Nolan, Mormina and Gillies sign one-year deals; Samson agrees to entry-level contract

RALEIGH, NC—Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forwards Brandon Nolan and Trevor Gillies and defenseman Joey Mormina to one-year contracts. Karmanos also announced that the Hurricanes have signed forward Jerome Samson to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Nolan, 23, split the 2006-07 between Vaxjo of the Swedish League and Bridgeport of the American Hockey League (AHL), totaling six goals and 10 assists (16 points) and 44 penalty minutes with Vaxjo and nine goals and 13 assists (22 points) and 59 minutes with Bridgeport. The St. Catharines, Ont., native was originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He re-entered the draft in 2003 and was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the fourth round (111th overall). Nolan (5’10’’, 185 lbs.) has totaled 23 goals and 39 assists (62 points) in 154 career AHL games with Manitoba and Bridgeport. Nolan’s deal pays him $475,000 on the NHL level and $50,000 on the AHL level.

Gillies, 28, played the majority of the 2006-07 season with Portland of the AHL, notching one goal and six assists (7 points) and 151 penalty minutes. He also played seven games with Augusta of the ECHL, tallying two assists and 23 penalty minutes. A native of Cambridge, Ont., Gillies has played one NHL game, registering 21 penalty minutes in his lone contest with Anaheim during the 2005-06 season. In 249 career AHL games with Lowell, Providence, Springfield, Hartford and Portland, Gillies (6’3’’, 235 lbs.) has totaled five goals, 13 assists (18 points) and 1,065 penalty minutes. Gillies’ deal pays him $475,000 on the NHL level and $100,000 on the AHL level.

Mormina, 25, spent the past two seasons with Manchester of the AHL, and totaled two goals and nine assists (11 points) and 108 penalty minutes in 62 games in 2006-07. A sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Mormina (6’6’’, 220 lbs.) has totaled two goals and 22 assists (24 points) in 123 career AHL games. The Montreal native played college hockey at Colgate, where he notched 16 goals, 40 assists (56 points) and 156 penalty minutes in 141 games in four seasons. Mormina’s deal pays him $475,000 on the NHL level and $55,000 on the AHL level.

Samson, 19, completed his third season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2006-07, splitting the season between Moncton and Val-d’Or. He ranked eighth in the QMJHL in goals (44), 15th in assists (55) and 10th in scoring with 99 points. During the playoffs, Samson (5’11’’, 175 lbs.) ranked second among QMJHL skaters in goals (14) and fifth in points (26). The Greenfield Park, Que., native completed his junior hockey career with 70 goals, 98 assists (168 points) and 104 penalty minutes in 196 games. He totaled 21 goals, 28 assists (49 points) and 33 penalty minutes in 53 career QMJHL playoff games. Samson’s deal pays him $475,000 at the NHL level in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and $500,000 at the NHL level in 2009-10. He would receive $45,000 at the AHL level in 2007-08 and $50,000 at the AHL level in 2008-09 and 2009-10. He also received a $30,000 signing bonus.