Bridgeport Islanders sign one, send nine to NHL

The Bridgeport Islanders announced a two-year AHL contract for defenseman Connor McCarthy on Thursday. McCarthy, a 6-foot-7, 238-pound righthander, completed four years at Clarkson this season.

The AHL team changed its name from Sound Tigers to Islanders on Monday, six days after the end of its 20th season.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin for the New York Islanders on Sunday in Pittsburgh, and CapFriendly, a website that compiles NHL salary cap data, reported that New York recalled nine players from Bridgeport: goalie Ken Appleby; defensemen Grant Hutton, Bode Wilde and Samuel Bolduc; and forwards Anatolii Golyshev (who did not play for the Sound Tigers after signing with the Islanders in March after his season in Russia ended), Otto Koivula, Dmytro Timashov, Simon Holmstrom and Cole Bardreau.

The NHL salary cap and limits on roster size and call-ups are no longer in effect with Bridgeport’s season over and New York’s regular season complete.

New York also signed centerman Reece Newkirk to his entry-level contract, the team announced. Newkirk scored 27 points in 24 games for Portland (Ore.) in the shortened Western Hockey League junior season.