It’s the first true Sunday of the NHL season, however there are no games on tap for us today. The odd scheduling quirk should give players a chance to practice and rest ahead of a busy week two. Still, there’s plenty of action around the hockey scene and with that comes some minor news and notes. We’ll keep track of those here.
- The Calgary Wranglers, the new AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, announced that they have assigned three players to the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL: defensemen Simon Lavigne and Rhett Rhinehart, and goaltender Daniil Chechelev. Both defenseman, who recently finished up their junior careers, were undrafted in the NHL, but should get a chance to make a name for themselves in the professional ranks. Chechelev, a fourth-round pick of the Flames in 2020, struggled last year in the ECHL, but will have a chance to redeem himself in 2021-22.
- The ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen announced they’ve signed defenseman Jacob Friend to a one-year contract. The defenseman was a seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2016 and has spent parts the past two seasons on Jacksonville’s blueline, along with 17 games as a member of the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season. Prior to turning pro, Friend spent parts of four seasons with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL and two seasons with St. Mary’s University in Halifax, NS. The Icemen are the affiliate of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and the New York Rangers
This post will be updated throughout the day.