Oct 12, 2023
The Bridgeport Islanders, American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, have signed forward Samuel Asselin to an AHL contract and forward Jackson Cates to a professional tryout (PTO).
Asselin, 25 (pictured left), joins the Islanders after spending each of the last four seasons with the Providence Bruins. He recorded 65 points (23 goals, 42 assists) in 166 games with Providence. The Repentigny, Que. native also notched 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 53 ECHL games with the Atlanta Gladiators in 2019-20, leading the team in goals and finishing second in scoring.
Prior to turning pro, the 5’11, 185-pound forward played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Shawinigan Cataracts, Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Halifax Mooseheads. He recorded 200 points (82 goals, 118 assists) in 247 games including a league-leading 48 goals in 2018-19. Asselin had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 20 playoff games with Acadie-Bathurst in 2017-18, helping win the Memorial Cup Championship.
Cates, 26 (pictured right), recorded 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 65 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season. He also played five NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Stillwater, Minn. native has 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 102 AHL games, all with Lehigh Valley, and two points (one goal, one assist) in 20 NHL games with the Flyers.
In college, Cates played 96 games over three seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth, recording 64 points (27 goals, 37 assists) and a +15 rating. He helped the Bulldogs win the 2019 NCAA Championship during his freshman season.
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