Reinforcements continue to arrive for the Syracuse Crunch.

Two days after signing forward Logan Brown to an AHL contract, the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning added another forward in Gemel Smith on a professional tryout deal Tuesday.

• Subscribe to FloHockey today to watch the AHL all season
• Standout AHL Players To Watch In NHL Training Camps
• AHL, FloSports Announce Multi-Year Partnership Expansion

The 26-year-old Brown, who missed all of last season with an injury, had been in training camp with the Lightning. Tampa Bay had signed him to a one-year deal going into last season after he had split the 2022-23 campaign in the St. Louis Blues organization. He originally was taken 11th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2016 NHL Draft and went on to play 99 games between the Senators and Blues. He also spent parts of three seasons with Belleville and has 29-69-98 in 115 AHL games with the B-Sens and Springfield.

Smith, 30, can play a heavy game and is also a familiar face for the Tampa Bay organization after spending parts of four seasons with the Crunch and also appearing in eight contests with the Lightning. His best season with the Crunch came in 2019-20 when he provided 22 goals in 50 games. He was loaned to the Henderson Silver Knights in February 2023 before spending last season in the KHL, where he went 7-7-14 in 35 games between Dinamo Minsk and Kunlun Red Star. A 2012 fourth-round pick by Dallas, he has played 91 NHL games for the Stars, Lightning, Boston, and Detroit.

The Crunch open their season Friday at Utica before their home opener a night later against Belleville. Last season the Crunch finished third in the North Division before they were ousted by Rochester in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Mainstay veterans Daniel Walcott and captain Gabriel Dumont are back with the Crunch but injured going into the season.

Tampa Bay reworked the Syracuse blue line in the offseason, bringing in experienced hands Tobie Bisson, Derrick Pouliot, and Steven Santini. In addition, defensemen Max Crozier is with the Crunch after his 2023-24 season was limited to just 13 games with the Lightning. Up front, forward Jujhar Khaira joined the Crunch on an AHL contract last month while Joel Teasdale is also with the Crunch as a tryout. Teasdale, 25, played for Crunch head coach Joel Bouchard when the two were with the Laval Rocket as well as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL.

When Does The AHL Season Start in 2024?

The season begins on Oct. 11, 2024 with the Milwaukee Admirals traveling to the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. EDT and the Syracuse Crunch traveling to the Utica Comets at the same time. 

There are a total of 29 games over the opening weekend. 

How To Watch The AHL On FloHockey 

The AHL is streaming on FloHockey and the FloSports app. Live games, replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. 

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best and most complete coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft news is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch ECHL, USHL, AHL And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloHockey
• Follow us on Instagram @flohockey
• Follow us on TikTok @flohockeytv
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook