Nicholas Rioux Signs PTO With Iowa Wild
The Iowa Wild have signed defenseman Nicholas Rioux of the Quad City Mallards to a professional tryout (PTO).
ROSTER MOVES: #IAWild signed Nicholas Rioux from the @myqcmallards to a PTO. He will wear #12. http://t.co/LKfP25rgWo pic.twitter.com/7a4wvrCyzu
— Iowa Wild (@IAWild) January 16, 2015
Rioux, who was invited to the 2013 Iowa Wild training camp, was on a PTO with the team earlier this season as well, spending nine days and three games on the roster from October 29 to November 7. In that stretch he had no points.
Rioux, a former St. Cloud State defenseman, made his AHL debut last year, getting in eight games with Iowa where he recorded no points, four penalty minutes, and four shots. He has four pro seasons under his belt and has put up two goals and 12 assist through 31 games for the Mallards.
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He joined the team for Friday nights road tilt against the Rockford IceHogs.
The Mallards did not replace Rioux on the blue line, but did activate forward Kevin Baker from reserve.
With the Minnesota Wild signing Devan Dubnyk, John Curry was returned to the Iowa Wild, forcing Iowa to return goaltender Parker Milner to the Mallards, who then removed emergency back-up goaltender Jake Reed from their roster.
The Mallards lost to the Rapid City Rush in overtime on Friday.
Matt Harrington
On Friday the Alaska Aces signed free agent forward Matt Harrington from the Mississippi RiverKings of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).
Harrington — who is 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds — had collected 10 goals and eight assists for the RiverKings through 23 games after having previously gone pointless in four games for the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL earlier in the season.
The 24-year-old Harrington made his ECHL debut this season in his time with the Nailers. He made his Aces debut on Friday night as the Aces continued their six-game road trip with a game against the Colorado Eagles, a game they ultimately dropped 5-4 in overtime. Harrington recorded his first ECHL point in the game, an assist on a Brad Cole goal.
Harrington has 91 points (39-52-91) in 116 career SPHL games and 58 points (18-50-58) in 58 career Federal Hockey League (FHL) games playing for the Cape Cod Bluefins.