Mistelbacher signs AHL deal with Belleville

Steinbach’s Luke Mistelbacher has locked in where he will continue his foray into professional hockey.

The 2005-born forward signed with the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators April 8, after the Brandon Wheat Kings were eliminated from the Western Hockey League playoffs.

Mistelbacher is joining Belleville immediately on an amatuer try out contract and has signed formally for the 2026/2027 season. Belleville is the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.

Last year, Mistelbacher played with the AHL’s Iowa Wild for a couple games on an amateur try out contract, nabbing his first professional goal.

He scored 42 goals and added 46 assists in his final year of major junior hockey in Brandon. Mistelbacher went undrafted in the WHL draft as a 15-year-old, but impressed the Swift Current Broncos with a 48-point campaign in the U18 AAA ranks with Eastman to join their organization.

Mistelbacher finished his WHL career with 250 points in 257 games across five seasons.

Belleville added another connection from the region this week, signing former Niverville Nighthawks forward Nathan Brown to an amateur try-out contract.

Brown spent the season with Portland in the Western Hockey League, scoring 39 points in 55 games. After the 2024 playoffs, the 2006-born player joined Brooks in the B.C. Hockey League before making the jump to major junior with Portland.

Brown is committed to join St Cloud State in the NCAA’s top division.