2022 Laval Rocket Offseason Player Tracker

SEASON SYNOPSIS

Since its inception in 2017, the Laval Rocket were kept out of the postseason by one thing or another. After posting a 39-26-7 regular season record with 85 points and a .590 points percentage, the Rocket remedied that with a third place finish in the North Division. After a round one bye, Laval defeated Syracuse three games to two in a best-of-five divisional semifinals match-up. The Rocket then swept Rochester three games to none in the best-of-five North Division Final. In the Eastern Conference Final, Laval and Springfield had to go all seven games, with the Thunderbirds emerging victorious, four games to three in the best-of-seven series.

Individual player scoring was fairly spread out for the Rocket, as only two players — Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Jean-Sébastien Dea — finished the regular season above 50 total points (56 and 52, respectively). Dea led the team in goals (26) while Harvey-Pinard held team leads in assists (35) and total points (56). The goaltending workload was almost evenly split between Cayden Primeau (16-12-3, 2.94 goals against average, .909 save percentage, two shutouts) & The Calder Farmstead 2021-22 AHL Goalie of the Year in Kevin Poulin (18-8-3, 2.34 GAA, .920 SV%, two shutouts).

(List accurate as of February 9th, 2023 at 3:50pm ET)

UNDER CONTRACT AND RE-SIGNINGS

Forwards

• Rafaël Harvey-Pinard – Last year of entry-level contract
• Cameron Hillis – Last year of entry-level contract
• Jan Mysak – First year of entry-level contract
• Jesse Ylönen – Last year of entry-level contract
• Lucas Condotta – Signed a one-year, entry-level contract on March 31
• Peter Abbandonato – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract extension on June 24
• Danick Martel – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract extension on July 6
• Brandon Gignac – Signed a two-year, one-way AHL contract extension on July 9
• Alex Belzile – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension on July 13
• Joël Teasdale – Signed a one-year, two way NHL contract extension on July 13
• Nate Schnarr – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension on July 13
• Gabriel Bourque – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract extension on July 17

Defensemen

• Gianni Fairbrother – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
• Mattias Norlinder – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
• Tory Dello – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract extension on June 24
• Olivier Galipeau – Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on June 24
• Corey Schueneman – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension on July 11

Goaltenders

• Samuel Montembeault – Signed a two-year, one-way NHL contract on July 18
• Kevin Poulin – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract on July 19
• Cayden Primeau – Signed a three-year, one-way NHL contract on September 8

NEW ADDITIONS

Forwards

• Emil Heineman – First year of entry-level contract (played for Leksands IF of the SHL in 2021-22)
• Ryan Francis – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract on July 11 (played for the Stockton Heat and Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL in 2021-22)
• Brennan Saulnier – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract on July 11 (played for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Reading Royals of the ECHL in 2021-22)
• Anthony Richard – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on July 13 (played for the Milwaukee Admirals and Syracuse Crunch in 2021-22)
• Mitchell Stephens – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on July 13 (played for Detroit in 2021-22)
• Filip Mesar – Signed a three-year, entry-level contract on July 14 (played for HK Poprad of the Slovak Extraliga in 2021-22)
• Brett Stapley – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract on August 30 (played for the NCAA’s University of Denver in 2021-22)
• John Parker-Jones – Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on October 10 (played for the University of Windsor of USports in 2021-22)

Defensemen

• Kaiden Guhle – First year of entry-level contract (played for the Edmonton Oil Kings and Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL in 2021-22)
• Arber Xhekaj – First year of entry-level contract (played for the Hamilton Bulldogs and Kitchener Rangers of the OHL in 2021-22)
• Anthony Beauregard – Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on June 24 (played for HC Sierre of the Swiss NL in 2021-22)
• Santino Centorame – Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on June 24 (played for the St. Francis Xavier X-Men of USports in 2021-22)
• Otto Leskinen – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on June 14 (played for Tappara of Liiga and Jokerit of the KHL in 2021-22)
• Madison Bowey – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on July 13 (played for the Vancouver and Abbotsford Canucks in 2021-22)
• Alex Green – Signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract on July 19 (played for the Syracuse Crunch in 2021-22)

Goaltenders

• Philippe Desrosiers – Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on July 17 (played for the Manitoba Moose and Trois-Rivières Lions in 2021-22)
• Joe Vrbetic – Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on July 17 (played for the North Bay Battalion of the OHL in 2021-22)

DEPARTURES

Forwards

• Shawn St-Amant – Signed a one-year contract with EHC Black Wings Linz of the ICEHL on July 12
• Laurent Dauphin – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract with Arizona on July 13
• Louis Belpedio – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract with Philadelphia on July 13
• Jean-Sébastien Dea – Signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract with Arizona on July 14
• JC Beaudin – Signed a one-year contract with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the DEL on July 27
• Justin Ducharme – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Texas Stars on August 10
• Cédric Paquette – Signed a one-year contract with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL on August 16
• Alexandre Fortin – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hershey Bears on August 22\
• Émile Poirier – Mutual agreement to terminate his contract on October 20; initially signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract on July 19 (played for Riga Dynamo of the KHL and Djurgardens IF of the SHL in 2021-22)
• Kevin Roy – Signed a short-term contract with Brynäs IF of the SHL on December 13; signed a contract with HIFK of Liiga on January 13
• Devante Smith-Pelley – Retired (announced on personal Instagram post on December 30)
• Lukas Vejdemo – Signed a contract with Djurgårdens IF of HockeyAllsvenskan (with an option for next season) on February 8, 2023

Defensemen

• Xavier Ouellet – Signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract with Pittsburgh on July 13
• Tobie Paquette-Bisson – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract with Los Angeles on July 13
• Terrance Amorosa – Signed a contract with Gherdëina of the AlpsHL on July 19
• Sami Niku – Signed a one-year contract with JYP of Liiga on July 29
• Josh Brook – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Calgary Wranglers on August 12

(Special thanks to CapFriendly and Elite Prospects for all the contract terms and definitions for this offseason player tracker!)

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Other 2022 AHL Off Season Trackers :

Pacific

• Abbotsford Canucks

• Bakersfield Condors

• Calgary Wranglers

• Coachella Valley Firebirds

• Colorado Eagles

• Henderson Silver Knights

• Ontario Reign

• San Diego Gulls

• San Jose Barracuda

• Tucson Roadrunners

 

Central

• Chicago Wolves

• Grand Rapids Griffins

• Iowa Wild

• Manitoba Moose

• Milwaukee Admirals

• Rockford IceHogs

• Texas Stars

 

North

• Belleville Senators

• Cleveland Monsters

• Laval Rocket

• Rochester Americans

• Syracuse Crunch

• Toronto Marlies

• Utica Comets

 

Atlantic

• Bridgeport Islanders

• Charlotte Checkers

• Hartford Wolf Pack

• Hershey Bears

• Lehigh Valley Phantoms

• Providence Bruins

• Springfield Thunderbirds 
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins