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Ontario Reign

Reign sign Shawn Ellement and John Parker-Jones to AHL contracts

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The Ontario Reign announced a pair of American Hockey League signings Tuesday, adding Shawn Element and John Parker-Jones to the team’s roster for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Both additions figure to be depth adds for the club, which is looking to improve on last season’s third-place finish in the regular season and run to the Pacific Division Finals during the Calder Cup Playoffs.

They’ll also bring a physical presence to the lineup, an option which Marco Sturm enjoyed having down the stretch that helped in the postseason. Element played exclusively in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch last season, his third pro year, which included 64 games, 18 points (9-9=18) and 100 penalty minutes. It was the second straight campaign where Element produced an even nine goals and nine assists for Syracuse. The Victoriaville, Que. native also has experience in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears but has only played a single game in that league since he was a rookie in 2021-22.

From the team’s release on Element –

Element, 24, skated in 64 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch last season, recording 18 points (9-9=18) with a career-high 100 penalty minutes. The forward also suited up for five postseason contests during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The 5-11, 201-pound attacker is entering his fourth professional campaign in 2024-25. His first three seasons came in the Crunch organization, playing 144 AHL contests with Syracuse and 15 games with the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears. Element accumulated 41 points (20-21=41) with 228 PIM for the Crunch and nine points with Orlando (4-5=9).

A native of Victoriaville, Que., Element played his junior hockey in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2016-21, appearing in 274 regular season games over five seasons with Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Acadie-Bathurst Titan, the Cape Breton Eagles and the Victoriaville Tigres where he totaled 170 points on 89 goals and 81 assists. Element also suited up for 29 postseason games in his junior career and served as captain of Cape Breton when the team captured the QMJHL Championship in 2020-21.

While Element has shown he plays a physical game, he lacks the size of Parker-Jones, whose 6-7, 230 frame has him towering over most opponents. A versatile add, in that he has experience playing both forward and defense, Parker-Jones spent most of his 2023-24 campaign in the ECHL with Trois-Rivières and earned 15 points with eight goals and seven assists in 55 games. He also had multiple brief stints with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, appearing in two contests.

Parker-Jones had more opportunity with the Rocket as a rookie the year prior during 2022-23, playing 20 AHL games while logging 17 at the ECHL level.

Ontario’s potential returning forward group doesn’t lack size, assuming Samuel Helenius (6-6) and Andre Lee (6-4) who are under contract with the LA Kings find their way back to the Reign. Both frequently turn heads with their big frames and long reach. They also have Jacob Doty (6-3), who will bring the physicality needed at the AHL level each night. Having Parker-Jones in the fold adds to that mix and the depth on the roster.

From the team’s release on Parker-Jones –

Parker-Jones, 24, has spent his first two professional campaigns with the Laval Rocket of the AHL and the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL. During 2023-24, the 6-7, 230-pound skater appeared in two games for Laval and 55 with Trois-Rivières where he posted 15 points (8-7=15) and 90 penalty minutes. He also played in six contests during the ECHL’s 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

As a rookie in 2022-23, Parker-Jones suited up for 20 games with the Rocket, earning three points (2-1=3), and 17 contests with the Lions, where he totaled 11 points (7-4=11). The native of Brantford, Ont. has played both forward and defense during his career, which included 15 games at the University of Windsor in 2021-22.

Parker-Jones played his junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Peterborough Petes from 2017-20, totaling 26 points (12-14=26) in 141 games over three seasons.

In addition to the above and the players they’ll get from the Kings at the start of AHL camp, the Reign now have Doty, Charles Hudon, Quinn Olson, Jack Millar and Luke Rowe in the fold for 2024-25.

Plenty of time remains this summer for the team to continue shaping its roster for another competitive run this year! Keep an eye out later this week as the AHL is expected to announce schedule information for the upcoming campaign.

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