COMETS SIGN FOUR PLAYERS, TWO RETURNERS
Jul 18, 2022Utica, NY – The Utica Comets General Manager, Dan MacKinnon, announced today that the team has made four player signings for the upcoming 2022-23 season. Players include forwards Nolan Stevens, Xavier Parent, and Filip Bratt along with defenseman Dylan Blujus.
Stevens, 25, is a fifth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound forward who signed an AHL one-way contract, played for the Comets during the 2020-21 season where he scored six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 27 games. The former Northeastern University product, who was captain during his senior season, has accumulated 189 AHL games scoring 30 goals and 56 assists for 86 points. Last season, Stevens split time in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Iowa Wild.
Parent, 21, hails from Laval, Quebec, signed a two-year, one way-AHL contract with the Comets. He played the last three seasons for the Sherbooke of the QMJHL where he was captain of the club last year. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound centerman, tied for the team lead in goals with 51 and was second in points with 106 making the QMJHL Second All-Star Team during the 2021-22 season. In 244 hockey games of junior hockey, he scored 102 goals and 113 assists for 215 points.
Bratt, 20, hails from Stockholm, Sweden, signed an AHL two-way contract with the Comets. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward played 35 games with AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan league in Sweden scoring one goal and one assist. His older brother is Jesper Bratt, the New Jersey Devils’ leading scorer last season. This will be Bratt’s first season of hockey in North America.
Blujus, 28, is a former draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The Buffalo, New York native, has played eight seasons in the AHL amassing 338 games scoring 22 goals and 73 assists for 95 points. Last season, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound defenseman skated with both the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and the Florida Everblades (ECHL). This will be Blujus’ return to Utica as he skated from 2017 to 2020 with the team skating in 123 games scoring nine goals and 13 assists 22 points. Blujus signed an AHL one-way contract with the club.
Season Ticket Memberships are now available for the 2022-23 Season. Utica will open the season on Monday, October 17th, exactly 35 years after the Utica Devils played their first game. All new Season Ticket Members will receive an exclusive Comets 10th anniversary jersey with their ticket package. Season ticket information is available at uticacomets.com/szn.