Devils Acquire Brad Ference From Coyotes

[Humpzilla]

East Rutherford, NJ - The New Jersey Devils on Friday acquired defenseman Brad Ference from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for centrr Pascal Rheaume and defensemen Ray Schultz and Steven Spencer.

Ference will be assigned to the AHL's Albany River Rats.

The 26-year-old Ference is third on San Antonio (AHL) with two goals and nine assists for 11 points and 39 penalty minutes in 19 games this season. He is in his seventh professional season, after spending 2004-05 in France. Ference has career totals of four goals and 30 assists for 34 points and 563 penalty minutes in 245 NHL games with Florida and Phoenix. He was traded to the Coyotes by the Panthers on March 8, 2003.

Ference played three-plus years with the Panthers' organization, recording a career-high 15 assists and 17 points in 80 games during his first full NHL season in 2001-02. He split the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons between Florida and Louisville (AHL).

The 32-year-old Rheaume has split the 2005-06 season between New Jersey and Albany, after being re-acquired for the third time on July 22, 2004. He had two goals in nine games with the River Rats this season.

Schultz, 29, is in his second season with Albany, and ninth professional season, after signing as a free agent on July 6, 2004. He had five assists and 22 penalty minutes in 18 AHL games in 2005-06.

Spencer, 23, is in his second season with the organization, and third pro campaign, after signing with the team July 27, 2004. He has played in 15 games this season with South Carolina (ECHL).

[HordiBrusk29]

Best of luck to Brad. Hopefully he'll get a shot with New Jersey.

I hated Ference but I started to respect the guy in the 03-04 season because he actually showed emotion and you could tell he cared that Phoenix sucked. Plus he is always playing a little dirty and trying to stir things up. So he can be exciting at times. However he is known for taking bad penalties. So I am not sure how well he'll fit into the new NHL.

[The Bully]

Does Ference still using visor? But I still hope that he can stay up in Devils.

[HordiBrusk29]

Yes he is. He said he is going to wear one full time now after getting hit in the face by a puck during practice a couple of years ago.

I don't like it either but at the same time I'd rather have a guy like Ference wearing a visor than have some european on my team that wears a visor. At least you know Ference is still willing to fight underneath it all.

[canuckfan]

Ference has bugged me since his junior hockey days in the 'Dub. Still, it is humorous to see the sh!t he can stir in just one shift. Hope he can see some ice time with the Devils

[BGDDYKWL]

Essentially a minor league swap. This Spencer kid has size and fights a lot. Hopefully he makes his way to the big club in the next couple years. I'm sure that's unlikely though. They should call him up to fight Fedoruk on Wednesday.

[HordiBrusk29]

I suppose they wanted Spencer because McLachlan's career appears to be in jeopardy.

[Gumec]

If ference makes the team, NJ would have a very tough defence like C.white, (D.Mcgillis), S.brown and Ference all of them drop the gloves when necessary.

[Blouin]

3 for 1 trade seems to favor Coyotes.
We'll see.

[jkidd]

It will really suprise me if Brad sees any significant ice time with the Devils. Hopefully he does.

[Dozer]

I suppose they wanted Spencer because McLachlan's career appears to be in jeopardy.

What ever happened to this guy(McLachlan)? A couple years back he was the WHL champ and was a pretty good player too from what I saw of him back when I lived in Vancouver. The way people talked about him he was on the fast track to the big show, a tough guy who could play the game.

Spencer is also a fairly tough guy but not at the same level as NHL heavies and he'll never make it to the show with his play.

[partyboysdj]

I have to say, living in Albany and watching the River Rats (NJ AHL farm team) every game I got to see a lot of the 3 guys going to Phoenix. Rheaume is solid a 3rd or 4th line center there is anywhere...he should play in Phoenix right away. Schultz is tough and a good leader...yeah he is a career minor league guy buy he is a good one to have on the organization. Spencer I saw play a lot last year and he is tough. He is as tough as anyone in the AHL. He also has that knack for the big open ice hit....and he loves to make the hit!! He drops his gloves quick too! Robbie Ftorek used to get mad at him and bench him because he would get out of position a lot trying to make a huge hit. He could be good if given a chance.

Now on the flip side....the Rats are getting a good player in Ference. He is a tough guy and I will always remember when he beat the crap out of Darcy Tucker when everyone thought Tucker was gonna whoop him. It was awesome! I will enjoy watching him play here. Too bad for him there is no way he will crack the Devils lineup unless there are a few injuries. David Hale is still down here...he goes up before anyone else does.

By the way....great fight at the Rats game tonight. Cam Janssen and Riley Cote from Philly....long good fight.

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by Dozer

What ever happened to this guy(McLachlan)?

He was playing for Idaho in the ECHL last season. But he has had several back injuries over the course of his career and needless to say he hurt his back last season and missed a lot of time. To my knowledge he isn't even playing anywhere at this point. So I'm not sure if it is still because of his back and he is trying to come back or if he has unofficially retired. Either way that is too bad. I believe he signed a 3 year deal with Phoenix a couple of years ago.

[Brash_Fan]

Yotes get's some toughness for their AHL team in Schultz & Spencer.

[Gumec]

Has Ray Schultz any chance to make the team in phoenix ???