Comets Announce Opening Night Roster

Oct 1, 2026

Utica, NY –  The Utica Comets have announced an updated roster of 27 players, consisting of 17 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goalies as they prepare for their season opener against the Providence Bruins at the Amica Mutual Pavilion tomorrow night at 7:05 PM. 

"We're really excited. We have our whole group with us now and are working on what lines are going to look like, seeing where different guys fit and where they mesh. We spent the last two weeks really just watching these guys from afar, so we're excited to be on the ice and get the season going," said Comets' Head Coach Ryan Parent. Of the 27 players on the opening night roster, 13 are new to Utica.  

Since the start of training camp this past Sunday, six players have been sent to the Comets' ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. The Comets also added six players to the roster who were not present for the start of camp: forwards Riley Tufte, Colin White and Marc McLaughlin, defensemen Topias Vilen and Vladislav Kolyachonok, and goaltender David Rittich. Tufte, a 6'6" power forward, led the Providence Bruins last season with 32 goals and was second with 56 points in 64 games. White has 323 career NHL regular-season games under his belt and recorded 48 points (21G, 27A) in 46 games last season with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).  

The addition of David Rittich, who cleared waivers earlier this week, should also bolster the roster from a goaltending standpoint. The 34-year-old Czechia native has appeared in 260 career NHL regular-season games and 59 career regular-season AHL games. Last season with the New York Islanders, he posted a record of 14-10-3 including two shutouts.  

Among some of the key returning players from last season's roster is forward Xavier Parent who led the team with 39 points last season and finished second with 20 goals, a career high. The Quebec native made his NHL debut last season, suiting up in five games with the Devils, and set a Comets franchise record later in the year with goals in seven straight games. 

Less than 100 tickets remain for the Comets' Home Opener. To watch the Comets take on the Rochester Americans at NBT Bank Arena next Saturday, October 10th at 6 PM, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.