Milwaukee, WI—The Admirals announced today that the team has signed goaltender Tom McCollum to an AHL Contract for the 2018-19 season.
McCollum has spent the majority of his career with the Grand Rapids Griffins, winning the Calder Cup with the club in 2013, and totaling a 123-105-9 record with a 2.76 goals against average, a .906 save percentage, and eight shutouts in eight seasons in Grand Rapids. Last season the Sanborn, NY native netted a 20-14-3 mark with a 2.64 GAA and a .912 save % in 37 games with the Griffs.
McCollum has been a proverbial thorn in the Admirals side since entering the AHL in 2009, going 13-5-2 with a miniscule 2.14 GAA in 22 games against Milwaukee. Last season alone he was 4-0-1, allowing just eight goals in five contests and stopping 94.5% of the shots he faced.
A first-round pick of Detroit (#30 overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft, McCollum has three games of NHL experience all with the Red Wings, earning his first NHL win on January 18, 2015 in a 6-4 victory over Buffalo. Prior to turning pro he played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and was named to the 3rd OHL All-Star Team in 2007 and 2008 and the 2nd OHL All-Star Team in 2009 when he helped the Brampton Battalion make it to the Finals where they fell to a Windsor club that included Admiral Alums Ryan Ellis and Austin Watson.
McCollum gained notoriety last season in Milwaukee after he loaned his truck to then-Admirals forward PC Labrie in order for Labrie to make the four-hour trip back to Milwaukee through a snow storm to witness the birth of his first child. That story was chronicled here by Dave Kallman of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
McCollum and the Admirals will kick off the season in Austin against the Stars on October 6, with the home opener set for October 13 at 6 pm at Panther Arena.
