Ottawa Senators Reach Affiliation Agreement With Allen Americans
The Ottawa Senators have found an ECHL affiliate, reaching an affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans for an initial duration of one season. The Senators announced the news this morning jointly with their AHL affiliate in Belleville.
2022-23 will mark the first season that the Senators have had an ECHL affiliate since 2019-20, and only the second season out of the last six. Ottawa’s one-year partnership with the Brampton Beast in 2019-20 was beneficial, as the Beast provided a solid bit of development for goalie prospect Joey Daccord, now with the Seattle Kraken. The emergence of COVID-19 at the end of the season, however, forced the Beast franchise to cease operations.
Speaking of the Kraken, the Americans were the new NHL team’s first-ever ECHL affiliate last season. Earlier in the offseason, though, the Kraken opted to not re-sign their agreement with Allen and sign on with the Kansas City Mavericks instead. Allen brings a long history of success to the Senators organization; the franchise has only missed the CHL (Central, not Canadian Hockey League) or ECHL playoffs once since their inception in 2009-10. They were the winners of four straight CHL/ECHL championships from 2013 to 2016.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion gave the following statement on today’s announcement:
The Americans’ franchise carries a rich tradition of success. We’re looking forward to contributing to it in a positive manner when we begin placing prospects in Allen in 2022-23.
From Senators assistant general manager Ryan Bowness:
Chad Costello and his staff’s tutelage will help our prospects prepare for the next level. Player development is one of our most important priorities. We’re confident that placing prospects in Allen will be an asset to progression.
The Americans could have at least one NHL-contracted player returning from last season: goaltender Antoine Bibeau. The veteran minor-leaguer will be battling for the AHL backup spot behind Mads Sogaard in Belleville, and if he loses out, he could be sent back to Allen where he played 14 games last season.
Minor Transactions: 08/23/22
We’re inching closer to the opening of NHL training camps, and most teams have finalized their offseason work. That being said, there are still some players looking for a spot for next season, especially in minor leagues and in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- As part of the Los Angeles Kings’ announcement of an ECHL affiliation agreement with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, announced the signings of five players to one-year, two-way (AHL/ECHL) deals for the 2022-23 season. Those players are as follows: defenseman Joe Gatenby and forwards Alex Ierullo, Brett Kemp, Justin Nachbaur, and Nikita Pavlychev. Gatenby, Ierullo, and Pavlychev are all 25-year-old players who (relatively) recently graduated college, while Kemp and Nachbaur are 22-year-old junior hockey prospects who both saw time with the Swamp Rabbits last season.
- Veteran minor league journeyman Colton Saucerman is returning to North America after a two-year stint playing in European Leagues. The ECHL’s Allen Americans announced a one-year deal with the defenseman, signing him after he had a solid campaign starting for HC Kosice in the Slovakian league. Saucerman has extensive experience in both the AHL and ECHL and that experience should be a help to the Americans’ back end.
- The ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads announced two signings today, inking forwards Jade Miller and Ty Pelton-Byce to one-year deals for the 2022-23 season. Miller, 27, had a four-year collegiate career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before cutting his teeth as a professional with the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL. He scored 31 points in 72 games last season in South Carolina and should be a solid add for the Steelheads’ bottom-six. Some might know Pelton-Byce from his time at the University of Wisconsin when he scored 31 points in just 24 games in his senior season in large part thanks to sharing the ice with two NHL first-rounders in Cole Caufield and Dylan Holloway. Pelton-Byce spent time at both the ECHL and AHL levels last season and could get a top-six role in Idaho.
- In another ECHL signing, the Witchita Thunder announced the addition of defender Jake Hamilton for the 2022-23 season. Hamilton is a former SPHL-er who broke into the ECHL last season by playing 33 games for the Adirondack Thunder.
- Former New Jersey Devils prospect Nikita Popugayev has returned to hockey, says The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (link). The forward, who walked away from the sport a year-and-a-half ago, is now in camp on a tryout with HK Sochi of the KHL. Still only 23 years of age, Popugayev last played during the 2020-21 season, tallying just six points in 25 KHL games. Popugayev last played in North America during the 2019-20 season, where he had 25 points in 47 games for the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Los Angeles Kings Announce ECHL Affiliation
The Los Angeles Kings have announced a two-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits, giving them a full-time affiliate at the ECHL level for the first time since 2019.
Kings director of player development Glen Murray spoke on the agreement:
On behalf of the entire LA Kings organization, we are excited to announce our new affiliation with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL. We are very happy to have this development route for our future Kings under the leadership of Spire Sports + Entertainment and direction of Head Coach & General Manager Andrew Lord. We know that our prospects will have a first-class experience in Greenville while developing as players and people.
Greenville and Los Angeles already had a bit of a working relationship over the past few years, as without a specified affiliate, Los Angeles and AHL Ontario would consistently loan most ECHL assignments to Greenville regardless. Goalie Jacob Ingham has played there for the past couple of seasons, and as one of six Kings goalies under NHL contract, he’ll likely head there again next season.
