Published by Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners Media Relations and Broadcast Manager
Many themes marked the inaugural season of the Maine Mariners. They had an uncanny comeback ability. They were nearly invincible in overtime and shootouts. They were an elite team on their home ice. But the 2018-19 Maine Mariners were a group comprised of a lot more than a delicate few. There were fan favorites and mainstays, rookies and veterans, draft picks and college graduates, a deep pool of 59 men that wore a Mariners sweater at one point or another. A group of players that all had a unique hand in creating the memories that made up the first season of Mariners hockey.
Let's begin with that number of 59. If you pull up the Mariners stat page from 2018-19, you'll see 57 names. Not included, would be goaltenders Domenic Graham and A.J. Whiffen, who we'll discuss later in this blog entry. They never appeared in game action, but dressed as backup netminders, at one point or another. The figure of 59 was more than 13 players higher than the league average of 45.5. The Mariners' number led the league, with Atlanta's 58 a close second. Orlando (54), Fort Wayne (54), Wichita (53), Norfolk (51), and Manchester (50) were the other teams to reach the 50 player plateau. Brabham Cup (best regular season record) winning Cincinnati used the fewest amount of players, with a shockingly low 28. There doesn't seem to be a correlation between success and number of players used, however, as Orlando, Fort Wayne, and Manchester were all playoff teams.
Forwards
Defensemen
-Ryan Culkin (Laval)
Many themes marked the inaugural season of the Maine Mariners. They had an uncanny comeback ability. They were nearly invincible in overtime and shootouts. They were an elite team on their home ice. But the 2018-19 Maine Mariners were a group comprised of a lot more than a delicate few. There were fan favorites and mainstays, rookies and veterans, draft picks and college graduates, a deep pool of 59 men that wore a Mariners sweater at one point or another. A group of players that all had a unique hand in creating the memories that made up the first season of Mariners hockey.
THE EVER CHANGING HOCKEY LEAGUE
 |
| Most of the players that made the team out of training camp were not on the roster at season's end |
Let's begin with that number of 59. If you pull up the Mariners stat page from 2018-19, you'll see 57 names. Not included, would be goaltenders Domenic Graham and A.J. Whiffen, who we'll discuss later in this blog entry. They never appeared in game action, but dressed as backup netminders, at one point or another. The figure of 59 was more than 13 players higher than the league average of 45.5. The Mariners' number led the league, with Atlanta's 58 a close second. Orlando (54), Fort Wayne (54), Wichita (53), Norfolk (51), and Manchester (50) were the other teams to reach the 50 player plateau. Brabham Cup (best regular season record) winning Cincinnati used the fewest amount of players, with a shockingly low 28. There doesn't seem to be a correlation between success and number of players used, however, as Orlando, Fort Wayne, and Manchester were all playoff teams.
MAINSTAYS & FREQUENT FLYERS
 |
| Dwyer Tschantz, named most improved player, was one of four on the roster from start to finish |
Of the 59 eventual Mariners, just four can say they spent the entire season on the active roster. Forwards Ryan Ferrill and Dwyer Tchantz, along with defensemen Brycen Martin and Garrett Cecere were the only players who made the team out of training camp and never left through season's end. While Taylor Cammarata led the team in total games played with 73 (between three teams), Ferrill suited up in more Mariners games than anyone, skating in 68. Forwards Terrence Wallin and Drew Melanson, defensemen Zach Tolkinen, Ryan Culkin and Derek Pratt, and goaltender Chris Nell were on both the opening night and final game rosters, but all spent AHL time in between at at least one point in the season. Wallin was the busiest traveler on the ECHL-AHL shuttle, loaned four different times to Hartford (Nov. 19th, Dec. 6th, Jan. 16th, Mar. 7th). Speaking of AHL call ups, 24 of the 59 players saw AHL time. The list:
Forwards
-Greg Chase (Hartford)
-Terrence Wallin (Hartford)
-Drew Melanson (Hartford)
-Ty Ronning (Hartford)
-Morgan Adams-Moisan (Laval)
-Alex Kile (Utica, Hartford, Laval)
-Ryan Gropp (Hartford)
-Riley Bourbonnais (Iowa)
-Shawn St-Amant (Hartford)
-Dawson Leedahl (Hartford)
-Antoine Waked (Laval)
-Hayden Verbeek (Laval)
-Terrence Wallin (Hartford)
-Drew Melanson (Hartford)
-Ty Ronning (Hartford)
-Morgan Adams-Moisan (Laval)
-Alex Kile (Utica, Hartford, Laval)
-Ryan Gropp (Hartford)
