On Wednesday, the Portland Winterhawks announced they have signed defenseman Brody Tallman, an eighth-round pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.
Winterhawks vice president, general manager, and head coach Mike Johnston and his staff have been busy evaluating prospects. Brody becomes the third player (Josh Mori & Aidan Litke) this week to have his signing announced.
Tallman is now the sixth member of Portland’s 2018 draft class with a WHL contract. Gabe Klassen, Jonah Bevington, Aidan Litke, Lochlan Gordon, and Dawson Pasternak are the others.
While the Winterhawks have seven fair number of 16-year-olds signed, Tallman is the first defenseman in the 2003 age group.
Kurtis Smythe is a rookie in 2019-2020; however, he is a 2002-born blueliner.
Currently playing the majority of his 2019-2020 season in the AMHL (Alberta Midget Hockey League) with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, the five-foot-eleven, 170-pound defenseman has four goals and 11 assists in 30 games played.
Tallman also appeared in three games in the AJHL during the middle of January. On January 14, he picked up his first assist at the Junior A level.
Brody checks a lot of boxes for the Winterhawks as they look towards the future on the blue line. Known for his ability to join the rush, Tallman’s style of play fits exactly into the way Portland prefers to play.
With the signing of Mori, Tallman, and Ryder Thompson, Portland has three defenders in the pipeline as spots open up on next year’s roster.
Matthew Quigley will graduate as a 20-year-old. Captain Johnny Ludvig is a question mark to return as he was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. With his strong season, he could very well be signed to a pro contract. Nick Cicek will be an overage player next season given his 2000 birth year.
