The Texas Stars have signed goaltender Matt Murray–no, not that Matt Murray–to an amateur tryout agreement for the rest of the season. The 24-year-old netminder recently finished his college career at UMass-Amherst, where he played five seasons for the Minutemen. In 2021-22, the former AJHL star posted a 21-12-2 record with a .917 save percentage, and holds the school records for wins and shutouts. Undrafted, Murray has generated some buzz as a possible entry-level contract candidate, but it looks like he’ll have to show what he can do at the AHL level before that happens.
Here are some more minor moves from around the AHL:
- The Toronto Marlies have signed Michael Joyaux and Nolan Walker to AHL contracts for the 2022-23 season, stocking the system with a pair of college free agents. Joyaux, 25, has spent the last four seasons at Western Michigan and scored a career-high 32 points in 39 games this year. The undersized defenseman will have his work cut out for him at the next level, and certainly isn’t a lock to earn an NHL deal down the road. Walker, 23, meanwhile is a bit of the same story, as an undrafted, undersized forward. He is coming off his senior season at St. Cloud State, where he posted 24 points in 37 games.
- Samuel Dove-McFalls, a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, has decided to try his hand at professional hockey after all. The 24-year-old signed a tryout agreement with the Grand Rapids Griffins, after finishing his fourth season with the University of New Brunswick, where he served as captain this year. Selected way back in 2015, Dove-McFalls’ draft rights expired in 2017 when he failed to sign with the Flyers, making him an unrestricted free agent. A former QMJHL champion, he had 20 points in 24 games for UNB this season.