CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Cincinnati Cyclones, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators, announced today that they have agreed to terms with forward Nathan Moon and defenseman Ryan Annesley for the 2011-12 season.

Moon, a 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins fourth-round draft choice, will be entering his rookie season with the Cyclones after getting a brief taste of the professional game last spring. In 2010-11, the 21-year-old center skated in seven games with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (Central Hockey League), notching a goal and accumulating 15 penalty-minutes. Prior to that, he was a mainstay in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a member of the Kingston Frontenacs. Over the past four seasons with Kingston, Moon was the team’s leading scorer and averaged more than a point-per-game in that same stretch. In 2007-08, he was recognized on the league-level and the national level; that year, he was named an OHL Eastern Conference All-Star and later helped Team Ontario take home a Gold Medal in the Canada Winter Games. Collectively as an amateur, the Belleville, Ontario native skated in 322 regular season games, posting 333 points (140 goals, 193 assists) and 378 penalty minutes in that span.

“Nathan is coming off of a very successful junior career in Kingston,” said Cyclones Head Coach Jarrod Skalde. “He’s a highly skilled player that is going to bring a lot of energy and offense to our team. What intrigued me about him is that he began his pro career last spring by going through a playoff run with Bossier-Shreveport and saw how tough it is to be successful.”

Annesley (AINS-lee), a 25-year-old Ajax, Ontario native will embark on his first professional season after concluding a career at Niagara University. In his senior season last year, the five-foot-ten, 185-pound rear guard led all Niagara defenseman in scoring and finished fourth overall with 27 points (4 goals, 23 assists). In addition to posting a career-high in points in 2010-11, he earned AHA Third-All Conference Team accolades. Collectively, he amassed 70 points (16 goals, 54 assists) in 144 college games. In 2007-08, he helped the Purple Eagles capture the 2007-08 CHA Championship and was named to the league’s All-Star Team.

“Ryan comes highly recommended and is a puck-moving defenseman,” said Skalde. “He is a very good skater who I see playing on our power play and in offensive situations. I know he’s looking forward to making the next step in his career and I’m excited to have a guy who can make that first pass, join the rush, and be responsible defensively.”

The countdown to the 2011-12 season is officially underway! Secure your seats for this year’s Home Opener on Saturday, November 5 when the Cyclones welcome the Chicago Express to U.S. Bank Arena for the first time at 7:30pm. Contact a ticket representative today at 513.421.PUCK or log on to CyclonesHockey.com for more information. Fans can also get the latest team updates during the offseason on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to view both players career statistcs.