There was plenty of news out of Milwaukee today, both on and off the ice.
The Nashville Predators announced that they have assigned Jonathon Diaby to the Admirals, while the team signed Joe Pendenza and Kirill Gotovets to amateur try-out contracts.
Diaby, a 19 year old defenseman, comes to the team on a three-year entry level deal. He just completed his season with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, scoring nine goals and 19 assists in 38 games for the team. He was originally taken in the third round (64th overall) in 2013 by the Predators. In 2013 he was the 37th ranked North American skater in the final Central Scouting rankings.
Pendenza just completed his fourth season with UMass-Lowell, were he led the River Hawks in goals (14) and assists (16). UMass-Lowell made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament this season, where they lost to Boston College. Pendenza attended the Predators’ development camp last summer.
Gotovets, originally a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick in 2009, has played the last four years with Cornell. In his senior season with the Big Red he scored a goal and three assists in 32 games.
Off the ice, Mark Van Guilder was chosen for the third year in a row as the Admirals winner of the AHL Player of the Year award. The award was given as a thanks for his work in the Milwaukee community. He’s reached nearly 4,500 kids this year, participating in reading, floor hockey, and other events at schools in the area. The nomination makes him one of 30 candidates for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. Van Guilder recently made his NHL debut with Nashville at the age of 30. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 67 games with the Admirals this season.
Milwaukee is off until Friday, when the team hosts the Iowa Wild.