The Calgary Wranglers announced that two new players are joining their ranks as they push toward the playoffs. One is a new face in defenceman Joni Jurmo, who will be joining the team from Finland, and the other is Parker Bell, who has played a handful of AHL games already in his career, joining from the WHL’s Tri-City Americans.
What do we know about Parker Bell?
Bell signed his entry-level contract in September of last year and finished up his WHL season as the Americans did not make the playoffs this year. He had a very good season, with 64 points in 59 games, which was good for third on the very weak Ams squad. While these numbers don’t jump off the page, Bell was injured for a chunk of the season and was one of the few real threats on his team.
Bell joins the Wranglers to start his pro career but spent a chunk of time with the Wranglers last season after finishing up his WHL year. He mostly practiced with the squad but played two regular season games, adding one assist in his time. This should be a chance for him to start making a name for himself. Bell is a smart two-way winger who can both score and make good decisions as a playmaker. Don’t expect him to make waves quickly, but in time he may just develop into a depth NHLer.
What do we know about Joni Jurmo
Jurmo was acquired by the Flames in the Elias Lindholm deal. As his rights expired after this season, the Flames signed the blueliner to a two-year ELC that kicks in next season. The Finnish product joins the Wranglers on an amateur tryout (ATO) for the balance of the year.
Jurmo spent the season in the Finnish Liiga, the highest men’s league in the country, where he had five points in 46 games across two teams. He’s very much not known for his scoring, but he has always been an excellent skater. Couple that with a huge frame, if he can add just a bit of offence to his game, there may be more to him than meets the eye.
Where do Bell and Jurmo slot in
Bell and Jurmo both add interesting dimensions to the Wranglers’ squad this season. Bell likely slots in at the bottom of the roster, fighting for minutes with Lucas Ciona, Alex Gallant and others. When the team invariably gets support from the young guns currently up with the Flames, his time on the roster will diminish unless he can quickly show that he is an impactful player.
Jurmo joins a Wranglers’ blueline that is very full. Between Jordan Oesterle, Ilya Solovyov, Artem Grushnikov, Jeremie Poirier, Yan Kuznetsov and (sometimes forward) Jonathan Aspirot, who has been outstanding with the club, he is going to be in for a fight for minutes. There is a chance that he will knock either Kuznetsov or Colton Poolman out of the rotation, but it will likely be a temporary fix unless someone else gets injured or called up.
In any case, having practice time with a pro club is invaluable for both players’ development, and game time is even more special. Expect both players to push hard for minutes in practice, and hopefully, both get into a game or two before the end of the season.
