The Utah Grizzlies have announced that they’ve signed rookie forward Tyson Upper for the 2024-25 season. This is Utah’s second signing of the week after they signed rookie goaltender Vincent Duplessis to a contract on Monday. The 5’10,168lb winger becomes the tenth forward to sign with the Grizzlies for the upcoming season; however, he is one of only two forwards, the other being Craig Armstrong, who doesn’t have any prior ECHL experience. I would expect Upper to be a bottom-six forward for the Grizzlies when they begin the season next month. The signing of Upper brings the Grizzlies 2024-25 roster up to 17 players as the start of the ECHL season is less than a month away.
Upper, a native of Calgary, Alberta, has spent the past three seasons playing at home for the University of Calgary, where he’s put up 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points in 62 games and would add three goals and four assists for seven points in 16 USports Playoff games. The Dinos would win the first Canada West Championship in 2023, their first since 1996. Prior to making the jump to USports, the 22-year-old would spend three years playing juniors in the WHL with the Prince George Cougars where he would put up 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points in 151 games. He would play in three games in the AJHL with the Brooks Bandits at the end of the 2017-18 season before joining the Cougars the following season.
