Minor Transactions: 9/8/17
The last 24 hours has been a busy one in hockey. There continue to be more and more PTO’s as well as a few traditional contract signings as well, both in the NHL, and the following minor league deals:
- The New York Ranger’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, have signed 2016-17 AHL All-Star Joe Whitney to a one-year contract, the team announced. A Boston College alum and former captain of the Eagles, the 29-year-old Whitney has had a fine AHL career and has played an important leadership role for many teams, but has not lived up to the potential many saw in college. Whitney spent the first half of his pro career with the AHL’s Albany Devils, eventually earning an NHL contract with New Jersey and appearing in five games with the team between 2013 and 2015. More recently, he has been more of an AHL gun-for-hire, signing one-year deals with the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche to be a veteran mentor for their young minor leaguers. Whitney was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Brendan Ranford at the trade deadline this past season to help support the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners down the stretch. However, the Coyotes and seemingly all other AHL teams weren’t interested in a two-way deal for Whitney’s services this season, leading to his AHL deal with the Wolf Pack. Whitney will still be a valuable research in Hartford, bringing leadership and guidance to a locker room with developing young scorers like Ryan Gropp and Adam Tambellini.
- Like Whitney, another former Boston College captain has found AHL employment in Chris Calnan. The big, two-way winger has signed with one of the AHL’s newest teams, the Binghamton Devils, the relocated affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The announcement of the deal by Binghamton received excited recognition from both New Jersey and ECHL-affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. The whole chain of teams hope that Calnan can bring the same character, tenacity, and leadership that he showed at BC to his pro game, regardless of what level he plays at. Calnan, 23, was a 2012 third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, but became a free agent in August after failing to reach terms on an entry-level deal with the team after four years in college. In Binghamton, Calnan will look to show that he has the intangibles to be a reliable bottom-six forward at the NHL level. He may not be his uncle, Jeremy Roenick, but Calnan looks like he may have pro chops.
- Unlike Whitney, a pair of fellow former Coyotes have been unable to lock down even an AHL job this off-season. Branden Troock signed on with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits earlier today, while Henrik Samuelsson came to terms with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads yesterday. Samuelsson, 23, was a first-round pick of the Coyotes back in 2012, but never came close to reaching his potential, beginning with a scoreless three game stint with the ‘Yotes in his first pro season in 2014-15 and only going downhill from there. The team ended up trading Samuelsson to the Edmonton Oilers last season for Mitch Moroz, who signed with none other than the Idaho Steelheads this summer. Samuelsson has just 55 points in his three-year AHL career and will have to work if he wants to add to that point total any time soon. Troock, on the other hand, is neither an Arizona draft pick nor an NHL veteran. The 23-year-old was a 5th-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2012 and was traded to the Coyotes this past February alongside the aforementioned and quickly flipped Brandon Ranford for veteran goalie Justin Peters. Arizona did not make any attempts to re-sign Troock, who was a -7 in 20 games with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners to close out the season. Troock is more familiar with the ECHL than Samuelsson, having skated in 28 “AA” games over his three pro seasons.
- A player with similar luck is former San Jose Sharks prospect Patrick McNally. A 2010 fourth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks and a standout at Harvard, the bruising defenseman just couldn’t find any production at the pro level, scoring 18 points in two seasons with the AHL Barracuda. McNally today signed with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, who ironically play in the former home of the Barracuda, then the Worcester Sharks.
- A pair with better fortunes today was Alex Wideman and Tyler Sikura. The ECHL forwards are now AHL forwards, after inking deals with the Rockford Ice Hogs today, as per a team announcement. Wideman, the younger brother of Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Wideman, is back in the AHL after two full seasons of ECHL playing following a quick stint with his brother on the Binghamton Senators in 2015. The 25-year-old scored 55 points in 70 games last season, the best offensive production of his entire career. Sikura is on an AHL contract for the first time, having only played in the American League on loan after signing with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye out of Dartmouth College in 2015. The former Big Green captain has yet to record an AHL point yet, which will surely be his “goal” when he first hits the ice with Rockford.
