Comets Announce Roster Moves

by Mark Caswell, Jr.

Mar 17, 2016

Utica Comets Director of Hockey Operations Pat Conacher announced today that the club has signed forward Evan Rankin and defenseman William Wrenn to professional tryout contracts (PTO). In addition, Conacher announced that the Comets have signed center Milos Bubela to an amateur tryout contract (ATO).

Rankin, 29, has played in 27 AHL games this season and has seven points (1-6-7) with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the St. John’s IceCaps.  He has also appeared in 25 ECHL games for the Toledo Walleye, where he has 23 points (12–11-23) and 14 penalty minutes. He ranks as Toledo’s all-time leader in goals (77), and is second in assists (76), and points (151).  In 218 American Hockey League games, the Portage, MI native has collected 115 points (56-59-115) and 117 penalty minutes with the Manitoba Moose, Grand Rapids Griffins, Rochester Americans, Syracuse Crunch, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and the St. John’s IceCaps. Rankin recorded four straight AHL seasons of double-digit goals from 2010 to 2014, primarily with Rochester.

Prior to turning professional, Rankin spent four years at the University of Notre Dame and was a member of the 2006-07 CCHA Championship team. He had 41 points (20-21-41) in 143 games with the Irish including 19 points (8-11-19) during his senior season.

Wrenn, 25, has collected 17 points (5-12-17) in 93 AHL games played with the Worcester Sharks and the Texas Stars. The Anchorage, AK native played in 40 games, posted seven points (2-5-7) and won a Calder Cup championship with the 2013-14 Texas Stars. This season, Wrenn was named the captain of his hometown Alaska Aces and ranks third on the team in points (41), and second in assists (37).

The 6’1”, 210-lb. defenseman was selected in the second round (43rd overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program, representing Team USA at the 2008 U17 World Hockey Challenge and 2009 IIHF U18 World Championships.

Bubela, 23, posted 19 points (13-6-19) in 35 games for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (R.P.I.). In 139 games for R.P.I., the native of Slovakia recorded 63 points (33-30-63). He was a teammate of Comets forward Michael Zalewski during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 season.