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Minnesota Wild Signs Defenseman Joe Hicketts to Two-Year, Two-Way Contract

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SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed defenseman Joe Hicketts to a two-year, two-way contract ($750,000/$300,000).

 

Hicketts, 25 (5/4/96), spent the 2020-21 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and collected 18 points (1-17=18) in 32 contests. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound native of Kamloops, British Columbia, led team defensemen in scoring and ranked second on the team in assists. He ranked T-2nd amongst AHL defensemen in assists and T-10th in points. The left-shot blueliner tied his career-high three points (3a) March 26 at Iowa and scored his sole goal April 29 vs. Chicago. He has 118 points (16-102=118), three power-play goals (PPG), four game-winning goals (GWG), 176 penalty minutes (PIM) and 492 shots on goal in 286 career games in five AHL seasons with Grand Rapids (2016-21). He owns 11 points (1-10=11) and 18 PIM in 29 playoff contests (2017-19) and won the Calder Cup in 2017 with the Griffins.

 

Hicketts was originally signed as a free agent by the Detroit Red Wings on Sept. 24, 2014. He made his NHL debut on Jan. 22, 2018 at New Jersey and tallied his first NHL points with two assists on March 27, 2018 vs. Pittsburgh. The defenseman owns five assists in 22 career NHL games in parts of three seasons with Detroit (2017-20).

 

Prior to signing with the Red Wings, Hicketts spent parts of five seasons with the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and registered 173 points (32-141=173), 10 PPG, five GWG, 149 PIM and 159 shots on goal in 225 games (2011-16). He recorded a career-high 64 points (12-52=64) in 62 contests during the 2014-15 season and ranked second amongst WHL defensemen in scoring. He tallied 15 points (1-14=15) and 29 PIM in 31 playoff matches in four postseasons with Victoria (2013-16).

Sharks acquire Lane Pederson from Arizona in exchange for a 2024 Fourth Round Selection

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SAN JOSE, CA – San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) announced today that the club has acquired forward Lane Pederson from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round selection. After being acquired, Pederson signed a two-year contract with San Jose. The contract is a two-way deal in Year One, followed by a one-way contract in Year Two.

 

“We have been following Lane since his time with Swift Current and has continued to improve every season,” said Wilson. “We are excited to add a young, up-and-coming right shot center who has offensive upside and is difficult to play against.”

 

Pederson, 23, appeared in 15 games for Arizona last season, recording three points (one goal, to assists). He made his NHL debut on Apr. 2, 2021 at Anaheim and scored his first NHL goal in the contest. He also appeared in 16 games for the Tucson Roadrunners, scoring 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists).

 

In his professional career, all with the Arizona organization, he has appeared in 15 NHL games and 183 American Hockey League contests, recording 124 points (58 goals, 66 assists) with 100 penalty minutes. In the 2018-19 season, he led Tucson in goals and points, and ranked third on the team in assists. In his rookie season the year prior, he ranked fourth in points on Tucson (26).

 

Prior to his professional career, he appeared in 199 career games with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Red Deer Rebels and Swift Current Broncos in the Western Hockey League (WHL), scoring 140 points (53 goals, 87 assists).

 

The six-foot, 190-pound native of Saskatoon, Sask. was originally signed as a free agent by Arizona on Oct. 13, 2016.

Canucks Re-Sign Defenceman Travis Hamonic to a two-year deal

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Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has re-signed defenceman Travis Hamonic to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $3 million.

 

Hamonic, 30, recorded 10 points (3-7-10) and 39 penalty minutes in 38 games with the Canucks during the 2020.21 season, his first with Vancouver. Despite missing 18 games due to injury, Hamonic ranked second in blocked shots (81) and fourth in points (10) among Canucks defencemen. His 6.60 blocked shots per 60 minutes also ranked eighth in the NHL (minimum 20 games played).

 

In 675 career regular season games over 11 seasons split between the New York Islanders, Calgary, and Vancouver, Hamonic has collected 198 points (40-158-198) and 630 penalty minutes. He has also skated in 22 career playoff games with the Islanders and Flames, tallying four points (1-3-4) and 33 penalty minutes.

