Former Second Round Draft Pick (51st Overall) of the New York Rangers, Bruce Graham signed with the Allen Americans on July 17, 2009.
The Allen Americans announced today they had signed another center to their roster, though this one has a pedigree. Former second-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, Bruce Graham, was signed by the Americans and will give them some real size up the middle. Graham is expected to attend training camp with the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars – the Texas Stars – in September.
Graham has great size, and will be tough to play against in the CHL, as few other teams can boast a player who can match his size. He also brings quite a lot of experience, having played in the ECHL and AHL before, and could be a guiding presence on the team. Here is the release from the Allen Americans:
The Allen Americans announced the signing of center Bruce Graham today. Graham, 23, was a second-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, going fifty-first overall.
“We are thrilled to add a player like Bruce to our roster,” Americans General Manager and Head Coach Dwight Mullins said. “He makes an automatic impression with his size, speed and skill. Bruce brings front line qualities to our team that we are going to depend on every night.”
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound center played for the Gwinnett Gladiators and Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL last year. Between the two teams, he recorded 27 goals and 25 assists in 72 regular season games.
Graham will attend training camp for the Dallas Stars’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Texas Stars, in September. This won’t be the Moncton, New Brunswick, native’s first AHL experience, though. Before signing with the Americans, he had stints with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack during the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Graham played four seasons with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) prior to beginning his pro career.
He is the fourth center the Americans have acquired. Earlier this summer, the team announced the signings of centers Jarret Lukin, Justin Bowers and Chris Gaudet.
