Evan Rankin

Playing career

Evan Rankin spent the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons as a regular for the ECHL's Toledo Walleye. The Notre Dame alum got a chance in the AHL on November 25, 2011, when the Rochester Americans signed him to a professional tryout. He made an immediate impact on the scoresheet, and the Americans kept him for the rest of the 2011-12 season. Rankin inked his first AHL contract and put up 29 points in 35 games. On July 3, 2012, Rochester announced a one-year extension for Rankin. He played 48 games in the 2012-13 season, contributing 31 points. After leaving the Amerks as a free agent, he signed a one-year deal with the Syracuse Crunch on July 10, 2013. Rankin took his game overseas on July 22, 2014, signing a one-year contract with Kölner Haie of Germany's DEL. He struggled to adapt to the European style, managing just 3 points in 18 games during the 2014-15 season. He decided to return to North America and rejoined the Rochester Americans for a second stint on January 26, 2015. After finishing his fifth season with the Walleye in 2016-17, Rankin—who held the franchise record for most goals—announced his retirement from professional hockey on September 1, 2017.