Evansville IceMen Sign Branden Komm and Two New Forwards

The Evansville IceMen and Head Coach Al Sims have announced the addition of three more players to the IceMen’s Pre-season Roster including fan favorite from last season, Goaltender Branden Komm.

Forwards J.P. Labardo and Stephen Pierog have also signed with the IceMen.

Twenty-four year old Branden Komm returns to Evansville after appearing in 20 games for the IceMen last year. The Williamsville, New York native posted a solid 3.36 goals against average and a 90.2 save percentage. As a first year professional, Komm also appeared in one game for Cincinnati in the ECHL. He played four years of college hockey at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. The 6’-1”, 180 lbs. goaltender’s best college year was in 2013-14 when he had a record of 19-12-4 with a 2.46 goals against average and an outstanding 92.3 save percentage.

Forward J.P. Labardo comes to the River City after appearing in 54 games last season for the ECHL Gwinnett (Georgia) Gladiators. Labardo, 5’9”, 187 lbs. from Bolton, Ontario, tallied 10 goals and 7 assists for 17 points for Gwinnett.His previous professional experience was at the end of the 2012-13 season when he appeared in 4 games for the Fort Wayne Komets. During the 2013-14 season, he briefly returned to college playing for the University of New Brunswick. Prior to starting his professional career in Fort Wayne, J.P. played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (juniors) with Guelph, Oshawa, and Erie. His breakout season came during the 2012-13 campaign with the Erie Otters when he scored 24 goals and 38 assists good for 62 points in 67 games. Labardo is twenty-three years old.

Rookie forward Stephen Pierog joins the IceMen following four years in the Ontario Hockey League playing for Peterborough, Guelph, and Sarnia. The Guelph, Ontario native is 5’-11”, 190 lbs. In 263 OHL games, the twenty-one year old centerman scored 56 goals and added 39 assists for 95 points. His best OHL season was in 2012-13 when Stephen scored 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points in 67 games for the Peterborough Petes. Last year with the Sarnia Sting, Pierog tallied 32 points (10 goals & 22 assists) in 48 games. Stephen was a part of the Ontario Hockey League’s championship Guelph Storm team in 2013-14.