Milwaukee Admirals ink trio to AHL contracts

ESTERO, Fla. — The Milwaukee Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Florida Everblades, announced on Tuesday the signing of three players to AHL contracts for the 2019-20 season.

Milwaukee issued AHL contracts to goaltender Ken Appleby and defenseman Arvin Atwal, who both had strong campaigns in the ECHL in the 2018-19 season, along with rookie forward Hunter Garlent.

A native of North Bay, Ontario, Appleby split the 2018-19 season between the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound netminder posted a 2.45 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in 15 games for the Icemen, while he registered a 3.92 GAA and a .884 save percentage in 10 games with the Moose.

Appleby, who has played in three career games in the NHL, has logged a 2.82 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 76 career AHL games, with a 2.26 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 52 career ECHL contests. Prior to turning professional, Appleby, 24, played three seasons for the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals and led them to the Memorial Cup in the 2014-15 season.

Atwal, who is coming off his third season as a pro, spent nearly all the 2019-20 season with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones and was one of the league’s top defensemen. The Delta, British Columbia, native recorded career highs for games played (65), goals (10), assists (29), points (39) and plus-minus rating, with his plus-minus rating of +44 leading all ECHL defensemen. Atwal, 24, was second among all Cyclones defensemen in goals, assists and points and led the team with 214 penalty minutes.

A 6-foot, 196-pound blueliner, Atwal has amassed 52 assists and 67 points in 131 career ECHL games. He has also seen time in the AHL, logging action in 17 contests and scoring five points (2g-3a). Before his pro career, Atwal netted 108 points (25g-83a) in 225 career games with the Vancouver Giants and Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League.

Garlent, 24, will be in his first season as a pro in the 2019-20 campaign and has played the last three years for St. Mary’s University (USports). The St. Catharines, Ontario, native was a scoring phenom for the Huskies and recorded 131 points (40g-91a) in 90 career games. Garlent, who measures 5-foot-9 and weighs 172 pounds, racked up 12 goals and 45 points in the 2018-19 season, an offensive output that tied his career high and was tied for third in USports.

Garlent also played five seasons in the OHL and was nearly a point-per-game player across 292 career games. He registered 107 goals and 269 points, sharing time with the Guelph Storm and Peterborough Petes. Garlent finished his career with an 87-point season with Peterborough in 2015-16, leading the team in goals and points and finishing tied for 10th in the league in goals.

The Everblades return to Hertz Arena for the 2019-20 home opener on Saturday, Oct. 19 against the Norfolk Admirals.

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The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and AHL's Milwaukee Admirals