Hello everyone. I am a new writer here at ThePuckAuthority.com. Allow me to do a short introduction of myself. My passion for hockey came around 10 years ago when I was on a school field trip to an OKC Barons hockey game. I had a great time and went to more games after that. Then, in 2012, I made the move to the great state of Alaska. My aunt took me to an Alaska Aces game, later that season, I went to a few here and there.
My bigger hockey passion came in the 2013-2014 season when I became a half season ticket holder. Cowbells to the sky, Bob Lester getting the fans energized and the players what a season that was. I moved to the Sunshine State in August 2014. Oh, how I really miss the Aces. The Solar Bears were great. I then moved to Utah in 2018 where I have been a Utah Grizzlies fan since then.
The Utah Grizzlies, ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, announced two signings on Monday. Let’s start with 27-year-old defensemen Alex Lepkowski. Even though Alex never played in the NHL, he was drafted by his hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres, in 2011 with the fifth-round pick, 137th overall.
Lepkowski spent the last four years with the Acadia Axemen in the AUS. During this time, he racked up five goals and 13 assists along with 18 points. He also added an assist for a single point while competing in U SPORTS. Alex has also spent time in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. During the 2013-14 season, he played in a total of eight games with the Americans. Alex has been playing hockey since 08-09 with St. Francis high prep. This is a good addition to the Grizzlies because of the experience he has.
The second Utah Grizzlies signing was another defensemen, Edwin Hookenson. Edwin, 24-years-old, is coming off of his senior year where he spent four years at Minnesota State University. During his collegiate career, he scored eight goals adding 23 assists, a total of 31 points. Edwin has played hockey since the 2010-11 season with the Swift Current Legionnaires.
He played three seasons in Saskatchewan, scoring 10 goals along with 51 assists. Unlike Lepkowski, Hookenson doesn’t have any official pro experience, so the Utah Grizzlies have an incredible defensemen en route to the team.