Monarchs sign trio of players

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Manchester Monarchs Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Rich Seeley announced the team has signed forwards Gasper Kopitar and Troy Power to return to the team for a second season, and has inked former University of New Hampshire defenseman Justin Agosta for the 2016-17 season.The Monarchs are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings and the American Hockey League's Ontario Reign.Kopitar, 23, returns to the Monarchs after playing 57 games during his first season in Manchester. Kopitar, an assistant captain, scored 33 points (9g-24a), good for a fourth-place tie on the Monarchs scoring list. The 6-foot, 194-pound center’s return to the Monarchs begins his fourth season in the Los Angeles Kings organization, previously playing 73 games over the course of two seasons for the Ontario Reign (ECHL), notching 45 points (19g-26a).Power, 26, also makes his return to the Monarchs after his rookie campaign saw him score 12 points (5g-7a). The 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Camarillo, Calif. played collegiately at UMass-Amherst from 2010-15, and skated in 122 games for the Minutemen, recording 50 points (20g-30a).Agosta, 25, joins the Monarchs after splitting his rookie season between the Florida Everblades and Charlotte Checkers (AHL). With Florida, Agosta skated in 41 games, scoring 21 points (9g-12a), and lead all Everblades' defensemen in goals. Agosta made his AHL debut Nov. 8 against Manitoba, and recorded one assist in eight games while with the Checkers. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound defenseman from East Meadow, N.Y., played 116 games for UNH over the course of three seasons, recording 45 points (9g-36a). After graduating, Agosta went on to play a single season at Quinnipiac University while taking graduate courses, and skated in 39 games, scoring 22 points (3g-19a).