Norfolk Admirals General Manager Claude Loiselle today announced that the Admirals have signed center Dana Tyrell (DAYN-uh tigh-REHL) and defenseman Sean Hurley to Amateur Tryout Contracts (ATO). Both are expected to be in the lineup tonight at Scope against the Lowell Devils, with Tyrell wearing number 49 and Hurley wearing number 4.
While both the Prince George Citizen and Gregg Drinnan of the Kamloops Daily News are reporting 2007 Lightning second rounder Dana Tyrell will join the AHL's Norfolk Admirals for the remainder of the season, Lighting General Manager Jay Feaster told BoltProspects an amateur tryout agreement is still being discussed between the NHL club and Tyrell's agent.
Feaster said the club will also attempt to negotiate a professional deal with Tyrell before next season. The ownership situation with the big club continues to make signings "tricky," however.
Tyrell finished the year with 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points with the WHL's Prince George Cougars. The Cougars did not qualify for the playoffs.
In other Admirals news, the club has signed left wing Andy Contois to a professional tryout contract.
Contois, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound left wing from Marquette, Michigan, was an ECHL All-Star this season, winning the event’s fastest skater competition and scoring one goal and one assist in the All-Star Game.
WHL
Prince George Cougars 4 @ Portland Winter Hawks 1
C/W Dana Tyrell, PG: 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM
Prince George won a battle between the league's two worst teams, and with the two points moved into a tie for third last overall with Calgary. The Cougars have won 2 in a row, both on the road. Portland, who dressed just 14 skaters for the game because of injuries yet outshot PG 41-39, has lost 16 straight games. Their last win was a shootout victory over PG.
This past weekend, Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster and Norfolk Admirals General Manager Claude Loiselle spent the All-Star break touring Western Canada watching potential and future Bolts.
Among the games the duo took in were the CHL Top Prospects Game and two games featuring 2007 second round pick Dana Tyrell. On Thursday night, Tyrell scored 2 goals in a 5-4 Prince George shootout loss to Lightning 2006 6th rounder Dana Crowley and Everett in front of Lightning leadership. After a game in Vancouver to see the Giants and Tri-City Americans on Friday, they saw Tyrell again, this time against Lightning 2007 4th rounder Mitch Fadden - a game that was a 9-0 blowout for Fadden and Lethbridge. Fadden had 2 assists in the game.
Feaster provided a quick review of the Lightning draftees for BoltProspects.
According to tsn.ca, Lightning prospect and Prince George (WHL) forward Dana Tyrell was among the first cuts made by Team Canada in preparation for this month's World Junior Championships. Tyrell, who has 14 goals and 33 points in 30 games for the struggling Cougars, played for Canada this summer during the Junior Summit Series with Russia.
The last Lightning draftee to play for Team Canada in the WJCs was Brad Richards in 2000. Richards had 1 goal and 1 assist in 7 games for Canada during the tournament. He was used in a limited capacity as a power play specialist.