The San Diego Gulls announced today that the club has signed defensemen Stu Bickel and James Melindy to one-year AHL contracts.
Bickel, 30, appeared in 26 games with San Diego last season, collecting two goals and four assists for six points while ranking second in the AHL with 148 penalty minutes. He also recorded one assist in three Calder Cup Playoff games.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound Bickel has appeared in 306 career AHL games with the Iowa Chops, San Antonio Rampage, Syracuse Crunch, Connecticut Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack, Iowa Wild and Gulls, totaling 12 goals and 42 assists for 54 points along with 872 PIM. He also has 10 assists and 203 PIM in 76 career NHL games with the N.Y. Rangers and Minnesota.
Melindy, 23, registered one assist in three AHL games with San Diego last season, spending most of the season with Wichita (ECHL) where he collected three goals, 14 assists and 229 penalty minutes.
In 52 career AHL matches with San Diego and Portland, Melindy has tallied two goals, one assist and 67 PIM. The fifth-year pro was selected by Phoenix in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
