ROANOKE, Va. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Tuesday that the team has signed rookie forward Jimmy O’Kane to a standard player contract, and have also added rookie forward Anthony Cinato on a player tryout contract (PTO). Additionally, Roanoke has placed defenseman Alex Norwinski on waivers.
O’Kane joins the Dawgs from Wilkes University (NCAA-DIII), where he played for four seasons. The six-foot forward had 10 goals, 18 assists, 45 penalty minutes, and a plus-11 rating in 27 games during his senior season, and ended his collegiate career at Wilkes with 23 goals, 42 assists, and 78 penalty minutes over 82 career games played. Before his college career, the Chicago native played three seasons of junior hockey for the Charlotte Rush in the USPHL Elite and Premier divisions, ending his final year as the captain of the USPHL Premier team. O’Kane notched 51 goals, 95 assists, and 154 penalty minutes in 136 combined games played between the two divisions. He will wear number 7 for the Rail Yard Dawgs.
Cinato joins the Dawgs from the University of New England (NCAA-DIII), where he played for one season after suiting up previously at New England College (NCAA-DIII) for three seasons. In his four seasons of college hockey, the Warren, Michigan native recorded 26 goals, 39 assists, and 54 penalty minutes over 86 games played. Cinato was teammates with fellow Rail Yard Dawg C.J. Valerian while at New England College. The five-foot-eleven forward played his junior hockey in the NCDC, USPHL Premier, and NA3HL, primarily with the Metro Jets. Across the three leagues, Cinato tallied 40 goals, 71 assists, and 66 penalty minutes in a combined 141 games played. He will wear number 8 for the Rail Yard Dawgs.
Norwinski joined the Dawgs this season after playing five seasons at Liberty University (ACHA) and appeared in 15 games for Roanoke, recording one assist and a minus-three rating during his time with the Dawgs. The Blue Ridge native had previously played in 117 combined games for Liberty’s ACHA teams, finishing his career with 34 goals, 56 assists, and 57 penalty minutes for the Flames.
The Rail Yard Dawgs host the Knoxville Ice Bears on Friday night, March 1 at 7:05 P.M. EST at Berglund Center, and you can watch the game on Flo or listen in on Mixlr. Single game tickets for home games are on sale now at Berglund Center box office and online. Group tickets and other ticket packages are on sale now by contacting the Dawgs’ front office.
Photo Credit: Steve Finkernagel (O’Kane) // NEC Athletics (Cinato)
Please contact broadcaster@railyarddawgs.com with inquiries