Bruins Sign Billy Sweezey To One-Year, Two-Way Extension
The Boston Bruins have re-signed pending unrestricted free agent Billy Sweezey to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a cap hit of $850K in the NHL. Sweezey has spent the last five seasons in the AHL. He joined the Providence Bruins in 2024 and serves as an alternate captain for the club.
Sweezey has racked up 17 points, 84 penalty minutes, and a career-high plus-21 in 69 games this season. His single goal on the season gave Sweezey three consecutive seasons with only one score – a pattern he repeated in the first three seasons of his career at Yale University. Sweezey has continued to offer the chippy, defensive style that he took on way back with the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2015.
Sweezey signed his first pro contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2020, after racking up 29 points and 159 penalty minutes in 127 games at Yale. He only reached four assists in 22 games in the AHL’s shortened 2020-21 season. He left the Penguins and signed a deal with the Cleveland Monsters in the following summer. A move to Ohio proved to bring much more action, pushing Sweezey to 11 points and 114 penalty minutes in 70 games of his first season in Cleveland.
His 2021-22 performance was such a pleasant surprise that the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Sweezey to a two-way NHL contract in March 2022. The Blue Jackets vindicated that deal roughly one year later, when Sweezey made his NHL debut on February 26, 2023. He would go on to play in nine games with Columbus marked by one assist, nine penalty minutes, and a minus three. Sweezey has since spent the last three seasons in a full-time, AHL role – though the Boston Bruins kept him on an NHL contract when they signed him out of free agency. Sweezey has already recorded 27 points and 151 penalty minutes in 133 games with the Providence Bruins and will stay on a two-way NHL deal next season.
Flyers Recall Five Players
The Philadelphia Flyers have shored up their depth with a series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Philadelphia has recalled forwards Oscar Eklind and Jacob Gaucher, defensemen Helge Grans and Hunter McDonald, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason to serve as black aces. The five will join the Flyers roster following the end of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ season in the AHL.
Gaucher is the only call-up who played multiple NHL games this season. He stepped into four games with the Flyers, split between a three-game call-up in January and a one-game stint earlier this month. Gaucher posted no scoring, no penalty minutes, and a minus-one in those appearances. He was a fixture of Lehigh Valley’s middle six and finished the AHL season with 20 goals, 36 points, and 44 penalty minutes in 69 games. His scoring ranked second on the Phantoms in goals and third in points.
McDonald received his NHL debut near the end of Philadelphia’s regular season. He recorded one assist, four penalty minutes, and a plus-three while only playing in 15 minutes of ice time. It was a high-energy performance from a player who seemed to only find the penalty box in the minor-leagues. The second-year pro racked up just six assists to go with 92 penalty minutes in 65 AHL games this season. That mark fell just under his rookie AHL season last year, when he notched 18 points and 99 penalty minutes in 71 games.
While the big presence of Gaucher and McDonald earned an NHL look, Philadelphia’s remaining call-ups spent the season in the minor-leagues. Eklind racked up nine goals and 15 points in 49 games with Lehigh Valley. It was his second season in North America after rising the ranks of Sweden’s pro leagues over the last eight seasons. Grange scored 14 points in 61 games, a step down from his 23 points last season. Grange also played the first six games of his NHL career last season, marked by one assist and two penalty minutes. Bjarnason played through his first pro season this year. He split results in two ECHL games, with a .881 save percentage, and recorded 14 wins and a .877 save percentage in 32 AHL games.
Philadelphia will also bring up an overwhelming amount of size in these recalls. The 6-foot-3 Gaucher is the only one of the five under 6-foot-4. Where he brings an impact in front of the net, Eklind offers shooting from the flanks, and both Grange and McDonald bring imposing physicality on the blue-line. In the mix, Bjarnason will stand as the young prospect with upside. Even with that range of talent, it is unlikely any of the five will step into Stanley Cup Playoff action unless Philadelphia faces multiple injuries.
Snapshots: Finley, Hintz, Anastas
Today the New York Islanders revealed that prospect Quinn Finley underwent shoulder surgery, ending his season.