-Riley Bourbonnais (Iowa)
-Shawn St-Amant (Hartford)
-Dawson Leedahl (Hartford)
-Antoine Waked (Laval)
-Hayden Verbeek (Laval)
-Michael Pezzetta (Laval)
Defensemen
-Ryan Culkin (Laval)
-Derek Pratt (Hartford, Utica)
-Sean Day (Hartford)
-Josh Wesley (Charlotte, Hartford)
-Scott Savage (Milwaukee)
-Zach Tolkinen (Hartford)
-Sean Day (Hartford)
-Josh Wesley (Charlotte, Hartford)
-Scott Savage (Milwaukee)
-Zach Tolkinen (Hartford)
-Vince Pedrie (Hartford, Milwaukee)
-Adam Plant (Laval)
Goaltenders
-Brandon Halverson (Hartford)
-Connor LaCouvee (Utica, Laval)
-Chris Nell (Hartford)
-Adam Plant (Laval)
Goaltenders
-Brandon Halverson (Hartford)
-Connor LaCouvee (Utica, Laval)
-Chris Nell (Hartford)
WE HARDLY KNEW YA
 |
| Chris Ordoobadi's Mariners career was brief (at least for 2018-19), but he can say he was a Wild Blueberry |
The players that wore a Mariners uniform for the shortest duration? Emergency backup goaltender A.J. Whiffen takes the cake, having spent just two days with the team on January 8th and 9th when the Mariners visited his home island of Newfoundland. Fellow goaltender Domenic Graham was signed to a SPC on March 5th and spent two weeks with the team before his release on March 19th. He served as backup for two games. Four position players played just two games in a Maine uniform: forwards Charles-Eric Legare, Michael Marnell, and Chris Ordoobadi, and defenseman Rich Boyd.
CAN I GET YOUR NUMBER?
 |
| Ed Minney was one of five Mariners goalies to wear #35 |
Perhaps the greatest victim of the frequent player movement was equipment manager Mark Riepe, who was constantly met with the task of sewing new name plates on jerseys with left-behind numbers. The most frequently swapped number was 35, worn by goaltenders Brandon Halverson, A.J. Whiffen, Ed Minney, Domenic Graham and Francois Brassard. #11 was used four times (Jason Salvaggio, Charles-Eric Legare, Chris Ordoobadi, Johnny Coughlin), as was #17 (Antoine Waked, Hayden Verbeek, Ty Ronning, Branden Troock) and #19 (Dawson Leedahl, Alec Baer, Ryan Gropp, and Blake Kessel). Plenty of other numbers saw three different owners, including:
#6 (Joe Kalisz, Sean Campbell, Nick Master)
#13 (Michael Pezzetta, Vince Pedrie, Dillan Fox)
#26 (Michael Marnell, Shawn St-Amant, Taylor Cammarata)
#41 (Alex Adams, Sean Day, Josh Wesley)
#6 (Joe Kalisz, Sean Campbell, Nick Master)
#13 (Michael Pezzetta, Vince Pedrie, Dillan Fox)
#26 (Michael Marnell, Shawn St-Amant, Taylor Cammarata)
#41 (Alex Adams, Sean Day, Josh Wesley)
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
While some players left and came back, others were either traded away or recalled never to return to the shores of the Atlantic. Some of them had major impacts on the 2018-19 Mariners and will forever be considered important parts of an inaugural season filled with highlights. Here's how some of the biggest names finished out their seasons.
BRANDON HALVERSON, G - The large but supremely athletic netminder would probably have been team MVP had he spent the entire season in Maine. Leading the team's winning charge through the months of November and December, Halverson was quickly rising toward status of top goaltender in the ECHL. In early February, the Rangers, who drafted Halverson in 2014 decided to give him the #1 job in Hartford for the remainder of 2018-19, and he played out the season in the AHL. In 19 games with the Wolf Pack, Halverson finished 8-8-3 with a 3.18 GAA - by far his best mark at the AHL level. With an aging Henrik Lunqvist at the top of the organizational depth chart, Halverson's return to the NHL could be within reach sooner rather than later. Halverson appeared in one NHL game for the Rangers in the 2017-18 season, in relief.
ALEX KILE, F - It was clear that Kile was eventually going to stick in the AHL when he continued to pick up right where he left off each time he was returned from early season loans to Utica and Hartford. He was the main offensive catalyst for the Mariners in his 22 ECHL games, registering 20 points, 13 of them goals. After his January 2nd loan to Laval, Kile never returned, ultimately appearing in 33 games for the Rocket, with five goals and two assists.
SEAN DAY, D - Day was a well known prospect before coming to Maine, with the unique distinction of having been granted exceptional player status in Canadian Juniors at the age of 15 (with some good company). With the Mariners, Day was usually the best skater on the ice in a given game and added an extra layer of offensive prowess to the team from the blue line. After putting up 15 points in 19 games, he was recalled to Hartford in late December, and spent the remainder of the season there. Day finished with 14 points in 46 AHL games.
