Minor Transactions: 07/30/19
As July comes to a close and we get closer to the end of arbitration hearings and contract holdouts, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- Former Cornell standout and Bridgeport Sound Tigers goaltender Mitch Gillam has signed a one-year contract with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. The Edmonton Oilers affiliate will bring in the 26-year old to solidify the crease after he posted .925 and .906 save percentages through his first two years in the ECHL.
- Casey Bailey is back in North America on a professional tryout with the Hershey Bears after spending last season in the KHL. The Penn State product signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 out of school and ended up playing 13 NHL games between them and the Ottawa Senators, but spent most of his professional career in the AHL. The 27-year old has good size and strength but never could quite find a way to elevate his game to the NHL level on a consistent basis.
- Former AHL All-Star Mark Mancari has decided to retire after parts of four seasons in Germany. The 34-year old has taken a job as an assistant coach with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. Mancari played 42 games in the NHL over the years but was a standout at the AHL level, recording 558 points in 692 regular season games.
Blake Hillman Signs In ECHL
It was just over a year ago that Blake Hillman was part of a mass exodus from the University of Denver, signing his two-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks after three seasons at the school. Hillman had just recorded 12 points in 41 games as a junior, and jumped immediately to the NHL to play four games down the stretch. He even scored in his second ever professional game, and logged more than 20 minutes of ice time for the Blackhawks in the last game of the 2017-18 season.
He spent last season with the Rockford IceHogs, suiting up 54 times for the AHL club and recording four points. The 23-year old defenseman was obviously not able to create much offense, but perhaps he could still develop into a legitimate option in his own zone. Unfortunately the Blackhawks didn’t feel strongly about that possibility and decided not to issue him a qualifying offer, leaving him an unrestricted free agent. He hasn’t been able to find another opportunity in the NHL or even the AHL, and has signed on with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL for the 2019-20 season.
It’s an unfortunate fall for a player who looked like an up-and-coming prospect out of college, but perhaps it will give him the ice time and confidence to secure another contract down the road. Still just 23, he already has more NHL action under his belt than most of his competition this season.
Vancouver Canucks Extend ECHL Partnership
The Vancouver Canucks have extended their affiliation with the Kalamazoo Wings through the 2020-21 season. The ECHL franchise has been partnered with the Canucks for the last two seasons, and ten total over the years. This agreement will keep the organization a three-tiered development system along with the AHL’s Utica Comets.
Kalamazoo finished with a 36-31-5 record last season, making the Kelly Cup playoffs. Unfortunately they were ousted in the first round, a common occurrence for the team. Over the last seven years the team has failed to make it past that first round matchup if they make the playoffs at all, and they’re still looking for their first championship in the ECHL.
Like other low minor teams the Wings will likely see the raw and still developing prospects from the Canucks and Comets. Most often NHL teams use their ECHL franchises as breeding grounds for goaltending prospects, and the Wings actually saw Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Matiss Kivlenieks last year for a time. Depending on how things go there is a chance they could see Michael DiPietro, though the Canucks would likely rather him spend time in the AHL to further push his abilities.
Arizona Coyotes Announce ECHL Affiliate
What’s old is new in terms of ECHL affiliates for the Arizona Coyotes, as they have reached a new two-year agreement with the Rapid City Rush. The Rush served as the Coyotes ECHL affiliate from 2015-17. Arizona assistant GM Steve Sullivan released a statement on the renewed partnership:
We are excited to once again partner with the Rapid City Rush as our ECHL affiliate. The Rush are a first class organization with a passionate fan base. We look forward to working with owners Jeff Dickerson and TJ Puchyr (Spire Sports and Entertainment) as well as owner Scott Mueller and Head Coach Daniel Tetrault.
The Coyotes were affiliated with the Norfolk Admirals last season and the Fort Wayne Komets the year prior, but will now get at least a little bit of stability with the two-year deal. Like any ECHL affiliation, the Coyotes can use the Rush for their raw or long-shot prospects as well as house their young goaltenders to give them some stable playing time.
Minor Transactions: 07/25/19
As July marches on and we get into arbitration hearings and contract holdouts, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- Michael Brodzinski has signed a one-year two-way AHL contract with the Belleville Senators, leaving the San Jose Sharks organization after three years bouncing between their AHL and ECHL affiliates. Interestingly his older brother Jonny Brodzinski just signed with the Sharks this offseason, though he likely has a real shot at playing some NHL games this season.