The 21-year-old appeared set to begin his professional career after concluding a strong junior season at the University of Wisconsin, and inking an entry-level deal last week. Instead of joining the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders for the Calder Cup Playoffs though, Finley will look ahead to next fall.
New York’s third round selection in 2022 (78th overall), Finley’s offensive production dipped slightly in 2025-26, 33 points in 36 games, down from last campaign’s 40. It was still enough to lead a strong Badgers team in goals, until falling in the NCAA championship game.
Having proven enough at the collegiate level, the 6’0” lefty winger figures to get started next year in Hamilton, Ontario, as Bridgeport is relocating after 25 years in Connecticut. Ranked 8th among Islanders prospects by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic just last month, the Indiana native brings enough responsibility in both zones to have an NHL future as a complementary bottom-six contributor, but he’ll aim to continue his scoring ways and develop into more once healthy.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Dallas head coach Glen Gulatzan updated reporters on Roope Hintz, including Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News, that he is not traveling with the team to Minnesota. The news effectively rules him out for games 3 and 4, although Gulatzan said he is “very doubtful” for game number four, so perhaps there’s a slight possibility. Hintz has been out since March 6, but he hasn’t been a regular in the lineup since before the Olympics, after dealing with illness as well. An alarming 6-1 defeat at the hands of Minnesota in the series opener showed the impact of missing their vital center, but Dallas fought back to even the series. In order to get through the Wild and have a shot at buying enough time for Hintz to return, they’ll have to continue to lean on Matt Duchene in an elevated role who so far has risen to the occasion.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced that their AHL club the Chicago Wolves’ interim head coach Spiros Anastas has been named official head coach moving forward. Since the assistant Anastas took over for Cam Abbott back in December, he led the club to a 25-14-5-6 record, good for 11th in the league, and back to the AHL playoffs. Anastas, 40, played collegiately at Lebanon Valley College of NCAA Division III from 2006-10 as a four-year captain, and quickly rising up the ranks, once serving as an assistant at the ACHA level. After his playing career, Anastas eventually won a Calder Cup title as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013, later serving as a head coach in the ECHL and also gaining international experience leading Greece and China.
Predators Reassign Brady Martin To AHL
The Nashville Predators have reassigned top prospect Brady Martin to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. Milwaukee is set to face the Manitoba Moose in the first round of the postseason. Martin’s season in the OHL came to an end with a loss to the Kitchener Rangers on Friday.
Martin broke camp with the Predators to start the season after being selected fifth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. He scored one assist in three games with Nashville before being reassigned to the OHL. He took on the Soo Greyhounds’ captaincy upon his return and scored 11 points in his first five games back in the league. Martin continued to score at a point-per-game pace through December, then joined Team Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championship. His imposing, physical presence made Martin a pillar of the Canadian lineup. He proved as much with eight points in five games to start the tournament – but that hot run came to an end when Martin sustained an injury on a hit from Czech defenseman Matyas Man.
Martin went on to miss a month with the injury. The Greyhounds continued to watch his workload upon his return, which ultimately capped Martin to only 24 regular season games. He scored as many points, then added 10 more points in 10 playoff games. After overcoming an up-and-down season, Martin will now face his first test in the AHL. He should bring another game-changing impact to an Admirals lineup that has already added Reid Schaefer, Ryan Ufko, Zachary L’Heureux, and Joakim Kemell from the Predators lineup. The reinforced lineup should pose a tough challenge for the AHL’s Western Conference.
