MARINERS ANNOUNCE SEASON-ENDING ROSTER

PORTLAND, ME – June 23, 2023 – The Maine Mariners announced their season-ending roster for 2022-23 on Friday, protecting the rights of 20 players between now and July 7. The season-ending roster is the second in the three-step process of retaining players’ rights, the first being the initial protected list, and the final being the issuance of qualifying offers.

Season-Ending Rosters may include up to 20 players and like the initial protected list, cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2022-23. Thus, players who were on NHL or AHL contracts in 2022-23 are not eligible for the list. Players can officially begin signing ECHL contracts on Friday, whether or not they are protected.

Here is the Mariners 2022-23 season-ending roster:

FORWARDS (12): Austin Albrecht, Conner Bleackley, Tim Doherty, Mitch Fossier, Tyler Hinam, Nick Jermain, Carter Johnson, Nick Master, Mathew Santos, Pat Shea, Reid Stefanson, Chase Zieky

DEFENSEMEN (8): Gabriel Chicoine, Connor Doherty, Marc-Olivier Duquette, Nate Kallen, Cameron Morton, Owen Norton, Andrew Peski, Alden Weller

Tim Doherty signed with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves earlier this month, while Nick Master has signed to play in Germany. The Mariners retain the ECHL rights to both players.

Each team is entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the list of 20 by extending a qualifying offer no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the 2023-24 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to June 30.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular-season games, will retain the rights to that player until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22. After July 22, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran or goaltender shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 8, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

The Mariners kick off their fifth ECHL season on October 20th, 2023 in Trois-Rivieres, QC against the Trois-Rivieres Lions, with the home opener on Saturday, October 21st at 6 PM, also against the Lions. The full schedule for the 2023-24 season, presented by Hannaford to Go, can be viewed here. Full and half season packages plus 12-game plans are on sale now by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. Prospective package holders can also put down a deposit or fill out an inquiry form at MarinersOfMaine.com. Single game tickets will go on sale in September.