Several successful seasons for Tech hockey alumni
April 24, 2015
By Daver Karnosky - DMG Sports Writer (dkarnosky@mininggazette.com) , The Daily Mining Gazette
HOUGHTON?- A number of former Michigan Tech Huskies hockey players from head coach Mel Pearson's first few seasons have gone on to have successful runs with professional teams at varying levels over the past few years.
Goaltender Josh Robinson had by far his best season during current head coach Mel Pearson's first season. After winning just six games through three seasons, Robinson blossomed under the tutelage of former NHL goalie Steve Shields, and posted a record of 15-14-4.
His previous career best save percentage had been 88.9, but he improved that to 90.9 as a senior.
Parlaying that success into a professional contract with the Idaho Steelheads, the Frankenmuth, Mich., native had a strong rookie campaign in 2012-13, going 27-8-4 with a 2.57 goals against average. He helped the team get to the East Coast Hockey League conference finals before falling to the Stockton Thunder, four games to one.
The following season, Robinson was 13-7-1 for the Steelheads, when the American Hockey League's Texas Stars needed goaltending as their parent club, the Dallas Stars, suffered an injury to starter Kari Lehtonen.
Robinson went 6-6-0 in 15 appearances with Texas. He remained on the roster during the Stars' Calder Cup, the trophy awarded to the playoff winner in the AHL, run. He was not retained by the Stars organization after the season, however.
He started this season with Szekeshfehervar Alba Volan HC in Austria. He appeared in 20 games, going 11-8-0 before it became clear to him that his playing time was dwindling.
The Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL came calling in late January, and it was an opportunity Robinson could not pass up. He went 6-10-2 down the stretch for a Mavericks team that came up short in its attempt to make the playoffs.
Center Brett Olson was one of the best Huskies skaters during the last years of the Jamie Russell era. In his senior year, Olson posted 30 points, which tied his career high.
The Superior, Wis., native signed a professional contract with the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, for the 2012-13 season. In his rookie season, he potted eight goals and 18 points.
He improved upon those numbers in his second season with the Heat, notching 17 goals and 44 points. He added one goal in four playoff games.
The NHL's Florida Panthers were so impressed by his efforts they offered him a two-way contract.
This season, Olson played 76 games for the Panthers' AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. He scored 14 goals and 45 points in helping the Rampage finish the season with a record of 45-23-7-1, winning the West Division title and the earning the third spot in the Western Conference.
The Rampage opened their playoff run against the Oklahoma City Barons Thursday night. The Barons feature another center from the Huskies in Jujhar Khaira. After his successful freshman campaign with the Huskies, the Surrey, B.C., forward joined the Western Hockey League's Everett Silvertips, where he scored 43 points in 59 games.
He did earn a brief call-up to the Barons late in the season, playing in six regular season games and three playoff games.
This season, Khaira played in 51 games for the Barons, scoring four goals and 10 points.
A third former Huskies' player has spent significant time in the AHL this season, goaltender Pheonix Copley. The North Pole, Alaska, native joined the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays last season once the Huskies were eliminated from the playoffs. He played in three games, going 2-1-0.
This season, he played in 26 games for the AHL's Hershey Bears, going 17-4-3 over those games. His goals against average was 2.17.
He earned himself a brief call-up to the NHL's Washington Capitals, the Bears' NHL affiliate. he did not play during his short stint, but he was able to get a taste of practice at the game's highest level.
Defenseman Steven Seigo completed a very successful career with the Huskies in 2012-13 with a six-goal, 17-point campaign. After his season ended, he joined Olson and the Heat for end of the season run towards the AHL playoffs. He had two assists in nine games.
Last season, the Edenwold, Sask., native joined TPS Turku of the SM-liiga, the highest professional league in Finland. Appearing in 60 games, he finished seventh on Turku in scoring with six goals and 23 points.
He returned to Turku this season, seeing action in 53 games. His production dropped a bit as he posted five goals and 14 points, but Turku also struggled as the club finished second to last in the league standings for the second straight season.
Center Dennis Rix went a little different route. After a successful four-year career with the Huskies, which saw him put up career-highs in goals (6) and points (11) as a junior, Rix signed on with the Edinburgh Capitals of the EIHL, better known as the British Elite Ice Hockey League.
The Grand Prairie, Alta., native finished second on the Capitals in scoring as a rookie, posting 17 goals and 45 points in 58 games.
He played with two former Western Collegiate Hockey Association skaters from Alaska-Anchorage in Daniel Naslund and Jade Portwood.
Defenseman Dan Sova had two strong seasons with the Huskies before injuries piled up, reducing him to 31 games over his final two seasons including a career-low 12 as a senior.
This season, he signed with the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the Southern Professional Hockey League. In 31 games, he posted eight assists and a plus-6 rating.
His efforts were rewarded by the Evansville Icemen of the ECHL late in the season, when they needed some defensive help. Finishing the season playing 11 games for the Icemen, the Cottage Grove, Minn., native posted one assist and a minus-1 rating.
Another defenseman, Brad Stebner, has completed his first full season with the Stockton Thunder. After finished his career with the Huskies last season, he joined the Thunder for the final five games of the regular season, going minus-2 over that span.
This season, the Fort McMurray, Alta., native put up 16 assists and 18 points in 58 games. Unfortunately, the Thunder did not qualify for the ECHL playoffs.
After four seasons with the Huskies, winger Jacob Johnstone's career continued this season with the Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL. The Grand Ledge, Mich., native struggled through his final two seasons with the Huskies, scoring just seven goals and 14 points.
In 51 games with the Havoc, Johnstone finished second on the team in goals with 16 and third in points with 30.
Johnstone joined another former Husky in goaltender Kevin Genoe. Genoe joined the Havoc in 2013-14, going 16-11-1 in 29 appearances. He sported a 2.46 goals against average.
This season, the Qualicum Beach, B.C., native played in 35 games. He went 8-20-5 on the season with a 2.73 goals against average.
Hulking defenseman Carl Nielsen finished his four-year career with the Huskies in 2012-13. He joined the AHL's Syracuse Crunch for a pair of games late in the season after the Huskies were eliminated from the WCHA playoffs.
Last season, the Lorain, Ohio, native split time between the Crunch and the ECHL's Florida Everblades. In seven games with the Crunch, he finished minus-2 with two penalty minutes. With the Everblades, he put up four goals and nine points in 44 games.
This season, Nielsen played 58 games for the Orlando Solar Bears. He posted three goals and 10 points while finishing with a plus-19 rating and 134 penalty minutes.
There have been other former Huskies playing at various levels, both professionally and locally. This cross-section of that group have all found some success at the next level.
