is solid defensively and comes through with clutch goals. To get a shot with the Blues he will have to display more offense. In 32 games with Peoria this season he has eight goals, 16 points and a +4 rating.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	32	8	8	16	28	+4

Konstantin Zakharov

Drafted: 101st, 2003

Height/Weight: 6'1, 200 lbs.

Zakharov, a native of Belarus, has returned to his homeland to play midseason. After playing with the Worcester IceCats in his first season in the AHL in 2004-05, he started with the Rivermen this season, was demoted to the Alaska Aces and is not currently on either roster. In 2004-05 with the IceCats he had four goals, 14 points and a -6 rating in 59 games. He was also a member of Team Belarus at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championship where he had three goals and five points in six games. He is now playing for HC Minsk in the Belarussian League.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Alaska	8	0	2	2	4	+1

ECHL

Chris Beckford-Tseu, G

Drafted: 159th, 2003

Height/Weight: 6'3, 205 lbs.

Drafted by St. Louis in 2003, Chris Beckford-Tseu started his pro career in 2004-05, playing in the ECHL with Peoria. In 29 games he had 11 wins, a .908 save percentage and a career best 2.71 goals against average. Beckford-Tseu's size, at 6'2 and 205 lbs., enables him to cover a lot of the net, making it difficult for opposing players to find an opening against him. He is currently with the Aces, although has played three games for Peoria where he had one win, a .833 save percentage and a 4.76 goals against average. He has fared much better with the Aces where he has posted 11 wins and no losses in 13 games. He has a .931 save percentage, two shutouts and a 1.89 goals against average. Beckford-Tseu was selected to be a starter in the ECHL All-Star game later this month. He's one of three representatives for the high-flying Aces.

Team	GP	W	L	GAA	SV%	SO
Alaska	13	11	0	1.89	.931	2
Peoria	3	1	1	4.76	.833	0

Doug Lynch, D

Drafted: 43rd, 2001

Height/Weight: 6'3, 210 lbs.

One of three players sent to St. Louis from Edmonton for Chris Pronger this past summer, Doug Lynch spent the 2004-05 season with the Edmonton Road Runners of the AHL. In 74 games he had one goal, 14 points and 109 penalty minutes. In 29 games this season with Peoria he had two points, 57 penalty minutes and a +2 rating. He was recently demoted to Alaska.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	29	0	2	2	57	+2
Alaska	1	0	0	0	0	-1

Zack FitzGerald, D

Drafted: 88th, 2003

Height/Weight: 6'2, 209 lbs.

In his first professional season, Zack FitzGerald has split his time between the Alaska Aces of the ECHL and Peoria. Known for playing a mean, physical style of game, FitzGerald's penalty minutes have reflected that. In his four seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds he led the team in penalty minutes twice, by a wide margin, and was second on the team in the other two seasons.

Apart from being a physical presence, FitzGerald is responsible in his own end and can also contribute offensively. In six games with Peoria this season he has two points and 21 penalty minutes. In the 12 games he has played with Alaska he also has two points and leads the team in penalty minutes with 108.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Alaska	12	1	1	2	108	+4
Peoria	6	1	1	2	21	+1

D.J. King, LW

Drafted: 190th, 2002

Height/Weight: 6'3, 230 lbs.

D.J. King played his first season in the AHL in 2004-05 with the Worcester IceCats where he had six goals, 14 points and 178 penalty minutes in 74 games. Known for being a tough, physical player, King uses his 6'3, 230 lbs. frame and works hard on the ice. This season with Peoria he has three goals, five points in 33 games and his 94 penalty minutes are second most on the team behind Rocky Thompson. He was demoted to Alaska this week along with Lynch, but it is scheduled to only be a five-game conditioning assignment.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	33	3	2	5	94	-6
Alaska	1	0	0	0	0	-1

Ryan Ramsay, C

Free agent signee

Height/Weight: 5'11, 200 lbs.

A free agent signing in 2005, Ryan Ramsay played his first pro season, in 2004-05, with Worcester. In 46 games he had six goals, 18 points and 93 penalty minutes. Ramsay plays with grit, but has not shown as much offense as he displayed while playing junior. He started the season with Peoria, playing 26 games with three goals, eight points and 41 penalty minutes, but was sent down to the ECHL. In seven games with the Aces he has five goals, 11 points and 17 penalty minutes.

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Peoria	26	3	5	8	41	0
Alaska	7	5	6	11	17	-5

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