New York Islanders Sign Tikkanen, Jefferies to Entry-Level Contracts
April 19, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Henrik Tikkanen and forward Alex Jefferies to two-year, entry-level contracts that begin in 2024-25.
Tikkanen, 23, has played 16 games with the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, this season, posting a 7-5-2 record with a 2.17 goals-against-average and .927 save percentage. He won in his AHL debut on Dec. 29, 2023, at Springfield and pieced together a five-game unbeaten in-regulation streak (4-0-1) from Feb. 2, 2024, through Mar. 3, 2024.
A native of Lohja, Finland, Tikkanen also went 11-7-1 with a 3.22 goals-against-average and .892 save percentage in 20 ECHL games with the Worcester Railers this season. He spent last season with Worcester, going 18-17-3 with a 3.02 goals-against-average, .914 save percentage and two shutouts. Tikkanen was selected in the seventh round (214th overall) by the New York Islanders in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Jefferies, the Islanders' fourth-round selection (121st overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, has six points (three goals, three assists) in 10 AHL games with the Bridgeport Islanders this season, including one assist in his professional debut on Mar. 22nd at Utica. He joined Bridgeport on an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) on Mar. 20th. Jefferies completed his fourth and final season at Merrimack College last month and recorded 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 22 games, and was nominated for the 2024 Hobey Baker Award, which recognizes the top amateur player in the United States.
Jefferies finished his college career with 97 points (41 goals, 56 assists) in 105 games for the Warriors, including a career-high 14 goals and 41 points as a junior in 2022-23. The 22-year-old native of Framingham, Mass. was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team that season and was a Hockey East All-Rookie selection in 2020-21.
American Hockey League Stories from April 19, 2024
- Griffins Finish Regular Season Road Games with 4-1 Loss to Iowa - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Iowa Earns 4-1 Win Over Grand Rapids On Fan Appreciation Night - Iowa Wild
- Stars Fall Victim to Moose Power Play - Texas Stars
- Amerks Drop Overtime Decision to Monsters in Home Finale - Rochester Americans
- Hogs Open Weekend With 5-2 Win Over Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
- Nic Petan's Powerplay Blast Gives Wolf Pack 3-2 Win Over Penguins - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Monsters Pick Up 3-2 Overtime Win Against Amerks - Cleveland Monsters
- Wolves Drop 5-2 Decision to IceHogs - Chicago Wolves
- Penguins Drop Third-Period Sprint to Wolf Pack, 3-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Clinched! - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- P-Bruins Defeat Thunderbirds, Clinch Bye in First Round of Calder Cup Playoffs - Providence Bruins
- Phantoms Blank Islanders, 3-0 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Crunch Defeat Comets, 4-3 - Syracuse Crunch
- Comets Lose Heartbreaker to Crunch, 4-3 - Utica Comets
- T-Birds Hang Tough But Can't Skate Past Bruins - Springfield Thunderbirds
- IceHogs Announce 2023-24 Team Awards - Rockford IceHogs
- Morning Skate Report: April 19, 2024 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Game Day: Calgary at Abbotsford - Calgary Wranglers
- Spencer Knight Wins Fred T. Hunt Award for Sportsmanship, Determination and Dedication to Hockey - Charlotte Checkers
- Charlotte's Spencer Knight Voted Winner of AHL's Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award for 2023-24 - AHL
- Josh Doan, Dylan Guenther and Michael Kesselring Assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners for the Calder Cup Playoffs; Raty, Kolyachonok Rejoin Too - Tucson Roadrunners
- New York Islanders Sign Tikkanen, Jefferies to Entry-Level Contracts - Bridgeport Islanders
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild vs. Grand Rapids Griffins - Iowa Wild
- Providence Bruins Sign Vinny Duplessis to Amateur Try-Out - Providence Bruins
- Flash Sale: 30% off IceHogs Playoff Tickets - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolf Pack Welcome Penguins to Town on Fan Appreciation Night - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Game #71: Tucson Roadrunners vs. San Jose Barracuda - Tucson Roadrunners
- Game Preview: Condors at Knights, 7 p.m. - Bakersfield Condors
- Blackhawks Assign Reichel to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Bjorklund Re-Assigned to Hershey - Hershey Bears
- Regular Season Home Finale Features Dance with Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
- Bridgeport Islanders Host Phantoms to Begin Final Homestand - Bridgeport Islanders
- Preview: Regular Season Home Finale Features Dance with Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