Wild Recall Seven Players
The Minnesota Wild have stocked their cupboard of black aces as Game 2 of the first round approaches. Minnesota has recalled forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Hunter Haight, and Ben Jones; defensemen Carson Lambos and David Spacek; and goaltenders Riley Mercer and Chase Wutzke from the AHL per Michael Russo of The Athletic. The cohort will move to the NHL after the AHL’s Iowa Wild missed out on the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The trio of forwards were the only ones to score multiple points in the NHL this season. Jones filled a routine role on Minnesota’s fourth line. He racked up three points while playing a career-high 28 NHL games, and added 32 points in 37 AHL games. Aube-Kubel and Haight spent the bulk of their seasons in the minors. Both scored two points in six and nine games, respectively. Aube-Kubel also filled a major presence in the AHL, where his 15 goals and 37 points in 62 games ranked second on Iowa in scoring. He was a main puck-mover for the minor-league Wild. Haight filled a more well-rounded role en route to 18 goals and 32 points in 54 games. He was a depth defensive center for Minnesota through a series of injury-related recalls. All three players will bring familiarity with Minnesota’s bottom six to the playoff race, but still aren’t likely to step into the lineup without an injury higher up on the depth chart.
Spacek was also a notable member of Iowa this season. He led the defense in scoring with 36 points in 59 games. It was a notable step forward for the third-year pro, marked by Spacek looking noticeably more confident on both sides of the puck. The 23-year-old also played the first two NHL games of his career this season, but managed no scoring and a minus-one. Even with limited experience, Spacek could have a leg up on former first-round pick Lambos, who only reached 19 points in 70 AHL games this season. Lambos also made his NHL debut this season, and recorded a plus-one, but he was quickly sent back to the minor leagues.
While the quartet of skaters size up their NHL experience, the pair of goalie call-ups will prepare for their first chance to make an impact on the Minnesota roster. Neither Mercer nor Wutzke played in the NHL this season. In fact, the duo only combined for nine AHL games on the year. Mercer spent the bulk of the year starting for the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders, where he posted 14 wins and a .892 save percentage in 40 games. He tacked on four wins and a .899 Sv% in eight AHL games. Wutzke moved to the AHL following the end of his fifth season in the WHL earlier this year. He racked up 16 wins and a .898 Sv% across 47 games in the WHL, then allowed six goals on 37 shots in his AHL debut. The duo aren’t likely to be called upon unless absolutely necessary but bring just enough experience to help Minnesota shore up their postseason depth chart.
Minnesota took Game 1 against the Dallas Stars by a confident 6-1 score. Their lineup fired on all cylinders, spurred along by the performance of their star scorers. They will look to repeat that feat in Monday night’s Game 2, with a few more faces watching from the press box.
Mammoth Recall Seven Players
Ahead of the first playoff game in team history later tonight in Vegas, the Utah Mammoth shared that several players have been called up from AHL Tucson. Forwards Andrew Agozzino, Cameron Hebig, and Ben McCartney were summoned, along with defensemen Maveric Lamoureux, Maksymilian Szuber, and Scott Perunovich. Finally, goaltender Jaxson Stauber will also join the group.
Similar to the moves made by several other playoff teams this week, Utah’s intention is for the players to serve as “Black Aces”, spending time at the highest level but not expected to play at any point. They join Daniil But and Matt Villalta, who got the call Friday. The Tucson Roadrunners had a respectable season, finishing 19th, but missed the postseason.
Lamoureux, 22, is the most notable of the group, a top prospect. Arizona’s first round choice at 29th overall in 2022, the towering righty only got into five games with the Mammoth this year, a step back from 15 in 2024-25, but held down a top-pairing role for the Roadrunners this season and was finally able to stay healthy. Into the future, Utah’s defensive core is mostly locked up, but it will allow for the Quebec native to ease into a full-time role.
Agozzino has just 53 games of NHL experience at age 35, but any dedicated fan of the game is likely familiar from his excellent AHL tenure. Making his NHL debut with Colorado in November 2014, back when Nathan MacKinnon was just a second-year-pro, the undrafted 5’10” winger has impressively stuck around in North America ever since. He’s 34th all time in AHL scoring with 662 points in 847 games, fourth best among active players. The Ontario native got into two games for Utah back in October but otherwise spent the year in Tucson. If he can earn another contract for next year, Agozzino will have the chance to play alongside Tij Iginla, son of Jarome Iginla, a teammate in his NHL debut years ago.
