Colorado Signs Geertsen, Graves, Martin
Jul 16, 2018
The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed defensemen Mason Geertsen and Ryan Graves and goaltender Spencer Martin to one-year contracts for the 2018-19 season.
Geertsen, 23, spent the 2017-18 campaign with the San Antonio Rampage, totaling nine points (3g, 6a) in 72 games. Colorado's fourth-round selection (93rd overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft, Geertsen is entering his fourth full season in the Avalanche organization and has totaled 21 points (3g, 18a) in 159 career AHL games.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman spent time during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns with Colorado's ECHL affiliates, the Fort Wayne Komets (2015-16) and the Colorado Eagles (2016-17) and has registered nine points (1g, 8a) in 30 career ECHL regular-season contests. A Drayton Valley, Alberta, native, Geertsen has notched seven points (1g, 6a) in 33 ECHL postseason games, helping the Eagles capture the Kelly Cup as league champions in 2017.
Geertsen played four seasons for the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings and Vancouver Giants from 2011-15, serving as an alternate captain for the Giants for two seasons from 2013-15.
Graves, 23, was acquired by the Avalanche on Feb. 26, 2017 and spent the rest of the 2017-18 campaign with the Rampage, tallying six points (1g, 5a) in 21 games. He totaled 17 points (5g, 12a) in 78 total contests with San Antonio and the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he also served as an alternate captain in 2016-17. A fourth-round selection (110th overall) of the New York Rangers in the 2013 NHL Draft, Graves has totaled 68 points (22g, 46a) in 228 career AHL contests.
A Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, native, Graves played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Prince Edward Island Rocket (2011-13), Charlottetown Islanders (2013-14), Val-d'Or Foreurs (2013-14) and Quebec Remparts (2014-15), accumulating 86 points (25g, 61a) in 245 QMJHL games. The 6-foot-5, 226-pound blueliner helped Val-d'Or to the President's Cup as QMJHL playoff champions and a Memorial Cup berth in 2013-14. He returned to the Memorial Cup the following season as a member of the Remparts, ranking second among team defensemen with five points (2g, 3a) in the tournament to earn all-star honors.
Martin, 23, is entering his fourth season in the Avalanche organization after being selected by Colorado in the third round (63rd overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. The Oakville, Ontario, native was 14-15-4 in 34 appearances for the San Antonio Rampage in 2017-18, posting a 3.10 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. He is 40-48-9 in 102 career AHL contests with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound netminder appeared in a career-high 50 games during the 2016-17 season and was selected to represent the Pacific Division in the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic, becoming the first goaltender in Rampage history to be selected to play in the All-Star game.
Martin has played in three career NHL games, going 0-2-1 with a 4.35 goals-against average and a .865 save percentage. He made his NHL debut on Jan. 21, 2017 at San Jose, stopping 27 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss. At 21-years-old, he became the fourth Avalanche goaltender to appear in a game before his 22nd birthday, joining Marc Denis (19), Sami Aittokallio (20) and Jocelyn Thibault (20).
Martin played four seasons for the Ontario Hockey League's Mississauga St. Michael's Majors (2011-12) and Mississauga Steelheads (2012-15). He represented his country at the 2012 and 2013 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, appearing in two contests during the 2013 tournament to help Canada capture the gold medal.