- The Colorado Eagles have added another young goaltender to the mix, signing former Calgary Flames prospect Mason McDonald on an AHL contract. The 23-year old was selected 34th overall in 2014 but has spent most of his professional career in the ECHL to this point. McDonald will join Hunter Miska as another former top prospect with Colorado this season, an interesting pair to keep an eye on throughout the year.
Minor Transactions: 07/24/19
As July marches on and we get into arbitration hearings and contract holdouts, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- The Rochester Americans have signed Shaw Boomhower and Frank Hora to one-year AHL contracts. Both players spent the majority of their 2018-19 season in the ECHL, and could be ticketed for that league once again. Boomhower, 20, recorded 94 penalty minutes in 30 games for the Cincinatti Cyclones while scoring just seven points.
- Alex Dubeau has signed a one-year two-way AHL contract with the Belleville Senators after spending the last four years at the University of New Brunswick. After finishing his senior season, Dubeau suited up six times for the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL and actually posted a .921 save percentage. The 25-year old goaltender will be used as depth in the low minors.
- Minor league defenseman Chris Summers is taking his talents to the DEL, signing a two-year contract in Germany. Summers has actually played 70 NHL games over a long professional career, but spent the last two seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 31-year old was a first-round pick in 2006, but failed to ever establish himself as a full-time NHL defender.
- Shane Hanna won’t be back with the Texas Stars this season, as the 25-year old defenseman has signed in Denmark for one year. Hanna suited up 58 times for the Stars last season and recorded 10 points, but will try things overseas to continue his professional career.
- Cavan Fitzgerald has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the San Jose Sharks earlier this offseason. The 22-year old Fitzgerald played 66 games for the San Jose Barracuda last season, recording 20 points and 42 penalty minutes.
- The Utica Comets have signed Zach Frye to an AHL contract, another Barracuda defenseman who will find a new home in 2019-20. The 25-year old played most of last season with the Orlando Solar Bears however, posting 16 points in 25 games. Known for his willingness to engage physically, Frye once recorded 214 penalty minutes in just 38 games for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.
Winnipeg Jets Renew ECHL Affiliation
The Winnipeg Jets have renewed their partnership with the Jacksonville Icemen for the 2019-20 season, once again giving them an ECHL affiliate to help develop their prospects. The teams have been partnered for the last two seasons. Head coach Jason Christie has also been given a multi-year extension, keeping him in the Jets organization.
The Icemen—not to be confused with the ICE, the new junior hockey team in Winnipeg—made the ECHL playoffs last season after a 36-32-4 record in the regular season but were ousted quickly in round one. Like most other low minor teams, they housed several journeymen and plenty of raw prospects looking to develop their skills. Notably on the team was goaltender Mikhail Berdin, who is on his entry-level contract with the Jets after being selected in the 2016 draft. The ECHL is often a place for the organization’s goaltending prospects, giving them a chance to get game action against professionals on a nightly basis.
Christie meanwhile returns for his seventh season as the ECHL coach for Winnipeg, and is the all-time leader in league wins. He is still looking for his first Kelly Cup championship however, something the Icemen will try to bring home in 2020.
Minor Transactions: 07/16/19
It’s been a shockingly busy day for mid-July and the moves don’t end at the NHL level. There have been even more notable transactions around the minors today to go along with an unexpected surge of signings and trades in the NHL. Keep up with all the action here:
- The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have signed three players. The team announced an extension for defenseman Jake Kulevich and the addition of free agent forward Jakob Stukel. College hockey insider Mark Divver also reports that former Providence College defenseman Vincent Desharnais has signed with the club. Kulevich, 26, and Desharnais, 23, are both shutdown defenseman. At 6’4, 216 lbs. Kulevich’s game is in the defensive end, but he also recorded eight points in 29 games for the Condors last year as a part-time player. Desharnais is even bigger at 6’6″, 216 lbs., and just wrapped up an impressive NCAA career with the Friars, capped off by 13 points and a +22 rating in 42 games last year. Stukel, 22, is a former Vancouver Canucks prospect who impressed in Bakersfield last season on a try-out deal late in the year, recording six points in ten games. The performance earned him an AHL contract this year and the shot at a full-time role with the Condors.