 

The St. Malo, Manitoba, native was originally drafted in the second round, 53rd overall, by the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

‘Canes agree to terms with DeAngelo

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Defenseman has tallied 106 points in 206 career NHL games

 

RALEIGH, NC – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Tony DeAngelo on a one-year, $1 million contract.

 

“Tony is a smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman,” said Waddell. “We’ve done a lot of background work on this player and we are confident that he can be a positive addition to our group.”

 

DeAngelo, 25, has posted 106 points (24g, 82a) in 206 career NHL games with the Rangers and Coyotes. The 5’11”, 180-pound blueliner registered career-highs in goals (15), assists (38), points (53), plus/minus (+12) and games played (68) during the shortened 2019-20 regular season. Among all NHL defensemen in 2019-20, DeAngelo ranked tied for fourth in goals and points. He represented the United States internationally at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. The Sewell, N.J., native was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, 19th overall, of the 2014 NHL Draft.

Sharks sign Forward Nick Bonino

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SAN JOSE, CA – San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed forward Nick Bonino (@NickBonino) to a two-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

 

“Nick is a proven, veteran center who has been a winner at every level of hockey he has played,” said Wilson. “His skillset is well-rounded, bringing a lot of intangibles to our club, and he has a knack for playing his best when it means the most.”

 

Bonino, 33, spent last season with the Minnesota Wild, picking up 26 points (ten goals, 16 assists) in 55 games, which was tied for sixth on the team. He was first on the team in faceoff percentage (52.8%), first amongst team forwards in blocked shots (50), third amongst team forwards in takeaways (22), sixth on the team in shooting percentage (15.2%) and T-third on the team in power play goals (3)

 

In 12 NHL seasons with Anaheim, Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Nashville and Minnesota, Bonino has played in 681 NHL games, posting 308 points (132 goals, 176 assists) and 197 penalty minutes. He has twice been top-15 in Selke Trophy voting as the NHL’s top defensive forward (2018-19, 2019-20).

 

Bonino has appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in ten of his 12 NHL seasons and was a member of the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. In 105 postseason games, he has notched 48 points (19 goals, 29 assists), including six game-winning goals, three of which came in overtime.

 

Internationally, the Hartford, CT native has represented United States twice at the World Championships (2015 and 2018).

 

The six-foot-one, 195-pound forward was originally selected by San Jose in the 2005 NHL Draft (sixth round, 173rd overall). He was traded to Anaheim, along with a 4th round draft selection in the 2012 NHL Draft and Goaltender Timo Pielmeier in exchange for D Kent Huskins and F Travis Moen.

Canucks Sign Seven Players to Two-Way Contracts

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Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has confirmed two-way contracts with Kyle Burroughs, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Sheldon Dries, Nic Petan, Sheldon Rempal, John Stevens and Devante Stephens.

 

Kyle Burroughs has agreed to terms on a two-year contract. Burroughs, 26, split the 2020.21 season playing five games with the Colorado Avalanche (0-1-1) and 11 games with the AHL Colorado Eagles (1-3-4). The Vancouver native played an additional two playoff games for the Eagles last season.

 

The 6’0″, 194-pound defenceman has played 324 career AHL games and recorded 86 points (18-68-86) and 431 penalty minutes. Burroughs was originally selected by the New York Islanders 196th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft.

 

Phillip Di Giuseppe has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Di Giuseppe, 27, appeared in 31 games for the New York Rangers in 2020.21, tallying eight points (1-7-8) and 13 penalty minutes

 

The 6’0″, 193-pound forward has recorded 53 points (16-37-53) and 73 penalty minutes in 201 career games between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers. In 227 AHL games split between the Hartford Wolf Pack, Milwaukee Admirals, and Charlotte Checkers, Di Giuseppe registered 127 points (54-73-127) and 132 penalty minutes.

 

The Toronto, Ontario, native was originally selected by Carolina in the second round, 38th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Sheldon Dries has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Dries, 27, appeared in three regular season games and one playoff game with the Avalanche this season. Over the past three seasons with Colorado, Dries has registered six points (3-3-6) and 30 penalty minutes in 48 games played.

 

The 5’9″, 180-pound forward accumulated 56 points (29-27-56) and 102 penalty minutes over 93 games with the Colorado Eagles. In the 2019.20 season, Dries led the Eagles in goals (21) and tied for third in scoring with 35 points (21-14-35) over 50 games. That same season he recorded a team-high of 12 power play goals, ranking him fifth in the AHL.

