Davies re-signs with Wolves

Michael Davies, who spent 57 games with the Chicago Wolves last season, has signed another one-year AHL deal with the club.

Davies, a 26-year-old from Chesterfield, Miss., has spent the last three seasons in the AHL with brief stints in the ECHL in between. In his three years with the Wolves, Davies has suited up in 167 games and tallied 34 goals and 35 assists.

After moving on from his four years at University of Wisconsin, Davies signed a tryout deal with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but failed suit up in a game or stick with the Islanders top affiliate. As a free agent in 2010-11, Davies was inked to a deal with the Chicago Wolves. In his rookie pro season, Davies spent 49 games with the Wolves, registering 20 points (8-12) and another eight games in the ECHL, scoring two goals and tallying five assists.

This past season, Davies posted career highs in goals (15), assists (10), and points (25) in the AHL. The 5-foot-8 forward is entering his fourth pro season.

Jeff Malcolm lands AHL deal with Wolfpack

After backstopping Yale to an NCAA title, Jeff Malcolm has landed a deal with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

The 24-year-old Malcolm has spent the last four years at Yale, and last season was a dream for the netminder. In 30 appearances, the Lethbridge, Alta., native backstopped the Bulldogs in 30 games and posted a 2.24 GAA and .919 SV%. Malcolm was a huge factor in the Bulldogs NCAA Championship, registering a 36 save shutout in the final game of the Frozen Four tournament.

Undrafted, Malcolm will make his professional debut next season with the Wolf Pack. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Malcolm has good size and it will be interesting to see if he can challenge for a starting role in the A this coming season.

Trio of AHLers head overseas

Alex Plante, Steven Zalewski, and Mike Connolly — all AHL regulars in 2012-13 — have all inked deals in Europe.

Plante, who was an alternate captain for the Oklahoma City Barons last season, is heading to Austria’s Dornbirner EC on a one-year deal after he and the Edmonton Oilers organization parted ways. Drafted in the first round, fifteenth overall, in 2007 by the Oil, Plante was never able to convert his potential to a job in the NHL.

A defensive defenceman, Plante’s got NHL size but could never quite piece together the other parts of his game. Through his AHL career, which spanned 233 games, Plante registered six goals and 38 assists.

Zalewski, who suited up in 73 games with the Devils affiliate in Albany last season, has signed a one-year deal with Lukko of SM-Liiga. Zalewski, 26, split his AHL career between the Worcester Sharks and Albany, but never got anything more than a brief look in the NHL.

A versatile forward that can play both centre and the wing, Zalewski is an AHL veteran of 406 games, tallying 83 goals and racking up 157 assists. In his 10 NHL games, Zalewski failed to register a point. He was a fourth round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2004.

Connolly, a 24-year-old centre who suited up in 65 games with Lake Erie last season, has inked a one-year contract with Augsburger Panther of the DEL. In 65 games with the Monsters last season, Connolly scored nine goals and added 14 assists.

A member of the 2010-11 WCHA First All-Star Team, Connolly was also an alternate captain with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs that season, helping to lead the team to the Frozen Four Championship. In 118 AHL games — after coming to the league as an undrafted free agent — Connolly registered 22 goals and 38 assists.

All three will be eligible to come back to the AHL next season.

Rampage add Turgeon, Urban, re-sign Lee

To go along with the Panthers re-signing of Rampage defenceman Michael Caruso, the San Antonio Rampage have signed three free agents.

The Rampage announced that they’ve come to terms on AHL deals with Tony Turgeon, Dennis Urban, and John Lee.

Turgeon comes to the Rampage after completing three years at University of Nebraska-Omaha, and is a massive defenceman. At 6’4″ and 231 lbs., the Grand Forks, ND., native is a physical blue liner who has potential to be a punishing force on the back end for the Rampage.

Never a prolific scorer in the NCAA, the Rampage will see any contributions from Turgeon as a bonus. In his three seasons in the NCAA, Turgeon registered six assists in 62 games. There’s a possibility Turgeon could spend time between the AHL and ECHL.

Urban, 25, comes to San Antonio after making the jump to the AHL just last season. After four years at the NCAA’s Robert Morris University, where the defenceman tallied 112 points (28-84) in 136 games, Urban found himself in the ECHL with the Reading Royals. After a season and a half in the ECHL, Urban got a shot with the Worcester Sharks.

Worcester brought Urban to the Sharks’ top affiliate on a loan, where he scored four goals and added 13 assists in 36 games.

Lee, who suited up in 50 games with the Rampage last season, is back for another go-round with the Panthers top affiliate. In his stint with the Rampage, Lee scored a goal and registered six assists, and added 40 PIM to his stat line.

Prior to landing in San Antonio, Lee spent four seasons at the University of Denver, where he tallied 43 points (8-35) in 162 games.

Update: According to the San Antonio Rampage, Tony Turgeon will be moved to forward next season. (s/t @RampageNate)

Lavin inks deal with Falcons

Joe Lavin, who has spent the last two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs, has signed a deal with the Springfield Falcons.

Lavin, a 23-year-old defenceman from Shrewsbury, Mass., played in 112 AHL games with the IceHogs where he amassed four goals and 23 assists. Before turning pro, Lavin spent time with the Omaha Lancers (USHL), Providence College (NCAA), and the U.S. National Development Program. Before joining the IceHogs, Lavin spent two seasons with the NCAA’s University of Notre Dame, captaining the Fighting Irish in his last season with the club.

Over 110 games in the NCAA, Lavin scored nine goals and added 29 assists.

Still young, and standing at 6’1″ and weighing 196 lbs., Lavin has room to develop into a solid defenceman at the professional level. Not an offensive defenceman by any stretch, Lavin contributes by being steady at both ends of the ice and playing a responsible game.

The contract with Springfield is a one-year deal.

Garrett Roe heads to Austria

After two seasons in the AHL, Garrett Roe is heading overseas to suit up with EC Salzburg.

Roe, who signed an AHL contract with the Adirondack Phantoms in 20110-11, came to the Phantoms after four years with the NCAA’s St. Cloud State University. While with St. Cloud, the 25-year-old tallied 65 goals and 113 assists in 156 games before heading to the professional ranks.

Drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 draft by the Los Angeles Kings, Roe was never offered a contract with the Kings and signed on with the Phantoms as a free agent. In two seasons with the Flyers top affiliate, Roe scored 20 goals and added 60 assists in 129 games.

The deal with EC Salzburg is for one year.

Carolina signs Riley Nash to two-year, two-way pact

Riley Nash has signed on for two more years with the Hurricanes.

Nash, 24, was a first round draft pick, selected 21st overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007. Before Nash could suit up in Oil Country, his rights were traded to the Hurricanes for a 2010 second-round draft pick.

The 2006-07 BCHL rookie of the year has spent his entire pro career in the Hurricanes organization, but only recently made the jump to splitting time between the farm and the big club. In 2012-13, Nash played in 32 of Carolina’s 48 games, posting four goals and five assists while in the NHL. During his stint in the AHL last season, Nash put up 13 goals and 24 assists for the Checkers, and added another goal and two assists in five playoff games.

After his rookie campaign in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm SilverBacks, Nash headed to the NCAA, joining the ECAC’s Cornell University. In 102 NCAA games, Nash was a point per game player, tallying 37 goals and 65 assists. In 2007-08, his first year with Big Red, Nash was named the ECAC rookie of the year after registering 32 points (12-20) in 36 games.

Nash’s deal gives him the opportunity to make it back to the NHL next season.

Miele back with Coyotes for 2013-14

Andy Miele, the 2010-11 Hobey Baker Award winner, has signed an extension with the Coyotes that will keep him in the organization for at least one more year.

A former CCHA champion, first team all-star, and player of the year, Miele has been primarily suited up for the Coyotes top affiliate in Portland. The team’s alternate captain last season, the 25-year-old center has played 142 games with the club, scoring 36 goals and adding 74 assists over that span.

While only 5’8″, the small centerman benefits from being an outstanding playmaker and, though he hasn’t been able to translate that to a long stay in the NHL yet, Miele is being given time to develop and could make his way to the NHL if given another year or two.

By signing in Phoenix, the Pirates will get their 2011-12 team MVP back in the lineup. Voted the most popular player in 2012-13, Miele is a fan favourite in Portland, and his consistent offense is important in Portland.