Cincinnati, Ohio - The Cincinnati Cyclones announced that the team has signed defenseman Jalen Smereck to a contract for the 2022-23 season.Smereck last played in the ECHL as a member of Rapid City in the 2019-20 season. A year prior, he was named an All-Star while representing Norfolk. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Smereck is involved in his community and is an advocate for diversity in hockey. He will be one of five players of color representing the Cyclones this season, who are led by head coach Jason Payne, a member of the NHL BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Coaches Association.
Last season, he played in Ukraine and Germany, spending the bulk of the year with Bietigheim in the DEL. With Bietigheim, he collected 34 points (10g-24a) in 46 games. Smereck spent parts of five seasons in the American Hockey League with Tucson before going overseas, totaling 14 points (4g-10a) in 67 games with Roadrunners from 2017-21. He also skated in 59 ECHL games over that span, tallying 40 points (8g-32a) in stints with Fort Wayne, Norfolk and Rapid City.The 25-year-old played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, putting up 104 points (24g-80a) in 169 games with Oshawa and Flint. Prior to his time in the OHL, he skated in 51 games for Bloomington of the United States Hockey League in 2014-15, recording 18 points (3g-15a)
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