The Worcester Sharks have announced they’ve signed Riley Brace, Jimmy Bonneau, Lane Scheidl, and Kyle Bigos to one-year AHL contracts.
Brace, a 21-year-old who spent eight games with the Sharks last season on an amateur tryout, signs his first professional contract after spending the last four seasons in Mississauga with the OHL’s Steelheads and St. Michael’s Majors. During his four years in the OHL, Brace scored 89 goals and added 145 assists over 304 OHL games, adding another 10 goals and 25 assists in 48 playoff games.
While on his ATO, Brace tallied three goals and three assists, and showed promise for what he could do over a full season in the ‘A’.
Bonneau, who has spent the last two years in Worcester, comes back to the team for another go-round. The 6’3″, 223 lb., Bonneau began his pro career in 2005-06 with the ECHL’s Long Beach Ice Dogs and has made his way up to the AHL using his size. In his AHL career, Bonneau has only registered ten goals and 15 assists, but he’s also put up 818 PIM over that time.
Though usually in the bottom-six, Bonneau knows what it takes to win a championship at the minor-pro level, winning a Kelly Cup with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2007-08.
Scheidl, who spent four seasons bouncing around the Western Hockey League before landing with the Regina Pats, is back with the Sharks after signing his first pro deal at the end of the 2012-13 WHL season. A 21-year-old that can play both the wing and defence, Scheidl suited up in 11 games with Worcester last season and helped out to the tune of a goal and an assist.
In his WHL career, Scheidl proved his ability to find the back of the net and distribute the puck, putting up 88 goals and 98 assists in 277 regular season games in the ‘Dub.
Bigos, the only true positional defenceman of the four signees, is a tower 6’5″, 240 lb. defensive defenceman. A native of Upland, Calif., Bigos spent his last four years with the NCAA’s Merrimack College, where he tallied 47 points (14-33) in 133 games and was named to the 2010-11 All-Academic Team.
Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers, Bigos was sent to the Sharks just last month in exchange for defenceman Lee Moffie. At 24 years old, Bigos is in the perfect spot to continue his development in the AHL.
After newly appointed Worcester GM Joe Will spoke about how active he wanted to be at his new post, these four signings go to prove that Will is dedicated to helping Worcester ice the most competitive team possible.
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