PORTLAND, ME – September 14, 2021 – The Mariners announced the signings of rookie forwards Keltie Jeri-Leon and Devon Paliani on Tuesday. Both players have roots in the Canadian Hockey League, Canada’s top junior circuit. Jeri-Leon comes from the Western Hockey League, while Paliani played in the Ontario Hockey League.
A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Keltie Jeri-Leon is 21 years old. Since 2016-17, he’s spent time with four WHL organizations: The Tri-City Americans, Kamloops Blazers, Lethbridge Hurricanes, and Seattle Thunderbirds. On January 1st, 2019, Jeri-Leon was traded from Lethbridge to Seattle, a move that helped set off the most productive years of his junior hockey career.
In the 2019-20 season, his first full campaign with Seattle, Jeri-Leone posted 41 points (23 goal, 18 assists) in 63 games, good for second on the Thunderbirds. In a condensed 2020-21 schedule, he averaged more than a point per game, with 27 (17 goals, 10 assists) in 23 contests. He also served as a Thunderbirds alternate captain.
Jeri-Leon played a total of 250 games in his WHL career, eclipsing 100 points: 58 goals and 52 assists.
Devon Paliani is a 24-year-old forward from LaSalle, Ontario. He got his start in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves during the 2014-15 season. After just five games with the Wolves, Paliani was traded to the Saginaw Spirit, and posted 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) in 59 games. He also skated in four Saginaw playoff contests. Midway through the 2015-16 season, Paliani was dealt from Saginaw to the Sarnia Sting. He finished that season with a combined 22 points (6 goals, 16 assists) in 65 games between the two teams. He played in seven playoff games for Sarnia.
Following his OHL career, Paliani joined Ryerson University (USports) in Toronto. Over four seasons, he posted 72 points (34 goals, 38 assists) in 98 career collegiate games. In his senior season of 2019-20, Paliani scored a key overtime goal to clinch a playoff series victory against Lakehead University.
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