The Cincinnati Cyclones have signed defenseman Wyatt Ege and forward Gianluca Esteves to Standard Player Contracts ahead of the 2021-22 ECHL season.

Ege, 26, spent the 2021-22 season in Slovakia, accumulating three goals and seven points in 22 games for HK Nitra. Before then, the Elk River, Minnesota native spent three seasons at Ohio State University, earning 41 points in 111 games with the Buckeyes. This came after playing his freshman year at University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA) in 2015-16. Signing with the Cyclones reunites Ege with Head Coach Matt Thomas, who was head coach of UAA during Ege’s tenure.

“I’m really excited to get started in Cincinnati and be back with Coach Thomas,” said Ege. “It will be nice to be back in Ohio after spending a few years playing in Columbus for Ohio State. I visited Cincinnati once and it was a very nice place with a lot to do. I’m happy to call this city home now and try everything I can to help this team.”

Joining Ege is fellow rookie, Gianluca Esteves. The two faced each other at the collegiate level, with Esteves playing for Michigan State University. There, the 24-year-old skated in 96 games for the Spartans, scoring four goals and 14 points. The Winnipeg, Manitoba forward showcased his discipline over the course of his four year collegiate career, amassing just eight penalty minutes.

“After talking with Matt Thomas, I really liked the culture he had built within the team and I thought I could fit in well here to start my professional career,” said Esteves. “I’m extremely excited to be coming to Cincinnati. The Cyclones have a great history of success and I hope to help add to that. I’ve heard great things about the city and the people. I look forward to getting my first taste of it soon.”

“These are two young players that have strong backgrounds in the game and can help our team succeed,” said Thomas. “I coached Wyatt as a freshman. He was a mature player then, and I know he’s continued to develop at Ohio State. He’ll be an important right-handed shot for our group.”

“Gianluca is a mature player who brings depth to our forward group. He’s a good skater who can play the game at both ends of the ice. He’s also got the ability to make plays and create scoring chances. These are the things we’re looking for in players looking to make the jump to pro, and Gianluca checks those boxes.”

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