The Calgary Wranglers have signed forward Brett Sutter to a one-year American Hockey League contract for the 2022-23 season.
The Wranglers have also signed forward Mitch McLain to a two-year AHL contract, and goaltender Daniil Chechelev and defensemen Simon Lavigne and Rhett Rhinehart to one-year AHL deals.
Sutter takes the ice for his 16th professional season with the organization that drafted him in 2005. Since making his pro debut with the AHL’s Quad City Flames in 2007-08, Sutter has skated in 974 American Hockey League games, ninth-most in league history. He has registered 176 goals and 248 assists for 424 points with Quad City (2007-09), Abbotsford (2009-10), Charlotte (2010-14), Iowa (2014-16) and Ontario (2016-22), including eight goals and 11 assists in 65 games last season.
In addition, Sutter has tallied two goals and eight assists in 60 NHL games with Calgary, Carolina and Minnesota. He appeared in his 1,000th pro game on Jan. 27, 2022.
A native of Viking, Alta., Sutter was the recipient of the AHL’s Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award in 2018-19 as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey. He is an eight-time team captain in the AHL (including the last five years with Ontario), and was selected to captain the Western Conference team at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.
Sutter’s father, Darryl, is currently the head coach of the Calgary Flames.
McLain played all 76 games for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals in 2021-22, setting career highs with 17 goals, 23 points and 113 penalty minutes. He scored three power-play goals and three shorthanded tallies for the Admirals.
In 194 AHL games over five seasons with Milwaukee and Iowa, McLain has recorded 35 goals and 20 assists for 55 points.
A native of Baxter, Minn., McLain played four seasons at Bowling Green State University.
Chechelev made his AHL debut in 2021-22, making one start for the Stockton Heat and stopping 28 of 33 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to Abbotsford on Apr. 22.
Calgary’s fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Chechelev made 30 appearances for Kansas City (ECHL), going 12-12-5 with a 3.64 goals-against average, an .894 save percentage and one shutout.
Lavigne, 21, completed his junior career with Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL last season, posting six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 65 games.
Rheinhart, 20, played five seasons in the Western Hockey League, recording seven goals and 20 assists in 53 games with Saskatoon in 2021-22.
