The AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds announced yesterday that they signed forward Ryan Lautenbach to a one-year AHL contract. As is customary with AHL signings, the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal will put Lautenbach in a new organization for what will be just the second professional campaign of his young career.
Lautenbach, 26, made his professional debut late in the 2024-25 season, playing in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls. He spent 2025-26 in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers, scoring 11 goals and 34 points in 45 games.
Despite leading the Oilers in scoring, he did not earn an AHL call-up. Previously, Lautenbach played four years at UMass-Amherst, scoring 69 points in 141 games and helping the program to a Hockey East championship in 2022.
Now he’ll look to win a spot on Coachella Valley’s AHL roster, or at least continue to produce in the ECHL to be able to earn the kind of call-up that eluded him in 2025-26.
Other notes from the American Hockey League:
The Colorado Eagles signed forward Evan Friesen to a one-year, two-way AHL contract. Like Lautenbach, Friesen is also entering his second full season as a professional.
Unlike Lautenbach, Friesen hasn’t yet earned the chance to play in the AHL. The former Wenatchee Wild right winger scored 27 goals and 46 points in 72 games for the Utah Grizzlies last season, but didn’t get an AHL call-up.
The hope is that will change in 2026-27 if he can keep scoring goals at a solid clip.
The Henderson Silver Knights announced that goaltender Jordan Papirny has signed a one-year AHL deal with the club. The 30-year-old adds veteran depth to the organization and will likely fill a role with the team’s ECHL affiliate in 2026-27, just as he has done for the last several years.
Papirny was the No. 1 goalie for the Tahoe Knight Monsters last season, going 16-17-4 with a .901 save percentage. He’ll likely split time in the crease with rookie Alexander Tracy.
Tracy, 25, was a college hockey star at Minnesota State Mankato and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2025 after posting a .946 save percentage in his junior season.