BISON COMPLETE TRADE WITH STINGRAYS
By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison
Bloomington, Ill. – Bloomington Bison General Manager and Head Coach Phillip Barski announced today that the team has traded forward Jamie Engelbert to the South Carolina Stingrays. This move completes the future considerations portion of the previous trade that sent forwards Jonny Evans and Jackson Leppard to the Bison.
Engelbert, 24, tallied one assist with a +1 rating over the two games this weekend against the Toledo Walleye. Last season, he skated in 28 games with Providence College, scoring seven goals and four assists (11 points) with 16 penalty minutes and a +3 rating.
The 6-foot-4 forward tallied 24 goals, 21 assists (45 points), and 96 penalty minutes in 145 games with Providence College over five seasons.
Engelbert is home to Whitby, Ontario.
HARTFORD WOLF PACK SIGN BRETT BUDGELL TO AHL CONTRACT, SERIES OF TRANSACTIONS ANNOUNCED
Bloomington, Ill. – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Brett Budgell on a standard player contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Budgell has been loaned to the Bloomington Bison.
Additionally, the Wolf Pack have recalled defenseman Case McCarthy from loan to the Bison. Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury also announced today that the club has reassigned goaltender Hugo Ollas to the Bison from the Wolf Pack.
Budgell, 23, recorded an assist in two games with the Bison during the club’s opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday against the Toledo Walleye. Budgell appeared in 44 games with the Iowa Heartlanders a season ago and 19 contests with the Iowa Wild. He recorded one assist with the Wild and 14 goals and 16 assists (30 points) with the Heartlanders.
The St. John’s, Newfoundland native attended Wolf Pack training camp on a professional tryout this fall.
McCarthy, 23, scored a goal in two appearances with the Bison over the weekend. A season ago, McCarthy appeared in 39 games with Boston University, scoring four goals and five assists (nine points). He served as captain of the Terriers.
The Troy, New York native dressed in two games with the Wolf Pack following the conclusion of his NCAA career. He debuted professionally on April 19 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
BISON SUFFER 4-2 LOSS TO WALLEYE
Bloomington, Ill. – The Bloomington Bison experienced their second consecutive loss to the Toledo Walleye on Sunday afternoon by a 4-2 margin at Grossinger Motors Arena.
The Bison excelled with chances in the first period, posting 14 shots. Sahil Panwar, Chase Pauls, Thomas Stewart, and Blake McLaughlin each contributed two shots on goal for the Bison. At 8:56, Toledo forward Carson Bantle scored on a pass assisted by Gabriel Seger. By the end of the period, the Bison outshot the Walleye by a margin of 14-10.
At 0:52 in the second period, Tyler Spezia found Trenton Bliss to increase the Walleye’s lead. However, Bryce Montgomery responded at 3:31 to score the first regular season goal in Bison franchise history. Chongmin Lee and Jaime Engelbert assisted the defenseman’s goal, causing the arena to erupt excitedly. At 7:03, Brandon Hawkins and Trenton Bliss set up Spezia in the slot, extending the Walleye to a 3-1 lead. Despite the two-goal deficit, the Bison outshot the Walleye in the second period by a 12-7 margin.
In the third period, Jalen Smereck connected with Seger in the Bison’s zone to add to the Walleye’s lead. At 7:20, Bison forward Blake McLaughlin was awarded a penalty shot but could not capitalize on the opportunity. The Walleye suffered a two-man penalty at 13:46, giving the Bison a five-on-three power play. Case McCarthy scored his first goal of the season on the man advantage. McLaughlin and Brett Budgell assisted McCarthy. Despite pulling the goaltender for an extra attacker, the Bison could not overcome the deficit and lost by a 4-2 score.
Ruslan Khazheyev started in the net for the Bison, playing 27:03 and allowing three goals on 15 shots. Mark Sinclair replaced Khanzheyev in the second period, allowing one goal from 12 shots.
Carter Gylander manned the net for the Walleye, making 38 saves on 40 shots, helping the Walleye record their second win of the season.
BISON DROP SEASON OPENER TO WALLEYE
Bloomington, Ill. — The Bloomington Bison open their inaugural season with a loss to the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night by a 2-0 margin at the Grossinger Motors Arena.
The first period saw no score, with a total of 13 shots. Defenseman Jake Murray and forward Blake McLaughlin paced the Bison with two shots a piece. The Bison were outshot by a 9-7 margin.
6:38 into the second period, Casey Dornbach found Colin Swoyer at the top of the slot to break the deadlock for the Walleye during a power play. The Walleye took advantage of three penalty infractions against the Bison, outshooting the Bison by a margin of 14-7 in the second period.
