Admirals Sign First Wave Of Players For 2024-25 Season

The Amherstburg Admirals have signed four new players for the 2024-25 season.

The club announced the signings of 2007 goaltender Russell Vaughan, 2006 goaltender Jay Procter, 2007 defenseman Freddie McCroy, and 2006 forward Logan Price.

Vaughan, a Blenheim native and Procter an Amherstburg native, were the goaltending duo this past season for the A21 Academy U18 team. Their goalie coach was Matt Anthony, who doubles as the Admirals goaltending coach as well. Vaughan previously developed in the Chatham-Kent Cyclones AAA program, while Procter started in the Amherstburg Minor Hockey system.

An Essex native, McCroy joins the Admirals after a minor hockey career that included stops in both the Sun County and Windsor AAA programs. This past season, the 17-year-old blueliner played for the Windsor Jr. Spitfires U18 AAA team.

The Amherstburg native Price was a member of the Amherstburg Stars U18 team last year, and was an AP with the Admirals where he appeared in one regular-season game.

“We are thrilled to welcome these four players to the Admirals,” General Manager Andrew Sykes said. “All four players were top targets going into our Spring Prospects Camp in April, and getting them signed is the perfect start to our off-season team-building process.”

“Russ is an exciting goalie,” Sykes said of the 17-year-old Vaughan. “He had people shaking their heads at our Spring Camp with the way he performed. We are fortunate to land a goalie of this calibre and we can see him making an immediate impact and being a fan favourite.”

“Bringing in Jay to partner with Vaughan gives us a duo who are very familiar with each other,” Sykes said of adding the 18-year-old Procter. They are good friends who will push each other to get better on and off the ice. Jay brings the stability of size and positioning to contrast Vaughan’s quickness and technical skill, and overall it is a dynamic between the two that we are very excited about.”

In McCroy, Sykes sees another highly talented player. “Freddie was one of the best defensemen available in the area, Sykes said of the 17-year-old Essex native. His ability at both ends of the ice is something we will be very lucky to have and he immediately makes us better on the back-end.”

Having already seen the 17-year-old Price play in an Admirals sweater, Sykes says he and the coaching staff know exactly what they are getting in the Amherstburg native. “Logan is a low maintenance forward who plays the right way. His positioning and support is on point, he forechecks well with good speed and length, and he is a responsible two-way centre with quality defensive awareness.”

Fans can interract with some of the new and returning players at Amherstburg’s Canada Day celebration at Toddy Jones Park on July 1.