Viper Alumni Bigos Happy Playing At Home:

Here is an article I found on former Vernon Vipers defenceman Kyle Bigos.

Bigos is in his second season with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) Ontario Reign.  Bigos & the Reign have a 3-2 series lead on the Allen Americans in the best of seven series in the ECHL Western Conference Finals with Game 6 going Tuesday.

Bigos attended the San Jose Sharks Training camp in October before being released-assigned to the American Hockey League. Bigos started the season in Worcester after signing with the Worcester Sharks on September, 8th 2014 before being assigned to Ontario on October 12th 2014. The Reign assigned Bigos to Worcester on January 29th 2015. In three games this season with the Sharks Bigos had just one assist.  Bigos returned to the Reign on February 20, 2015 after the Sharks assigned him back to the ECHL.  In 43 games this season with the Reign Bigos has (1-goal-12-assists-13-points).

Bigos spent last season with three different teams (San Francisco, Ontario & Worcester). Bigos signed his first semi-pro contract with the Worcester Sharks on July, 16th 2013. Bigos attended the San Jose Sharks Training Camp last year before being released back to Worcester where he was then assigned to the East Coast Hockey League San Francisco Bulls on October, 1st 2013. In 40 games with the Bulls Bigos collected (2-goals-4-assists-6-points) before the team ceased operations in late January. Bigos become an unrestricted free agent signed with East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) Ontario Reign playing in 19 games collected (1-goal-4-assists-5-points). Bigos was called up to the AHL played in five games with the Worcester Sharks registered one assist before being sent back down to the ECHL.

Bigos played two seasons in Vernon (2007-2009) collecting (10-goals-40-assists-50-points) in 166 regular season games with the Vipers. Bigos an assistant captain in his second and final season with the Vipers was drafted 99th overall by the NHL Edmonton Oilers in the 4th round of the 2009 NHL Draft. Bigos attended the Oilers Developement Camp two out of the last three years. The Edmonton Oilers traded Bigos to San Jose for Lee Moffie on July 7th 2013.

Kyle Bigos's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=38020

This is in the Daily Bulletin Newspaper:

Kyle Bigos happy playing at home with Ontario Reign hockey team

By Bill Norris, Correspondent

05/15/15

When Kyle Bigos left Upland in 2006 to pursue his dreams of playing hockey, he never imagined he’d have the chance to play professionally in front of his friends and family.

“When I left when I was 15, I didn’t think I’d ever really be back,” Bigos said Wednesday. “But a year and a half has really been a blessing, and I’ve been really grateful for every moment.”

The 26-year-old defenseman is in his second season with the Ontario Reign, after the San Jose Sharks assigned him to Ontario after the San Francisco Bulls folded midseason last year.

The second-year pro was returned to Ontario for the 2014-15 season, and has become a key contributor for the Reign as the team gets ready to play in the ECHL Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history.

ECHL playoffs

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Ontario Reign vs. Allen Americans

Game 1: Reign at Allen, Sunday, 2:05 p.m.
Game 2: Reign at Allen, Monday, 5:05 p.m.
Game 3: Allen at Reign, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Allen at Reign, May 23, 6 p.m.
*Game 5: Allen at Reign, May 24, 6 p.m.
*Game 6: Reign at Allen, May 26, 5:05 p.m.
*Game 7: Reign at Allen, May 27, 5:05 p.m.
* — if necessary

And getting the chance to do it at home has been an extra bonus for the 6-foot-5 Bigos.

“It’s good. I know a lot of my family hasn’t really seen me play since 15,” he said. “Seeing them last year for the first time, and rebuilding the connections with family has been a powerful thing.”

Having that hometown connection is something that even coach Jason Christie says has to help his players’ comfort level.

“I think it’s good,” Christie said. “How many guys can say they play at home and play pro hockey? He’s just a great person. He’s great to deal with every day. He pays attention to details. He’s a gem to have around.”

But while playing at home has been nice, the goal for any player in the ECHL is to move up to the next level. And Bigos has stepped up his play in the postseason to prove that he’s ready to challenge for a spot on the Sharks’ American Hockey League team next year.

A stay-at-home defenseman, Bigos has been paired with the more offensive-minded Matt Register on the Reign’s blue line in the postseason. Bigos has been counted on to hold down the fort when Register goes forward. While Register leads the Reign with 14 points in the playoffs, Bigos is set in his role, with no points, but a plus-7 rating.

It’s something the Sharks organization wants him to focus on at this point in his career.

“(They) definitely keep pushing me toward simplifying the game and working from inside out as a stay-at-home defenseman,” Bigos said. “So as long as I’m getting ice time and minutes, definitely getting better. Getting a lot out of being here and very excited for the opportunity.”

It’s an assessment his coach agrees with — with the caveat of continuing to fix the little things that might keep him from moving on.

“He’s got to keep competing,” Christie said. “He’s been called upon here in the last couple of
rounds. He’s definitely got opportunities, but he’s got those little things he’s got to work on. Whether it’s going back hard for pucks or getting your shot off, or maybe being that defensive force out there. He’s got a great reach, and that’s something where he’s got to keep progressing at.”

Bigos was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2009 after two seasons with the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League. Instead of going pro, he spent four seasons at Merrimack College, where his 457 career penalty minutes set the Hockey East career mark.

He was traded to the Sharks in July 2013, and made his debut that fall with San Francisco, which eventually led him to Ontario.

Things will change next season, however. With Ontario moving up to the AHL next season, and the Sharks moving their affiliate to San Jose, the future is up in the air for Bigos. But this playoff season is an extra chance for Bigos to show he’s ready to make the move up.

“This is a big playoff for him,” Christie said. “The better the playoff he has, the more teams will be looking at him, too.

“And that’s why they’re down here, developing. Work every day. You’ve got to work every day. You have to work. If you don’t work, you don’t put the time in, do those little things, it’s going to be a tough road.”

For Bigos, however, the focus remains on the task in front of him.

“Still focusing on the task at hand,” he said. “Next year is next year — right now is where you want your focus and energy on this year.”

But he knows that this playoff, and the rest of his summer, will be huge for his career.

“It’s a very big offseason, and I think it really stems from play coming up in the playoffs — how do you want to end?” Bigos said. “How do you want to complete? It’s definitely something that is in the daily process.”