The Cincinnati Cyclones today announced the acquisition of Patrick Polino in a trade with the Rapid City Rush. The Cyclones acquired Polino in exchange for future considerations at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Polino, 29, makes his return to Cincinnati for a second stint with the organization after starting the 2024-25 season with the Adirondack Thunder. A former RPI Engineer, Polino has built an impressive resume in professional hockey. On August 29, 2024, his ECHL rights were traded to Adirondack in exchange for Tristan Ashbrook—another former RPI Engineer. This trade now brings the Cyclones full circle, as they gain both Ashbrook and Polino, who were originally swapped for each other earlier this season.
In 55 games this year, Polino has registered five goals and 19 assists across his time with Adirondack, Allen, and Rapid City. Cincinnati marks his fourth stop this season, but fans will remember him well from his impactful first stint with the Cyclones. During that time, Polino played three seasons, wearing the assistant captain’s “A” for two of them. Across 170 games, he tallied an impressive 54 goals and 82 assists. Polino was also instrumental in the Cyclones’ two playoff runs in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, contributing veteran leadership and a knack for clutch performances. Additionally, he has accumulated seven points in two postseason appearances with the team.
“We are excited to welcome Pat back to the Cyclones. We know what he can bring to this hockey team and we’re confident that he will contribute to our lineup during a critical stretch of the season like he has in the past” said Cincinnati Cyclones head coach Jason Payne.
From Cincinnati Cyclones
More must-reads:
Among multiple big moves this offseason, the New York Giants decided to sign 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson to be their starting QB in 2025. Although Wilson has undoubtedly taken a step back over the past couple of years, for the Giants, this looks like a significant upgrade compared to what they endured at quarterback for most of last season. In addition to his on-field play, Wilson's successful career lends a status that seems like a perfect fit for the New York market. It didn't take long for the Giants to put that status to work, either, with Wilson taking part in a free agent WR's visit with the team earlier this offseason. Russell Wilson joined in on WR Gabe Davis' free agent visit with the Giants Former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars WR Gabe Davis had a free agency visit with the Giants earlier this offseason, back in May. His experience playing under now Giants head coach Brian Daboll, when he was his offensive coordinator with the Bills, led many to believe that this pairing could make a lot of sense for both sides. Months have gone by, and many are still wondering if the Giant will choose to sign the deep threat WR. Davis recently appeared on the "Up and Adams" show hosted by Kay Adams. He spoke about his visit with the Giants and how it was pretty awesome to have dinner with Wilson, along with other team personnel. Davis shared that he believes Wilson is "a legend" and that they had "a good dinner, a good night for sure." Adams then brought up how much she liked the idea of Wilson and Davis connecting on a deep ball, which led Davis to share his thoughts on the pairing, "Yeah, that's me and Russ' game for sure, a deep ball threat, and Russ knows how to sling it downfield. It's something I've looked into for sure."
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
Damion Baugh spent his rookie season in the NBA playing for the Charlotte Hornets. The 24-year-old had averages of 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 32.3% from the field in 15 games. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hornets will now waive Baugh. Via Scotto: "The Charlotte Hornets are waiving two-way player Damion Baugh, league sources told @hoopshype . Charlotte is waiving Baugh to clear a spot for the addition of Antonio Reeves on a two-way contract." ESPN's Shams Charania had first reported that the Hornets were signing Reeves. Via Charania: "The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Antonio Reeves to a two-way NBA deal, sources tell ESPN. The 2024 Pelicans second-round pick averaged 6.9 points and 40% 3-point shooting in 44 games as a rookie last season."
The Hurricanes announced Thursday night that they’ve signed winger Jackson Blake to an eight-year, $45M extension that will kick in for the 2026-27. While that would normally mean an average annual value and cap hit of $5.625M, the actual cap hit of the contract will fall in the $5.1M range due to deferred compensation, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The contract buys out the extent of Blake’s RFA eligibility and will make him a UFA following the 2033-34 season. Blake’s stock has been on the rise since immediately after Carolina selected him in the fourth round in 2021. He was a USHL All-Star in his post-draft season with the Chicago Steel before making the jump to NCAA hockey with North Dakota, where he totaled 102 points in 79 games in two seasons — earning a Hobey Baker finalist nod in his sophomore year. He signed his entry-level contract with the Hurricanes in April 2024 and joined them for the brief remainder of the regular season. In his first full pro season, Blake hit the ground running. He made the Canes out of camp and had five points through his first nine games despite seeing less than 12 minutes of ice time per night. That offense didn’t quite hold up the rest of the way, though. While he ended up seeing significant deployment alongside Sebastian Aho at even strength, he ended up finishing the year with a 17-17–34 scoring line in 80 games, finishing ninth on the team in scoring and ninth in Calder Trophy voting as the league’s Rookie of the Year. That’s fine production, especially considering he averaged under 14 minutes per game on the year. He’ll need to build on it to justify that cap hit, though, especially with so much risk attached to a max-term deal. The good news is that Blake has another year left on his entry-level contract to continue his development before he’ll need to start justifying that cap hit. The son of former NHLer Jason Blake turns 22 next month, yet with this deal, he’s guaranteed to surpass his dad’s career earnings. The Hurricanes have historically opted to sign their young players for as long and as early as possible, a trend that continues here. Sometimes, it’s paid off — their eight-year, $59.4M commitment to Seth Jarvis last offseason looks like a steal after he put up a repeat 67-point performance in 2024-25. There’s also the glaring example of where that strategy has failed regarding center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, whose $4.82M cap hit looks more stomachable now with a rising ceiling but is still well above his market value four years into the deal. The jury is still out on newly acquired Logan Stankoven, who they inked to an eight-year, $48M extension at the beginning of the month. Blake’s deal will be one of the last of its kind. It contains two elements — deferred compensation and an eight-year term — that will be outlawed when the new CBA Memorandum of Understanding takes effect on Sep. 15, 2026. If he waited until reaching RFA status next summer to sign, a lengthy negotiation could have lost him that eighth year if the two sides didn’t come to terms until the beginning of training camp. With the salary cap’s upper limit projected to reach $104M in 2026-27, the Hurricanes have around $16M in projected space with Blake’s and Stankoven’s deals taken care of. While they’re projected to be Carolina’s 11th- and 12th-highest-paid forwards on their opening night roster this season, they’ll be their fifth- and sixth-highest-paid forwards in 2026-27.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!