Gill, Pinho, Newpower Sign AHL Contracts
Jul 3, 2024The Bridgeport Islanders have signed forwards Justin Gill (left) and Brian Pinho (middle), as well as defenseman Wyatt Newpower (right), to AHL contracts.
Gill, 21, led Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with a career-high 98 points and 58 assists in 65 games last season. He scored 40 goals, and added 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 17 playoff contests.
A native of St-Joseph-du-Lac, Quebec, Gill collected 270 points (115 goals, 155 assists) in 285 QMJHL games with Baie-Comeau, Sherbrooke, and Charlottetown over parts of five seasons. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Pinho, 29, finished second on the Islanders with a career-high 34 points and 25 assists last season. He added nine goals in 72 games. The Beverly, Mass. native has 140 points (59 goals, 81 assists) in 297 career AHL games with the Islanders, Utica Comets, and Hershey Bears.
Pinho was selected by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round (174th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft and appeared in four NHL games with the Capitals, including two games during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Prior to turning pro, Pinho played four seasons with the Providence Friars from 2014-18, scoring 115 points (39 goals, 76 assists). He served as team captain in 2017-18.
Newpower, 26, recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) in 34 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins last season. He also made three appearances during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Hugo, Minn. native has 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 172 AHL games between the Griffins and Cleveland Monsters. Prior to turning pro, Newpower played four seasons at the University of Connecticut from 2016-20 and captained the Huskies as a senior in 2019-20. He totaled 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists) in 114 games and was named the 2020 Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman. Newpower led the Huskies and finishing fifth in the conference with a +23 rating.
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