Trois-Rivieres Lions, the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, qualified eight players for the 2023-24 season.
The Trois-Rivieres Lions continue to build their roster for the 2023-'24 season. Newly-appointed general manager and head coach Pascal Rheaume signed several players to one-year ECHL contracts this week.
Free Agent Signings
On Thursday, the team announced the signing of defenseman Andrew Nielsen. Nielsen spent the majority of last season playing for the Utah Grizzlies, where he collected 41 points and 166 penalty minutes in 47 games. He also had brief stints in the American Hockey League (AHL) playing in 10 games total with the Cleveland Monsters, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, and San Diego Gulls. Nielsen was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On Friday, the Lions added defenseman Eric Hjorth to their roster. Hjorth will be making his ECHL debut after playing for Vita Hasten HC in Sweden last season. The 22-year-old registered nine points in 43 games.
Hjorth was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Entry draft and spent the 2019-'20 season playing 60 games for the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Sarnia Sting.
Guay Returns
On Sunday, the Canadiens ECHL affiliate announced that forward Nicolas Guay will return for a second season.
Guay was the only player last season to play all 72 games for the Lions. He finished the season with 12 goals and 47 points.
Prior to joining Trois-Rivieres, Guay split the 2021-22 season playing for the University of New Brunswick, and in the AHL for the Abbotsford Canucks.
Qualifying Offers
Last week, the Lions submitted qualifying offers to eight players that expire on July 22nd. After that date, players that have at least 260 games played in a professional league become restricted free agents, while the remaining players continue to be team property for the upcoming season. Guay is the only player from the list who has signed with the club.