Daily Dose

Daily Dose of the DUB: Rockets release Basran, Pellerin returns to the Rose City, Mutala inks an AHL deal, and more!

Written by Brian Wiebe on

Rockets release goaltender Basran

The Kelowna Rockets have released 2001-born goaltender Roman Basran after he cleared WHL waivers earlier this week. He is now a free agent eligible to sign with any team.

Basran, who’s from Delta, BC, was 52-40-11, with a 2.89 goals-against-average, a .905 save percentage, and five shutouts in 119 games with the Rockets over the past four seasons.

Pellerin returns to the Winterhawks coaching staff

Brian Pellerin (75 goals, 75 assists in 243 games with Prince Albert from 1987-91) has signed with the Portland Winterhawks as an assistant coach for the 2021-22 WHL season.

The 51-year-old from Hinton, AB was an associate coach with the Tri-City Americans for the past six seasons. He served as an assistant coach in Portland between 2004 and 2008.

Mutala signs an American Hockey League deal in Colorado

Tri-City Americans forward Sasha Mutala has signed a contract with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League for the 2021-22 season.

The 2001-born Mutala had an assist in seven games with the Eagles this past season, joining them after the WHL season concluded. He also added four points in seven games with Utah of the ECHL.

In 217 games with the Americans over the last four seasons, he tallied 65 goals and 154 points.

Helm goes from the Motor City to the Mile High City

Veteran forward Darren Helm (76 goals, 91 assists in 201 games with Medicine Hat from 2004-07) has signed a contract with the Colorado Avalanche worth $1 million for the 2021-22 season.

The product of St. Andrews, MB played 744 career NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 112 goals and 251 points. The 34-year-old also won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.

Porter signs a deal with IPK for 2021-22

Goaltender Cody Porter (52-42-9, 3.30 goals-against-average, .887 save percentage in 117 games with Vancouver and Calgary from 2014-17) has signed with IPK of Finland’s Mestis for the 2021-22 season.

Porter, who hails from North Vancouver, BC, had an 0-7-1 record with a 4.62 goals-against-average and an .881 save percentage in eight games with Zaglebie Sosnowiec of the Polska Hokej Liga in 2020-21.

Leafs acquire Menell from Minnesota

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a trade with the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday to bring in defenseman Brennan Menell (21 goals, 124 assists in 196 games with Vancouver and Lethbridge from 2014-17).

The 24-year-old from Woodbury, MN had 38 points in 47 games with Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League during the 2020-21 season.

Pats draft pick Beckner signs in the BCHL

Defenseman Owen Beckner, who was the Regina Pats’ seventh-round pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, has signed with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for the 2021-22 BC Hockey League season.

Beckner, a 2005-born defenseman from Victoria, BC, had six goals and one assist in four games with St. George’s School U17 Prep in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League in 2020-21. He put up 37 points in 30 games with St. George’s U15 Prep in 2019-20.

AHL veteran Martin joins Grand Rapids

Forward Jon Martin (73 goals, 68 assists in 316 games with Kootenay and Swift Current from 2012-16) has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins for 2021-22.

Martin, 25, played 37 games for Lausitzer Füchse of Germany’s DEL2 in 2020-21 and posted 11 goals and 24 points. He spent most of the previous four seasons in the AHL.

Sens put pen to paper with Heatherington

Defenseman Dillon Heatherington (13 goals, 74 assists in 247 games with Swift Current from 2011-15) has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators for the upcoming season. The deal pays Heatherington $750,000 in the NHL.

The Calgary, AB native had two goals and seven points in 41 games with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL in 2020-21. The 26-year-old played 59 games for the AHL’s Texas Stars in 2019-20 and posted 14 points.

Makarov takes his game to Belarus for the upcoming season

Goaltender Andrei Makarov (66-38-7, 2.80 goals-against-average, .916 save percentage, nine shutouts in 115 games with Saskatoon from 2011-13) has signed with Donbass Donetsk of the Ukranian Hockey League.

The 28-year-old from Kazan, RUS, played 11 games with HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia’s Tipos Extraliga in 2020-21 and finished with a 2.14 goals-against-average and a .907 save percentage.

Bean inks a three-year extension with Columbus

Defenseman Jake Bean (49 goals, 147 assists in 219 games with Calgary and Tri-City from 2014-18) has signed a three-year pact with the Columbus Blue Jackets, five days after he was acquired in a trade from Carolina. The contract is reportedly worth an average of $2.3 million per season.

Bean, a 23-year-old from Calgary, AB, had a goal and 11 assists in 42 games with the Hurricanes this past season, his first in the NHL. He was Carolina’s first round pick, 13th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Sillanpää signs a deal with Peliitat

Defenseman Joonas Sillanpää (one goal, five assists in 61 games with Kamloops in 2018-19) has left FPS to sign with Peliitat for 2021-22. Both teams play in Mestis, which is the second level of pro hockey in Finland.

Sillanpää, a native of Göteborg, SWE, was scoreless in six games with FPS in 2020-21. The 20-year-old posted six points in 35 games with HIFK of the U20 SM-liiga in 2019-20.

Foote re-ups with Tampa Bay on a two-year deal

22-year-old defenseman Cal Foote (33 goals, 130 assists in 202 games with Kelowna from 2015-18) has signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning worth an average value of $850,000.

The Englewood, CO product had three points in 35 games as a rookie with the Lightning this past season. He’s also played 150 games with Syracuse at the AHL level since turning pro in 2018.