trim_14028474-D033-4FF6-B654-3A09671C9AFC On Monday, the Bridgeport Islanders announced that they had signed 34-year-old defenseman Seth Helgeson to a professional tryout. Helgeson, who spent the last seven years with Bridgeport, donning the "C" from 2020-2024, was a free agent. He is the club's current leader in games played (447) and has 60 points (nine goals, 51 assists). Bridgeport had to sign Helgeson because it is currently without three of its starting six defensemen and is struggling to fill the holes. Dennis Cholowski, Grant Hutton, Travis Mitchell, and Isaiah George are up with the New York Islanders due to injuries to their backend. Prospect Marshall Warren is hurt as well. That has left Bridgeport with just seven defensemen: Samuel Bolduc, Aidan Fulp, Wyatt Newpower, Calle Odelius, Christan Kyrgier, and Cam MacDonald. MacDonald was recalled from Worcester (ECHL) on Nov. 15. Bridgeport, which has won its last two games, is 4-9-1-1 on the season and could use all the experience it can get, given the situation. They are back in action on Friday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in Pennsylvania, with puck drop at 7:05 ET.
