Stars Pick Up ECHL's #3 Scorer, F Brendan Connolly

The Texas Stars announced the signing of center Brendan Connolly today to a professional tryout contract. Connolly is a spark plug type player who skates fast and scores goals for the Greenville Road Warriors. He is a third year pro and finished plus-28 in last year's season, earning him the ECHL Plus Performer of the Year Award. That's a good attribute on a team that has struggled to keep the puck out of the net. He's a smaller player but it hasn't hurt those goal and assists totals at 20 goals and 23 assists for the year in just 31 games. He has previously played with Adirondack in the AHL, skating in three games recording no points.

He played his collegiate hockey at, stop me if you've heard this one, Ferris State. Previous Texas players to lace up their skates at FSU include Greg Rallo, Cody Chupp and Mike Embach.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars announced on Tuesday that the team has signed forward Brendan Connolly to a PTO (professional tryout agreement).

Connolly is currently third overall in the ECHL scoring race, potting 20 goals and dishing out 23 assists for 43 points in 31 games with Greenville. Connolly leads his team in goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (121). Overall, Connolly is second in the league in goals, fifth in assist and seventh in penalty minutes. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound forward is in his third full season of pro hockey, spending the bulk of his career in the ECHL with Greenville and Elmira. The Canmore, AB, native has suited up 143 times in the ECHL, scoring 61 goals and totaling 132 points. In 2010-11, Connolly played in three games for Adirondack of the AHL, going scoreless in his time with the Phantoms. Prior to turning pro, the 26-year-old played four seasons at Ferris State University, scoring 35 goals and totaling 81 points in 147 CCHA games.