A trio of former Ohio State hockey players made news this week by signing new contracts for the 2013-14 season.
Steven Ellis of TheHockeyHouse.net reported Tuesday that center Rod Pelley has joined the New Jersey Devils organization while forward John Albert signed a deal to remain with the Winnipeg Jets organization and defenseman Tyson Strachan joined the Washington Capitals.
The Caps and Jets announced their respective moves.
Pelley scored 47 goals and added 41 assists for the Scarlet and Gray from 2003-06. He has two previous stints with the Devils and played 45 games for the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011-12 season following a trade. He spent last season in the AHL with the Ducks' affiliate in Norfolk.
Strachan notched four assists and 40 minutes while playing in 38 games with the Florida Panthers last season. He also played for San Antonio in the AHL.
Per the Capitals' release, "The 6’3”, 225-pound blueliner has recorded 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) and 127 penalty minutes in 120 career NHL games with Florida and St. Louis. Strachan has collected 68 points (12 goals, 56 assists) and 270 penalty minutes in 216 AHL games with San Antonio, Peoria and Albany. The Melfort, Saskatchewan, native spent four seasons at The Ohio State University and was originally drafted by Carolina in the fifth round (137th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft."
The 24-year-old Albert played in 24 games last season in the AHL with the St. John’s IceCaps. The Cleveland native scored three goals and handed out two assists while picking up 10 penalty minutes. The 2007 sixth-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers scored nine goals with 18 assists in 64 games for the IceCaps a year earlier in his professional debut.
Albert scored 33 goals while notching 91 assists for Ohio State from 2008-11.