- Journeyman goalie Mark Dekanich will be staying stateside this year. He has re-upped with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 31-year-old Dekanich is a ten-year pro; a 2006 draft pick of the Predators, he made one NHL start in Nashville and many more starts with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, then jumped overseas to the KHL before returning to minor league duty in North America. While Dekanich could end up playing much of the season down in the ECHL, as he has the past two seasons since returning from the KHL, Dekanic’s veteran presence could prove helpful for promising young Flyers goalie prospects Alex Lyon and Carter Hart, especially while Anthony Stolarz remains sidelined. However, between that trio of up-and-coming keepers, the veteran duo of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth in Philly, and Leland Irving and John Muse also on AHL deals, there may be a few too many goalies in Lehigh Valley and Reading this season.
Minor Transactions: 9/2/17
With the calendar flipping from August to September, there has been a flurry of activity across hockey. Players who have been holding out for more money or better situations are feeling the pressure of an impending season and finally settling for what they can get. Thomas Vanek is one example, while a plethora of PTO’s in recent days provides another. Outside the NHL, lower tier players are facing the same scenario. Here are some minor moves as evidence:
- Michael Kostka is headed overseas, at least for now. Calgary Flames beat writer Ryan Pike reports that Kostka has agreed to a tryout with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. This is the first time that Kostka has ventured across the pond, as he has made a career out of being a dependable AHL depth option for several NHL teams. A four-year starter and eventual captain for the UMass Minutemen, Kostka signed a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers out of school in 2008 and and then returned to the Panthers in 2011 after a breakout campaign on an AHL contract in 2010-11. This began a pattern of one-year, two-way contracts for the reliable defenseman. Kostka made his NHL debut in 2012-13, skating in 35 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, then signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and played in nine games with them in 2013-14 and another 19 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning following a mid-season trade. Kostka then played in seven games with the New York Rangers in 2014-15 and 15 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2015-16. All the while, Kostka has provided consistency on offense and defense in the AHL, as well as veteran leadership. However, only last year with the Senators and later the Flames organizations – following the Curtis Lazar trade – did Kostka have his first season since his NHL debut without a game played at the highest level. Now 31 years old, it appears the yearly demand for Kostka as AHL depth has ended and he will now take his talents to Sweden in hopes of playing a major role once again, this time with Skelleftea. Should he fail to make the team or simply wish to return to North America, the veteran blue liner would undoubtedly be welcomed by a number of AHL teams happy to take him on a minor league deal.
- The AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, announced that they have signed defenseman Brandon Anselmini to a one-year deal. The former Ferris State University rearguard played for the AHL’s Texas Stars, the affiliate of Chicago’s Central Division foes, the Dallas Stars, last season. However, Anselmini only skated in ten AHL games, spending the bulk of the campaign with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Although Anselmini performed well in his first pro season at the ECHL level, it’s doubtful that he’s ready for a full-time AHL role. The undersized defender is a good depth option for Rockford, but is likely destined for more time in the ECHL.
- Yet, at least Anselmini found an AHL contract to begin with. A player he could help to replace with the Ice Hogs, Nolan Valleau, has not been so lucky. Valleau, who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks out of Bowling Green State University two years ago, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team this off-season and became an unrestricted free agent. After a 2016-17 season where he played entirely in the AHL, but scored just eight points and played to a -19 rating, there hasn’t been much interest in the 24-year-old in the AHL, nevertheless another NHL team. Instead, Valleau has signed with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the team announced. The Solar Bears’ press release indicated that they are very excited to have Valleau, who could take on a leadership role for the “AA” squad. Perhaps the puck-moving defender could find his way back to the AHL next season and beyond if he makes the most of his time in Orlando.
