Rochester Americans General Manager Jason Karmanos announced today that the team has signed forwards Ryan Scarfo, Lukas Craggs and Brendan Warren, defenseman Peter Tischke and goaltender Mat Robson to one-year, two-way American Hockey League contracts for the 2021-22 season.
Scarfo, 27, returns to Rochester after recording two goals in nine games while on a professional tryout with the Amerks during the 2020-21 campaign. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound forward also scored one goal in five ECHL contests with the Wheeling Nailers.
The fourth-year pro split the 2019-20 campaign between the Nailers and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), combining for 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 55 contests. Scarfo ranked seventh among all Nailers in both assists (14) and points (26) in 43 games before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scarfo has appeared in 65 career AHL games between Rochester, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Belleville Senators, totaling 16 points (6+10) while also adding 29 points (14+15) over 58 contests with the Brampton Beast (ECHL) and Nailers.
Prior to turning pro, the Boston, Mass., native completed a four-year collegiate career at Union College (ECAC), where he registered 88 points (48+40) in 151 games with the Dutchmen from 2014-2018. As a senior, Scarfo led the team in goals (20) and points (36) on his way to earning ECAC Third All-Star Team honors.
Craggs, 25, joins the organization after combining for 11 points (3+8) in 15 games between the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and Florida Everblades (ECHL) during the 2020-21 season.
In 2019-20, the Elmhurst, Illinois, native split his rookie season with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and Everblades, producing 17 points on nine goals and eight assist in 35 contests before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. He ranked fourth in goals (3), assists (3) and points (6) among all Admirals first-year skaters while also ranking fourth in both assists (5) and points (11) among all Florida rookie forwards. His six goals in 12 games with the Everblades finished third-most.
Before to turning pro, Craggs spent three years at Bowling Green State University (WCHA), where he registered 54 points (30+24) in 116 games from 2016-2019. In his third season with the Flacons, he finished with a career-high 13 goals, 12 assists and 25 points in 35 games.
Warren, 24, returns to Rochester after recording four goals and two assists in 10 games while on a professional tryout with the Amerks during the 2020-21 campaign. Additionally, the 6-foot-1, 191-pound forward collected 22 points (9+13) in 44 ECHL contests with the Jacksonville Icemen.
As a rookie with Jacksonville last season, Warren represented the Icemen at the 2020 ECHL All-Star Classic. He finished tied for team-lead in goals (14) among all first-year skaters and second in points (28) and fourth in assists (14) in 47 games.
Prior to turning pro, the Carleton, Mich., native completed a four-year collegiate career at the University of Michigan (NCAA), where he registered 45 points (18+27) in 149 games with the Wolverines from 2015-2019. As a Freshman, Warren helped the maize and blue claim the Big-10 Conference Championship while skating in all 38 games and registering 17 points (5+12).
Warren was originally drafted in third round (81st overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Tischke, 25, comes to the Amerks after appearing in 16 games with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), where he scored a goal to go with an assist.
As a rookie during the 2019-20 season, Tischke, a Hinsdale, Illinois, native spent the majority of the season with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL), where he finished second in goals (4), assists (11) and points (15) in 51 games among all Grizzlies rookie defensemen.
Prior to turning pro, Tischke completed a four-year collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin (Big-10), where he registered 34 points (8+26) in 135 games from 2015-19. After being named to the Big-10 Honorable Mention All-Star teams in 2016-17 and 2017-18, he served as team captain in 2018-19 as well as earning the Big-10’s Sportsmanship Award.
Robson, 25, joins the organization after spending the 2020-21 season with the Straubing Tigers (DEL), posting a 1-8-0 record with a 3.61 goals-against average and a .861 save percentage in nine appearances.
During his rookie season in 2019-20, the Toronto, Ontario, native went 11-10-5 in 26 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. His .901 save percentage and 2.97 goals-against average were ninth-best among all AHL rookie goaltenders while his 11 wins were tied for 11th. Additionally, he was one of 12 rookies to record at least one shutout over the course of the campaign.
Prior to turning pro, Robson spent two years at the University of Minnesota (Big-10), where he produced 21-17-5 record in 45 games from 2017-2019. In his second season with the Gophers, he led the Big-10 in saves (950), ranked second in games played (31) and was third in both wins (14) and save percentage (.921).