Offseason Notes: Islanders, Point, Bellerive
While most teams make headlines in the summer for inking major contracts or completing blockbuster trades, the New York Islanders made headlines this summer for all the things they didn’t do. After being rumored as suitors for top free agents such as Nazem Kadri and Johnny Gaudreau as well as a potential trade destination for big-name scorers, the Islanders’ most significant move this summer, at least to this point, has been the acquisition of defenseman Alexander Romanov.
That lack of activity hasn’t sat well with some in their fanbase, but today Lou Lamoriello, the team’s legendary general manager, explained the rationale behind this offseason strategy. Lamoriello, as relayed by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, said that despite having “many different options” in terms of free agent targets, the price to pay to upgrade at one position would have possibly downgraded the Islanders at another position. The Islanders have recently made back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Final, so Lamoriello’s choice to keep his core largely intact is certainly defensible. That being said, if the Islanders have another disappointing year, the front office’s inability to make major waves this summer could be looked at as a major issue.
Now, for some other notes regarding offseason moves across the world of hockey:
- As part of his comments to the media after today’s moves, Lamoriello also shed some light on how he views the Islanders’ defense for this coming season. Per Newsday’s Andrew Gross, veteran defensemen Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara are “not currently considerations” for defensive roles next season. Greene and Chara combined for 141 games played for the Islanders last season, and their not being included in next season’s plan is an indication that the Islanders plan to get younger on their blueline in new coach Lane Lambert’s first season. The team’s top-four defensemen look set to be Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson, and Romanov, and the team will likely carry two of Sebastian Aho, Grant Hutton, and Robin Salo to pair with Scott Mayfield on the team’s third pairing.
- Goaltender Colton Point, once one of the more promising goalie prospects in hockey, signed a one-year deal with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets today, per a team announcement. Point, 24, had a heroic 2017-18 season for Colgate in the NCAA, going 16-12-5 with six shutouts and a .944 save percentage. Point went pro after that season, but has since struggled to make his mark at the AHL level with the Texas Stars. The 2016 fifth-rounder has a grisly .882 save percentage in 29 career AHL contests, and struggled to find his way in the Stars’ organization. His ECHL career numbers are a bit better, as he has a .901 save percentage in 52 career games, and he heads to Fort Wayne looking to stabilize his professional career.
- Per a team announcement, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed forward Jordy Bellerive to a one-year, one-way (AHL) contract. The 23-year-old Bellerive is an undrafted player who has spent the past three seasons with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins as a full-time player. Before then, Bellerive was a star forward for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL. Bellerive heads to Lehigh Valley with the expectation of playing a bottom-six, penalty-killing role for the team, and he’ll also be counted on to bring the exact “hard to play against” style that the Flyers strive to cultivate throughout their organization.
Minor Transactions: 08/19/22
Now that Nazem Kadri has signed, some dominoes may fall over the next few weeks in terms of the remaining free agents. But even before that, there will be minor moves to continue fleshing out AHL rosters and the like. As always, we’ll keep track of those notable moves right here.
- Koletrane Wilson is joining the Rockford IceHogs for the upcoming season, signing a one-year AHL contract. The Chicago Blackhawks continue to put an emphasis on the depth in the minor leagues, and Wilson was a big contributor for the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL last season. The 22-year-old defenseman had 16 points in 57 games while racking up 73 penalty minutes.
- Matt Cairns, a third-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers that never signed and thus became an unrestricted free agent, is back with the Cincinnati Cyclones for another year. The 24-year-old defenseman had 16 points in 65 games with the ECHL club last season, while also getting into two matches with the Rochester Americans.
- Alessio Beglieri, a Swiss netminder that went undrafted this year, will have a chance to give NHL scouts a more up-close performance this time around. He’s agreed to come to play for the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, after being selected 38th overall in the CHL Import Draft. He’ll be joined by Swiss forward Valdemar Hull, the team’s other import selection, who won’t be eligible for the draft until next year.
- Per a team release, the Henderson Silver Knights have signed forward Alex Swetlikoff to a two-year AHL contract. Swetlikoff earned the contract in the Vegas Golden Knights organization after participating in their development camp in July. In his final WHL season with the Everett Silvertips last year, Swetlikoff posted 33 goals and 84 points in 68 games.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Carolina Hurricanes Extend ECHL Affiliation
The Carolina Hurricanes have extended their affiliation with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals through the 2022-23 season, keeping the two organizations together for a second season. Huricanes general manager Don Wadell released a brief statement:
We’re thrilled to continue this partnership, which has been mutually beneficial. The Admirals are a first-class organization and they provide a great environment for our prospects to develop.
While the ECHL isn’t a proving ground for top prospects, it does provide a place for raw draft picks to play big minutes instead of struggling in the AHL. For instance, the Hurricanes sent Blake Murray, a sixth-round pick from 2019 to the Admirals this season, where he racked up 14 goals and 35 points in 64 games. The young forward, who is signed to an entry-level contract, will now try to work his way up through the system after getting a full season of professional hockey under his belt.
Norfolk specifically has plenty of experience with prospect development, given they were an AHL franchise for 15 years.
Lukas Parik Signs AHL Contract
In an interesting move, Lukas Parik has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles. A young European netminder signing in the minor leagues wouldn’t normally raise any eyebrows but in Parik’s case, his exclusive NHL draft rights are still owned by the Los Angeles Kings.
It was in the Kings system that he played last season, but since he has still not signed an entry-level deal, he can technically sign wherever he wants in the minor leagues. Perhaps because of the full cupboard of minor league goaltenders in Los Angeles, Parik will try his hand with the Eagles as he continues his development.
Now 21, Parik was the 87th overall pick in 2019 and played 32 games for the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL last season, posting a .915 save percentage. He added five appearances for the Ontario Reign of the AHL but things didn’t go as well, with an .881.
It is important to note that this does not give the Colorado Avalanche any of Parik’s rights, however, he will become an unrestricted free agent in June 2023. The Kings will have to sign him to an entry-level contract by that point or lose his draft rights.
Minor Transactions: 08/11/22
The hockey world has slowed to a standstill as we wade through the middle of summer, even if there is an international tournament going on. The World Juniors in Edmonton have so far barely registered as far as fan excitement, drawing only a few thousand attendees to Canada’s game yesterday (and fewer still to the other matches). It might not be prime hockey season but there are still moves being made by hard-working front office staff. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions right here.
- The Tucson Roadrunners have re-signed Tyson Empey and Hudson Elynuik to one-year, AHL contracts for the upcoming season. Elynuik, some fans will remember, turned heads as a 6’5″ powerhouse in the WHL, earning him a third-round selection by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016. He played 22 games with the Roadrunners last season, scoring nine points and registering 44 penalty minutes.
- Julien Rod, younger brother of former San Jose Sharks forward Noah Rod, is headed back to Switzerland after one year in the QMJHL. The 17-year-old winger is eligible for the 2023 draft but scored just 14 points in 56 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs last season after going 28th overall in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. His brother, who was picked 53rd overall by the Sharks in 2014, is back home as well, after terminating his deal with San Jose in 2018.
- Nicolas Guay, the undrafted forward who played 16 games with the Abbotsford Canucks last season after leaving the powerhouse University of New Brunswick program, has settled for an ECHL deal with the Trois-Rivieres Lions. Guay, 23, captained both the Voltigeurs and the Saint John Sea Dogs during his time in the QMJHL but after going undrafted. His father, Francois Guay, played exactly one game in the NHL but was a legendary junior player in Quebec and starred overseas for many years.
- Doyle Somerby is off to the KHL, signing with Kunlun Red Star for the next two years. The former Boston University captain split last season between the Iowa Wild and Tucson Roadrunners, scoring 11 points in 55 games.
This page will be updated throughout the day with any further notable transactions.
Minor Transactions: 08/10/22
As the hockey world watches a junior tournament and waits for Nazem Kadri to officially sign somewhere, there are plenty of minor moves being made to fill out rosters. While they won’t have much of an impact on the NHL, these are still important transactions to keep track of. We’ll do just that below:
- Luke Johnson has signed an AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda, after playing all of last season in the minor leagues. The 27-year-old forward last saw the NHL in 2020-21 and has 32 games at that level to his name. In 23 games with the Manitoba Moose last season, he scored just ten points.
- Justin Ducharme has signed a one-year contract with the Texas Stars, meaning he’ll make the jump from the Laval Rocket organization. The 22-year-old undrafted forward had five goals in 19 games for Laval last season, while also racking up 25 points in 35 games with their ECHL affiliate.
- Jake Gaudet is staying with the Cleveland Monsters, signing a new two-year AHL deal with the club. The undrafted forward managed just three goals and ten points in 40 games with them last season but was obviously good enough to earn another contract.
- Free agent defenseman Derrick Pouliot has found a home for next season, signing an AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda, the team confirms. The terms of the deal were not disclosed per club policy. The Barracuda serve as the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. The deal will give the Barracuda a responsible defenseman and a veteran of not only 239 AHL games, but also 213 NHL games. The eighth-overall selection of the 2021 NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pouliot debuted for the Penguins in 2014-15 and helped the team win two Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. His largest sample of NHL action came between 2017 and 2019, where he played in 133 games over two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Most recently, Pouliot got into games with the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken in 2021-22.
This page will continue to be updated with any further notable transactions.
Minor Transactions: 08/09/22
It’s the dog days of the NHL offseason now, though there is a bit of excitement to keep hockey fans occupied. Today marks the start of the World Juniors, with three games on the docket including the U.S. against Germany. As the next wave of talent battles for international glory, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves around the hockey world.
- The Bakersfield Condors have signed five players to AHL contracts, bringing in Graham McPhee, Matt Boudens, Drake Rymsha, Mark Rassell, and Samuel Dove-McFalls to one-year deals. Three of those players spent parts of last season with the Fort Wayne Komets, Edmonton’s new ECHL affiliate.
- Cole Coskey, a seventh-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2019, has signed on with the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old forward never did sign an entry-level contract, meaning he is an unrestricted free agent.
This page will be updated throughout the day