The rookie defenseman is getting his first pro exposure.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Americans have welcomed another new member to their roster, as they stack the deck in preparation for a much-anticipated playoff run.
Two weeks ago, 24-year-old Kurt Gosselin finished his college season at the University of Alabama-Hunstville and signed a two-way American Hockey League contract for the 2019-20 season. The 6-foot-1 defenseman then joined the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL for a brief, but productive seven-game stint before arriving in Rochester on an Amateur Tryout Contract.
“I’d consider myself an offensive-defenseman,” said the Brighton, MI., native of his playing style. “I try to be a good team player, work hard, I’m solid on breakouts and get pucks to the net. I play hard in all the areas, and I like to hit people and block shots.”
Having just completed his senior season at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (WCHA), Gosselin recorded 15 points (4+11) in 25 games for the Chargers while serving as team captain. He enjoyed his best season during the 2016-17 campaign when he was named the program’s first ever All-WCHA honoree as a Third Team selection and finished with career-highs in goals (9) and points (18) while ranking second among all Chargers defensemen with nine assists in 30 games.
After tallying seven points (5+2) in as many games in Cincinnati this month, the first of which was a game-winning goal, the crafty blueliner caught the Amerks coaching staff’s attention. He was then called up to Rochester.
“He’s played pretty good,” said Amerks head coach Chris Taylor of Gosselin’s first two weeks of pro hockey. “We’re short on depth right now on defense, and we haven’t seen him, so I’d like to get a look at him before playoffs and see what we have here.”
With defensemen Will Borgen and Lawrence Pilut up in Buffalo, and Zach Redmond out with a lower-body injury, there is ample opportunity for players like Gosselin to make an impact.
Taylor insists that in order for this team to make a long and aggressive playoff push, depth on the Amerks roster is an absolute necessity.
“If we’re playing the right way in playoffs, guys are going to get hurt. That’s what we expect, so we want to make sure we know what we have.”
And according to Gosselin, not only is he is ready to get to work, but also to use this time to help him train for this upcoming summer, with the hopes that next year he will be an Amerk full-time.
“It was awesome that I was given the opportunity to come up and play with these guys. It’ll give me a feel for how hard I’ve got to train this summer, and how hard I need to work to stay in the lineup here and play full time. I’m excited, I’m just happy I got the opportunity. And I won’t let you guys down.”