This week, the Stockton Heat re-assigned three players to their ECHL affiliate, the Kansas City Mavericks. On Monday, October 11th, the Heat announced they had signed forward Mikael Robidoux to a two-way contract and had optioned him to Kansas City. Then on Thursday, October 14th, Stockton announced that they had sent down two more, assigning forward Westin Michaud and defenseman Koletrane Wilson to Kansas City. Robidoux’s signing also means that Stockton now has five players signed to two-way contracts.
Mikael Robidoux will be joining the Mavericks for his first full season of professional hockey. He last saw action in 2019-20 when he played with the Maine Mariners, making an appearance in 11 games. Prior to signing in Portland, Robidoux spent five seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He did so with the Quebec Remparts and Shawinigan Cataractes. During his tenure in major junior, he played 203 games, amassing 53 points on 27 goals and 26 assists. He also racked up 316 penalty minutes.
During his 11 contests with the Mariners, the 22-year-old collected 80 penalty minutes. The La Prarie, QC native will obviously bring a physical spark to the team.
Westin Michaud will also be joining the Mavericks for his first full professional campaign. Michaud, a left-winger and centreman, played 18 games last season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Across those 18 contests, he amassed two goals on one goal and one assist. Prior to making the jump pro, he played five seasons of collegiate hockey. Doing so between Colorado College and UND, the 26-year-old, who hails from Cloquet, Minnesota, amassed 90 points across 149 career contests. Michaud, early on, has shown decent puck handling skills, as well as good speed.
Defenseman Koletrane Wilson will be returning to the Mavericks after an 18-game stint with Kansas City last season. The 22-year-old, who stands at six-foot-three, impressed fans last season with his physical playing style. In the 18 games he drew into the lineup for, Wilson’s production was limited to four points on four assists. Prior to making the jump pro, he played four seasons of junior in the Western Hockey League. Doing so with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Wilson, across 190 career contests, amassed 63 points on 11 goals and 52 assists. As well, he added 233 penalty minutes and a Plus/Minus rating of +67. In signing him, this rounds out the hockey club’s defensive corps, as the native of Alberta becomes the sixth rostered defenseman. His size and strength will be strong assets for the Mavericks this season.
Anticipation is on the rise for the new campaign. After a week of both on-ice sessions and a pre-season battle, the franchise, led by Tad O’Had, seem rather poised to break out of the gates quickly. The Mavericks get set to kick off their season on October 22nd against the Iowa Heartlanders. From Coralville, they’ll make the trip back to Missouri to host their home opener on Saturday at Cable Dahmer Arena.