Diodati Signs with Mississauga

Press Release

Mississauga, ON – Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors General Manager and Head Coach James Boyd announced today that the club has signed Eric Diodati.

Diodati, 18, spent the last two seasons patrolling the blue line for the Niagara Falls Canucks of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The 6’1” defenseman was originally acquired by the Majors in the seventh round of the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. He was selected out of the Toronto Jr. Canadians program.

In 2008-09, his first year of junior hockey with the Canucks, Diodati played in 42 games, contributing two goals and 12 assists for 14 points to go along with 40 penalty minutes. He also played in 12 playoff games as a rookie. In 2009-10, he became a key member of the blue line for Niagara Falls. Playing in 51 games, his offensive production exploded to 49 points with 12 goals and 37 assists all while serving 101 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 23 playoff games with Niagara Falls, helping the team reach the 2011 Sutherland Cup Final. He had 18 points in the 2011 playoffs.

Diodati will now prepare to join the rest of the Majors at the Hershey Centre for 2011 Training Camp at the end of August. Full training camp details will be released at stmichaelsmajors.com shortly.

Majors 2011-12 season tickets are also available now by calling 905-502-7788 x. 1. The puck drops on the team’s home schedule on Friday, September 30 at 7:30 PM when the double blue takes on the Owen Sound Attack in a re-match of last years Rogers OHL Championship Series.

Majors season ticket holders also receive free tickets to home exhibition games. This season, the Majors will play three home exhibition games at arenas throughout Mississauga. The first takes place on Thursday, September 8 when the Majors face the Guelph Storm at Iceland Arena at 7:30 PM. Then on Saturday, September 10, they meet the Peterborough Petes at Port Credit Arena at 2:00 PM. The exhibition schedule wraps up with a date against the Owen Sound Attack on Saturday, September 17. That game will be at Vic Johnston Arena in Streetsville with puck drop scheduled for 2:00 PM.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)