Sound Tigers Recall Five From ECHL
Apr 10, 2019
The Bridgeport Islanders, proud affiliate of the New York Islanders, announced Wednesday that five players have been recalled from the Worcester Railers of the ECHL. Forwards Ryan Hitchcock and Yanick Turcotte, defensemen Mike Cornell (pictured) and David Quenneville, and goaltender Mitch Gillam have joined the Sound Tigers as they prepare for the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Hitchcock, 23, played just 46 games with the Railers this season, but led the club in assists (32) and finished third in both goals (17) and points (49). He also recorded four assists in 20 games with the Sound Tigers during his first full professional campaign.
A native of Manhasset, N.Y., Hitchcock collected nine points (three goals, six assists) in 16 games with Bridgeport near the end of last season, including three assists in just his second game on Mar. 15, 2018. The 5’10, 176-pound forward played four seasons at Yale University prior to turning pro and registered 68 points (21 goals, 47 assists) in 103 collegiate games. He served as Yale’s captain during his senior season in 2017-18.
Turcotte, 22, had five points (two goals, three assists) and a team-high 186 penalty minutes in 42 games with Worcester this season. Last year, he recorded 10 points (one goal, nine assists) and 188 penalty minutes in 53 games with the Railers and added 34 penalty minutes in five games with the Sound Tigers.
A native of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Quebec, Turcotte spent four seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 212 career games, he recorded 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) and 335 penalty minutes. Turcotte earned a career-high four goals, 11 assists and 15 points in 2016-17, as well as a career-high 135 penalty minutes in 2014-15. The 6'0, 207-pound winger also served as an alternate captain for two seasons with the Remparts.
Cornell, 31, served as Worcester’s captain this season and notched 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) and 172 penalty minutes in 60 ECHL games. He also played four contests with the Sound Tigers including his AHL season debut on Jan. 15, 2019.
A native of Franklin, Mass., Cornell played 12 games with the Sound Tigers last season and also notched 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 42 appearances with Worcester. He finished the year tied for fourth on the team in assists and was second among defensemen in scoring. The 5'11, 190-pound blue-liner has 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 146 career AHL contests with the Sound Tigers, St. John's IceCaps, Charlotte Checkers and Springfield Falcons. Prior to turning pro, the sixth-year defenseman played four seasons at the University of Maine and served as team captain during his senior campaign in 2012-13.
Quenneville, 21, played 55 games with the Railers this season and ranked third among team defensemen in assists (16) and points (21). He added five goals and 47 penalty minutes during his first full professional campaign after turning pro with the Sound Tigers near the end of last season. Quenneville played three games with Bridgeport in 2017-18 and made his pro debut on Apr. 13, 2018.
An Edmonton native, Quenneville signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Islanders ___ after leading all Western Hockey League (WHL) defensemen in goals (26) and points (80) in 2017-18, his fourth full year with the Medicine Hat Tigers. Quenneville added eight points (one goal, seven assists) in six 2018 WHL Playoff games.
The 5’8, 194-pound defenseman notched 214 points (69 goals, 145 assists) in 251 career WHL games, becoming the highest scoring defenseman in Medicine Hat franchise history. The Islanders drafted Quenneville in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2016 National Hockey League Draft.
Gillam, 26, played 44 games with the Railers this season, collecting a 21-16-3 record with a 3.07 goals-against-average and .906 save percentage. He was named to the CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic for the second straight season and also earned CCM/ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors on Dec. 4, 2018, going 3-0-0 with a 1.64-goals-against-average and .951 save percentage in three appearances from Nov. 26 - Dec. 2.
The Peterborough, Ont. native played a team-high 41 games with Worcester last season and posted a 23-14-2 record, leading the club in wins, goals-against-average (2.15), save percentage (.925) and shutouts (5) as Worcester qualified for the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The 6'0, 180-pound netminder went 1-1-0 with a 2.88 goals-against-average in three postseason appearances. Gillam had a four-year career at Cornell University from 2013-17 and posted a 47-28-17 record in 97 career games with the Big Red. He was named to the NCAA All-Ivy League Second Team on two occasions.
Next Time Out: The Sound Tigers face Montreal’s affiliate, the Laval Rocket, at 7 p.m. tonight in their final home game of the regular season. It’s another “1-2-3 Wednesday,” featuring $1 hot dogs, $2 popcorn boxes and $3 bottled Pepsi products beginning at 6 p.m. when doors open. Tickets are buy one, get one free! Fans can also follow all of the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV, beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.
About the Bridgeport Islanders
Founded in 2001, the Bridgeport Islanders Hockey Club is the top minor league affiliate of the New York Islanders. Don't miss your chance to take part in the family fun entertainment happening every home game at Webster Bank Arena. For further information on ticket or sponsorship opportunities, call our office at (203) 345-2300 or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.