The Norfolk Admirals submitted their 2024-24 protected list to the ECHL. It has 23 players, 16 forwards, and seven defensemen.
Forwards
Stepan Timofeyev, Danny Katic, Denis Smirnov, Keaton Jameson, Mathieu Roy, Brady Fleurent, Brandon Osmundson, Kamerin Nault, Gehrett Sargis, Keegan Iverson, Justin Young, Sean Montgomery, Austen Keating, Ryan Foss, Griffin Lunn, and Troy Lajeunesse.
The Admirals elected to protect the rights to their two 20-goal scorers Timofeyev and Katic. Timofeyev completed his second season with the Admirals, playing in 62 games, collecting 20 goals and 53 points. He was in the top five among forwards in plus/minus with a plus-15 rating. Timofeyev was excellent on special teams, whether it was on the powerplay or penalty kill. He collected four goals and seven assists on the powerplay while collecting one goal and one assist on the penalty kill.
Katic had a career-high in goals, assists, and points while also increasing his plus/minus rating drastically. The South Porcupine, ON, Can native tallied 24 goals and 26 assists in 60 games played with a plus-20. He was tied for first in plus/minus with Louis-Jean and Osmundson. Much like Timofeyev, Katic was stellar on the powerplay, where he collected five goals and nine assists, as well as picking up a goal on the penalty kill. In the playoffs, Katic continued his strong play, scoring two goals and collecting eight assists in 12 games during the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Defensemen
Darick Louis-Jean, Dakota Krebs, Carson Musser, Josh McDougall, Andrew McLean, Connor Fedorek and Charlie Curti.
The Admirals were ranked third in the ECHL for least goals against with 199, and many names on the Admirals protected list are reasons for that happening. McLean, Louis-Jean, Musser, and Fedorek were key pieces the entire season to help the Admirals get to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. McLean collected the most assists among Admirals defensemen with 25 in the regular season. McLean went a plus-19, which was second among defensemen behind Louis-Jean. Louis-Jean was a physical presence on the backend for the Admirals. His willingness to put his body on the line night in and night out was a huge reason for his team-tying plus-20 rating.
How Protected List Works
Per the ECHL website:
Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:
1. Signed an SPC in 2023-24 with the Member and has not been traded or released, OR
2. Signed an SPC in 2023-24, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR
3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR
4. Has been suspended by the Member or League and has not been traded or released, OR
5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2023-24 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract and has not been traded or released, OR
6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form and has not been traded or released.
Protected lists may exceed 20 players.