 

The Macomb, Michigan, native has appeared in 163 career AHL games, recording 86 points (48-38-86) and 155 penalty minutes.

 

Nic Petan has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Petan, 26, split the 2020.21 season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He appeared in seven games with the Leafs last season, registering one point (0-1-1) and four penalty minutes and 14 games with the Marlies recording 15 points (7-8-15) and six penalty minutes.

 

The 5’9″, 175-pound forward has appeared in 136 career NHL games split between the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs, registering 28 points (6-22-28) and 38 penalty minutes.

 

The Delta, BC, native was originally drafted in the 2nd round, 43rd overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Sheldon Rempal has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Rempal, 25, split the 2020.21 season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. He was held off the scoresheet in three games with the Hurricanes and posted 14 points (4-10-14) and six penalty minutes in 25 games with the Wolves.

 

The 5’10”, 165-pound forward has appeared in 10 career NHL games with the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes and made his NHL debut on October 18, 2018 vs the New York Islanders. In 140 career AHL games split between the Ontario Reign and Chicago Wolves, Rempal has tallied 75 points (23-52-75) and 74 penalty minutes.

 

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Rempal was originally signed by Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent on March 30, 2018.

 

John Stevens has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Stevens, 27, recorded 10 points (6-4-10) and 12 penalty minutes in 24 games with the Utica Comets last season. In 165 career AHL games he has notched 51 points (22-29-51) and 78 penalty minutes. Stevens was traded to Utica from Bridgeport on January 10, 2020.

 

The 6’2″, 205-pound native of Sea Isle, NJ played four seasons at Northeastern University, where he recorded 106 points (26-80-106) in 132 games.

 

Devante Stephens has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. Stephens, 24, split the 2020-21 season playing 26 games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch (5-6-11) and 16 games with Orlando of the ECHL (3-3-6). The White Rock, BC native’s career totals include 71 AHL games (5-12-17) and 121 ECHL games (11-29-40). Stephens played for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, where he recorded 57 points (19-38-57) in 203 games.

 

The 6’3″, 185-pound defenceman was originally drafted by Buffalo 122nd overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft

Flames sign a trio of players to Two-Way contracts

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Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames announce today that they have signed three free agents to two-way contracts, defensemen Nick Desimone and Kevin Gravel along with goaltender Adam Werner.

 

NICK DESIMONE – DEFENSEMAN

 

BORN: East Amherst, NY       DATE: November 21, 1994

 

HEIGHT: 6’2″                            WEIGHT: 190 lbs.

 

SHOOTS: Right

 

TERM: One year, two-way

 

AAV: $750,000

 

 

 

KEVIN GRAVEL – DEFENSEMAN

 

BORN: Kingsford, MI  DATE: March 6, 1992

 

HEIGHT: 6’4″              WEIGHT: 205 lbs.

 

SHOOTS: Left

 

DRAFTED: Los Angeles – 5th round (148th overall) in the 20210 NHL Draft

 

TERM: One year, two-way

 

AAV: $750,000

 

 

 

ADAM WERNER – GOALTENDER

 

BORN: Mariestad, SWE         DATE: May 2, 1997

 

HEIGHT: 6’5″                            WEIGHT: 198 lbs.

 

CATCHES: Left

 

TERM: One year, two-way

 

AAV: $750,000

Sharks sign Forward Nick Merkley

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SAN JOSE, CA – San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed forward Nick Merkley (@merkdaddy4) to a one-year, two-way contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

 

Merkley, 24, appeared in 27 games with the Devils last season, posting ten points (two goals, eight assists) and seven penalty minutes. He set career highs in games played, goals, assists and points. Merkley also appeared in five games for the Binghamton Devils in the American Hockey League (AHL).

 

Over the course of his professional career, Merkley has appeared in 32 career NHL games, scoring 12 points (three goals, nine assists) with the Arizona Coyotes and New Jersey. In the AHL, he has appeared in 142 games, scoring 11 points (40 goals, 71 assists), and was named to the 2017-18 AHL All-Star game.