- Another non-qualified UFA settling for an ECHL deal after being on an NHL contract is Zach Pochiro. Pochiro, a 2013 fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis native, has signed with the Allen Americans, the team confirmed. Unlike Valleau though, Pochiro is extensively familiar with the ECHL. The former Prince George Cougars standout has played in 103 ECHL games since signing with the Blues in 2014. In comparison, he has only skated in five AHL games and of course no NHL games in that span. Even after being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the Nail Yakupov deal last summer, a change of scenery was not enough to change his career trajectory, leading to the Oilers passing on retaining his rights. Perhaps the reality of an ECHL contract will help the once-promising 23-year-old to re-focus.
More to come throughout the day
Prospect Notes: Khovanov, Jokiharju, Rookie Camps
It’s been an up-and-down summer for Alexander Khovanov. Expected to be a top pick in the 2018 draft, Khovanov was planning on coming to Canada to join the junior ranks and compete right in front of the eyes of NHL scouts. Because of his public commitment, he went second-overall to the Moncton Wildcats in the CHL Import Draft, but eventually re-signed with Ak Bars in the KHL for three years.
Now, according to the Moncton Times & Transcript, Khovanov will miss at least six months of development due to contracting hepatitis A. He’s battling the illness in Russia. It’s a tough break for a player who was expected to go somewhere in the first round, as his draft year is compromised almost entirely. Hockey fans will hope for a quick recovery from the young forward.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic catches us up on several of the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects, including Henri Jokiharju who is now considered likely to start training camp with the club. Last we heard it was in doubt after he suffered a knee injury in July. Jokiharju was the Blackhawks’ first-round selection this year, and will likely return to the Portland Winterhawks where he was outstanding as a 17-year old rookie. Scoring 48 points in 78 games, he was one of the most impressive puck-rushing defensemen in the entire WHL, and should only develop further this year.
- Our friends over at Roster Resource have added the rookie camp rosters for all the teams who have announced them thus far, giving you a quick look at who will be competing over the next few weeks. The site has also added depth charts all the way down through the ECHL, giving unprecedented information all in one place for your favorite team. Make sure to keep their page bookmarked all season for an easy check of where players are stationed throughout the year.
Minor Transactions: 8/26/17
Just as NHL teams have begun to fill out rosters with affordable deals and tryout offers, such as those yesterday for Drew Stafford (New Jersey) and Jay McClement (Pittsburgh), minor league squads are also trying to get their teams in order with the season set to start in just a little over a month. Here are some recent minor moves:
- The pro game has not been kind to the Rupert twins, but all hope is not lost. Ryan Rupert, a 2012 sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of the smaller pieces sent to Ottawa alongside Dion Phaneuf in that massive 2016 exchange, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Senators this off-season and became an unrestricted free agent. After splitting each of his first three pro seasons between the AHL and ECHL, it was unlikely that he would find an NHL contract. However, it was somewhat of a surprise when he and brother Matt Rupert signed ECHL deals with the Indy Fuel back in July. The Rupert twins were both very successful junior players with the OHL’s London Knights, with each wearing the alternate captain “A” for a season and combining for over 400 points during their tenure. After a brief reunion with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in 2014-15, Ryan has amassed 58 points in 149 AHL games and 40 points in 53 ECHL games, while the undrafted Matt has 56 points in 125 ECHL games, as well as a couple AHL games on his resume. The duo seem to at least be worthy of an AHL contract, even if they do spend much of the season in the ECHL. It seems that one team agrees, as the Rockford Ice Hogs have invited the twins to camp on a tryout basis, according to The Sporting News’ Murray Pam. The Chicago Blackhawks’ affiliate is set to have some exciting, young players on the roster this season, but could use a couple hard-working minor league veterans like the Ruperts as well. If the tryout doesn’t pan out, the pair will likely return to Indy for the coming season and try to boost their in-season loan value and free agent stock for next summer.
- The San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate, announced that they have re-signed defenseman Brian Cooper to a one-year contract. Cooper, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Ducks in 2012, but signed a minor league deal with their affiliate last season after not being offered a pro contract by the team. Cooper played four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha after being drafted, delivering modest offense and a solid defensive game, especially given his 5’10”, 196-lb. stature. The Alaska-native brought the same skill set to the AHL in 2016-17, recording 10 points in 37 regular season games for the Gulls and another pair of clutch points in the postseason, all while playing mistake-free in his own end. Cooper is expected to play a larger role for San Diego next season, as he works towards showing Anaheim that he can indeed be an NHL-caliber player one day.
