Tuesday at 12:01 am officially signaled the start or NHL free-agency, but lots happened before that.
Friday night and Saturday was the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, surrounded by a number of trades and signings.
We’ll start closest with home as Thorold’s Conor Timmins is coming home, sort of speaking, after being traded to the Buffalo Sabres from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Timmins, a 26-year-old defenseman, has six goals and 46 points in 159 regular-season games with the Colorado Avalanche. Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Penguins.
He was selected by the Avalanche in the second round (No. 32) at the 2017 NHL Draft.
“This is a guy that we’ve had for a while as someone on our radar, if there was a way to get him that we just thought he’d be a great addition to our group,” said Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams.
“We still think he’s got upside to continue to grow as a player.”
Niagara IceDogs forward Ethan Czata was drafted in the second round, 56th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Czata scored 21 goals and 55 points in 68 games with the IceDogs last season.
“He’s a strong, two-way player who at the junior level can go up against the best players and do a good job shutting them down and still contribute offensively. So that bodes well when you have that in your toolbox where you can play in all situations,” Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said.
“What we also really like about Ethan in particular is his work ethic. We have every reason to believe he’s going to put in the effort to realize his potential, and we think that should ultimately lead him to the NHL at some point.”
Tampa also selected Fort Erie native Grant Spada in the seventh round, 212th overall, while two picks later St. Catharines native Nolan Read was selected by the Anaheim Ducks.
The inevitable happened for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans as Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Nicolas Roy. Marner then agreed on a 12-year $96-million deal with the Golden Knights.
Monday was a huge one for the Florida Panthers.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions resigned three huge cogs in their lineup, as Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand all agreed to sign in South Florida for far less they could have received on the open market.
And last but not least, Monday evening, more news out of Sin City as former Niagara IceDogs captain Alex Pietrangelo made an announcement that stunned many.
“The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health,” said Pietrangelo.
“After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family.”
Pietrangelo, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with St. Louis and Vegas, was selected by the Blues with the No. 4 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Pietrangelo has 637 points (148 goals, 489 assists) in 1,087 regular-season games for the Blues and Golden Knights, and 80 points (15 goals, 65 assists) in 149 playoff games.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
