By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Boston Bruins continued to use this COVID-19 pandemic pause to restock their farm on Thursday, signing Brady Lyle and Alex-Olivier Voyer to two-year, AHL deals and extending defenseman Joel Messner through the 2020-21 season.
Lyle, a 6-foot-3 right-shot defenseman, will make his way to the Bruins organization after a 2019-20 season that included 22 goals and 65 points in 62 games for the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League.
The 20-year-old Lyle, who departs the OHL with 49 goals and 175 points in 295 games between Owen Sound and North Bay, previously had training camp stints with both the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes.
“He was a player that took over games for us this year and it’s no surprise Boston jumped on the chance to get him into their organization,” Attack assistant coach Jordan Hill said. “His large frame, mobility edge work with the puck, and hard accurate shot give him a combination not many defenseman possess. The sky’s the limit for Brady.”
Voyer, meanwhile, will turn pro after a QMJHL career that concluded with 44 goals and 88 points in 63 games for the Sherbrooke Phoenix. A 6-foot-2 right wing, Voyer spent his 289-game junior career between Sherbrooke and Rimouski Oceanic, and totaled 95 goals and 203 points along with 383 minutes in penalties.
Messner’s extension also gives the minor-league ranks another body to shuffle in and out of action as necessary. The 26-year-old spent the entire 2019-20 season with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, but skated in 32 games with the P-Bruins last season. Messner spent four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha before jumping to the B’s organization in 2018.
The signings continue what’s been a busy ‘break’ on the farm, as the Bruins have also signed college free agents Jack Ahcan and Nick Wolff, and inked 2017 fourth-round pick Jeremy Swayman to an entry-level contract.