The list of players that will be attending the Amerks training camp should be available any day now, prior to that I’ll be relying on articles posted elsewhere.
The first name I’ve come across is defenseman Cleve Kinley. Kinley was just signed by the Florida Everblades as their 15th player under contract. There’s little chance he’d make the Amerks roster but he will part of a list of potential call ups if there becomes a need whether it’s due to injury or poor play by others.
Kinley is an undrafted player who graduated from UMass-Lowell in 2006-2007. The Grand Rapids Griffins signed him to a 1yr contract for the 07/08 season but quickly sent him to the ECHL where he played for the Texas Wildcatters.
Kinley seems like a skilled defenseman at the ECHL level but since he’s graduated from college he has not gotten the attention of anyone higher. If you’re interested in any news about the Everblades check out the link below, the Naples Daily News has a lot of information about the team.
Here’s some info reported by the Naples Daily News:
“The Everblades’ reputation is well known in the hockey world,” Kinley said. “They have a great program there, and I felt comfortable playing for coach Cameron and playing with some of the other players that signed with the team this year.”
“Cleve is a solid two-way defenseman,” Cameron said. “He brings American Hockey League experience with him and a true passion for winning. He is a very intelligent player on the ice that always seems to make the right decision.”
Last season, Kinley spent time with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL, scoring four goals and adding 24 assists for 28 points with a career high 74 minutes in penalties. He appeared in 14 Kelly Cup Playoff games and nearly averaged a point a game tallying 11 points (3g, 8a) and 8 penalty minutes. In addition, the 6-foot, 200-pound defenseman appeared in seven games with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons where he was held scoreless.
Professionally, Kinley has appeared in 126 games in three leagues. He has scored 10 markers, 56 assists for 66 points with 143 penalty minutes. His amateur career began in 2000 in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Powell River Kings. In 2003, he attended Hockey East’s UMass-Lowell where he spent the next four season. In 137 games, Kinley scored 15 goals, 50 assists for 65 points and 116 penalty minutes.
Kinley will attend the Everblades’ AHL affiliate Rochester Americans training camp in late September.