The third period showcased even play, with each team totaling ten shots. The Bison could not take advantage of back-to-back Walleye penalties that began 12:37 into the third period. Still down by a goal in the closing minutes, the Bison elected to go with an extra attacker in an attempt to tie the game. With the empty net, Gabriel Seager played a pass to Mitchell Lewandowski, who doubled the lead for the Walleye at the 19:10 mark of the third period and closed the scoring.
Mark Sinclair manned the net for the Bison allowing one goal on 34 shots. Jan Bednar stopped all 24 shots, recording the win and his first shutout of the year.
BISON COMPLETE DEAL WITH STINGRAYS
Bloomington, Ill. – Bloomington Bison General Manager and Head Coach Phillip Barski announced today that the club has acquired forward Jack Adams from the South Carolina Stingrays in exchange for future consideration.
Adams, 27, played 71 games last season with the Stingrays, potting 27 goals and 35 assists (62 points). He finished second on the team in goals and third in assists and points as a rookie.
The 6-foot-6, 209-pound forward won the ECHL Community Service Award last season for his efforts in the Charleston, South Carolina community.
The Boxford, Massachusetts native played two seasons with Notre Dame before turning pro. He totaled 13 goals and 16 assists (29 points) in 70 games with the Fighting Irish.
Adams was selected in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.
HUGO OLLAS WAS REASSIGNED TO HARTFORD; BLAKE MCLAUGHLIN WAS LOANED TO BISON
Bloomington, Ill. – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has reassigned goaltender Hugo Ollas to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack from the Bloomington Bison.
Additionally, Rangers Assistant General Manager and Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced that forward Blake McLaughlin had been loaned to the Bison by the Wolf Pack.
McLaughlin, 24, split the 2023-24 season between the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. With the Oilers, McLaughlin scored 11 goals and 14 assists (25 points) in 21 games. Last spring, he added four assists in the club’s four Kelly Cup Playoff games.
The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native also recorded two assists in 29 games with the Gulls.
Throughout three pro seasons, McLaughlin has appeared in 60 AHL games with the Gulls and scored one goal and two assists. He also recorded 25 goals and 34 assists (59 points) in 64 ECHL games during that span, all with the Oilers.
Before turning pro, the 5-foot-11, 161-pound forward played four seasons of college hockey with the University of Minnesota. As a member of the Golden Gophers, McLaughlin dressed in 142 games and scored 38 goals and 67 assists (105 points). He helped lead the club to a B1G Championship in 2021 and a B1G Regular Season Championship during the 2021-22 campaign.
McLaughlin was selected in the third round (79th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks.
HURRICANES REASSIGN TWO; WOLVES LOAN TWO TO BISON
Bloomington, Ill. – Carolina Hurricanes Associate General Manager and Chicago Wolves General Manager Darren Yorke announced today that the Carolina Hurricanes reassigned defenseman Bryce Montgomery and goaltender Ruslan Khazheyev from the Wolves to the Bison. In a separate transaction, Danny Katic and Sahil Panwar were loaned from the Wolves to the Bison.
Montgomery, 21, tallied four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 42 games for the Stingrays in 2023-24, his first professional season.
The Washington, D.C. native played in 84 career OHL games with the London Knights, posting two goals and six assists (eight points) with 70 penalty minutes. Following his time in the OHL, Montgomery skated in 48 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, scoring six goals and 11 assists (17 points) with 70 penalty minutes.
The 6-foot-5, 231-pound defenseman was drafted by the Hurricanes in the sixth round (170th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Khazheyev, 19, played in 28 games last season with Chelyabinsk (Russian Junior Hockey), posting a 16-5-3 record with a .927 save percentage and a 2.19 goals-against average.
The 6-foot-4, 201-pound goaltender also played one game with Chelyabinsk (Russian Supreme Hockey League), earning a victory by making 23 saves on 24 shots.
Khazheyev, a Chelyabinsk, Russia native, was drafted by the Hurricanes in the fifth round (158th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Katic, 24, appeared in 60 games with the Norfolk Admirals last season, scoring 24 goals and 26 assists (50 points) with 122 penalty minutes and serving as an alternate captain. He led the team in goals the previous two seasons.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound forward has accumulated 42 goals and 48 assists (90 points) with 245 penalty minutes in 127 career ECHL games.
Prior to his professional career, the South Porcupine, Ontario native played the 2021-22 season with the University of Toronto, scoring four goals, 12 assists (16 points), and 32 penalty minutes in 17 games.
