Tagged: Eisbaren Berlin

Robb Zepp14th year goaltender Rob Zepp(72) has taken quite the path to signing his first NHL deal over 10 years after he inked his last one with draft team Carolina Hurricanes.

He was selected, for a second time, in the 4th round of 2001 (#110 overall) after his initial pick in again the 4th round of 1999 by Atlanta Thrashers (#99 overall), but was never signed by the team before being returned to the draft pool.

The back stop played in the Canes‘ system for four years mostly reassigned down to Florida Everblades of the ECHL with only 7 AHL games with the long gone Lowell Lock Monsters.

After a one-year extension, he decided he’d had enough of North American hockey and split for a pair of stints in Finland’s Liiga with SaiPa.

From there the 6’1″ 195 lbs. net minder moved to Germany’s elite league DEL coming to terms with Eisbaren Berlin Polar Bears and his game started to take off.

He stayed with the team for seven seasons, playing over 40 games each year, 50 in 2009/2010, 5 league Championships and was named European Best Goalie twice (2011, 2013).

With his stellar play he was definitely getting noticed back home but it was in the lockout shortened 2012/2013, when a pair of Philadelphia Flyers‘ players joined him for a brief spell that conversations about bringing him back really started to gain traction.

The 33-year old signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Flyers for 2014/2015 that had will likely have him play in his first regular season NHL game but most of his time should be spent in between the pipes for affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

In 8 games he’s already making an argument for recall going 5-2-1 with a 2.75 GAA and .910 SV%.

This follows an impressive training camp, where there were murmurs that he could easily steal the back-up job but for now he provides great insight as a mentor for their rookie in the minors and may even turn goaltending coach when he decided to hang up the skates.

jamie-arniel

After three years with Boston Bruins, signed to an entry level contract, center Jamie Arniel(12) was not qualified an offer to return for another season.

He had a really poor year with their AHL affiliate Providence Bruins (only 7 goals and 17 assists in 74 games combined with a terrible -17 plus/minus), which could have contributed to them giving up on his development.

The 23-year old was originally a 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#97 overall) and there was high hopes for the always seemingly small looking 5’11” 183 lbs. forward.

In 227 minor league games he posted 43 goals and 60 assists with career highs in 2010/2011, the season he skated in his one NHL game (also the year the Bruins won the Stanley Cup).

He is said to have received a ring for his time with their practice squad, the Black Aces.

For 2012/2013 he is off to continue his professional playing career in DEL with Eisbären Berlin.

He’s still so young that it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see him put up some big numbers overseas and return to another NHL team under a two-way contract.