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Wild AHL prospects update
Written by: Courtney Wagner on 12/23/2006 
Josh Harding, G
Drafted: Second round, 38th overall, 2002
Height: 6'1, Weight: 195 lbs.
DOB: 06/18/1984
Josh Harding, a second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2002, is in his third season with the Houston Aeros. The netminder, Houston's all-time wins leader with 61, was in contention to be the backup to Wild starting goaltender Manny Fernandez after Minnesota traded Dwayne Roloson to the Edmonton Oilers last season. But Harding was sent back down to the Aeros just prior to the start of the Wild's current season.
Last season Harding had 29 wins, including two shutouts, a 2.68 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in 38 games. Harding’s efforts earned him a spot on the Canadian team for the AHL all-star game, but he was unable to play due to a leg injury. In three appearances with the Wild in 2005-06 he had two wins, including his first career NHL shutout, a 2.59 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. This season for Houston, as the team's starting goaltender, Harding has 11 wins, a 2.50 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 28 games. Harding has the potential to be a starting goaltender in the NHL someday.
| Team | GP | W | L | GAA | SV% | SO |
| Houston | 28 | 11 | 13 | 2.50 | .919 | 1 |
Ryan Stokes, D
Drafted: Undrafted
Height: 6'4, Weight: 200 lbs.
DOB: 06/23/1983
Ryan Stokes signed with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent in 2004. After spending one season with the ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots, Stokes moved on to the Aeros where he has remained ever since. In 2005-06 Stokes had two goals and five points in 75 games. His 164 penalty minutes were tops on the Aeros. In six postseason games he had one assist and 10 penalty minutes. In 23 games this season he has one goal and four points, along with 58 penalty minutes, which is currently tops on the team. Stokes, a defensive defenseman, is a big, strong player who can dish out hits. He is on pace to best his totals from last season.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Houston | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 58 |
Clayton Stoner, D
Drafted: Third round, 79th overall, 2004
Height: 6'3, Weight: 205 lbs.
DOB: 02/19/1985
A third-round draft pick in 2004, Clayton Stoner is in his second season with the Houston Aeros. He had a strong rookie season with six goals and 24 points, third-most for a defenseman on the team, in 73 games. In three playoff games last he notched a goal and two points. Stoner is off to a slower start this season with the Aeros, in 25 games he has one goal, five points and 48 penalty minutes. Known for his good hockey sense and strong play at both ends of the ice, Stoner is a solid all-around defenseman.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Houston | 25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 48 |
Peter Olvecky, LW
Drafted: Third round, 78th overall, 2004
Height: 6'2, Weight: 200 lbs.
DOB: 10/11/1985
Peter Olvecky, a third-round draft pick of the Wild in 2004, is in his second season with the Aeros. In his rookie season he had a solid start with 14 goals, 32 points, good for eighth on the team, and 56 penalty minutes in 67 games. In seven postseason contests in 2005-06 he had a goal and four points. In 28 games this season Olvecky has eight assists and only two goals. He is not afraid to battle for the puck and works hard to create chances for teammates.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Houston | 28 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 24 |
Roman Voloshenko, LW
Drafted: Second round, 42nd overall, 2004
Height: 6'1, Weight: 205 lbs.
DOB: 05/12/1986
Roman Voloshenko, a second-round selection in 2004, made an immediate impact in his rookie season in the AHL in 2005-06. In 69 games he notched 33 goals, fourth-best on the team and third-best for any rookie in the league, and 60 points, fifth-best on the team. In seven playoff games he had one assist. The left winger, like many of his teammates, is off to a slower start this season. In 28 games he has three goals, 12 points and a minus-8 rating. Voloshenko has an offensive upside and has a strong wrist shot. He plays physical and will battle hard for the puck in the corners. He possesses a strong work ethic and has the potential to develop into a decent power forward.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Houston | 28 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 8 |
Danny Irmen, RW
Drafted: Third round, 78th overall, 2003
Height: 6'0, Weight: 190 lbs.
DOB: 09/06/1984
Former University of Minnesota player Danny Irmen is in his rookie season with Houston. Drafted by Minnesota in the third round in 2003, Irmen played four games for the Aeros in 2005-06 and had two assists. He was scoreless in seven postseason games. At the University of Minnesota in 2005-06 Irmen, a teammate of the Boston Bruins' Phil Kessel, had 16 goals and his 38 points were good for fourth on the team. This season Irmen has eight goals, a minus-2 rating and 14 points, which is good for fifth on the team, in 30 games. Aggressive with good size, Irmen is good at creating offense and strong with or without the puck.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Houston | 30 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 10 |
Benoit Pouliot, LW
Drafted: First round, 4th overall, 2005
Height: 6'3, Weight: 195 lbs.
DOB: 09/29/1986
Benoit Pouliot, the fourth overall selection in the 2005 draft, is a rookie with the Aeros this season. In 2005-06 Pouliot played in the OHL with the Subury Wolves and notched a team-high 35 goals, 65 points, good for second on the team, and 141 penalty minutes in 51 games. Pouliot joined the Aeros in the playoffs last season and was scoreless in two games. This season he has 12 goals, tied for a team-high, 16 points and a plus-5 rating in 20 games. Pouliot also played three games with the Wild this season, going scoreless, before being sent back to the Aeros in late November. Pouliot, who has a strong offensive upside, is creative with the puck and has the potential to be an offensive force at the next level.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Minnesota | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Houston | 20 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 25 |
Matt Foy, RW
Drafted: Sixth round, 175th overall, 2002
Height: 6'2, Weight: 225 lbs.
DOB: 05/18/1983
Matt Foy, a second-year player with the Aeros, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 draft. Foy split his time in 2005-06 between the Aeros and the Wild. In Houston he had 15 goals, 40 points and 122 penalty minutes in 51 games. In 19 games with Minnesota he had two goals, five points and 16 penalty minutes. In eight postseason games with the Aeros he had five goals, eight points and 29 penalty minutes. This season Foy has also seen action with both clubs. He currently leads the Aeros with 24 points in 24 games. He is tied for the team lead in goals with 12 and has a minus-3 rating. In nine games with the Wild he is scoreless with four penalty minutes. Foy is a physical player with an offensive upside who should see more time with the Wild as he continues to improve upon his game.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Minnesota | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Houston | 24 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 40 |
Shawn Belle, D
Drafted: First round, 30th overall, 2003
Height: 6'1, Weight: 235 lbs.
DOB: 01/03/1985
Shawn Belle, currently in his second AHL season, was a first-round draft pick in 2003. In 2005-06 Belle split his time between the Iowa Stars and the Aeros. He had one goal, three points and 63 penalty minutes in 45 games with the Stars and notched one goal, two points and 18 penalty minutes in 16 games with Houston. In eight postseason games with the Aeros he had one goal. This season he has split his time between the Aeros and Wild. In 25 games with Houston he has one goal, 10 points and 32 penalty minutes. In four games with the Wild, his first in the NHL, he has one assist. A strong two-way player, Belle is a good skater and has a strong shot.
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Minnesota | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Houston | 25 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 32 |
Copyright 2006 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
Copyright 2006 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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