Monsters Sign Justin Scott, Dillon Simpson, Brad Thiessen to AHL Contracts
Oct 12, 2020Trio of experienced key contributors return to Cleveland for 2020-21 campaign
The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Monday that the club signed forward Justin Scott, defenseman Dillon Simpson, and goaltender Brad Thiessen to AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season. Scott returns for his fifth season with the Monsters having played 242 games in Cleveland, second-most in the franchise’s history, while 2020-21 marks Simpson’s third campaign in Northeast Ohio. Thiessen, who served as both a player and Cleveland’s goaltending coach last season, returns for his sixth campaign with the club and is expected to serve in a similar capacity this year.
A 6’1”, 198 lb., left-shooting native of Burlington, ON, Scott, 25, posted 6-9-15 with 50 penalty minutes and a -2 rating in 44 appearances for Cleveland last season. In 242 career AHL appearances, all for the Monsters, spanning four seasons from 2016-20, Scott registered 38-42-80 with 239 penalty minutes and a -7 rating. Prior to his professional career, Scott supplied 69-78-147 with 152 penalty minutes and a +65 rating in 251 appearances for the OHL’s Barrie Colts spanning four seasons from 2012-16.
A 6’2”, 205 lb., left-shooting native of Edmonton, AB, Simpson, 27, contributed 9-14-23 with 22 penalty minutes and a -11 rating for the Monsters last season. Originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (92nd overall), Simpson posted two penalty minutes in three appearances for the Oilers during the 2016-17 season. In 379 career AHL appearances for the Oklahoma City Barons, Bakersfield Condors, and the Monsters spanning parts of six seasons from 2014-20, Simpson tallied 26-80-106 with 116 penalty minutes and a +1 rating. Prior to his professional career, Simpson notched 16-59-75 with 48 penalty minutes and a +22 rating in 156 NCAA appearances for the University of North Dakota spanning four seasons from 2010-14. Simpson wore the captain’s “C” for North Dakota during his senior season in 2013-14 and was named to the 2014 NCHC First All-Star Team.
A 6’0”, 181 lb., left-catching native of Aldergrove, BC, Thiessen, 34, posted a record of 3-4-0 with a 3.15 goals-against average (GAA) and .881 save percentage (S%) in eight appearances for Cleveland last season. In 2011-12, Thiessen went 3-1-0 with a 3.72 GAA and .858 S% in five appearances for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and added a record of 142-95-19 in 278 career AHL appearances for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Norfolk Admirals, Adirondack Flames, and the Monsters spanning parts of 11 seasons from 2009-20 with 28 shutouts, a 2.50 GAA and .910 S%. Thiessen helped the Monsters claim the 2016 Calder Cup as AHL Playoff Champions and won the AHL’s 2011 and 2013 Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Awards as part of the league’s top goaltending duo and the 2011 Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s top net-minder. Thiessen was also named to the 2011 AHL First All-Star Team. Thiessen went 18-7-4 with one shutout, a 2.29 GAA and .923 S% in 31 career ECHL appearances for the Cincinnati Cyclones and Wheeling Nailers spanning parts of the 2009-10, 2015-16, and 2016-17 seasons and appeared in 15 games for HIFK Helsinki in Finland’s Liiga during the 2013-14 campaign.
Prior to his professional career, Thiessen went 52-46-12 with nine shutouts, a 2.40 GAA and .922 S% in 111 NCAA appearances for Northeastern University spanning three seasons from 2006-09. A finalist for the 2009 Hobey Baker Award granted annually to college hockey’s top player, Thiessen was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team, was named the Hockey East Player of the Year and an NCAA (East) First-Team All American in 2008-09, and was named to the 2006-07 Hockey East All-Rookie Team.
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