With injuries mounting on the blue line, the Checkers have signed defenseman Mike Cornell to a professional tryout contract.
Cornell, who has four points (1g, 3a) in 13 games this season with the Florida Everblades, joined the Checkers on a PTO last season as well. He appeared in 18 games for Charlotte, recording five points (1g, 4a) and 76 penalty minutes during his stint.
The 27-year-old product of the University of Maine is in his third pro season, having split his time between the AHL and ECHL. Cornell has 79 AHL games under his belt with Bridgeport, St. John's, Springfield and Charlotte, accumulating 21 points (7g, 14a) and 219 penalty minutes. In the ECHL, Cornell has 25 points (5g, 20a) and 141 penalty minutes in 68 ECHL games, all with Florida. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Cornell isn't the most physically imposing skater on the ice, but he adds a tough grit to the lineup while also being able to jump in and contribute offensively.
This move, along with this morning's recall of Justin Agosta, brings the Checkers' depleted blue line back to six healthy options. Danny Biega, Keegan Lowe and Tyler Ganly have all been absent from practice this week, and the early prognosis for their availability this weekend wasn't great. The team has had to scramble and play with just five defensemen in each of the last two games, so the additions of Agosta and Cornell should help stabalize things a bit until the rest of the group is able to return.
