Americans Name Leadership Team for 2012-13 Season

Press Release KENNEWICK, WA – Tri-City Americans’ Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that defenseman Zachary Yuen and forward Jesse Mychan will serve as two of the team’s alternate captains for the upcoming 2012-13 season. Rounding out this year’s leadership team will be defenseman Mitch Topping and forward Connor Rankin. The two will rotate the third ‘A’, with Topping wearing it at home and Rankin on the road. “We are blessed, once again, with a strong leadership core,” explained Tory. “These players represent what our team is all about both on and off the ice.” Yuen, a 19-year-old defenseman who will be entering his fourth season with the Americans, is coming off a career-year. In 2011-12, Yuen played in 66 games, totaling career-bests in goals (12), assists (26) and points (38). Yuen’s plus-45 rating also placed the four-year WHL veteran tied atop the WHL leaderboard with Brandon’s Mark Stone. He followed that up with a career-best post-season run in which he collected one goal, 5 points and 18 penalty minutes in 15 games. In 187 career games for Tri-City, the Vancouver, British Columbia-native has registered 21 goals, 74 points and 132 penalty minutes. Originally drafted by Tri-City in the 1st Round (22nd overall) of the 2008 Bantam Draft, Yuen later became the Winnipeg Jets’ 4th Round (119th overall) selection in the 2011 NHL Draft. Mychan, a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-native, is kicking off his second full WHL season. The 20-year-old left wing, who is also competing in his final WHL season, has produced offensively since arriving in Tri-City from Everett at last year’s mid-January WHL Trade deadline. In his rookie season, Mychan combined for 10 goals and 19 points in 44 games, with 12 of those 19 points coming in just 18 games with Tri-City. Mychan appeared poised for a strong playoff run as well, collecting a goal and 2 points in 3 games before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Mychan, the former 10th Round (203rd overall) selection by Saskatoon in the 2007 Bantam Draft, earned a NHL summer camp invite by the Vancouver Canucks. Rankin, a draft-eligible forward from N. Vancouver, British Columbia, has proven to be a consistent offensive producer in his two years in Tri-City. After collecting 18 goals and 39 points in 62 games last season, Rankin now has 40 goals and 86 points in 135 WHL games to go along with his plus-35 rating. Rankin, Tri-City’s 1st Round (7th overall) pick in the 2009 Bantam Draft, also picked up personal-bests in goals (2) and points (7) in 15 playoff games last season. Topping, a 19-year-old defenseman from Red Deer, Alberta, is also coming off a career-year in his first full season with Tri-City. Acquired by the Americans from Victoria before the start of the 2011-12 season, Topping went onto appear in 66 games, totaling a career-best 20 points and plus-11 rating. About to kick-off his fourth WHL season, Topping has 210 WHL games under his belt, along with 14 goals, 53 points and 149 penalty minutes. Topping was originally a 1st Round (8th overall) pick by the then-Chilliwack Bruins in the 2008 Bantam Draft. (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)