Prowlers Invite Eight From Free Agent Camp
With the conclusion of this weekend’s free agent camp, the Port Huron Prowlers are proud to announce that eight free agent players have been invited to training camp this week. Here is a look at the selections.
Forwards
Haytham Oeid
Oeid, 22, took last hockey season off but has played three seasons in the Eastern Hockey League spending time with the New Jersey Rockets, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, the Philadelphia Revolution and the Valley Jr. Warriors. He has appeared in 64 EHL contests registering seven goals and 15 assists.
“He definitely surprised me during camp. Haythem is a big strong guy who uses his speed and found the back of the net multiple times over the weekend. We look forward to having his presence in the line up in a supporting role,” said head coach Joe Pace.
Cole Pellett
Pellett, 27, comes to Port Huron from Lucknow, Ontario where he spent the last two seasons with the Lucknow Lancers and the Milverton 4WheelDrives of the WOAA Senior AA Hockey League. He notched 10 goals and eight assists in 27 games.
“Cole was a another big strong forward with a lot of speed. He had great stamina during camp and we look forward to having him as a power forward in our lineup,” Pace said.
Noah McNutt
As a native of Fort Gratiot, 19-year-old McNutt is no stranger to McMorran Arena and the Port Huron Prowlers. He played four years at Port Huron High School before joining the Motor City Hawks of the USPHL Premier Hockey League. With Motor City, he put up 37 goals and 38 assists in 45 games, averaging over a point per game. He spent the 2018-2019 season between Motor City and the San Diego Sabers of the Western States Hockey League registering three goals and one assist in nine games.
Coach Pace sees McNutt as a player that has a lot of potential.
“Noah is a young and very skilled player. He has a lot of room to grow inside this organization. We are looking forward to him breaking into the lineup at some point this year.”
Defensemen
Alex Strack
Strack, 25, spent four years at Robert Morris University where he played in ACHA Division II and Division III. He accumulated 12 goals and 27 assists playing 113 games between both divisions.
“Alex is a strong defenseman. He likes to play the body and made multiple big hits during camp. He brings a tough presence and an edge to the Prowlers,” said Pace.
Dalton Young
Young is a 26-year-old Marysville native who like McNutt is no stranger to the Prowlers organization. Young hasn’t played hockey since 2013 when he was a member of the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL. As a member of the Spirit for three seasons, he registered 11 goals and 58 assists in 170 games.
Coach Pace knows that a player like Young is a hard find for a hockey team in this league.
“Dalton has unreal talent. He has a skill level you don’t see in the FPHL and it’s going to be great to see him on the ice and watch him improve his game again.”
Goalies
Bill Ruggiero
Ruggiero, 38, has a decorated resume dating back to the year 1997. He has played in a number of leagues including the OHL, QMJHL, NAHL, CHL, IHL, ECHL and has even served as a backup goaltender in the AHL. Ruggiero also played in exhibition contests for the Nashville Predators. The last time he played professional hockey was during the 2009-2010 season with the Detroit Hitmen of the AAHL.
Coach Pace once again knows that a find like this is so rare to come by in this league.
“Bill’s an older goalie with amazing skill. He came out of the woodwork with a deep resume filled with numerous credentials. It’s not every day we see guys with Double-A or Triple-A experience. We are looking forward to him being a part of our organization.”
Breandan Colgan
Colgan, 24, is a member of the West Chester University Golden Rams in the ACHA and is entering his fourth season with the team. He’s appeared in 54 games and holds a goals against average of 4.15 and a .891 save percentage. Before heading off to West Chester, Colgan played a season in NA3HL with the Jersey Shore Wildcats where he helped the team win the NA3HL Championship.
“Breandan is a big goalie with good agility. He didn’t give up a lot of chances and was solid throughout the weekend. We look forward to seeing what he can do for the Prowlers,” commented Pace.
Hardy Hoonjan
Hoonjan, 21, only played hockey for the last two seasons. He joined the Richmond Sockeyes of the PIJHL after their season started in 2017 and guided the team to win the Cyclone Taylor Cup Championship. He spent last season between the South Muskoka Shield of the GMHL and Okcelbo HC in the Division Three tier of Sweden.
“Hardy is a good goalie and works hard. He plays very sound in his position and has good angles inside the net giving up little opportunity for shooters. He’s proven he’s a winner in the past so we can’t wait to see what he can do for us.”
You can catch the newest additions to the Prowlers this week during training camp. Doors will open for practices starting at 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. all this week.
By: Jeremy Skiba