Hebig and McCartney, 29 and 24 respectively, were top scorers for the Roadrunners this year but neither were able to get a look on the big club. Hebig, a center, still awaits his NHL debut despite two straight seasons as Tucson’s #2 top point-getter. McCartney, a 2020 seventh-round choice of Arizona, got into two games with the Coyotes four years ago but has been in the AHL since, putting together his best professional season in 2025-26 with 51 points.
Szuber, 23, continues to show promise at the AHL level as he looks for his first action wearing a Utah uniform. The 6’3″ lefty made his NHL debut in the Coyotes’ fifth-to-last game in existence. Not only having size, Szuber has put up real offensive output in Tucson, 59 points over the last two years and has real upside as a third pairing defender.
Another defenseman who flashed offense this year, Perunovich led all defenders in scoring with 49 points in 64 games. Once a promising Blues prospect, the 27-year-old spent the entire year in the AHL and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Stauber rounds out the bunch serving as another practice goalkeeper. The 26-year-old split duty between the pipes with Villalta almost evenly in the AHL, where he had a slight edge in goals-against-average (3.07). Undrafted, he has 12 NHL games of experience both in Chicago and Utah, son of Robb Stauber, a Los Angeles Kings netminder in the early 1990s.
The crew, composed of impressive AHL veterans and younger prospects, will relish being along for the ride for an inaugural playoff series in Salt Lake.
Senators Recall Six Players
This afternoon the Ottawa Senators announced that six skaters have been recalled from AHL Belleville. Carter Yakemchuk, Arthur Kaliyev, Tyler Boucher, Xavier Bourgault, Graeme Clarke, and Oskar Pettersson will all join the club.
In the midst of their first round playoff series against Carolina, the group will serve as typical “Black Aces”. Belleville failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs, finishing 27th in the league with a 28-35-8 record. As a result, they have nothing to lose in adding depth players who will benefit from getting a closer look with extra practice time before the offseason, and experiencing the day-to-day of the NHL playoff routine.
Out of the bunch, Yakemchuk stands out as the most likely to actually get in a game, although still unlikely, barring any major developments. The Sens’ top prospect, chosen seventh overall in 2024, Yakemchuk got into four games this year, bursting onto the scene with a two-point debut. However, the defenseman’s NHL stint in late March ended after a concussion suffered against Florida.
Kaliyev, 24, is also a familiar name, with over 200 games of NHL experience. Once a promising Kings prospect, the 6’2″ sniper hasn’t played with the Senators since October. Still, he’s made the most of his 70 games in the AHL, the most time spent in the minors across his entire career to this point, netting an insane 40 goals and 68 points. He has the distinction of the only 40-goal-scorer in the AHL this year, and the first since 2023-24. Anyone capable of such can be considered an NHL-level player, but Kaliyev’s skating and hockey sense have held him back, unable yet to hold down a bottom six role at the highest level.
Boucher is another prospect who has had his own development issues. Widely known as a 10th overall selection five years ago, the winger has not come close to expectations, but thankfully he put together a best-as-a-pro campaign this year. 26 points in 47 games isn’t ideal for any 23-year-old former top pick, but he leaned more into a grinder role with 68 penalty minutes, the same total as his previous two seasons combined. His contract ends this summer, with restricted free agent status, where Ottawa must determine if his improvement is enough to warrant a future in the organization.
In Bourgault there are many similarities to Boucher, other than that he’s a center. Edmonton’s first round choice in 2021, the Quebec native never played for the Oil due to lackluster AHL production. Dealt to Ottawa, he enjoyed his best professional season with 57 points in 70 games, good for second on the B-Sens, and earning his first two NHL games back in the winter. If the 23-year-old can eventually solidify himself in the league, it’ll likely be limited to full bottom six duty.
Clarke, 24, is not the most recognizable name, but he made three appearances with the Devils, his first organization, during the 2023-24 season. A full-time AHLer since, the winger has bounced around various teams but flipped the script after a March trade, nearly matching his point total across 50 games as a Hershey Bear in just 15 games with Belleville, a nice ending to the campaign. Born in Minnesota, the righty actually grew up in Ottawa, the older brother of Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke.
