Erie native Ryan Zapolski has signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, The Post and Courier of Charleston (S.C.) reported Monday.
Zapolski, 26, a Cathedral Prep and Mercyhurst University alumnus, earned the opportunity with the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate after completing a record-setting season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last week.
Zapolski was the second player in league history to capture top rookie, top goaltender and most valuable player honors in the same season, as well as the third goaltender to ever claim the MVP award. He also set the league record with a 1.64 goals-against average, tied the mark for shutouts (8) and tied for the second-best save percentage (.942). He led the league in all three categories this season and finished tied for second with 27 wins.
Zapolski had a week-long stint with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate, this past December. But he didn’t play in any games. He joins an Admirals club that includes former Erie Otters winger Michael Liambas. They are tied for ninth with the Chicago Wolves in the Western Conference, two points behind the Rockford IceHogs for the final playoff spot with four games left in the regular season. The Admirals play Chicago tonight.
In other Lakers’ news, fifth-year senior goaltender Max Strang signed an amateur tryout contract with the ECHL’s Reading Royals last Friday. Strang, who completed his Mercyhurst career last month, said he has replaced an injured goaltender on the Royals’ roster.

Erie native Ryan Zapolski continues to garner honors from the ECHL.
Zapolski, a former Mercyhurst University goaltender who plays for the South Carolina Stingrays, was named the league’s most valuable player Friday, a few days after being named the league’s top rookie. He also was named recently to the ECHL’s all-rookie and first teams. Zapolski, 26, set the league’s single-season record with a 1.64 goals-against average and tied the record of eight shutouts. He also led with a .942 save percentage, which was tied for the second-best mark in league history. Zapolski finished tied for second with 27 wins and fifth with 2,378 minutes played.

Erie native Ryan Zapolski, 26, who played in college for Mercyhurst, has been awarded the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy as the ECHL’s rookie of the year. Zapolski, a goaltender with the South Carolina Stingrays, set the league’s single-season record with a 1.64 goals-against average and tied the record of eight shutouts. He also led with a .942 save percentage, which was tied for the second-best mark in league history. Zapolski, who finished tied for second with 27 wins and fifth with 2,378 minutes played, added top rookie honors to his spots on the league’s all-rookie team and first team.

Former Mercyhurst goaltender Ryan Zapolski, an Erie native, has been named to the ECHL’s all rookie team for posting a 26-11-2 record, 1.66 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and eight shutouts in 39 games with the South Carolina Stingrays this season. He has tied the league’s single-season record for shutouts. He has earned the league’s goaltender of the week honors three times and their monthly award twice, and was named MVP of the league’s all-star game.

Hayden Hodgson had a great summer playing baseball, headlined by two no-hitters. Yet that success, and the potential that comes with being a left-handed pitcher that throws nearly 90 mph, couldn’t keep him from choosing to focus on hockey.
Hodgson made it official Wednesday, as he joined fellow 2012 high-round picks Justin Felker (second round), Kyle Pettit (second) and Riley Robertson (third) in agreeing to terms with the Erie Otters.
“You want to follow your dream and do what you want,” said Hodgson, a third-round pick. “That’s important to me, and that’s important to my family. I leaned towards the sport that I really enjoy the most – hockey. The opportunity and the options at this level really swung me over.”
* Changing his mind?: In April, Millcreek Township native Nate Miller said he would pursue a career as an OHL goaltender. Since then, the Otters have added highly touted CHL pick Oscar Dansk and newly acquired Keinan Brown to their depth in net. Now Miller isn’t as sure about a future in the OHL.
“I don’t want to play as a backup (in the OHL) and ruin my college eligibility,” said Miller, who will play for the Toledo Cherokee in the North American Tier III Hockey League this coming season. “If I were to play her, I’d want a good chance to play and not sit on the bench.”
Miller, who hopes to earn a college scholarship in the future, isn’t surprised about the Otters’ moves in goal. “I expected it to happen,” he said. “But I wanted to prepare myself anyway in case I got the opportunity.”
* Numbers game: Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, wishes he could have kept Robertson and fellow 2012 picks Darren Raddysh (fifth round), Gregory Allen (sixth) and Bryan Sienerth (13th).
But the league rule limiting teams to four under-agers (five with a goalie) prompted Bassin to cut all four prospects today. Felker, Pettit and Hodgson likely will join No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid on the roster this season.
“If players aren’t going to play for you this year, get them back to school and to their (Tier II) team,” said Bassin, who described Sienerth, a Millcreek Township, as “outstanding.”
* News and notes: Club officials sent a contract offer for Russian D Artem Kuleshov to his agent, former NHL goaltender MIke Liut, today. No word yet if an agreement was reached. … Former Otters D Paul Cianfrini participated in the afternoon practice today. He spent the 2011-12 season with Toledo (ECHL), and had re-signed with the Walleye. But he recently signed with Rapid City (CHL) after the possible NHL lockout cost him a spot in Toledo. Prospects from Chicago and Detroit would fill those spots in Toledo if a lockout occurs.

- Victor Fernandes

Check out why Ryan Zapolski, an Erie native and Mercyhurst alumnus, was named ECHL goaltender of the week.

Check out this story on Erie native Kyle Rogers, captain of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.

Eric Rex (Contributed/Canisius College, Tom Wolf Imaging)

Fairview native Eric Rex recently signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, according to the club’s website.

He capped his four-year NCAA Division I career at Canisius this past winter by setting career highs with nine goals, 18 assists and 27 points in 37 games. He had 40 goals and 40 points in 103 games at Canisius.

The Steelheads are affiliated with the NHL’s Dallas Stars and AHL’s Texas Stars.

Former Mercyhurst College forward Scott Pitt agreed to contract terms with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, the club announced Friday. He had two points in nine games with Florida last season.

Pitt concluded his collegiate career last season by leading the Lakers with 19 goals, 22 assists and 41 points. He had 47 goals and 132 points in 156 games during his four-year collegiate career.

Former Erie Otters goaltender Adam Courchaine captured an ECHL title Saturday night, as the Alaska Aces defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 5-3 in Game 5 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
He had a 2.52 goals-against average and 619 saves in 29 regular-season games and added a 2.00 GAA and 35 saves in one playoff game.