Skip to content

Former Bomber captain Empey signs pro deal, makes ECHL debut

Going from Swift Current to South Dakota, ex-Bomber captain Tyson Empey has made his professional hockey debut. The forward joined the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush on a try-out deal before making the Rush out of camp, signing his first pro contract Dec. 8.
empey

Going from Swift Current to South Dakota, ex-Bomber captain Tyson Empey has made his professional hockey debut.

The forward joined the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush on a try-out deal before making the Rush out of camp, signing his first pro contract Dec. 8. Empey suited up for both of the Rush’s Dec. 11-12 games against the Utah Grizzlies, putting up no points and finishing minus-one.

Empey heads into the pros after a four-year career with the State University of New York-Geneseo Knights, where Empey was a top forward in the NCAA Division III ranks. While he pursued accountancy as his major off-ice, Empey’s team won two SUNYAC titles during his tenure and he was named to all-conference teams three times, including last season. In 92 games with the Knights, Empey racked up 54 goals and 103 points - in exactly half the games he played as a Bomber, Empey well exceeded the number of points he put up in maroon and white.

A four-year player with the Bombers, Empey put in a regular shift with the club as a 17-year-old in 2012, eventually earning the captain’s “C” in 2015-16. Empey was the leading man for the team’s unexpected run to the SJHL finals that year, chipping in 11 points in 16 playoff games.

Empey is the third former Bomber to sign a contract with an ECHL team this year, but is the only one of the trio to play a game. Joel Kocur, fresh off his senior season at American International College, signed a contract with the league’s Worcester Railers, but the Railers - along with the five other ECHL teams - announced they would sit out this season.

Later in the fall, Alex Smith - the team’s leading scorer in the “Don’t Mess with the Moose Leg” 2015-16 season and playoffs - signed a deal with the league’s Florida Everblades, but after a training camp that saw the accomplished forward and faceoff ace moved to the blueline, Smith was waived from the team Dec. 6 and has not yet been reclaimed. Empey, Kocur and Smith each played together on the Bombers in the 2015-16 season.

Former Bomber Jesse Mychan is the only other remaining Bomber alumnus playing in the ECHL this year. After signing a deal with the AHL’s Iowa Wild - the top minor league affiliate for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild - last summer, Mychan was assigned to the league’s Allen Americans, where he played a game against the Tulsa Oilers Dec. 12.

Empey’s new club already has a big tie to the Bombers. The Rush, for pieces of four seasons, iced another ex-Bomber captain, defenceman Michael Young. After playing three seasons and heading out as arguably the best D-man in recent Bomber history, Young played four seasons of NCAA Division I puck at the University of Nebraska-Omaha before embarking on a four-year odyssey through the minors, playing 110 games for Rapid City.

Only a handful of former Bombers have played a professional game as of Dec. 14. Aside from Empey and the aforementioned Mychan, forward Andrew Johnson started the pro season in France with the Ligue Magnus’ Bordeaux Boxers, where he’s racked up 12 points in nine games. Another ex-Bomber, Michael Knaub, has started the season with the Heilbronner Falken of the German second division league, while monstrous defender Tyler Higgins is suiting up for SC Langenthal in the Swiss second division.

Eight former Bombers are slated to play with NCAA Division I programs this year, with another seven playing NCAA Division III hockey and four in the Canadian USports ranks.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks