Omaha has added a junior defenseman to the roster.
Ryan McCleary has joined the Omaha Mavericks, bringing size, pro experience, and puck-moving ability to a blue line that needed reinforcement after the departure of Joe Gramer and an apparent injury to Jacob Guevin last weekend.
McCleary arrives from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, where he has played 28 games this season with one goal and five assists. Last year, he appeared in 69 games for Cincinnati, recording five goals and seven assists.
Earlier this season, McCleary also made his American Hockey League debut, skating in one game for the Toronto Marlies.
Before turning pro, McCleary built a strong junior résumé in the Western Hockey League, splitting time between the Portland Winterhawks and the Swift Current Broncos. His final WHL season in Swift Current was his most productive, posting 11 goals and 25 assists in 56 games, followed by six points in nine playoff contests.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 195 lbs. and a right shot, McCleary was selected in the seventh round (194th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Scouting reports highlighted his ability in transition, using deception and poise rather than pure speed to beat forecheck pressure and keep plays moving north.
He will wear no. 6 on the Omaha Hockey roster.
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