Swift Current's Tyson Empey has a lot to look forward to.
He is looking to help the Manitoba Moose back to the AHL playoffs after inking a one-year American Hockey League contract with the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.
After one season in Manitoba, he knew he wanted to stick around.
"My first year playing for a team in Canada," Empey said. "Getting to be close to home and to my family. It was awesome to have them be able to visit quite a bit. Really seemed to gel with the team. Got along well with the coaching staff and management there. It was a really good fit for me and made a lot of sense to go back."
Empey had a career-high 7 AHL goals and 6 assists for the Moose last season while playing a very physical game.
Who else is pumped up about this one? 🙋
— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) July 8, 2025
Tyson Empey posted a career-high seven goals and 13 points in 59 games with the #MBMoose during the 2024-25 campaign. pic.twitter.com/ZtpQqhg3Kl
He was back to a full-time AHL role after spending most of the previous season in the ECHL.
"The timing I guess," Empey said. "I've been the same player over the years, playing kind of a distinct role. Sometimes teams have a player fill that role. There was room there for someone to slide into that role with the Moose. I came to camp, and they liked what I had. They have some younger players, and I was allowed to get out there and protect them a little bit. I play a hard, rugged role, and they seemed to like that. It worked out good."
Empey has played five seasons of professional hockey between the ECHL and AHL.
He had put up 42 points in 64 games for the ECHL's South Carolina Stringrays in 2023-24.
"When I was in South Carolina, I was able to play a pretty big role offensively with some power play time and stuff like that," Empey said. "I think I just improved a lot with my puck skills and just the offensive part of the game. I think that helped transfer to this past season with Manitoba, and I'm hoping to be able to just continue to grow with that."
The 30-year-old hasn't given up the goal of getting the call to the NHL.
"Obviously, that's every guy's dream in the American Hockey League is to get called up to the NHL," Empey said. "I don't know if it's in the cards for a 30-year-old anymore, but you never know, going to keep working, and you never know what happens."
His bigger focus is to help the Moose return to the post-season.
"We didn't make the playoffs last year, so that's a big goal for us this year," Empey said. "It's going to be a big season there. I think we've got a good team coming into the year, and we're going to be able to hopefully string some wins together and be better than we were last season."
The former Swift Current Legionnaire spent his junior career with the SJHL's Flin Flon Bombers. He has been keeping an eye on the struggles that community has been going through with wildfires this summer.
"I've been talking with my billets lots," Empey noted. "Things are pretty bad up there, so they've been evacuated and are going through the steps to try to get things situated up there. My billet dad is the firefighter up there, so he's really busy. I've been talking to him. Hopefully, they can get things right back to normal."
He is spending part of the summer training in Arizona as he prepares to sign an even more important contract this summer.
"A lifetime contract," Empey said of his impending nuptials. "A pretty important one."