Gardiner goes pro, Parenteau becomes an “American”
The signing of Reid Gardiner by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to an AHL contract brings back not so pleasant memories for the Prince Albert Raiders.
The circumstances are strikingly similar to the signings of Jonathan Parker by the Buffalo Sabres and Antoine Corbin by the Montreal Canadiens.
Even Parker expected to be sent back to the Raiders in 2010 for his overage season and was looking forward to that season’s pending U.S. road trip after a breakout season that saw the American born boy score 45 goals and 86 points. Parker never returned, signing a pro contract and was quickly assigned to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. After a quick start Parker was sent down to the ECHL after scoring three goals and three assists in 37 AHL games. Parker would play parts of two other seasons with the Amerks while toiling for eight different ECHL teams. A Sabres scout who I chatted with during a Raider road trip to Cranbrook admitted Parker would have been much better off playing big minutes with the Raiders as a 20-year-old, instead of seeing sparing minutes as a first year pro.
Antoine Corbin’s experience turned out much the same way. The big skilled defenseman scored two goals in his first two WHL games at the start of the 2012-13 and appeared ready for a breakout season before heading to the Habs for his pro tryout. He was expected to return in a week. Corbin never wore a Raider uniform again. The former Kelowna Rocket was signed and assigned to the Canadiens AHL team in Hamilton. Corbin played just 30- AHL games and toiled with four different ECHL teams in subsequent seasons.