Panwar, 22, played most of last season with the Cincinnati Cyclones, tallying 22 goals and 32 assists (54 points) with 54 penalty minutes in 64 games. He also played in five AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring one goal.
In 2022-2023, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward registered 31 goals and 38 assists (69 points) in 64 OHL games between the Peterborough Petes and the Hamilton Bulldogs.
The Mississauga, Ontario native totaled 54 goals and 70 assists (124 points) in 199 career OHL games.
BISON EMPTY TANK BUT FALL TO FUEL
Bloomington, Ill. – The Bloomington Bison lost to the Indy Fuel in their lone preseason game on Saturday night by a 4-2 margin at the Grossinger Motors Arena.
The first period saw Indy outshoot the Bison by a 9-3 margin. Andrew Bellant began the scoring after forcing a turnover on a faceoff in the Bison zone. His goal went unassisted and was the lone tally in the period.
2:51 into the second period, Victor Hadfield found Cam Hausinger in the slot, who scored to extend the Fuel lead. Chongmin Lee responded at 10:09 to score the first goal in Bison history. Josh Martin assisted on the forward’s goal, ripping a shot from the top of the circle to send the fans in Bloomington to their feet. The Fuel were penalized twice to send the Bison to a two-man advantage. Mitchell Smith capitalized on the power play with a wrist shot from the high slot. Gavin Gould and Connor Lockhart assisted to even the game at two through 40 minutes.
Bryan Lemos tallied the game-winner at 10:51 of the third period, deflecting a Christopher Cameron slap shot. In the closing minutes, the Bison pulled goaltender Mark Sinclair for the extra attacker to tie the game. Jordan Martin took advantage of the empty net to further the Indy lead to a 4-2 score. Lucas Brenton assisted with his goal.
Hugo Ollas started in net for the Bison and played 30:01, allowing two goals out of 10 shots. Sinclair replaced Ollas halfway through the second period with ten saves on 11 shots.
Ben Gaudreau started in net for the Fuel and played 40:00 minutes, stopping 12 of 14 shots. Peyton Jones played the third period, stopping all six shots and collecting the win.
WOLF PACK LOAN TWO TO BISON
Bloomington, Ill. – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the Wolf Pack has loaned defenseman Carter Berger and Case McCarthy to the Bloomington Bison.
Berger, 25, played the previous two seasons at Western Michigan University, amassing nine goals and 34 assists (43 points) with a +28 rating in 69 games. Berger led defensemen in assists each season.
The North Vancouver, British Columbia native additionally played with the University of Connecticut from 2019-2022, totaling four goals, 23 assists (27 points), and a +14 rating.
The 6-foot, 206-pound defenseman was selected in the fourth round (106th overall) by the Florida Panthers of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
McCarthy, 23, played in 39 games with Boston University last season and served as the team captain. He tallied four goals and five assists (nine points) and a +19 rating.
The Troy, New York native made his pro debut following his collegiate season dressing in two games with the Wolf Pack.
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound defenseman totaled 15 goals and 37 assists (52 points) with a +34 rating in 144 career games with Boston University. 2022-23, McCarthy helped the Terriers claim the Hockey East Championship. In addition, he claimed a Bronze Medal in the 2018-19 World Junior Championships.
McCarthy was selected in the fourth round (118th overall) by the New Jersey Devils in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
BARBASHEV LOANED TO BISON
Bloomington, Ill. – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the Wolf Pack has loaned forward Maxim Barbashev to the Bloomington Bison.
Barbashev, 20, split the 2023-24 season between the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. He recorded two goals and seven assists (nine points) in 15 games with the Cataractes. Following his trade on Nov. 21, 2023, Barbashev appeared in 44 games with the Oceanic and scored 12 goals and 14 assists (26 points).
Following his QMJHL season, Barbashev joined the Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) on April 9, 2024. He made his professional debut on April 20, 2024, in the Wolf Pack’s 6-4 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Moscow, Russia native also played two full seasons with the Moncton Wildcats from 2021-2023. In 2022-23, he finished second on the team with 32 goals and fourth with 33 assists and 65 points. In 2021-22, Barbashev ranked fourth on the team with 15 goals and 42 points and second with 27 assists.
The 6-foot-1, 188-pound forward appeared in three preseason games with the Wolf Pack this fall, recording two goals and two assists (four points).
Barbashev was selected in the fifth round (161st overall) by the Rangers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
The Bloomington Bison welcome the Toledo Walleye for Opening Weekend on Saturday, October 19, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, at 3 p.m. Pricing starts as low as $17, not including fees and taxes. Fans can head to bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or ticketmaster.com or call (309) 965-4373 ex. 2 to purchase preseason or opening weekend single-game tickets.
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