ORONO, Maine — Joey Diamond, whose scrappy style made him a frequent visitor to the penalty box during his University of Maine career, is headed to the American Hockey League.
Black Bear head coach Tim Whitehead on Thursday said Diamond has agreed to terms with the Connecticut-based Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Diamond, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound winger from Long Beach, N.Y., is UMaine’s all-time leader in penalty minutes with 467. In his final game, in the Hockey East quarterfinals against UMass Lowell, Diamond was assessed two major penalties and a minor before being given a game disqualification, ending his career.
Despite some nagging injuries, the tri-captain led the Bears this season with 14 goals and also posted 10 assists. He posted 104 career points (59 goals, 45 assists), including seven game-winning goals.
He was an All-Hockey East second-team choice as a junior.
Bridgeport is the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders. The Sound Tigers are coached by former UMaine star and Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Pellerin, who also played in the NHL.
Former Black Bear goaltender Garth Snow is the general manager of the Islanders and the Sound Tigers, while former UMaine goalie Mike Dunham, Snow’s former teammate, is the organization’s goaltenders’ coach.
Diamond joins UMaine classmates Kyle Beattie, Mark Nemec and Mike Cornell in turning pro. Earlier this week, Beattie and Nemec signed with the Orlando Sun Bears, while Cornell joined the Florida Everblades.
Both teams are in the East Coast Hockey League.