On Thursday, the Springfield Thunderbirds announced that they a resigning a trio of skaters in Mitchell Hoelscher, Steven Jandric, and Austin Osmanski. All signed one-year AHL deals.
Here is what each player brings to the table for Springfield this year.
Austin Osmanski
Osmanski is, perhaps, the most notable of all the signings due to where he plays. As a defenseman, he will likely take on a prominent role on the defense, taking the place of recently retired team captain Tommy Cross.
Osmanski appeared in 30 games for Springfield last season, where he posted one goal and five assists (six points). He also played in one game with the Worcester Railers (ECHL).
The 6-foot-4 defenseman will likely play a more physical role on the team and use his size to his advantage in his second full American Hockey League season. Osmanski also collected 28 penalty minutes in 2022-23 with Springfield. With that said, watch for him to bring a physical presence out on the ice as well, as he is not afraid to stick up for his teammates.
Steven Jandric
Jandric returns for his second full season with the Thunderbirds, while also, like Osmanski, spending some time with the Railers.
Jandric played a total of 51 games last season (30 in Springfield, 21 in Worcester), where he scored ten goals and had 17 assists in his first full season after graduating from Merrimack College in 2022.
At 6 feet even, watch for Jandric to play the speed game and weave in and out of traffic to get to the goal. As long as he’s not on a line with Nikita Alexandrov, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Mitchell Hoelscher
Hoelscher holds the most AHL experience out of the three and will be looked at as a dependable centerman for the Thunderbirds this season. He should hold the forward group together when the inevitable call-ups happen throughout the season.
Last season, he took part in 57 games for Springfield, where he was able to tally nine goals and six assists (15 points).
While it’s unclear if he will have a larger role in 2023-24, it’s definitely clear the Springfield General Manager Kevin Maxwell saw something he liked last season.
