Findlay, Watling earn new contracts

A pair of players with ties to Sault Ste. Marie will continue their professional hockey careers in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

Echo Bay product Brett Findlay and Sault native Patrick Watling have agreed to contracts with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies and ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears respectively.

Findlay has spent two seasons in the Maple Leafs system and spent time with both the Marlies and Solar Bears.

The former Soo Greyhounds forward split his first full professional season with the ECHL’s San Francisco Bulls and Alaska Aces in 2013-14 before joining the Marlies in 2014-15.

Findlay, 23, has played in 142 career games in the ECHL, scoring 50 goals and 119 points in games with the Bulls, Aces and Solar Bears. He has suited up in 67 games with the Solar Bears in the last two seasons.

In 54 games with the Marlies, Findlay has seven goals and 21 points. He played in 39 games with the Marlies last season, scoring six times and adding 11 assists.

After spending one season with the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Blind River Beavers in 2009-10, Findlay joined the Greyhounds and played two seasons with the team before playing his final OHL season with the Peterborough Petes.

In 193 career OHL games, Findlay scored 59 goals and 146 points, including 40 goals and 100 points in 125 games with the Greyhounds.

The 22-year-old Watling played in 24 games with the Solar Bears in 2015-16 season, posting six goals and 28 points.

Watling has split his first two pro seasons with the Solar Bears and American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. In 77 career games with Toronto and Orlando, Watling has 19 goals and 56 points.

In the 2014-15 season, Watling scored two goals and three points in 29 games with the Marlies and 11 goals and 25 points in 24 games with the Solar Bears.

Watling turned pro by signing an AHL contract with the Marlies after his overage season with the Soo Greyhounds in 2013-14 season.

With the Greyhounds, Watling had 18 goals and 54 points in 65 games. He was acquired by the Greyhounds after two full seasons with the Guelph Storm.

In 187 career OHL games, Watling scored 36 goals and 102 points.