Former Adirondack Thunder defenseman Ryan Wheeler has signed a one-year deal with the Utica Comets, it was reported Monday.
Wheeler, who hails from Lancaster, N.Y., spent this past season splitting time between the Comets and the Thunder. With the Comets, Wheeler scored a goal in his only AHL appearance while putting up nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 62 ECHL games.
Having made the jump to the pro game at the end of the 2021-22 season, Wheeler has spent all of his pro career, minus his one AHL appearance this season, at the ECHL level with the Thunder, the Cincinnati Cyclones and the Iowa Heartlanders. In that span, he has collected 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 201 career regular season games.
With Wheeler signing an AHL deal, he could have the chance to stick with the Comets out of camp. His brief stint with the team clearly impressed the management team, and Wheeler will get an opportunity to take another step in his pro career.