COMETS ANNOUNCE FIRST SIGNINGS IN AFFILIATION WITH DEVILS
Jul 7, 2021Utica, NY - The Utica Comets General Manager, Dan MacKinnon announced today that the club signed goaltender Mareks Mitens along with forwards Tyler Irvine and Patrick Grasso to standard player contracts for the 2021-2022 season.
Mitens, 23, played four seasons at Lake Superior State University before signing an amateur tryout contract with the Binghamton Devils. In four appearances with Binghamton last season, Mitens went 1-3 with a 2.81 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. Mitens, born in Ventspils, Latvia, finished his senior year with a WCHA Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound goaltender was named to the WCHA Second All-Star Team during the 2020-21 campaign.
Irvine, 25, spent last season with Binghamton registering one goal and three assists for four points in 25 games. Irvine, 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, spent four seasons at Merrimack College where he captained the club in his senior season leading the team in points (27) and goals scored (13). In four years at Merrimack, the Livonia, Michigan native skated 139 games tallying 30 goals and 33 assists for 63 points. Irvine scored his first professional goal last season against the Hershey Bears on April 3rd.
Grasso, 25, leaves the University of New Hampshire after playing in 138 games, scoring 49 goals and 48 assists for 97 points over five seasons. Grasso, 5-foot-7, 170-pounds, made the 2016-17 Hockey East All-Rookie Team and captured the Len Ceglarski Hockey East Sportsmanship award for the 2020-21 season. The Des Moines, Iowa native was named assistant captain at New Hampshire over the last two seasons.
The Comets open the 2021-2022 season at home inside the Adirondack Bank Center on October 17th. The game will mark the anniversary of the Utica Devils inaugural game 34 years ago.