Islanders Add AHL Depth With Tikkanen, Fanti & Healey Signings

The New York Islanders and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Hammers, have signed goaltender Henrik Tikkanen to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Additionally, they signed defenseman Ryan Healey and goaltender Ryan Fanti to one-year, one-way AHL contracts.

Tikkanen Adds Depth to Goaltending Pipeline

A native of Lohja, Finland, the 6-foot-8 Tikkanen returned to the Islanders organization on July 17. He was drafted 214th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. 

Last season, Tikkanen played for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders and the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, achieving a record of 22-11-2 with a 2.34 goals-against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%) over 37 games.

In his four-year professional hockey career, Tikkanen made 150 appearances in Bridgeport and Worcester, with a 67-63-12 record, a .901 SV%, a 2.99 GAA and eight shutouts.

Fanti & Healey Join the Hammers 

In addition to Tikkanen, the Islanders added more depth to the Islanders organization and the Hammers roster with the signings of Healey and Fanti on Sunday (July 19).

Healey’s rights were acquired by the Islanders from the Minnesota Wild for future considerations on June 27, only for the Harvard defenseman to sign with the organization before the Aug. 15 deadline.

Known as an offensive defenceman, Healey was drafted in the fourth round by the Wild in the 2022 NHL Draft. During his time at Harvard, he was named to the NCAA’s ECAC All-Rookie Team in 2022-23 and the NCAA’s All-Ivy League First Team in the 2023-24 season.

Before launching his professional hockey journey, Fanti enjoyed a successful college career at the University of Minnesota Duluth. His standout season was 2021-22, when he guided the Bulldogs to their most recent NCHC Conference Championship. During that season, he recorded a 20-12-4 record, a 1.83 GAA, a .929 SV%, and seven shutouts across 38 games. 

His exceptional performance earned him recognition as an NCHC All-Star, Tournament MVP, and Goaltender of the Year.

During his professional hockey career, Fanti played in 141 games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and Syracuse Crunch, as well as the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets and Orlando Solar Bears. The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native recorded a 59-53-8 record, a 2.79 GAA, a .904 SV%, and five shutouts.

Final Thoughts

The acquisitions of Tikkanen and Fanti are considered to enhance organizational depth and could compete for starting positions with the Hammers this season. Healey is another prospect in the Islanders’ defensive pipeline and may also contend for a spot on the Hammers’ defense in his first professional hockey season.