FILIPINO CANADIANS SIGN WITH NEW TEAMS IN NHL

ON the first day of the National Hockey League (NHL) free agency on Monday, two Filipino Canadian players have signed contracts with new teams.

Veteran defenseman Matthew Dumba is joining the Dallas Stars on a two-year contract worth $7.5 million and an average annual value of $3.75 million.

With the addition of Dumba, the Stars will have two players of Filipino descent on the team, the other being Filipino American forward Jason Robertson.

"We've seen Matt first-hand for many years in the Central Division and we're confident he'll be a tremendous addition to our club," Stars General Manager Jim Nill said.

"He's a right-handed defenseman that will bring physicality to our blueline and has made numerous trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additionally, our team will be bolstered by Matt's leadership qualities in the locker room and in the community," he added.

Dumba, a veteran of 11 NHL seasons, spent most of his career with the Stars' divisional rivals, the Minnesota Wild.

Last season, he collected four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 76 regular season games for Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Meanwhile, Dumba's old team, the Wild, signed Filipino Canadian forward Devin Shore to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.

Last season with the Seattle Kraken organization, Shore had four points (one goal, three assists) in 23 regular season NHL games and 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in their American Hockey League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where they also advanced to the Calder Cup finals, falling short to the Hershey Bears.

In a related development, Filipino American restricted free agent forward Nicholas Robertson has also requested a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs, after reports emerged that he did not want to re-sign with the team.

The younger Robertson had 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 56 regular season games with the Leafs last season.

2024-07-02T16:20:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd