Stu Bickel

History

2008-09: In his first professional season, Stu Bickel battled injuries, playing in only 21 games with the Iowa Chops of the AHL, posting 1 assist and 51 penalty minutes.

2009-10: Split the season between the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL, where he posted 1 goal, 12 assists, and 50 penalty minutes, and the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, where he posted 2 goals and 2 assists in 36 games.

2010-11: Bickel opened his third pro season with Anaheim AHL affiliate Syracuse before a November trade which sent him to the Rangers organization in exchange for defenseman Nigel Williams. Bickel fit right into the tough guy mode of the Whale, who had five players with 130 or more penalty minutes. In 54 games with Connecticut Bickel had 135 PMs and was -2 with 2 goals and 7 assists. Bickel appeared in all six playoff games for the Whale and had 1 assist with 6 PMs. In six games with Syracuse prior to the trade he had 14 PMs and 3 assists and was +1. In one game with ECHL Elmira Bickel was scoreless and -3 with no PMs.

2011-12: Called up in December from AHL Connecticut, Bickel played more than expected due to injuries among the Rangers defense corps, particularly in mid-March, and his physical, defense-first style fit in nicely with the Rangers approach. He had 9 assists in 51 games for the Rangers and was plus-two with 108 penalty minutes (including 10 major penalties); averaging 10:26 minutes of ice time per game. Bickel appeared in 18 games during the Rangers' playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals. Averaging just over five minutes of ice time, he was minus-three with no points and 16 penalty minutes.  Bickel played 27 AHL games for the Whale and was plus-four with 1 goal, 3 assists, and 80 penalty minutes.

 

Talent Analysis

A physical stay-at-home defenseman, Bickel has good size and an unpleasant on-ice disposition.

 

Future

Connecticut’s tough guy, Bickel may have some potential for playing that role for the NHL team.