Monarchs Sign Rodney

Manchester releases Matczak from professional tryout agreement

Manchester, New Hampshire - The Manchester Monarchs, the primary affiliate of the 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, have signed defenseman Bryan Rodney to an American Hockey League and have release defenseman Mike Matczak from his professional tryout agreement, announced Monarchs Director of Hockey Operations Hubie McDonough on Monday.

Rodney, 28, spent a majority of the 2011-12 season with the Syracuse Crunch recording five goals and 15 assists for 20 points and 10 penalty minutes in 41 games.  The defenseman also spent time during the 2011-12 season with the Oklahoma City Barons registering a goal and nine assists for 10 points and 18 penalty minutes in 26 games.  Rodney is a veteran of 34 National Hockey League games registering a goal and 12 assists for 13 points and 12 penalty minutes while playing for the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers.  The London , Ontario native has
played 306 American Hockey League games with the Hartford Wolfpack, Albany River Rats, Crunch and Barons tallying 30 goals and 136 assists for 166 points and 158 penalty minutes.  Rodney is a two-time AHL All-Star (2010 and 2011).

Matczak, 24, recorded zero points in seven games since joining the Monarchs on November 4, 2012.  Matczak has skated in eight games for the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings tallying one assist for one point this season. Last season, Matczak appeared in 61 games with the Wings tallying 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points and 35 penalty minutes. The 5-foot-11, 197-pound defenseman made his professional debut with the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms on April 2, 2011. The native of Sewell , New Jersey appeared in four games for the Phantoms during the 2010-11 season and was held off the score sheet with zero points and penalty minutes. Matczak spent four seasons (2007-10) in the NCAA playing for the Yale University Bulldogs. He appeared in 114 games with the Bulldogs and registered eight goals and 31 assists for 39 points and 82 penalty minutes.

The Monarchs travel to play Providence Bruins at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, December 7.  Catch all of the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey with Ken Cail on the Monarchs Radio Network at WGIR 610 AM, WGIRAM.com and at ManchesterMonarchs.com, presented by Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.