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Chris Wideman Earns Eddie Shore Award, AHL 1st Team Honors

By Jeff Ulmer

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Binghamton Senators Chris Wideman has been chosen as the AHL’s top defenseman earning himself the Eddie Shore Award that was announced on Friday by the AHL.

Along with that recognition, he was also chosen to the 2014-’15 AHL 1st Team All-Star on Thursday along with teammate forward Shane Prince as he was picked on the 2014-’15 AHL Second Team All-Star as the Senators had two representatives this year. The rest of the league selections can be found here from the league’s website. Both Wideman and Prince participated in the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic up in Utica at the break.

The potential he can bring to the Senators organization will be on display this coming season as I expect him to have a rock solid season in repeating as not only the top point producing defenseman, but one of the league’s best in that department once again.

Wideman, in coming off his best offensive season playing in his third year with Binghamton, leads all AHL defensemen with 17 goals, 37 assists in 70 games while leading in shots with 213. He is currently second in points for the Senators with five behind frontrunner Prince and third with 103 PIM’s, as we all know he likes to get physical when needed. Chris is also one of the main components on the power play with 7 goals and 12 assists in leading the club with a 20.4% success rate, good for second place behind Manchester.

Earlier this season, Wideman was selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week  for Oct 27th – Nov 2nd, and also the CCM/AHL Player of the Month as posted here for SenShot. Also as a follow-up, Chris was featured in a profile series here late last summer as I predicted him to have a stand out season for Binghamton.

The 25-year-old St. Louis, MO native was a fourth round draft choice in 2009 and was called up by Ottawa back on Jan 4th but didn’t see any action and was sent back to Binghamton a few days later. His latest one year/two-way contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he will be an RFA, as the

organization must make a move to re-sign him while increasing his salary from his current $700,000/$85,000 to All-Star proportions one would believe.

Recently his younger brother Alex joined the Senators agreeing to a ATO and should see some action for the team at some point this weekend with two games on tap. If he has any of the skills of his older brother, that could be a powerful one-two punch in the near future if things fall into place for both brothers and the organization.

Meanwhile, Prince is having a break out season of his own as he was selected to the Second Team All-Stars. With him leading the team with 25 goals and 59 points, along with a club best 9 goals on the power play, Prince is also coming to an end of his entry-level contract as a RFA and another important player that the Senators needs to retain the rights to for another season or two.

*Cover Pic & Insert Courtesy of SenShot’s Photographer Alicia Strauch

Next: Binghamton Senators Clash With Albany Devils Once Again

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