Finally, Pettersson has the most limited NHL upside, as he recorded 18 points in 69 games with Belleville, wrapping up his second full season with the team. A third round selection in 2022, the Swede is not among the team’s top 10 prospects, mostly serving as a bottom-sixer. At 6’2″, the righty has the size and strength, but he’ll hope to showcase more play driving ability in his final contract year starting next fall. Just 22, it’s not too late for a step forward.
The Senators are back in action tomorrow night, where they’ll look to snatch a road win from Carolina and even the series before returning home.
Lightning Recall Conor Geekie, Brandon Halverson
10:30 a.m.: The Lightning activated James off of injured reserve, per Diandra Loux of The Hockey News. The move will allow James to play in tonight’s game against Montreal.
9:15 a.m.: The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Conor Geekie and Brandon Halverson from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. They also announced that forwards Mitchell Chaffee, Jakob Pelletier, and defenseman Steven Santini have been reassigned to Syracuse.
The move organizes Tampa Bay’s roster in advance of the start of their first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, which is set to happen later today. Recalling Geekie and Halverson removes two key contributors from Syracuse’s roster in advance of the start of their own first-round playoff series. Syracuse’s regular season ended yesterday with a shutout win over the Belleville Senators.
Geekie was No. 2 in scoring on the Crunch with 17 goals and 59 points in 57 games this season, while Halverson was the team’s No. 1 goalie, posting a .905 save percentage in 43 games played.
Both Geekie and Halverson have NHL experience over the last two years – Geekie played in 14 NHL contests this season, scoring three points, and had 14 points in 52 NHL games last year.
Halverson, a 30-year-old veteran, has played in three NHL contests in that same time frame.
It is significantly more likely that Geekie, the No. 10 overall pick at the 2022 NHL draft, ends up skating in playoff games for the Lightning compared to Halverson. Halverson will be Tampa’s spare third goalie, behind starter Andrei Vasilevskiy and backup Jonas Johansson, who are both entrenched in their roles.
If Halverson ends up staying on the Lightning roster for the team’s postseason run, Syracuse will likely turn to 26-year-old Ryan Fanti, a former ECHL No. 1 who posted a .905 save percentage in 27 games this season as Halverson’s backup.
Geekie’s path to NHL playing time likely depends upon the health of rookie forward Dominic James. The 23-year-old has been out since February, but was beginning to make his mark in the NHL with a goal in each of his two most recent games. James suffered a leg injury in February and underwent surgery, but appears to be nearing a return to the ice.
Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reported Friday that James skated in practice as Tampa’s fourth-line center, Geekie could get a look in that role. Veteran Pontus Holmberg could also be a contender for the No. 4 center job occupied by James in practice, but he has been out since April 6 with an upper-body injury that head coach Jon Cooper called “not good.”
The trio of reassignments return three players who play key roles in Syracuse back to the AHL. Pelletier is the Crunch’s top scorer with 77 points in 63 games this season. As an offense-first 5’10” winger with zero games of playoff experience at the NHL level, it’s likely Tampa Bay stand to benefit more with Pelletier in Syracuse rather than on their playoff roster.
Chaffee, 28, scored 57 points in 54 AHL games for the Crunch this season but had just one point in 11 games with the Lightning. He does have nine games of NHL postseason experience and could be at the top of the priority order when it comes to potential recalls should Tampa Bay run into injury trouble up front.
Santini, 31, got into 12 NHL games this season, the most he’s gotten into in a single year since 2018-19. He’s an established AHL top-four defensive defenseman and is likely to play a significant role in what the Crunch hope is a deep postseason run.
Photos courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Michael Pezzetta Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL
Saturday: As expected, Pezzetta has cleared waivers as the team announced that he has been assigned to AHL Toronto. The Marlies enter the weekend with an outside shot at the third seed in the North Division which would allow them to avoid the opening round of the postseason. Pezzetta becomes the seventh player sent down by the big club this week.
