BSens Bolstering The Blue Line
BELLEVILLE, Ontario -- The Belleville Senators have spent the last week bolstering their blueline for the 2019-20 season, agreeing to terms with defencemen Hubert Labrie and Jack Dougherty, who each signed one-year American Hockey League contracts.
As Belleville continues to re-tool their defensive core which allowed (228) goals against this past season and finished 17th in the 31 team league. The incoming duo of Labrie and Dougherty should provide plenty of aid having ranked 11th (+21) and 26th (+15) respectively among AHL rearguards in plus/minus this past season but in comparison, had they played for Belleville, they would have stood first and fourth among B-Sens' skaters in that category for 2018-19.
Further, the new additions will also look to help a penalty kill (75.7%) that ranked as the AHL's worst in the previous season.
Mann and Labrie Reunited
With the signing of Labrie, Belleville Senators' head coach Troy Mann continues to shape the team in his own mould, by adding a familiar face from his time with the Hershey Bears.
The 27-year-old native of Victoriaville, Quebec skated in 105 regular season games under Mann in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Most notably during his time in Hershey was a 2017 Calder Cup playoff run, in which Labrie registered four points in 12 playoffs games as the Bears advanced to the second round in the process.
Julie Beidler, who covers the Hershey Bears for Inside AHL Hockey, offered the following statement on what Belleville fans can expect from the poised and defensive-minded Labrie: "He’s solid. Not flashy. You can almost see him thinking while on the ice -- sees the game very well."
Last season, the 5-foot-11, 187-pound left-shooting defenceman appeared in 69 games for the Syracuse Crunch, tallying 10 assists.
A veteran presence with 411 career AHL games to his credit, Labrie has totalled 51 career points, scoring 12 goals, while suiting up for Texas, Springfield, San Antonio, Chicago, Hershey, Hartford, and Syracuse.
Poised to serve as an excellent mentor for Belleville's younger defenders, entering his ninth professional season, Labrie brings a wealth of experience and a championship pedigree to the B-Sens' dressing room having won a Calder Cup in 2014 with the Texas Stars.
The 411 on Jack Dougherty
No stranger to the North Division, Dougherty, 23, spent his 2018-19 campaign with the rival Rochester Americans, where he appeared in 56 games, scoring twice and adding 10 assists.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound, right-shot blueliner's offensive output is hardly overwhelming; Dougherty's main selling point is his responsible play in his own end. Much like his co-signee, Labrie, a stay-at-home defender.
Rochester Americans' reporter Keith Wozniak relayed the following on the Cottage Grove, Minnesota native: "Dougherty is a simple and reliable defenceman. A plus player all season. He's always on the right side of the puck. Once he found a way into a crowded Amerks' lineup, he was a regular contributor. I think the only reason he wasn't retained was because of an already crowded blueline."
A former second-round pick in 2014, Dougherty was selected 51st overall by the Nashville Predators. Since turning professional, the University of Wisconsin alumnus has skated in 197 career AHL games split between Milwaukee and Rochester, accumulating five career goals and 37 points.
As Belleville's roster continues to take shape, coach Mann will have the following skaters available: Christopher Clapperton, Jack Dougherty, Miles Gendron, Joesph Labate and Hubert Labrie. All are signed to AHL deals and have solid professional and collegiate reputations.
