Jake Leonard 
Mitch Walinski was signed off the ECHL waiver wire on Saturday, Dec. 21 by the Bloomington Bison. PHOTO COURTESY ADIRONDACK THUNDER
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Bloomington Bison revealed Saturday that they had claimed forward Mitch Walinski off the waiver wire, according to General Manager and Head Coach Phillip Barski.
Walinski, 26, started the 2024-25 ECHL season with the Adirondack Thunder, appearing in only four games and racking up two penalty minutes.
The Lincoln, R.I. native appeared in 49 games last season with the Atlanta Gladiators, posting 11 points (seven goals and four assists) with 32 penalty minutes.
The 6’1″, 180-pound forward dressed in 61 career NCAA games with Salve Regina University scoring 37 goals and netting 28 assists. He also had 89 penalty minutes.
Walinski also appeared in 114 games in the NAHL between the Bismarck Bobcats and Corpus Christi IceRays scoring 43 goals and netting 27 assists. He also had 102 career penalty minutes in his tenure in the NAHL.
The Bison (10-12-0-2) is back in action tonight on the road against the Iowa Heartlanders (14-8-3-0), one night removed from hosting them Friday night in Bloomington. Opening puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.
They will then take most of next week off for the Christmas holiday before returning to action Friday night for a three-game swing, starting with a road game against the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday, December 27. The Bison will host the following two games at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Saturday and Sunday night.
