The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that they have signed forward Ben Sexton to an American Hockey League contract for the 2019-20 season. Sexton, 28, was acquired by Pittsburgh in a trade with Ottawa on Dec. 5, 2018, and registered seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 43 AHL games between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Belleville
American Hockey League
The Hershey Bears have signed defensemen Erik Burgdoerfer and Tommy Hughes to one-year American Hockey League contracts. Burgdoerfer notched five goals and 13 assists for 18 points along with a plus-18 rating in 64 games with the AHL’s Belleville Senators in 2018-19. He also skated in four NHL contests with Ottawa. Entering his 10th pro
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today released the complete schedule of games for the 2019-20 regular season, the league’s 84th year of operation. The season, with 31 teams playing a total of 1,150 games, begins on Friday, October 4 and concludes on Saturday, April 11. Some highlights of the 2019-20 schedule: • The 2019-20 regular
The Carolina Hurricanes have named Ryan Warsofsky as the new head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. At 31, Warsofsky becomes the youngest current head coach in the American Hockey League. A native of North Marshfield, Mass., Warsofsky joined the organization last summer and served as an assistant coach with the Checkers in
The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Henri Jokiharju from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander. Jokiharju, 20, tallied two goals and 15 assists for 17 points in 30 games with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs as a rookie in 2018-19. He also tallied 12 assists in 38 NHL contests with the Blackhawks. A
The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with forward Kevin Roy on a one-year, two-way contract. Roy, 26, registered one goal and four assists in 11 regular-season games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls last season. He added two goals and an assist in eight Calder Cup Playoff matches. Roy also appeared in three NHL
The Providence Bruins have signed forwards Brendan Woods and Samuel Asselin to two-year AHL contracts; and defensemen Chris Breen, Joel Messner and Alexey Solovyev and forward Robert Lantosi to one-year AHL contracts. Woods, 27, spent last season with the AHL’s Utica Comets, where he tallied seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 53
After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is taking a look at where each team stands. Today, the Anaheim Ducks: The Anaheim Ducks are hoping a new coach and several up-and-coming forwards will help them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after failing to qualify last season for the first time
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews has announced the winners of the league’s annual Team Business Services awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in a variety of categories including ticket sales, community service and fan experience. These awards were presented Thursday evening at a gala reception during the Board of Governors’ Annual
The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Carter Verhaeghe to a one-year, two-way contract. Verhaeghe, 23, won the AHL’s scoring title in 2018-19 when he recorded 82 points in 76 games with the Syracuse Crunch. Verhaeghe also owned a share of the league lead with 34 goals, and posted a plus-26 rating as well. Verhaeghe
The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Mario Kempe to a one-year, two-way contract. Kempe, 30, joins his younger brother Adrian in the Kings organization. A native of Kramfors, Sweden, Kempe notched four goals and five assists in 52 NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19. He also recorded five goals and six assists
MONTREAL – There’s one scene, in particular, Phil Varone replayed over and over in his mind recently when it became clear he was signing with the Canadiens. The events occurred on February 21, 2019 at the Bell Centre when Varone was still a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. “Honestly, I have that picture in my
The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the club has signed left wing Andreas Martinsen to a one-year, two-way contract. Martinsen, 29, notched three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 38 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs last season. He also tallied one goal and three assists in 24 NHL games with the Chicago
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews has announced that the league has named the 2018-19 recipients of several awards for excellence and service to the AHL. The winners were recognized Thursday evening at a gala reception during the Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting at Hilton Head Island, S.C. Springfield Thunderbirds
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Brian Gibbons to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2019-20 season. Gibbons, 31, has spent the last two seasons exclusively in the National Hockey League, picking up eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 64 games between Anaheim and Ottawa in 2018-19. He tallied 12 goals and
San Antonio Rampage captain Chris Butler officially announced his retirement from professional hockey on Wednesday. Butler, 32, served as captain of the Rampage each of the past two seasons, and of the Chicago Wolves in 2016-17. The St. Louis, Mo., native skated in 407 National Hockey League games and 271 American Hockey League contests over
BUFFALO – Last season, for the first time in his six-year career, new Sabres goalie Andrew Hammond didn’t play a single NHL game. Even as an undrafted rookie in 2013-14, Hammond earned 35 minutes of big league action. In 2017-18, a tough campaign in which he bounced around and started just one regular-season contest, he
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Joseph Blandisi to a one-year, two-way contract. Blandisi, 24, skated in 54 AHL games with San Diego and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2018-19, totaling 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points — all AHL career bests. Blandisi also appeared in nine NHL games between Anaheim and Pittsburgh last season. A