Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Simon Holmstrom Records Two Assists for Sweden in WJC Opener
Simon Holmstrom got off to a good start in his first appearance at the IIHF World Junior Championships.
The Islanders prospect and Bridgeport Sound Tigers forward had a pair of assists in Sweden’s 7-1 tournament-opening win over the Czech Republic. Holmstrom’s first assist of the game came on Sweden’s second goal of the game.
Albin Sundsvik (@AnaheimDucks) is there on the doorstep to give Sweden a 2-1 lead over the Czechs.
Primary assist to Simon Holmström (@NYIslanders)
Secondary helper to Philip Broberg (@EdmontonOilers) pic.twitter.com/DIus6AdKIp
— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) December 26, 2020
Simon Holmstrom’s shot from the faceoff circle went wide of the net and then bounced right to Albin Sundsvik for the goal. He finished off the two-point afternoon with an assist on Sweden’s final goal of the game with 2:23 left in the third period and Sweden on the power play.
“For (Holmstrom) he knows the small rink may be better than most of our guys,” Sweden’s head coach Joel Ronnmark said. “He has been playing over here in North America, so he has a lot of experience he can share with the group. I think he’s a skilled player. Fun for that unit to have a goal on the power play as well and for him I as well I think it’s a good start.”
Noel Gunler (@Canes) goes bar down, and the extra point is good for Sweden.
Assists to Victor Söderström (@ArizonaCoyotes) and Simon Hölmstrom (@NYIslanders). pic.twitter.com/8hREuX6dQz
— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) December 26, 2020
Holmstrom’s familiarity with the smaller rink comes from his time with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season.
The win helped Sweden extend their unbeaten streak in the World Juniors preliminary round to 53 games. It is a particularly impressive feat considering Sweden has had to deal with a rash of COVID-19 related issues, which included not being able to play any pre-tournament games.
Sweden spent a mere 32 seconds trailing the Czech Republic all game.
“At the beginning (of the game) perhaps some parts a bit rusty,” Ronnmark said. “The longer the game went I liked the way we started to play. … Good start and we’ll go from there.”
Fellow Islanders prospect Matias Rajaniemi appeared in Finland’s first game on Christmas day. Rajaniemi appeared in 3:51 of Finland’s 5-3 win over Germany.
The mystery of what the New York Islanders plan to do with Andrew Ladd and Tom Kuhnhackl appeared to be solved on Saturday.
The two NHLers will report to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers when they open training camp. The Islanders AHL affiliate released its training camp roster on Saturday morning.
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Sending Ladd’s contract to the AHL will save the Islanders around $1 million in salary cap money. Andrew Ladd is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $38.5 million deal he signed in 2016. The contract carries a 5.5 million AAV but that will come down with him in the minors.
Andrew Ladd played 34 games last season in the AHL with the Sound Tigers and two the year prior.
The veteran forward has struggled to find a place in the Islanders lineup. He has appeared in only 30 games over the last two seasons, with just four goals and 12 points.
Kuhnhackl has played 64 games since joining the Islanders in 2018. He appeared in four games last season with the Sound Tigers.
The @thesoundtigers training camp roster #SoundTigers #Isles pic.twitter.com/ftJS3dnuKs
— Christian Arnold (@C_Arnold01) January 23, 2021
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers will play this season, but like their NHL counterparts, it will be in front of an empty arena.
The AHL released its 2021 schedule on Friday for what league president Scott Howson described as “a season unlike any other in our 85-year history.” The Sound Tigers will play 24 games this year and only face the Providence Bruins and Hartford Wolfpack.
The Sound Tigers are playing in the smallest of the five AHL divisions this season, with only two other teams in it.
Bridgeport will play all of its home games at Webster Bank Arena, but no fans will be allowed in the building. The team is providing season ticket holders with complimentary subscriptions to AHLTV this season, the Sound Tigers said in a press release.
WE'RE BACK. 👊🏼
All you need to know: https://t.co/xGx5depC6r pic.twitter.com/5uUOLqtBT7
— Bridgeport Sound Tigers (@thesoundtigers) January 22, 2021
“While we would be thrilled to have an arena full of cheering fans watching the Sound Tigers play, the health and safety of our fans, players and employees remain the organization’s top priority,” Bridgeport President of Business Operations Brent Rossi said in a media release. “In accordance with state and local protocols regarding public gatherings, the team will play without fans in attendance. All games will continue to be broadcast live through the AHLTV platform and the team’s online radio network.”
The Sound Tigers will open the season on the road against Providence on Feb. 5. They won’t play their first home game until Feb.13 when they host Providence at Webster Bank Arena.
“Our priorities are first and foremost health and safety,” Howson said in a statement about the upcoming season. “Our main objective is to provide a safe environment for our players to continue their development towards a career in the National Hockey League.”
The AHL had been working towards putting together some form of a season for some time now. Three of its member clubs relocated for the 2020-21 season, including Providence which will play in Marlborough, Mass.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
New York Islanders Make Depth Signing, Ink Goaltender Francis Marotte to Deal
Goaltender Francis Marotte signed with the New York Islanders, the 25-year-old announced on his Instagram page Friday night.
Marotte is a former goaltender at Robert Morris University and Clarkson University. During his senior year at Clarkson, Marotte had a .938 save percentage and a 1.78 goals-against average. The 6’1” goalie went 23-8-3 during the 2019-20 season.
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It was Marotte’s best collegiate season since his freshman year at Robert Morris, when he went 17-8-3 and posted a .931 save percentage.
“Words can’t explain how grateful I am for every single one of you,” Marotte wrote in the post announcing the signing. “I wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere in hockey if it wasn’t for all the support.”
Francis Marotte had been a three-year starter at Robert Morris before transferring to Clarkson using his graduate transfer option. He was invited to the Washington Capitals development in 2018.
It’s unknown the terms of the deal or if it’s an NHL two-way contract or an AHL deal. The Islanders already have four goaltenders at training camp on Long Island.
Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov, Cory Schneider and Jakub Skarek have all been on the ice this past week in East Meadow.
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are light on goaltenders so adding more depth to the organization would make sense. The Sound Tigers will take part in the upcoming AHL season, which is expected to begin in February.
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