 

Prior to his professional career, he appeared in parts of five seasons with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and recorded 259 career points (85 goals, 174 assists) in 245 games. During the 2014-15 season, he helped Kelowna to a WHL Championship, leading the league in postseason assists (22) and finished third in points (27). He was named to the WHL West Second All-Star Team and the CHL Memorial Cup All-Star team, after registering five points (two goals, three assists) in five games. He also helped Canada win a gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In the 2013-14 season, he was named WHL Rookie of the Year, finishing third in goals (25) and points (58).

 

The five-foot-eleven, 194-pound native of Calgary, Alberta was originally selected by Arizona in the 2015 NHL Draft (first round, 30th overall).

Minnesota Wild Signs Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a Two-Year Contract

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SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (dih-MEE-tree KOO-lih-kawv) to a two-year, $4.5 million contract ($2.25 million AAV).

 

Kulikov, 30 (10/29/90), recorded four assists, 49 blocked shots and 93 hits in 48 games with the New Jersey Devils and the Edmonton Oilers last season. The 6-foot-1, 204-pound native of Lipetsk, Russia was acquired by the Oilers from the Devils on April 12, 2021, in exchange for a conditional fourth round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He skated in his 700th NHL game on March 13 vs. the Islanders. Kulikov registered 10 points (2-8=10), 77 blocked shots, 104 hits and averaged 20:01 in TOI/game in 51 games with the Edmonton Oilers in 2019-20.

 

He owns 174 points, 455 penalty minutes (PIM), 957 blocked shots and 1,149 hits in 725 career NHL games during 12 seasons with Florida, Buffalo, Winnipeg, New Jersey and Edmonton (2009-21). The left-shot defenseman has collected seven points (1-6=7) in 27 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests with the Panthers, Jets and Oilers. He was selected by Florida in the first round (14th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft.

 

Kulikov has represented Russia in a number of international tournaments including the 2007 (gold) and 2008 (silver) IHF Under-18 World Championships, the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship (bronze), the 2010, 2011 and 2015 IIHF World Championships and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

 

He led all defensemen with 62 points (12-50=62) in 57 games with Drummondville in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2008-09 and was named the QMJHL Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Best Professional Prospect and Defenseman of the Year. He added 19 points (2-17=19) in 19 playoff games as the Voltigeurs advanced to the Memorial Cup semifinals.

Atlanta Dream Midseason Roster Breakdown

As the Dream return to practice from the Olympic Break this week, here is a breakdown of the current roster and each player’s status.

 

Upcoming key dates:

 

July 28 – First day of practice

August 15 – First game back from break: Atlanta at Phoenix, 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

August 21 – First home game back: Phoenix at Atlanta, 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 | Tickets

August 21 – WNBA trade deadline

September 19 – Last day of regular season

 

Frontcourt

 

Monique Billings

Status: Active

2021: 6.0 PPG/6.1 RPG/1.3 SPG/1.1 BPG

Billings is averaging 6.0 points per game through 18 games played so far in 2021, averaging a career-high 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She set the team’s current season record of four blocks in the Dream’s opening night game against Connecticut, and most recently became only the fourth different Dream player in franchise history to record four steals in a game (against New York, 6/26, all of which she recorded in the first quarter).

 

 

 

Candice Dupree

Status: Active

2021 (with Seattle): 5.9 PPG/2.5 RPG/0.7 APG

Dupree was added to the Dream’s roster on July 26 after she was signed by Seattle in early July. With 15 WNBA seasons under her belt, she becomes the most tenured veteran on the current roster. She has averaged double-digit points in all 15 complete seasons she has played, starting in at least 31 games in 14 seasons (and all 22 in the 2020 WNBA bubble season). Her first practice with the Dream will be on Thursday, July 29.

 

Tianna Hawkins

Status: Active

2021: 5.8 PPG/3.5 RPG/0.8 APG

In her first season with the Dream, Hawkins is averaging at least five points and three rebounds per game for the fifth-straight season. She started the first eight games of the season for Atlanta, picking up 11 points with three assists and two steals in a season-most 31 minutes in the first game of the year.

 

Cheyenne Parker

Status: Inactive

2021: 10.2 PPG/4.5 RPG/1.2 APG/1.2 SPG/0.9 BPG

Parker will not play the remainder of the 2021 season due to pregnancy. Her announcement came in a Player’s Tribune piece right after the start of the Olympic Break, confirming that her last game of the 2021 season was the July 11 game against Indiana. After missing the first six games of her first season with the Dream this year due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Parker went on to record eight double-figure scoring games in 13 games played. She picked up a career-high five steals against Minnesota on June 23, joining Tiffany Hayes as the first Dream players to record at least five in a game since 2018.

