36 // VARSITY May 15, 2014
B
efore the puck was dropped, Michael Mersch
and Nic Kerdiles uneasily eyed each other
from across the faceoff dot.
Less than a month earlier, they were skating to-
gether on the Wisconsin hockey team.
Now, they were in the American Hockey League
and opponents in the Calder Cup playoffs.
"It was definitely a little bit weird," Kerdiles said.
"Different, it was definitely different," said Mersch.
Kerdiles, who signed with the Anaheim Ducks,
was with the Norfolk (Virginia) Admirals.
Mersch, who signed with the Los Angeles Kings,
was with the Manchester (New Hampshire) Mon-
archs.
"We didn't really pay too much attention to each
other on the ice," Mersch said. "I think if we did it
would have kind of threw ourselves off. But it was
still nice seeing a familiar face."
So much so that they went out to dinner and hung
out afterward.
"We both understand the situation that we're in,"
Kerdiles said.
That's because it's not unique to the abrupt tran-
sition from college to professional hockey when
friends suddenly become foes. Welcome to the
spring signing season.
Shortly after the Badgers were eliminated by
North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA tourna-
ment on March 28, the exodus from school began.
On April 1, Mersch, a fourth-round pick, inked a
three-year entry-level deal with the Kings and was
dispatched to their minor league affiliate in Man-
chester, which is about 50 miles from Boston.
On April 2, Jake McCabe, a second-round pick,
signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres
and was immediately put on the NHL roster. He skat-
ed in seven games for the Sabres.
On April 2, Tyler Barnes, a free agent, signed an
Amateur Try Out contract with San Antonio Ram-
page of the 30-team AHL. The Rampage is a minor
league affiliate of the Florida Panthers.
On April 3, Frankie Simonelli, a free agent, signed
a Professional Try Out contract with the Boston Bru-
ins and was sent to their AHL minor league affiliate
in Providence, Rhode Island.
On April 5, Kerdiles, a second-round pick, agreed
to a three-year entry-level deal with the Ducks and
joined their affiliate in Norfolk, in southeast Virginia.
On April 8, Joe Faust, a fourth-round pick, signed
an Amateur Try Out contract with the AHL's Albany
(N.Y.) Devils, the minor league affiliate of the New
Jersey Devils.
MERSCH MCCABE BARNES
