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Walleye's all-time leading goal scorer returns

Walleye's all-time leading goal scorer returns

Thursday, August 11th

Toledo, Ohio - The Toledo Walleye announced that the team has signed Evan Rankin for the 2016-17 season. Rankin has scored a team-record 83 goals in a Walleye sweater.

The Walleye are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins.

Toledo is the only team that Rankin has played for in the ECHL. In 172 career games with the Walleye he has posted 159 points (83g-76a) and enters this season only 18 points shy of tying the Walleye's all-time points record of 177 held by Kyle Rogers (177). Rankin also is second to Rogers (319) in games played. His 76 assists rank third on the Walleye list behind only Rogers (108) and current forward Shane Berschbach (91).

On April 2, 2016 in Cincinnati, Rankin tied his own career high and Walleye record by scoring five goals in a single contest. Over the course of last season he posted 29 points (18g-11a) in 29 games for the Walleye. The 30-year-old forward set a career best with 33 goals during the 2009-10 season (32 in Toledo, 1 in Manitoba) and followed that up with a personal high of 33 assists in 2010-11 (32 in Toledo, 1 in Grand Rapids).

Starting in 2009-10, the native of Portage, Mich. has skated in 221 games in the AHL, recording 115 points (56g-59a). He joined Rochester in 2012 and posted 29 points (15g-14a) in 35 games. Rankin spent all of 2013-14 with the Americans collecting 31 points (14g-17a) in 48 games. He posted another 30-point season (16-14a) the following year while skating in Syracuse.

Prior to turning professional, Rankin spent four years at the University of Notre Dame. He had 41 points (20g-21a) in 143 games with the Fighting Irish, including 19 points (8g-11a) during his senior season.