Checkers ink three to AHL deals

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The Charlotte Checkers today announced that they have signed forwards Zack Stortini and Nick Schilkey and goaltender Martin Ouellette to AHL contracts.

Stortini, 31, split last season between Binghamton and San Jose, totaling three goals, one assist and 116 penalty minutes in 48 AHL games.

In 556 career AHL games with the Barracuda, Senators, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Norfolk Admirals, Hamilton Bulldogs, Milwaukee Admirals, Oklahoma City Barons, Springfield Falcons, Iowa Stars and Toronto Roadrunners, Stortini has recorded 54 goals and 54 assists for 108 points. He has also amassed 1,705 minutes in penalties, ranking 24th on the AHL’s all-time PIM list.

Stortini has played 62 postseason games in the AHL, reaching the Calder Cup Finals with Milwaukee in 2006 and winning a championship with Hamilton in 2007.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound native of Elliot Lake, Ontario, was a third-round draft choice by Edmonton in 2003, and has collected 14 goals, 27 assists and 725 PIM in 257 NHL games with Edmonton and Nashville.

Schilkey, 23, begins his first professional season in 2017-18 after scoring 130 points (69 goals, 61 assists) in 141 games over a four-year career at Ohio State University, including a senior season that saw him rank third in the country with 27 goals.

The 5-foot-10, 173-pound native of Marysville, Michigan, was named a Big-10 conference Second Team All-Star in both 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Ouellette, 25, enters his fourth professional season in 2017-18. He made four regular-season appearances with Lehigh Valley (AHL) last season, going 3-0-0 with a 1.06 goals-against average and a .968 save percentage. He also played four postseason games for the Phantoms, going 2-2 (2.20, .920).

In 21 career AHL appearances with the Phantoms, Ouellette has compiled a record of 11-5-0 with a 2.30 GAA, a .927 save percentage and two shutouts.

A native of St-Hippolyte, Quebec, Ouellette also has a 2.60 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 92 career games with Reading in the ECHL. He was a seventh-round draft choice by Columbus in 2010.