 

Shekinna Stricklen

Status: Active

2021: 2.0 PPG/0.7 RPG/0.6 SPG

Stricklen played in only 7 of the first 13 games of the season as she worked through a knee injury, but played the last six straight games to finish out the first half of the season before the break. She played a season-best 18 minutes at Connecticut on July 9, scoring seven points with two assists and a steal against her former team.

 

Elizabeth Williams

Status: Active

2021: 5.7 PPG/4.8 RPG/1.2 SPG/0.8 BPG

Williams has started in every game so far this season as the team’s only true center, playing an average of 21 minutes per game. She is shooting over 50 percent from the field for the first time since 2018 and for the third time in her career, while averaging a career-high 1.2 steals per game. She tallied her 13th career double-double at New York on May 29 with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and recorded 10 rebounds in the first half of the June 9 game against Seattle to tie her career high for a single half (she finished that game with 12 total rebounds).

 

Backcourt

 

Crystal Bradford

Status: Active

2021: 8.7 PPG/3.2 RPG/1.4 APG/1.3 SPG

A candidate for the WNBA’s Most Improved Player, Bradford emerged as a top contributor on both sides of the floor for the Dream in the first half of the season. She is averaging nearly six points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal more than she did in her last WNBA season, when she played for Los Angeles in 2015.

 

Khennedy Carter

Status: Suspended (partial season)

2021: 14.2 PPG/1.3 RPG/3.3 APG

Carter played six games to open the season before sustaining an elbow injury during the May 29 game at New York. Before her injury, she was averaging 15.7 points and 3.5 assists in those six games played, and posted three 20-point games. Carter returned from injury and played in five games for the Dream, where she averaged 12.4 points and 3.0 assists, but she was later suspended from team activities following Atlanta’s game in Las Vegas. A timetable for her return is not yet available.

 

Tiffany Hayes

Status: Active

2021: 17.6 PPG/2.6 RPG/3.3 APG/1.6 SPG

Hayes didn’t play in the Dream’s last seven games after tearing her MCL in Washington on June 17. Prior to her injury, Hayes was having the best season of her career and was making a case for an All-Star nomination. She was averaging career-high numbers in points, assists, steals, and three-point shooting percentage (44.9 percent), leading her team’s offensive effort. Hayes posted double-digit scoring figures in 10 of 11 games played with five 20-point performances. A timetable for her return is not yet available.

 

Aari McDonald

Status: Active

2021: 5.9 PPG/1.2 RPG/1.6 APG

The only rookie on the team this year, McDonald has added to the Dream’s offensive effort this season with 101 total points and 27 assists so far. Most notably, McDonald has made her last 30 consecutive free throws, and is just one shy of setting the franchise record. She has posted four double-figure scoring games with two 15-point performances this season.

 

Odyssey Sims

Status: Active

2021: 8.3 PPG/2.5 RPG/3.7 APG/1.5 SPG

Sims is leading the team in steals in her first season in Atlanta, picking up 28 total through only 19 games. She posted back-to-back 20-point performances against Washington on June 13 and 17, two of her five double-digit outings this season. Most notably, Sims set a WNBA record with 13 assists off the bench at Las Vegas on July 4, recording her first double-double of the season and third of her career.

 

Courtney Williams

Status: Active

2021: 16.3 PPG/6.2 RPG/4.1 APG/1.2 SPG

Williams’ best season of her career was most recently honored with a spot on the 2021 WNBA All-Star Team. In her first ever All-Star appearance, she scored 15 points off a Team WNBA-best 87.5 percent shooting from the field, adding on two assists, a steal and a block. Williams leads the team in points, assists, defensive rebounds and total rebounds this season, and once again ranking as the top offensive rebounding guard in the league. She is averaging career-best numbers in points and assists per game this season, and is shooting nearly 40 percent from the three-point line for only the second time in her career.

 

The 2021 season marks the organization’s 14th in the WNBA. The Dream have qualified for the playoffs nine times, winning conference titles in 2013, 2011 and 2010.