Walleye sign former NHL defenseman Steve Oleksy
Walleye coach Dan Watson recruited Olesky since last summer.
By Mark Monroe / The Blade
Tue, 15 Oct 2019 18:18:32 GMT
link -- with images
The Toledo Walleye have signed seasoned defenseman Steve Oleksy, who has played in 73 NHL games.
Oleksy agreed to terms Tuesday to play for the team with which he started his professional career with in 2009.
The 33-year-old is in his 11th pro season, including 411 games in the American Hockey League.
Oleksy, a 6-foot and 180 pound defenseman, was in the lineup for the first game in Walleye history on Oct. 16, 2009. Oleksy (pronounced OH-leck-see) appeared in three games with Toledo in his rookie season.
The native of Chesterfield, Mich., made it to the NHL in 2012-13, playing in 28 games for the Washington Capitals. He appeared in 33 more games for Washington the following season. In the 2016-17 season, Oleksy played in 11 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In 73 NHL games, Oleksy produced 20 points (3 goals, 17 assists) with 110 penalty minutes and a plus-17 plus-minus rating.
Walleye coach Dan Watson recruited Olesky since last summer.
“The work ethic for him is second to none as shown by his steady rise through the pro ranks and to perform as he did at the NHL level,” Watson said. “He brings that experience to our locker room.”
Oleksy has spent the last two seasons in the AHL with San Diego.
In 411 career games at the AHL level, he has tallied 114 total points (22 G, 92 A) with 784 penalty minutes and a career plus-minus rating of plus-52.
He also has played in 107 career ECHL games with Las Vegas, Toledo, and Idaho. He has tallied 38 points (9 G, 29 A) at the ECHL level.
Oleksy had signed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL to start the season but was released last weekend.
The Walleye had signed former Fort Wayne defenseman Cody Sol as their fourth veteran. Sol was traded to Cincinnati on Monday.
Oleksy will be the second player on the Walleye roster with significant NHL experience. Forward T.J. Hensick, who was named Toledo's captain last week, has appeared in 112 NHL games.
The Walleye's other veterans are forward Shane Berschbach — the franchise's all-time leading scorer — and forward Zack Phillips.
Each ECHL team is limited to four veteran players (excluding goaltenders) — those who have played in at least 260 regular-season games of professional hockey.
The Walleye (1-0-0) play at Fort Wayne on Saturday.