Walleye sign forwards
9/11/2012The Toledo Walleye signed two young forwards on Monday, including a rookie who will be making his pro debut this season.
Jake Trask and Joshua Turnbull agreed to terms with the organization.
Turnbull, 24, enters his second season of pro hockey after playing in the ECHL with South Carolina and Utah last season.
Trask, 21, will make his first pro start this fall with the Walleye after playing five seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League.
Turnbull, a native of Hayward, Wisc., was a fifth-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Kings in 2007. The 5-foot-11, 185 pound forward played at the University of Wisconsin. Turnbull set career highs with 13 goals and 20 points in his senior season (2010-11) with the Badgers.
In 28 ECHL games, Turnbull scored two goals and had six assists.
"[Turnbull] will bring some nice energy to our team this year," Walleye coach Nick Vitucci said. "He is gritty and has a flair for offense."
Trask, a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, amassed 120 points in 123 games over the last two seasons in the WHL. He scored 53 goals to go along with 67 assists while playing for the Saskatoon Blades.
"Jake has tremendous speed and finishing ability," Vitucci said. "Although he is a young player, he has the skill set to make things happen on the ice."
The Walleye have signed 11 players for the season, which starts Oct. 13 against Kalamazoo at the Huntington Center.