Tigres Add McLearen, Banks to Bolster Chances of Finals Repeat

The Quebec Tigres headed into this offseason in an interesting position.  Prior to last season, most observers believed Quebec’s window for serious contention had closed, with an aging roster that lacked offensive options.  Instead, however, the Tigres shocked the league by finishing first in the East, then making all the way to the Finals for the first time since 2018.

Having come tantalizingly close to the promised land, what will Quebec do for an encore?  They made their first moves on the free-agent market, strengthening their two-way game by landing winger Vonnie McLearen and D Patrick Banks.

The Tigres’ top priority in free agency was to acquire a center, long a weak spot for them.  They hoped to land disgruntled C Barry Sullivan from their division rivals in Washington.  But when Sullivan signed with the Kansas City Smoke instead, Tigres GM Pete Gondret pivoted to sign the versatile McLearen, inking the winger to a 3-year, $7.5 million pact.

McLearen hit the open market for the first time since 2018, when he signed a 5-year, $12.5-million contract with the Saskatchewan Shockers.  He proved to be a steady presence, regularly producing 35- to 40-point seasons along with solid defense.  He’s equally comfortable at right or left wing; he even has a bit of experience as a center from early in his career.  Last year, between Saskatchewan and Kansas City, he finished with 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists) and 51 blocks in 61 games.

“I’ve admired Vonnie’s game from afar for a long time,” said Gondret.  “He’s such a selfless player.  He’s not afraid to get in and grind, whether it’s parking himself in front of the crease for a deflection or a greasy goal, breaking up opposing rushes in the neutral zone, or doing the wall work to keep a power play alive.  He fits right in with our roster, and we’re glad to have him on board.”

Banks, meanwhile, comes off a season in which he appeared in just 45 games for the Hershey Bliss, due to a combination of nagging injuries and Hershey’s desire to try out younger blueliners.  When active, he recorded 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) and 69 blocks.  The Tigres, who struggled all last season to find consistency on their third pairing, deemed the veteran Banks worthy of a flier for 2 years and $2 million.

“Patrick’s been in this league for a long time, and he’s a proven commodity,” said Gondret.  “He’s a capable contributor on both ends of the ice, and he provides the veteran experience we can really use to stabilize the bottom pairing.”

Banks will join a fresh face on Quebec’s third pairing: rookie Rusty Sienna, whom the Tigres acquired this week along with winger Rory Socarra from the Michigan Gray Wolves in exchange for D Serkan Mratic and RW Jorma Seppa.

“We’re really excited to see what Patrick and Rusty can do together,” said Gondret.  “That combination of youth and experience is exactly what we’re hoping to create around here.  We want our vets to teach our youngsters, so that we can keep our window open for years to come.”

The Tigres GM acknowledged that his team has a long road back to the Finals.  “The East is becoming a tougher division every year,” he said.  “We know that we have to work hard if we are going to have another chance for the Vandy.  But for anyone who thinks it was a fluke that we went, we do not agree.  We are ready to fight to defend our success!”

Smoke Sign Sullivan, Royal in Bid for Playoff Return

The Kansas City Smoke, fresh off their first-ever postseason appearance, came into the offseason looking to secure their status as a contender the Western Division.  While they came up short in their pursuit of their top target, LW Troy Chamberlain, they bolstered their roster with a pair of key signings, inking C Barry Sullivan and veteran LW Pascal Royal to multi-year deals.

While Chamberlain was the unquestioned star of free agency, Sullivan was unquestionably the second-most-sought target.  The 27-year-old center hit a career high in goals last season with 20; he was a top contributor for a frisky Washington Galaxy team that made an unexpected playoff push last season, ultimately coming up one point short.

He soured on the Galaxy, however, after he expressed reservations about the team’s nightly in-game military salutes.  Sullivan said that “worshipping the troops feels a little like a dictatorship” and asked why the team didn’t also salute doctors, nurses, cashiers, and other front-line workers for their service during the COVID pandemic.  (His sister is an ER nurse.)  His comments generated considerable blowback on social media, and members of the Galaxy organization, including GM Wilson Shuster and star RW Jefferson McNeely, refused to support Sullivan and rushed to defend the military salutes.

Sullivan said he felt “like a pariah” with the team after that, and resolved to sign elsewhere this offseason.  Even though the Smoke were already fairly deep at center, they pounced on the chance to sign a top-six talent, landing him on a four-year, $12.8 million deal.

“Quality centers, especially those as young and talented as Barry, are almost never available in free agency,” said Kansas City GM Garth Melvin.  “So when we saw a player of Barry’s caliber was available, naturally he rose to the top of our list.  We’re thrilled to have him on board.”

