Sharks sign Jimmy Huntington, Samuel Laberge, Cole Clayton to contracts

Huntington is coming off a disappointing 2024-25 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. After just four games, he suffered an undisclosed injury that ended up keeping him out of action for the remainder of the year. He ultimately scored a goal and contributed three assists for a total of four points during his brief tenure with the team.

In six professional seasons, which saw him spend time with the Syracuse Crunch, Milwaukee Admirals and Hershey Bears, Huntington has appeared in 244 games, scoring 44 goals and 73 assists for 117 points. He also notched 25 points in 44 postseason games, winning a Calder Cup with the Bears last season.

Laberge also had injury problems. While with the New Jersey Devils’ primary affiliate, the Utica Comets, he missed two months thanks to an upper-body injury. It limited the Quebec native to just 38 games in which he scored three goals and an assist for four points.

The former Rimouski Oceanic captain spent the past four seasons with the Comets, scoring a career-high 19 points in 59 games during the 2023-24 season. That year, he made his NHL debut with the Devils, playing in two games. In 290 AHL appearances, Laberge has scored 30 goals and 44 assists for 74 points, amassing 426 penalty minutes in the process. He’s also registered five points in 22 playoff games.

Clayton has been a part of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization since turning pro in 2021. He’s spent his entire career with their top farm club, the Cleveland Monsters. 2023-24 was arguably his best season with the team, setting career highs in goals (5), assists (15), and points (20), while posting a plus/minus of +5.

The former Medicine Hat Tiger has played in 224 AHL games, posting 12 goals and 49 assists for 61 points, scoring a goal in 14 postseason affairs.