By Mike Bonts
JACKSONVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) – The Icemen have acquired forward Brett Van Os off waivers from the Wichita Thunder and Van Os has now been added to active roster.
Earlier in a busy week Jacksonville adde forward Ben Tardif from Hartford (AHL) and agreed to terms with forward Carson MacKinnon.
Van Os, 27, joins the Icemen after registering 23 points (7g, 16a) in 55 games split this season between Wichita and the Norfolk Admirals. The 6-2, 205-pound forward has totaled 51 points (19g, 32a) in 113 career ECHL games with Wichita, Norfolk, Rapid City Rush and the Cincinnati Cyclones from 2021-2023.
Prior to his professional career, the St. Albert, Alberta resident played four collegiate seasons at Western Michigan University, recording 22 points (10g, 12a).
Tardif, 23, joins the Icemen after recording nine points in 30 AHL games split between Hartford and the Colorado Eagles this season. In addition, Tardif has also posted nine points (2g, 7a) I seven ECHL games this season with the Utah Grizzlies.
Last season, Tardif put up high-end numbers during his rookie campaign, totaling 59 points (20g, 39a) in 53 games with the Grizzlies last season, while also recording an impressive 30 points (5g, 25a) in 18 postseason appearances with Utah in the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The 5-10, 195-pound forward was acquired by Hartford from the Colorado Eagles in exchange for defenseman Luke Martin back in December.
MacKinnon, 23, joins the Icemen after recording 19 points (4g, 15a) in 30 games played at the University of Prince Edward Island (AUS) this season.
The 6-1,176-pound forward totaled 29 points in 47 collegiate games during his two seasons of play at UPEI. Prior to college, the Summerside, PEI resident amassed 154 points (55g, 99a) in 302 career Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) contests split in stints with the Rimouski Oceanic and the Gatineau Olympiques from 2015-2020.
WALL NAMED ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Wall of the South Carolina Stingrays has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the week of March 13-19.
Wall posted a perfect 3-0-0 record with one shutout, a 1.67 goals-against average, and a .929 save percentage against the Jacksonville Icemen and Savannah Ghost Pirates last week. He stopped 65-of-70 shots, and his strong play helped the Stingrays move back to the top of the South Division.
Wall opened the week by turning back 24 shots in a 5-3 win on the road over Jacksonville on March 15th.
He followed the performance with a 22-save shutout, his first of the season, against the Savannah Ghost Pirates on March 18. Wall finished the week leading South Carolina to a 5-2 win behind 19 saves over the Icemen on March 19.
SIGNINGS AND SIGHTINGS
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits signed former Michigan State captain, Miroslav Mucha, to an ECHL contract. Mucha, 25, agrees to terms with the Swamp Rabbits after a final collegiate season as the captain of the Michigan State Spartans (NCAA-DI), that saw the winger post 17 points (7g 10a) in 38 games…..Orlando Solar Bears defenseman Tyson Feist has been returned to the Hockey Club on loan from the Syracuse Crunch of American Hockey League (AHL). Feist, 22, has appeared in 25 games this season with the Solar Bears, scoring five goals and seven assists and posting 28 penalty minutes. Feist leads the Solar Bears in plus/minus (+/-) rating with a plus-6…….Orlando forward Nathan Burke has been loaned to the San Jose Barracuda, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) San Jose Sharks, after signing an amateur tryout agreement (ATO)…. the South Carolina Stingrays signed of defenseman Julian Kislin to an ECHL contract. Kislin, 23, is set to embark on his first professional hockey stint following his final collegiate season at Sacred Heart University. In 30 games for the Pioneers, Kislin recorded seven points on two goals and five assists after transferring from Northeastern University where he spent four seasons with the Huskies, totaling 21 points on two goals and 19 assists in 100 games. The native of Manalapan, NJ was named an assistant captain, his final season at Northeastern and helped the Huskies to a Hockey East Championship during the 2018-19 and 2021-22 campaigns….The Kelly Cup, along with ECHL Commissioner Emeritus Patrick Kelly, will be at both South Carolina games this weekend. Fans can take pictures with the Kelly Cup throughout the game.
(Mike Bonts covers hockey for SportsDay and the Florida Sports Wire)
