On Wednesday December 2nd, the Cincinnati Cyclones announced the signing of American defensemen Dajon Mingo. The two sides agreed to terms on a standard player contract for the upcoming season.
Mingo, 30 years-old, is entering his sixth season of professional hockey. Throughout his career thus far, Mingo has tallied 120 points, scoring 31 goals along with 89 assists. He’s also added 176 penalty minutes, a total he’s collected in 267 games.
Prior to making the jump pro, Mingo spent four years playing with the Bowling Green State Falcons in the NCAA. After playing nine games in his senior year with them, Mingo, from Canton, MI, signed his first pro contract with the Toledo Walleye. There, he recorded nine points, having scored three goals along with six assists. As well, he amassed eight penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of +1.
The following season, the 5’8 defensemen signed closer to home with the Kalamazoo Wings. There, he recorded 20 points, having scored five goals along with 15 assists. He also added 33 penalty minutes and a +19 rating in 67 games.
He then signed with the Jacksonville Icemen, where he spent three seasons from 2017-2020. In his first year with the organization, Mingo recorded 25 points, having tallied six goals along with 19 assists. He also added 58 penalty minutes and a +7 rating in 58 games.
In 2018-19, his second year with the Icemen, he recorded 40 points in 65 games played. He did so on 11 goals along with 29 assists while adding 41 penalty minutes. Mingo was promoted at the end of the season to the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League. While only taking part in three contests, the right-handed shooter didn’t get on the scoreboard.
In his final year of action in Jacksonville, the 30-year-old skated in 48 games. As such, he racked up 26 points, having tallied six goals along with 20 assists. With a Plus/Minus rating of +10, he also added 36 penalty minutes.
In a statement from the right-handed shooter, he said on Wednesday upon signing his contract, “With everything going on in 2020, I am blessed to have an opportunity to get back on the ice and play with Cincy. Our amazing fans will see a very offensive defenseman that can see the ice well. I am not afraid to throw my body around and be physical. Fans will also see a lot of smiles from me. I’m always in a happy mood, but I will put in work to make my teammates better and myself better each and every day. I can’t wait to get to Cincy and start up this unusual season.”
As for the thoughts of Matt Thomas, head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones, he said of the team’s latest signing, “Dajon is an exciting player. He provides an offensive game with a tenacious style of defending that our fans will appreciate. He brings energy to every game he plays and will instantly improve our ability to transition to offense quickly. We look forward to his addition.”