More to come…
Snapshots: Butcher, Beauchemin, Rampage
Will Butcher is still taking things slow in regards to his first professional destination, as Kevin Allen of USA Today reports that he’ll soon narrow down his list of teams from 12 to three or four. Those teams will each get a personal visit, after which he’ll make a decision. Allen suggests the process could take “a week or so.”
Butcher has been connected to the Blue Jackets, Devils, Golden Knights, Penguins, over the past week and some speculation that he’d already met with the Buffalo Sabres. The reigning Hobey Baker trophy winner is arguably the most interesting NCAA free agent on the market this summer, and could find an NHL opportunity right away.
- Francois Beauchemin is going back to the Anaheim Ducks, and in a conference call this afternoon told Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register that he was prepared to retire before the team reached out. He had turned down interest from several other teams which he had no history with, but was “thrilled” that Anaheim expressed interest. Beauchemin thinks it is likely that 2017-18 is his final season in the NHL.
- The San Antonio Rampage have signed a pair of veteran minor leaguers, inking goaltender Sam Brittain and defenseman Josh Atkinson to AHL deals. Brittain was a fourth-round pick of the Florida Panthers 2010 but has yet to make it to the NHL. He spent last season split between the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) and Manchester Monarchs (ECHL), and became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. Atkinson has spent almost all of his professional career in the ECHL, but got a two-game chance in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves after scoring 50 points in 66 games last season. The offensive explosion was a new development for Atkinson, who didn’t register more than 16 points in a single season at the University of Alaska.
Colorado Eagles Will Become 31st AHL Franchise
While this may not come as much of a surprise following the news earlier this month that the San Antonio Rampage will begin a five-year partnership with the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post is confirming that the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles will become the AHL’s 31st franchise. The club will act as the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate for 2018-19.
After the Vegas Golden Knights were added to the NHL, it was expected that AHL expansion would happen eventually. The Golden Knights made an initial affiliation with the Chicago Wolves, leaving the Blues without a minor league club for this season. They’ll send players to the Wolves and various other AHL organizations, but have little say when it comes to playing time and role. NHL teams are moving more and more to geographically close affiliates for the added benefits of player transactions and coaching staff proximity, allowing them to watch over their teams more closely. Now Colorado will enjoy the same benefit.
The Eagles won the Kelly Cup this season as the ECHL’s best franchise, and have a long history of regular season success. With the Avalanche building a large group of young players they might find themselves with early success in the AHL as well. Last year the Rampage went just 27-42-7, but with continued development of young players like A.J. Greer and Chris Bigras, along with the potential addition of older prospects like Andrei Mironov and Dominic Toninato, the team could bounce back in a hurry.
Morning Notes: Tavares, World Cup, Krushelnyski
The New York Islanders continue to be the center of attention when it comes to 2018 free agency. As we creep closer to training camp and the start of the regular season, many are questioning why superstar center John Tavares hasn’t signed an extension yet. Tavares is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer but doesn’t seem worried about the lack of a deal. He told Arthur Staple of Newsday that “there’s really no rush” and that he’d take as much time as he needs.
He did admit that he’s keeping an eye on the Islanders’ search for a new home, but that those things are out of his hands. It’s interesting that Tavares so publicly stated his attachment to the arena search, and will drum up a new round of speculation over whether he’ll leave if a permanent home isn’t found within the next 10 months. There’s obviously much more going into his decision, but the Islanders need to soon find some stability on and off the ice.
- Rick Westhead of TSN reports on the financial take from last fall’s World Cup of Hockey, announcing that the NHL and NHLPA split a $44MM profit. Though that may sound like a big number, players who participated earned just $86K while others got $10K. Both of those numbers are pre-tax, meaning many of the players earned even less. $86K may seem like a lot to some, but for the top players who gave up much of their training camp and put themselves at risk of injury it doesn’t seem like enough. While both sides want this event to continue, it’ll likely take a bigger paycheck to have it run long-term.
