Smirnov re-signs with Admirals

Action photo of Denis Smirnov of the Norfolk Admirals

Norfolk, VA - The Norfolk Admirals, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose, announced they have signed forward Denis Smirnov to a contract for the 2024-25 season.

Smirnov, 27, rejoins the Admirals for his third season after posting a career-high 46 points last year. His 14 goals and 32 assists were also career-highs in his three-year career.

The Moskva, Russia native originally signed with Norfolk on Sept. 20, 2022 after playing his first season as a professional with Kalamazoo. In his first year with the Admirals, Smirnov totaled 21 points (9g-12a) in 39 games.

From 2016-20, Smirnov played at Penn State University. In his freshman season, he posted 47 points (19g-28a), which was the most of any first-year player in program history. Later that summer, Smirnov was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The next season, he totaled 27 points in 30 games. All told, Smirnov played in 137 career games with the Nittany Lions and registered 115 points (50g-65a).