Friday: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Michael Pezzetta on waivers on Friday, per PuckPedia. This move would allow Pezzetta to join the Toronto Marlies for the Calder Cup Playoffs if he clears the waiver wire. He was in the minor leagues until mid-March and filled a depth role for Toronto through the last few weeks of the season.
Pezzetta played in 37 games with the Marlies before a March 12th call-up. His season was limited by injuries in November and January. He finished the year with four goals, 10 points, and 52 penalty minutes. It was a quiet year in Pezzetta’s return to the AHL, after he spent the last three seasons in a full-time role with the Montreal Canadiens. He was a nightly fixture of Montreal’s 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons and combined 27 points and 136 penalty minutes in 124 games. That low-scoring fell to zero in 25 games of the 2024-25 season.
That bumped Pezzetta to free agency this summer, where he signed a two-year, $1.6MM contract with the Maple Leafs. He began the year in the AHL and quickly stood out as a bruiser. Pezzetta recorded 37 penalty minutes in the first 17 games of the Marlies season. He will return to that role on a Marlies team that clinched the last playoff spot from the AHL’s North Division. The Marlies split their games without Pezzetta this season – 26 wins and 25 losses.
Former Predators’ Winger Andreas Thuresson Retires
A prolific career in international hockey has come to an end for Sweden’s Andreas Thuresson. The 38 year old has announced his retirement per the NHL Alumni Association after five seasons in the AHL, six in the SHL and DEL, and two in the KHL and NHL. Thuresson has played at a professional level for the last 20 years, making his debut in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan in the 2005-06 season.
Thuresson’s breakout came in his second professional season. He scored 15 points in 48 games of the 2006-07 Sweden Elitserien – a predecessor to the SHL – season. That production convinced the Nashville Predators to draft Thuresson in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Draft. He joined the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and quickly proved he could fill a nightly role. Thuresson appeared in 151 games and scored 47 points in his first two AHL seasons. With his footing established, Thuresson put together a career-year in the 2009-10 season, marked by routine call-ups to the Predators roster. He finished the year with 33 points in 50 AHL games and three points in the first 22 games of his NHL career. Thuresson played three more NHL games in the 2010-11 season – but with no scoring, his career in North America ended with two more AHL seasons and 59 points in his final 149 games.
Thuresson moved back to the Elitserien to play with Brynas IF in 2012. He scored 19 points in 48 games upon his return, then jumped up to 37 points in 52 games of the 2013-14 season – the year the Elitserien became the SHL. A hot year prompted more exploring outside of Sweden. Thuresson moved to the KHL for the 2014-15 season and split the year between Sibir Novosibirsk and Severstal Cherepovets, combining for 25 points in 47 games. He returned to the SHL for the next two seasons – marked by continued production: 57 points in 93 games – then split the 2017-18 campaign between the KHL’s sole Chinese team, the Kunlun Red Star, and a stint with the National League’s SCL Tigers in Switzerland. Just like his previous KHL season, Thuresson followed the move with another productive return to Sweden – 19 points in 43 games of the 2018-19 SHL season.
On the other side of so many moves, Thuresson sought out a league where he could stick in 2019. He moved to Germany’s DEL – effectively completing a globetrot around the hockey world. Thuresson began what would turn into a five-year career in the DEL with the Schwenninger Wild Wings. He scored 56 points in 66 games, including a team-leading 37 points in 38 games of the 2020-21 season. Thuresson moved to Kolner Haie for the final three seasons of his career. His first season in Kolner was marked by 34 points in 50 games, then Thuresson jumped to a career-high and league-leading 60 points in 51 games of 2022-23. He continued to score in his final year, with 22 points in 28 games – but suffered an injury that would limit both his season and, now, his career.
Thuresson shared that his career came to an unexpectedly-early end, but spanned some of his dreams including playing in the NHL and joining Team Sweden at the 2015 World Championship, in a personal Instragram post announcing his retirement. He was long regarded as a skillful, power-forward who played a team-first game. Pro Hockey Rumors wishes Thuresson luck in his post-playing career.