Photo Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets have announced that forwards Brandon McNally and Blake Murray have inked deals for the upcoming season. The team now has 13 players under contract for the 2025-26 season.
The 33-year-old McNally collected the most penalty minutes in the Asia League last season with 97 in 25 games played.
The Saugus, Massachusetts, native has represented Italy in IIHF competitions since 2021 and will be returning to the United States for the first time since 2018.
The 6-foot-2 lefty won an EIHL Championship in 2022 with the Cardiff Devils, where he recorded 12 goals and seven assists for 19 points in 37 games.
McNally will bring physicality, grit and playmaking ability to the Komets’ lineup. Before playing overseas, McNally suited up for 63 AHL games and 144 ECHL games with Brampton, Utah, and Cincinnati, scoring 41 goals and 69 assists for 110 points, along with 479 penalty minutes in 207 North American professional games.
“McNally will bring toughness and experience to this team, and he is sure to be a fan favorite," Head Coach Jesse Kallechy said ina statement. “Getting Blake Murray at the trade deadline was huge for us, and his numbers showed that he was a great pick up, so getting him back to Fort Wayne was a priority for us."
Murray, 24, appeared in 12 regular-season games with the Komets last season, scoring four goals and four assists after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Adirondack Thunder.
In the post-season, the Uxbridge, Ontario, born player scored five goals and added four assists for a total of nine points in 13 games.
The 2019 draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes (sixth round, 183rd overall) has appeared in 221 ECHL games, scoring 63 goals and 87 assists for 150 points.
The Komets will start their 74th campaign on Friday, Oct. 17 at Indy against the Fuel.