JASON SALVAGGIO, F - Salvaggio will forever have the distinction of scoring the first goal in franchise history, but he was dealt to Wichita in mid-February in a move that sent Taylor Cammarata to the Mariners. While the move worked out well for Maine (Cammarata would lead the team in scoring), Salvaggio finished his season strong, too. In 18 games with the Thunder, he had six goals and six assists, bringing a solid rookie season stat line to a total of 38 points in 60 games.
RILEY BOURBONNAIS, F - Although he was traded to Allen in December (for Greg Chase), Bourbonnais made his mark on the Mariners by scoring the famed "teddy bear toss" goal on November 24th, a game in which he had the spotlight stolen eventually by Ty Ronning. The trade was once again one that worked out well for both teams, with Bourbonnais averaging nearly a point-per-game for the Americans (27 in 28 games). In early March, his strong season earned him his first AHL appearance, and he played 10 games with the Iowa Wild, scoring his first AHL goal.
JOHN FURGELE, D - A fan favorite, Furgele was moved to Atlanta at the trade deadline due to a surplus on the Mariners blue line. Although he was surging offensively just before the trade, he never found his groove for the Gladiators, with just three assists in 15 games. He had put up 21 points in 51 games in Maine. Atlanta narrowly missed out on the postseason, losing to South Carolina on the season's final day to seal their fate.
Of course, nearly half of the 59 players that made up this team haven't even been mentioned in this blog entry. Players like Michael McNicholas and Dillan Fox among others, were diamonds in the rough that turned out to be major pieces of the roster and leaders of the team. Nearly a dozen different players had the chance to wear an "A" on their jersey due to captain call-ups, all of them sporting the letter admirably. Regardless of how long they were here, where the ended up, or how much of an impact they had on the stat sheet, all 59 men that put on the blue and green sweater for the 2018-19 Mariners were a part of the story of the inaugural season.
 |
| John Furgele was one of many Mariners players traded away in order to gain important pieces throughout the season |
While some players left and came back, others were either traded away or recalled never to return to the shores of the Atlantic. Some of them had major impacts on the 2018-19 Mariners and will forever be considered important parts of an inaugural season filled with highlights. Here's how some of the biggest names finished out their seasons.
ALEX KILE, F - It was clear that Kile was eventually going to stick in the AHL when he continued to pick up right where he left off each time he was returned from early season loans to Utica and Hartford. He was the main offensive catalyst for the Mariners in his 22 ECHL games, registering 20 points, 13 of them goals. After his January 2nd loan to Laval, Kile never returned, ultimately appearing in 33 games for the Rocket, with five goals and two assists.
JASON SALVAGGIO, F - Salvaggio will forever have the distinction of scoring the first goal in franchise history, but he was dealt to Wichita in mid-February in a move that sent Taylor Cammarata to the Mariners. While the move worked out well for Maine (Cammarata would lead the team in scoring), Salvaggio finished his season strong, too. In 18 games with the Thunder, he had six goals and six assists, bringing a solid rookie season stat line to a total of 38 points in 60 games.
RILEY BOURBONNAIS, F - Although he was traded to Allen in December (for Greg Chase), Bourbonnais made his mark on the Mariners by scoring the famed "teddy bear toss" goal on November 24th, a game in which he had the spotlight stolen eventually by Ty Ronning. The trade was once again one that worked out well for both teams, with Bourbonnais averaging nearly a point-per-game for the Americans (27 in 28 games). In early March, his strong season earned him his first AHL appearance, and he played 10 games with the Iowa Wild, scoring his first AHL goal.
JOHN FURGELE, D - A fan favorite, Furgele was moved to Atlanta at the trade deadline due to a surplus on the Mariners blue line. Although he was surging offensively just before the trade, he never found his groove for the Gladiators, with just three assists in 15 games. He had put up 21 points in 51 games in Maine. Atlanta narrowly missed out on the postseason, losing to South Carolina on the season's final day to seal their fate.Of course, nearly half of the 59 players that made up this team haven't even been mentioned in this blog entry. Players like Michael McNicholas and Dillan Fox among others, were diamonds in the rough that turned out to be major pieces of the roster and leaders of the team. Nearly a dozen different players had the chance to wear an "A" on their jersey due to captain call-ups, all of them sporting the letter admirably. Regardless of how long they were here, where the ended up, or how much of an impact they had on the stat sheet, all 59 men that put on the blue and green sweater for the 2018-19 Mariners were a part of the story of the inaugural season.
Comments
Post a Comment