Sports

Alaska Aces re-sign two depth defensemen

The Alaska Aces have re-signed a pair of defensemen who figure to furnish depth in the upcoming ECHL hockey season.

The club on Thursday announced the return of Brandon Martell and Nick Cecere, both of whom joined the team late last season. Martell was acquired from the Wichita Thunder and Cecere hooked up with the Aces after finishing his college career.

The additions of Martell and Cecere give the Aces three announced signings this offseason. Alaska last week announced veteran first-line winger Peter Sivak, who helped them to the 2014 Kelly Cup, will return.

Martell, 27, is entering his fourth full season as a pro. He put up 1-2–3 and minus-7 totals in 15 games with the Aces last season, and  6-5–11 totals in 55 games overall.

Cecere, 25, had an assist and a minus-11 rating in 12 games with Alaska after completing his college career at Niagara University. Under ECHL rules, he'll be considered a rookie in 2016-17.

The Aces last season failed to make the Kelly Cup playoffs for the second straight season. That slide followed an illustrious run — the Aces won the third Kelly Cup in franchise history in 2014 and qualified for the playoffs in each of their 11 seasons in the ECHL.

Alaska earlier this summer announced an affiliation agreement with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, whose American Hockey League affiliate is the Utica Comets. The Aces expect that affiliation to furnish them with several young players. Under ECHL rules, players under AHL or NHL contracts also furnish an ECHL team salary-cap relief.

Like most ECHL clubs, the Aces generally begin announcing signings weekly, starting in July, so anticipate more roster additions during the next couple of months.

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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