Monsters announce a pair of roster moves

Jan 13, 2023

The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Friday that the Monsters signed forward Patrick Grasso and goaltender Darion Hansen to pro tryout (PTO) contracts. Grasso posted 0-2-2 with two penalty minutes and a +1 rating in three appearances for the AHL’s Utica Comets this season and added 16-3-19 with six penalty minutes in 28 appearances for the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. Hanson went 3-4-0 with a 3.10 GAA and .910 S% in ten appearances this year for the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates.

 

A 5’7”, 170 lb. right-shooting native of Des Moines, IA, Grasso, 26, supplied 1-5-6 with two penalty minutes in 12 career AHL appearances for Utica spanning parts of two seasons from 2021-23 and contributed 42-27-69 with 31 penalty minutes and 96 career ECHL appearances for Adirondack spanning parts of the same two campaigns.

 

Prior to his professional career, Grasso notched 49-48-97 with 18 penalty minutes in 138 career NCAA appearances for the University of New Hampshire spanning five seasons from 2016-21. Grasso was named to the 2016-17 Hockey East All-Rookie Team and claimed the 2020-21 Len Ceglarski Award as Hockey East’s most sportsmanlike player. In parts of four USHL seasons with the Des Moines Buccaneers from 2012-16, Grasso tallied 43-63-106 with 37 penalty minutes in 196 appearances.

 

A 6’3”, 181 lb. left-catching native of East Bethel, MN, Hanson went 4-4-0 with a 2.84 GAA and .914 S% in 11 career ECHL appearances for the Reading Royals and Savannah spanning parts of two seasons from 2021-23. Prior to his professional career, Hanson went 50-52-9 with eight shutouts, a 2.45 GAA and .916 S% in 113 career NCAA appearances for Union College and the University of Connecticut spanning parts of four seasons from 2017-22. Hanson was named to Hockey East’s Honorable Mention All-Star Team in 2021-22 and wore the captain’s “C” for Union in 2019-20. In 2016-17, Hanson was named the BCHL’s Top Goaltender, posting a 14-4-0 record with two shutouts, a 1.84 GAA and .945 S% in 21 appearances for the Vernon Vipers and added a 1-4-0 record with a 3.91 GAA and .846 S% in six appearances for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms that same year.

 

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