- Alex Krushelnyski is back in the AHL, after signing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms today. The 26-year old played 43 games for the Binghamton Senators last year, recording just seven points. Krushelnyski has been an outstanding scoring threat in the ECHL but has had trouble finding his footing in the upper minor league. He’ll join the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate as they look to repeat their 48-23-5 season from a year ago.
Minor Transactions: 8/16/17
Between a long-term extension for Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, a return to Minnesota for Matt Cullen, and a couple of contracts for first day-eligible college free agents Dominic Toninato and Connor Clifton, it’s been a relatively busy August day for NHL transactions. Yet, here is some more news from across the hockey world:
- The AHL’s Providence Bruins already made a splash today, signing the aforementioned Clifton, a standout right-handed defenseman from nearby Quinnipiac University, but another notable name has also joined the fold in Providence. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver, who also broke the Clifton news, revealed that NHL veteran Josh Hennessy has agreed to return to Providence on a PTO to begin the season. Hennessy has been playing for the Vaxjo Lakers in Sweden for much of the past three years and bounced around the KHL prior to that, but the 32-year-old was last in North America with the Boston Bruins and their affiliate in 2011-12. A 2003 second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks who has skated in 23 NHL games with the Bruins and Ottawa Senators, Hennessy clearly did not reach the expectations of his draft slot, but does have a history of high-scoring AHL campaigns. The P-Bruins had success with the PTO route last season, winding up with reliable veterans Peter Mueller and Matt Bartkowski, and hope that the local Massachusetts native can play well enough to crack a lineup that is chock full of talented Bruins prospects.
- Divver also made note of another move affecting Providence hockey, but the NCAA’s Providence College Friars rather than the AHL’s Bruins. The OHL’s Guelph Storm announced today that they have signed forward Cam Hillis, the team’s second-round pick in the 2016 OHL Draft. However, to join the Storm, Hillis had to break his commitment to play college hockey at PC. As Divver points out, Hillis is now the third Friars recruit this summer to instead choose the major junior route, joining Merrick Rippon (Mississagua Steelheads) and Sam Rhodes (Barrie Colts).
- Another player spurning the college game, but in Canada instead of the U.S., is former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds forward Bobby MacIntyre. The undrafted overager registered 80 points in 63 games in his final OHL season and was one of the top targets of many Canadian universities. However, he will bypass the university path and go straight to the pros after an impressive campaign. Victor Findlay of the Canadian University Sports Network reports that MacIntyre has agreed to terms with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the minor league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, on his first pro contract. MacIntyre could be an AHL rookie to watch for next season.
- Another AHL deal of note was that of Jake Marchment joining the San Antonio Rampage. The Colorado Avalanche affiliate announced the signing today, as well as an extension for Shawn St. Amant. Marchment comes over from the San Jose Sharks organization, where he was a sixth-round pick in 2014. The big two-way center saw only four games of AHL action last year with the San Jose Barracuda, instead mostly skating in the ECHL. He’ll look for a greater opportunity in San Antonio in 2017-18. Many will remember Marchment as a member of the talented 2014-15 and 2015-16 Erie Otters teams, who made it to the OHL Championship and Conference Finals respectively. Marchment was acquired from the Belleville Bulls in 2015 in part to help the team on their playoff run and also to make up for the impending loss of superstar Connor McDavid.
