MESSIER A CHECKER

As predicted by Howlings at Wolf Pack training camp, Lyon Messier, son of Mark Messier, has signed with the ECHL Charlotte Checkers. If our call on the young Messier is correct we expect to see him in Hartford sometime around January…just a guess.

CHECKERS BRING IN MESSIER AND McMORROW

Head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Checkers Derek Wilkinson announced today that the team has signed defenseman Lyon Messier and Sean McMorrow has agreed to terms.

Messier, 6-foot-1, 175 pounds hails from Dallas, TX and is the son of hockey legend Mark Messier. Last season, he skated primarily for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League. He suited up in 45 games scoring five goals, 12 assists for 17 points with 45 penalty minutes. He also spent eight games with the Eerie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and four games with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League but didn’t register a point during those stints. This year, he skated in the National Hockey League prospect tournament in Traverse City as a member of the New York Rangers squad. He also participated in the camps of the Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League before making his way to Charlotte.

McMorrow, 6-foot-4, 225 pounds was drafted during the eighth round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. The Vancouver, B.C. native played four seasons in the AHL for the Rochester Americans dressing in 220 games scoring four goals and four assists for eight points with 1020 penalty minutes. The previous two seasons have been spent in the LNAH with St. Hyacinthe Top Design where he skated in 68 games compiling two goals and five assists for seven points with an impressive 693 penalty minutes with 527 of those minutes collected last season.

“I’m so pumped up to get going in Charlotte. I’ve heard great things about the city and the team and I know this will be a tremendous experience. I am determined to make the Checkers the hardest team to play against in the entire league,” remarked McMorrow.

McMorrow isn’t expected in the lineup until after this weekend’s games against Florida.

Wilkinson also announced that defenseman James Jernberg has been released.