- Cam Johnson has been unable to find a two-way NHL deal and has settled for an AHL pact. The former University of North Dakota standout keeper signed a one-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils last summer, but did not appear for the team this season and split the campaign between the AHL and ECHL. His numbers in his first pro season were less than stellar, leaving Johnson without many options this off-season. He has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, the team announced, and will look to get back to his collegiate numbers in the upcoming campaign.
- When the Colorado Eagles moved from the ECHL to the AHL last season, they took Michael Joly with them and the forward hardly missed a beat. He went from 67 points in 52 games to 30 points in 47 games, continuing to be a key player despite the boost in talent among his teammates and competitors. As a result, Joly has earned a contract extension, the Eagles announced. The 24-year-old will join the team for at least one more year and will again push to be among the top scorers on the roster.
Minor Transactions: 07/11/19
Another day closer to the start of the 2019-20 regular season, and another few contracts signed by minor league players. Like always, we’ll keep an eye on the fringes for you:
- The Hershey Bears are bringing back Erik Burgdoerfer on an AHL contract after he spent the last several seasons trying to establish himself in the NHL. An undrafted free agent out of RPI, the defenseman had to battle through several seasons in the ECHL before getting a real shot in the AHL with Hershey in 2014. After playing eight NHL games split between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, he’s back with the Bears for 2019-20.
- Ben Sexton did enough in 26 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season to earn a new AHL contract with them. The team has re-signed the 28-year old forward to a one-year minor league pact after he recorded 10 points and 31 penalty minutes in those 26 contests. A veteran of just two NHL games (also with the Senators), Sexton will serve as an experienced hand for the Penguins as Mike Vellucci tries to turn the program around.
Snapshots: Appleby, Skinner, Knights
Goaltender Ken Appleby will have to settle for an AHL contract again this season. The 24-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators, the team announced. Appleby spent much of last season on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but was signed to an NHL deal at the trade deadline to serve as a depth option for the Winnipeg Jets. Appleby will hope that his play earns him another NHL contract, during this season or next summer.
Appleby continues to be a tough keeper to nail down. A standout with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, Appleby earned a three-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils as an undrafted prospect. In his first pro season in 2015-16, Appleby largely played in the ECHL, but put up good numbers and performed well in limited AHL action. The next year, he again dominated in ECHL to begin the year but quickly was called up to play a key role in the AHL and put up good albeit unspectacular numbers. In the final year of his ELC, Appleby’s AHL performance slipped somewhat, but he made three NHL appearances and was stellar, posting a .945 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. Yet, Appleby inexplicably failed to garner NHL attention last summer and, after signing with Manitoba, struggled greatly in the AHL and ended up back down in the ECHL. It’s unclear what to expect from the roller coaster goaltender, but at the very least the Admirals add an experienced netminder who has shown flashes of brilliance.
- New York Rangers prospect Hunter Skinner is shifting his development plan. A fourth-round pick out of the USHL last month, Skinner was expected to play one more year of junior before heading to Western Michigan University. That all changed today when Skinner signed with the OHL’s London Knights, effectively ruling out the NCAA route. London used a fifth-round pick on Skinner in the 2017 OHL Draft and have made good on that gamble by convincing Skinner to change lanes and play major junior. However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Michigan native backed out of his WMU commitment. A big right-handed defenseman who is ahead of the game physically but still raw in his skill and IQ, the Rangers reached for Skinner in the fourth round. It’s not a stretch to think that they used that leverage to influence this decision, perhaps preferring to see Skinner play against stronger competition sooner rather than later to start developing those abilities. The Broncos are definitely disappointed to lose a promising prospect, but Skinner is in good hands in London, a premiere NHL feeder program led by Dale and Mark Hunter.
- Speaking of which, former London Knight Will Lochead has signed his first pro contract with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Lochead actually began classes at the University of Western Ontario last year and had intended to continue there, but after a breakout season opted to pursue the pro route. The aggressive defenseman recorded a career-high 17 points in 54 games for the Knights and continued to show that he is not afraid to throw his body around and play a fast-tempo game. The Thunderbirds are taking a chance on a young, undrafted player without much production to show for in his junior career, but who brings room for growth and an exciting style.