Maine Hockey Journal

Pirates continue building for new season

The Portland Pirates appear to have regained one of their cornerstone defenseman for the upcoming season as the Anaheim Ducks, NHL Affiliate of the Portland Pirates, announced today they have signed Aaron Rome to a one-year deal worth $495,000 which is significantly less than the qualifying offer he rejected last month.

Last season, Rome played 76 games for Portland, scoring 8 goals, 17 assists for 25 points with 139 penalty minutes (all career highs).

Rome, 24, played one regular season game with the Anaheim Ducks against Detroit Red Wings, going scoreless as well as one playoff game vs. the Minnesota Wild, again being held without a point.

With ink still wet on this current deal, the Pirates backend is certainly getting crowded with the new and returning the faces to the lineup this year. Rome is going to be expected to add that veteran leadership, mentoring the young kids joining the Pirates in the fall.

In recent weeks, the Ducks have signed Mathieu Schneider, Shane Hnidy, Joe Callahan and Maxim Kondratiev. Callahan and Kondratiev could find themselves in Portland this season, along with Brett Festerling, Brendan Mikkelson, Brian Salcido and Clay Wilson.

The Pirates are also getting help in the offense department with the addition of Jason King, who decided to leave Germany. King is coming back to North America less than one month after signing a deal with the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL. He was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks back on draft day along with a conditional third round pick for Ryan Shannon. King gives the Pirates that much needed sniper, something they were desperately seeking last season.

In addition, it appears Portland will have a new equipment manager next year as Chris “Muggsy” Aldrich is set to join the Pirates after spending the last ten years with the Boston Bruins as their assistant equipment manager.

Aldrich, a native of Windham, Maine, has prior ties to AHL hockey in Maine. He began his career with the Maine Mariners 1989-90 as an assistant equipment manager with the Maine Mariners before the franchise relocated to Providence, RI.

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