The Tampa Bay Lightning made some significant roster changes in the offseason, and that trend followed down to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. These additions helped the Crunch shut out the Utica Comets 5-0 on Friday night (Oct. 11) and follow up with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Belleville Senators.
Syracuse only has 10 returning regulars from the team that finished in third place in the North Division last season. Gage Goncalves, who was injured and did not play in the first two games, led the team with 58 points (13 goals, 45 assists) in 2023-24 and is one such returner in 2024-25. The 2024 AHL All-Star has compiled 145 points in 212 Crunch games since 2020-21. He is one of 13 players to reach 100 assists with the Crunch; his 102 assists rank just outside the top 10 in team history.
Free-agent additions will help bolster the roster. Tobie Bisson, Steven Santini and Derrick Pouliot round out a stout group of defensemen. Jesse Ylonen, who spent all of last season with the Montreal Canadiens, will provide scoring up front. He had 32 points in 39 games in his previous AHL stint with the Laval Rocket in 2022-23.
The team will also rely on some of the younger players in the Lightning organization. Dylan Duke will join the team for the full season after playing a few games in the playoffs last season when his campaign concluded with the University of Michigan. Niko Huuhtanen will also join the Crunch for an entire season. He spent the regular season in Finland’s Liiga with Jukurit before coming to North America to finish the season with Crunch.
New Additions Also Bring NHL Experience
While youth was served over the weekend, veteran players with NHL experience should help the Crunch in the long run. The 24-year-old Ylonen skated in 59 games for the Canadiens last season, tallying four goals and eight points with a plus-2 rating while averaging 10:14 time on ice per game. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound winger has played in 111 career games, all with Montreal, across four seasons since making his NHL debut on May 12, 2021, against the Edmonton Oilers. Ylonen has recorded 12 goals and 29 points throughout his NHL career. A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, he signed his first NHL contract with Montreal on March 26, 2020. He was originally selected by the Canadiens in the second round, 35th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Santini, a native of Bronxville, New York, has played in 123 career NHL games between the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues. He was originally drafted by New Jersey in the second round, 42nd overall, of the 2013 NHL Draft. He skated in 64 games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign last season, registering five goals and 20 points.
New Players Spark the Crunch to Victory
Three Crunch players scored their first professional or AHL goals last night in the opening night game at Utica. Rookie defenseman Dyllan Gill led Syracuse in scoring with his first two professional goals. His first came in the opening six minutes, and his second came with four minutes left in the third period. Huuhtanen tallied his first AHL goal to give the Crunch a 2-0 lead, and Duke scored his first pro goal in the second period.
Goaltender Brandon Halverson stopped all 26 shots he faced. The Michigan native secured his second career shutout in the win.
On Saturday night (Oct. 12), newcomers Joel Teasdale evened the score in the second period before Jaydon Dureau potted the game-winner in the second round of a shootout. Teasdale spent last season with the Iowa Wild on a one-year AHL contract, while Dureau spent the majority of the season with the Orlando Solar Bears, the Lighting’s affiliate in the ECHL, tallying 25 points in 34 games.
Crunch goaltender Matt Tomkins earned the win, stopping 30 of 31 shots and all three shootout attempts.
Related: What Geekie Making the Opening Night Roster Means for the Lightning
These new additions will look to keep the Crunch on the winning path when they make a Canadian road trip next weekend. They will play back-to-back games against the Laval Rocket on Friday (Oct. 18) and Saturday (Oct. 19). On Sunday (Oct. 20), the Crunch will travel to Belleville for a rematch against the Senators.
