The Toronto Marlies announced today that the hockey club has signed forwards Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Ben King, Nick Rhéaume, Marko Sikic and defenceman Ryan McCleary to one-year AHL contracts.
Fontaine, 24, skated in 40 games with Ohio State University (NCAA) and registered 17 goals and 23 assists this past season. He made his professional debut at the end of the 2024-25 season, appearing in five games with the Iowa Wild. The 5’10”, 181-pound forward had 32 goals and 65 assists in 131 games with Northeastern University (NCAA) from 2020 to 2024 where he also captured the NCAA (Hockey East) Regular Season Championship in 2022. The East Greenwich, Rhode Island native was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round (202ndoverall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
King, 23, appeared in 64 games this past season with the Manitoba Moose, recording 12 goals and 14 assists. The 6’3”, 205-pound forward skated in 236 career WHL regular season games split between Saskatoon and Red Deer, collecting 106 goals and 134 assists. He led the WHL with 52 goals in 68 games in 2021-22 and finished second in the league with 105 points. The Vernon, British Columbia native was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Rhéaume, 23, registered four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in 37 games with Northeastern University (NCAA) in the 2024-25 season. The 6’3”, 194-pound forward had also appeared in 61 games over two seasons with UMass-Lowell (NCAA) from 2022 to 2024, collecting 12 goals and five assists. Prior to his collegiate career, the Sherbrooke, Quebec native skated in 73 games with the Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) and had 73 points (35 goals, 38 assists).
Sikic, 22, skated in 64 games with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) this past season, recording 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists). The 6’3”, 183-pound forward also appeared in four games with the Marlies. The Kitchener, Ontario native split his OHL career between Guelph and Sarnia, collecting 147 points (47 goals, 100 assists) in 252 games.
McCleary, 21, recorded 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 69 games with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) in his first professional season. The 6’3”, 181-pound defenceman skated in 203 career regular season WHL games over four seasons with the Portland Winterhawks and the Swift Current Broncos, registering 32 goals and 72 assists. The Swift Current, Saskatchewan native was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the seventh round (194th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.