Griffins Signings
The Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate announced the signing of a couple players today. The players have been signed to amateur tryouts. The Free Press has an article on the announcement.
The Grand Rapids Griffins…signed three players to amateur tryouts, including Nebraska-Omaha forward and Portage native Scott Parse. The Griffins also signed Red Wings draft pick and center Mattias Ritola and defenseman Cleve Kinley.
Scott Parse is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award for the second straight season. Michigan forward TJ Hensick is also a finalist for the award which is awarded to the player judged to be the best hockey player in the NCAA.
Hockey’s Future has a write-up on each of the finalists. Here is part of what they had to say about Parse:
…The Portage, MI native completed his collegiate career earlier this month and will leave Omaha as the greatest player that the program has ever produced. He is the only repeat Hobey Baker finalist this year. Parse capped his senior campaign leading the team for the fourth straight season with 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists). He holds nearly all school records by a forward including career points (197), goals (79), assists (118), power play goals (24) and career games played (159). Parse was recently selected to the CCHA All-Conference First Team for the third time in his career, becoming just the eighth player in CCHA history to accomplish the feat.
Parse is technically still a prospect with Los Angeles but their rights to sign him expire in mid-August. It could be the case that Detroit is giving him an amateur tryout and would sign him if the tryout goes well once he is available as a free agent. Here is part of Hockey’s Future’s commentary on TJ Hensick:
The Howell, MI native will leave Ann Arbor as the most decorated Wolverine in a decade and one of the greatest to ever don the maize and blue. Hensick currently leads the nation in scoring with 69 points (21 goals, 46 assists) and points per game (1.68). Though there are still four teams still playing in what is left of the 2006-07 season, it is unlikely that any of those teams’ players will tie or surpass Hensick’s point total. One of Hensick’s most remarkable stats this season is how few games he was held pointless. Of the 41 games that he appeared in, Hensick was held without a point in only nine of them and never went more than two games without a point. Recently, he was named to the CCHA All-Conference First Team. This was Hensick’s third All-First Team selection in his career, becoming just the seventh player in CCHA history to accomplish the feat.
Hensick leaves the collegiate ranks having also joined some elite company in the illustrious history of Michigan Wolverines hockey. He became just the 12th player in the program’s history and the first in a decade to reach the 200-point mark. His 138 career assists ranks tied for fourth all-time.
Mattias Ritola was Detroit’s fourth selection in the 2005 NHL draft. He has played in Sweden since then. Here is how Red Wings Central rates him as a prospect:
Projection: The Red Wings like Ritola’s individual skills, but his 2005-06 season wasn’t overwhelming. Ritola is on a short leash with the new signing guidelines for European prospects, meaning he must sign by June 2007. He’ll need a big year in 2006-07 to get a contract.
He also has an awesome Flock of Seagulls inspired ‘do:
What, no skinny tie?
Photo: Red Wings Central
On January 29th Matt Wuest over at Red Wings Central wrote an article titled “Ritola Under the Gun“. It sounds like Ritola was in a less than ideal situation early in the season:
“The coach (in Leksands) didn’t want anything to do with junior players, so (Ritola was) a fourth-line player in a league where he has the potential to dominate,” said Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson. “[The coach] is all about…dump [and chase]. Ritola’s not that kind of player.”
So Ritola was transferred to Borlange where evidently he has played well enough to warrant a contact. He’s a skilled guy with decent size but evidently struggles with putting in a consistent effort.
Cleve Kinley Mattias Ritola Michigan Hockey Red Wings Scott Parse TJ HensickNo Comments
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