Minor Transactions: 8/10/17
It may be August, but hockey transactions are still ongoing. While the major names on the NHL free agent market appear to still be in a holding pattern, AHL teams have begun to fill out their rosters with minor leagues deals. The result has been a recent influx of minor news, both of AHL signings and those with less luck finding a contract in North America signing overseas. Here’s a rundown of today’s minor moves:
- NHL veteran Jeremy Morin is headed to the KHL, but not to one of the league’s more well-known clubs. Morin has instead signed on with HC Yugra, a relatively new team to the KHL based in the small ski town of Khanty-Mansiysk. Yugra entered the KHL in 2010 and, after qualifying for the postseason in its first two seasons, has not been back to the playoffs since. Part of Yugra’s struggle may be related to a lack of a diverse lineup. Yugra was one of only three KHL teams in 2016-17 to field a roster of players entirely of Russian decent. By bringing in Morin, the team is finally branching out and may have a foreigner even be its best player next season. Morin, 26, is a 2009 second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers, but is most well-known as a Chicago Blackhawks prospect after being dealt to the team as part of the return for Dustin Byfuglien back in 2010. Morin skated in 54 games for Chicago between 2010 and 2014, registering 16 points, while also suiting up for over 200 games with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs. In 2014, Morin was traded away to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Tim Erixon. That kicked off a chain of events wherein Morin was dealt four more times in the last three years, including as part of the package back to Chicago for Brandon Saad, notoriously as the return to Toronto for Richard Panik, and alongside James Reimer to the San Jose Sharks. Unable to find a long-term home, Morin signed on with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer, looking for a fresh start. Instead, the Lightning also traded him, as he was moved to the Arizona Coyotes in February. Likely sick of the uncertainty that the NHL has showed him in his career, Morin is on the move to Russia, where the ability that has made him a valuable trade chip may finally get a chance to shine for a full season.
- Recent Chicago Wolves defenseman Kevin Tansey is also on the move. The former Clarkson University standout drew immediate attention in the AHL upon graduating in 2016, jumping right into 11 games with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, at the tail end of the 2015-16 season. He expected similar excitement when he joined Chicago for this past campaign, but instead he was buried on the depth chart, skating in only 19 games. The rest of the year, Tansey played for the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks, where he was clearly out of place among inferior talent. Tansey, not known for his offensive ability, managed to record 31 points in 44 ECHL games, showing that he really should be in the AHL. The Grand Rapids Griffins, fresh off a Calder Cup championship, will now give Tansey that chance. The Detroit Red Wings’ affiliate announced today that they have inked the blue liner to a one-year deal. Tansey should be eager to show what he can do in a full season of AHL action.
- Another rearguard coming off of a big ECHL season has inked an AHL deal, but for Tim Daly it is his first foray into the next level. The former St. Cloud State shutdown defender has played the last two seasons in the ECHL, but after a lack of production in 2015-16, Daly’s numbers took off in 2016-17, as he finished with 38 points in 59 games for the Utah Grizzlies. Historically a more stay-at-home style defenseman, Daly showed his two-way ability last year and caught the eye of the Manitoba Moose, who brought him via loan for a couple of games. Apparently the Winnipeg Jets’ affiliate saw enough in that short sample to sign Daly to a one-year deal. The Moose also announced one-year extensions for forwards Kale Kessy and Elgin Pearce in addition to bringing in Daly.
New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues Announce ECHL Affiliates
After two years of an “informal working agreement”, the Adirondack Thunder are the official ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The two sides signed a one-year agreement to work with each other and the new Binghamton Devils of the AHL.
Adirondack had been the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames after completing a market swap with their AHL team—the AHL Adirondack Flames became the Stockton Heat, while the ECHL Stockton Thunder became the Adirondack Thunder—but had housed several Devils’ prospects as well. Scott Wedgewood is perhaps the most notable example, as he played one game for Adirondack in 2015, the same season he would make his NHL debut.
The team also announced that Brad Tapper would take over as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Thunder. Tapper was most recently an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, but with a new regime in Buffalo installing their own coaching staff was free to pursue other options. This will be Tapper’s first professional head coaching position after a playing career that saw him suit up for 71 NHL contests with the Atlanta Thrashers.
In other minor league news, the St. Louis Blues have officially announced their affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers, giving the team an ECHL affiliate even though they won’t have on in the AHL next season. The Chicago Wolves, St. Louis’ most recent AHL partnership agreed to an affiliation with the Vegas Golden Knights. Expansion is expected in the AHL for the 2018-19 season to account for this, but for now St. Louis will send their prospects to several different teams (including the Wolves). Tulsa will give them a home for their ECHL players.