Fuel release 2016-17 Season-Ending Roster

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, announced their 2016-17 Season-Ending Roster on Monday, listing 12 forwards and eight defensemen.

The release of the Season-Ending Roster marks the official end of the 2016-17 ECHL season. As of last Friday, member clubs are now permitted to make qualifying offers and sign players to 2017-18 contracts.

2016-17 INDY FUEL SEASON-ENDING ROSTER

Forwards (12): Shane Bakker, Anthony Beauregard, Nick Bligh, Kevin Lynch (V), Michael Neal (V), Brady Ramsay, Matt Rupert, Kenny Ryan (V), Josh Shalla (V), Cody Sharib, Alex Wideman, Paul Zanette

Defensemen (8): Travis Armstrong, Harrison Ruopp, Brandon Martell, Zach Miskovic (V), Jacob Poe, Drew Scheistel (V), Troy Vance, Chris Williams

Per the ECHL, Season-Ending Rosters may include up to 20 players. Season-Ending Rosters cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2016-17.

Each team is entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the list of 20 by extending a qualifying offer no later than July 1. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the 2017-18 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to July 1.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until Aug. 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular-season games, will retain the rights to that player until Aug. 1. After Aug. 1, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran or goaltender shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player's rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player's rights and the Professional Hockey Players' Association. The member with the player's rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by Aug. 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent

Ticket Plans for the 2017-18 Indy Fuel season are now on sale! Join the team for year four at Indiana Farmers Coliseum and receive priority access to seats for the 2018 CCM/ECHL All Star Classic! Learn more by visiting IndyFuelHockey.com or calling 317-925-FUEL. Keep tabs on the team during the offseason by following the Fuel on Twitter and Instagram (@IndyFuel) and don't forget to ‘Like' the Fuel on Facebook.

— INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM —