BARRACUDA INK FIVE TO AHL DEALS
Jun 21, 2021San Jose, CA (Jun. 21, 2021) – The San Jose Barracuda (@SJBarracuda), proud American Hockey League affiliate (@TheAHL) of the San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks), along with General Manager Joe Will announced today that the club has re-signed forwards Joe Garreffa (Guh-REF-uh), Krystof Hrabik (Chris-TOFF RAW-beak) and Kyle Topping (@Topping11) to one-year AHL contracts. In addition, the team officially inked defensemen Montana Onyebuchi (ON-you-BOO-chee) (@MontanaOny2) and Nick Cicek (CHEE-check) to one-year AHL deals.
In his first season of pro in 2020-21, Garreffa, 21, skated in two games with the Barracuda, making his AHL debut on Feb. 2 vs. Tucson. In addition, he appeared in 59 ECHL (@ECHL) contests between the Allen Americans (@AllenAmericans) and Orlando Solar Bears (@OrlandoHockey), collecting 42 points (13 goals, 29 assists), 10 penalty minutes a minus-two rating and was named to the ECHL’s All-Rookie Team.
Before turning pro, the Toronto native played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) with the Kitchener Rangers (@OHLRangers) and Ottawa 67’s (@Ottawa67sHockey), racking up 315 points (108 goals, 207 assists) in 297 games, along with a plus-13 rating. In his final season of junior in 2019-20, he was named to the OHL’s Second All-Star Team as he finished seventh in the league in points and tied for 12th in assists.
The five-foot-seven, 176-pound winger was originally signed by the Barracuda on April 18, 2020.
Hrabik, 21, began the 2020-21 season in his native Czech Republic due to COVID-19, appearing in 17 games in the Czech League with Bili Tygri Liberec, scoring one goal. In 12 games with HC Benatky nad Jizerou of Czech2, he notched 14 points (six goals, eight assists), 34 penalty minutes and a plus-5 rating. He made his North American professional debut with the Barracuda on Feb. 13 at Texas and collected his first two AHL goals in a 5-1 playoff win over the Colorado Eagles on May 19. Hrabik also skated in 29 ECHL games between Allen and Orlando, collecting seven points (five goals, two assists) and 28 penalty minutes.
Before turning pro, the Prague native spent two seasons in the Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) with the Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans), skating in 105 games while recording 82 points (35 goals, 47 penalty minutes) and 91 penalty minutes. In 2019-20, Hrabik served as team captain for the Americans. In 2018, Hrabik was a teammate of Sharks goalie prospect Josef Korenar with Team Czech Republic at the Under-20 World Junior Championships.
The Barracuda originally signed the six-foot-four, 210-pounder on Oct. 2, 2019.
Topping, 21, appeared in eight games with the Barracuda between the regular season and playoffs in 2020-21, lighting the lamp on his first AHL shot on Feb. 12 at Texas (Colton Point). He also appeared in 31 ECHL games between the Americans and Solar Bears, collecting 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) and 22 penalty minutes.
Before turning pro, the Ganges, British Columbia native played four seasons with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets), totaling 196 points (71 goals, 125 assists), 177 penalty minutes and a plus-41 rating in 226 games.
The Barracuda originally signed the five-foot-eleven, 185-pound center on May 11, 2020.
Onyebuchi, 21, finished his final season of junior with the Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) in 2020-21, where he served as an alternate captain for the last two seasons. In 20 games with the Blazers this past year, the six-foot-three, 210-pound native of Dugald, Manitoba collected 12 points (two goals, 10 assists), 38 penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating.
The right-shot blueliner skated in 257 WHL games over five seasons with Kamloops and the Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips), racking up 75 points (19 goals, 56 assists), 440 penalty minutes and a plus-38 rating.
Cicek, 20, just wrapped his final season in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks), collecting 21 points (five goals, 16 assists), 46 penalty minutes and a plus-8 rating in 24 games while serving as the team’s captain. The left-shot defenseman ranked second in the league and first among defensemen in PIM. Cicek was named the WHL’s U.S. Division Defenseman of the Year after pacing all U.S. Division blueliners in points.
Over his three-year career with the Winterhawks, the six-foot-three, 201-pound native of Winnipeg, Manitoba collected 48 points (nine goals, 39 assists), 197 penalty minutes and a plus-48 rating.