Fox Assigned To ECHL, Jones Signs AHL Contract

Thamesville’s Dane Fox has been re-assigned from the AHL’s Utica Comets to the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. One reason why? The Utica Comets have signed veteran forward Ryan Jones, of Chatham.

Fox, last year’s Ontario Hockey League overage player of the year, didn’t get into an AHL regular season game before being assigned to the ECHL.

A Vancouver Cancucks prospect, after signing the with team last December, Fox played in limited preseason action with the Canucks, and was not a part of Utica’s opening night roster.

Last season, he had 64 goals and added 43 assists for 107 points in 67 games with the OHL’s Erie Otters.

Ryan Jones, who did not receive an NHL contract after finishing his season with the Edmonton Oilers last year, has 334 NHL games to his name, split between the Oilers and the Nashville Predators.

Last season, Jones started his campaign in the AHL with the Oklahoma City Barons, scoring 2 goals in 4 games before being recalled by Edmonton, where he remained for the rest of the 2013-2014 season, scoring 2 goals and adding 4 assists in 52 games.

Jones is on a professional tryout contract with Utica, which means he’ll have a limited time with the team to make an impression and prove he belongs.

Should Utica choose not to extend his tryout contract, he would be released, opening the door for young players such as Fox to climb back into the lineup. Utica is the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.