The New York Islanders, NHL parent club of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, have signed defensemen Allan Rourke and Ryan Caldwell along with goaltender Billy Thompson to one-year contracts.
Rourke and Caldwell garnered a bulk of experience with the Sound Tigers last season. In 58 games with the Tigers, Rourke netted nine goals and added 22 assists for 31 points.
"It is great having one of the backbones of last year’s defense returning for another year of leadership and intensity," Sound Tigers president Howard Saffan said of Rourke.
The 26-year-old Rourke is a Mississauga, Ont., native. Originally drafted by Toronto in 1998, Rourke has recorded 44 goals and 87 assists for 131 points in 354 career AHL games with Bridgeport, Lowell and St. John’s.
He matched his career high for points (31) and established a personal best for assists (22) in 2005-06. Rourke also appeared in six NHL games for the Islanders last season, recording one assist.
Caldwell, 25, tallied three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 61 games with Bridgeport last season. He has put up 36 points (5g, 31a) in 134 games over his two pro seasons with the Sound Tigers.
A 2000 draft pick by the Islanders, Caldwell made his NHL debut last season, appearing in two games.
Thompson, 23, spent the last three seasons with the Binghamton Senators, going 42-40-7 with three shutouts in 103 games. Drafted by Florida in 2001, Thompson was 9-18-3 with a 4.14 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage in 34 outings last season.