The 32-year-old Royal, meanwhile, became expendable to the defending champion Milwaukee Growlers after they signed Chamberlain.  In a middle-six role with Milwaukee last season, he recorded 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) and 21 blocks.  Kansas City has long been thin on the left wing, so they were quick to outbid the field and ink Royal to a two-year contract worth $2.4 million.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Montreal-born winger; Royal was a member of the Smoke’s inaugural 2018 team, putting up a career-high 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists).  He is expected to fill the second-line spot vacated by Vonnie McLearen, who departed to Quebec via free agency.

“One of our top goals this offseason was to get stronger on the left side,” said Melvin.  “With Pascal, we have a proven vet who’s a top-notch passer and also has the ability to create shots for himself.  He makes our second line much more dynamic, and strengthens our entire forward corps.”

At the trade deadline last year, the Smoke added McLearen and veteran C Rod Remington in a bid to build on their hot first half.  Neither player clicked in KC, and the team wilted down the stretch before being sent home in four games in the first round.  Now KC has essentially replaced them with Royal and Sullivan.

“We got a taste of the playoffs last season, and now we want more,” said Melvin.  “We want to build a team that can go on a deep run, one that can be a real Vandy contender.  Barry and Pascal are a key part of that plan for us.  Milwaukee, Anchorage, and everyone else better be on notice: we’re planning to go toe-to-toe with the best and win.”

Champion Growlers Land Top Free Agent Chamberlain

The Milwaukee Growlers have a message for the rest of the SHL: Watch out.  The Growlers are fresh off of their first championship.  This offseason, they’ve made their team even stronger by scooping up the best free agent on the market, signing former Saskatchewan Shockers LW Troy Chamberlain to a 5-year, $21.5 million deal.

“I feel sorry for the other teams in our division,” said Growlers GM Ken Lindstrom.  “We already had a deep and dangerous roster, and now we’re adding a top-line winger in his prime.  Nothing’s guaranteed in this league, of course, but let’s just say I like our chances.”

It’s rare for a player of Chamberlain’s caliber to be available in free agency, as teams tend to lock them up to long-term deals.  He finished fifth in the league with 32 goals last season, and has long been a star and locker-room leader for Saskatchewan.  But the Shockers are in a period of transition.  After a multi-year run of contention, Saskatchewan is pivoting to a rebuild, yielding to the realities of their small market size and owner Heinz Doofenshmirtz’s financial struggles.  With the Shockers retrenching around a core of young players, the 29-year-old Chamberlain was a luxury they could no longer afford.

“It’s never an easy decision to let a player like Troy go,” said new Saskatchewan GM Royce McCormick.  “But our financial realities are what they are, and Troy deserves a shot to chase a Vandy with a team that can contend now.”

Once it became clear that Chamberlain would hit the market, every team with the cap space to make a bid immediately placed him at the top of their target list.  Among the most aggressive suitors: the Michigan Gray Wolves, who valued his 200-foot game and desperately need scoring help; the Kansas City Smoke, who made their first-ever playoff appearance last season and are trying to build a long-term contender; and the Washington Galaxy, a young team on the rise who hoped to make Chamberlain their central star.

But in the end, the veteran winger decided to sign on with the defending champions.  “It wasn’t easy for me to decide where to sign,” said Chamberlain.  “I had a lot of strong offers on the table.  But in the end, I couldn’t ignore the quality foundation that [Lindstrom] has built here.  The Growlers are a team that’s built to win multiple Vandys, and I’m excited to join in!”

Chamberlain gives Milwaukee the top-tier star that it has long lacked.  During their title run, the Growlers made a virtue of their balanced lineup, presenting a multifaceted attack that opponents struggled to stop.

His new teammates, however, aren’t concerned that the star will disrupt the team’s balance, either on or off the ice.  “I know everyone on the team is thrilled to have Troy on board,” said Growlers LW Zachary Merula, who skated on the top line last season.  “He’s a star-quality player, but he has the kind of selfless, hard-working attitude that meshes great with our roster.  There’s no concern that he’s going to come in here and try to make everything all about him.  I’ve talked to guys who played with him in Saskatchewan, and they all say the same thing: great talent, great teammate.  I’m thrilled that he’s on our side now.”

With the Chamberlain signing, Milwaukee is now being tabbed by oddsmakers as a strong favorite to repeat their Vandy title.  While Lindstrom seemed pleased to take on the role of favorite, coach Rodney Reagle sounded a note of caution.  “The old cliché ‘Nobody ever won a title in October’ is a cliché for a reason,” said Reagle.  “Obviously, I like our roster and I believe we’ll compete strongly.  But Anchorage is still Anchorage, and they’re not going down without a fight.  Kansas City and Michigan are both getting better, and they’re going to give us a challenge.  You know what they say: if you try to count your chickens before they’re hatched, you wind up with egg on your face.”