PORTLAND, ME – December 30, 2024 – The Maine Mariners have signed forward Derek Whitmore, the team announced on Monday. A former Portland Pirate, Whitmore is a veteran of over 400 professional games including 369 in the American Hockey League.
Whitmore, 40, was born in Rochester, NY and made his professional debut with his hometown Rochester Americans (AHL) in the 2007-08 season while under contract with the Buffalo Sabres. As the Sabres moved their affiliation to Portland the following season, he would spend three seasons with the Pirates, from 2008-2011. In the 2011-12 season he made his NHL debut for Buffalo.
From 2012-2014, Whitmore made AHL stops in St. John’s, Hershey, and Adirondack. He also played overseas in Germany and Austria. In 2017, he returned to North America and made his ECHL debut with the Reading Royals, where he spent the season as their captain. In 2021-22, he came out of retirement to play two games for the Iowa Heartlanders. His ECHL career totals include 35 games played with 15 points (9 goals, 6 assists).
Whitmore now lives in Scarborough, ME and runs Whitmore Hockey Development while also volunteering alongside former Mariners Head Coach Ben Guite with the Bowdoin College men’s hockey team. He was previously an assistant coach on the Bowdoin women’s hockey staff as well as the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League.
The Mariners are in action for a New Year’s Eve matinee at the Cross Insurance Arena tomorrow at 1 PM. The game features a carnival on the concourse and a postgame open skate, presented by CoverME.gov. The Mariners are also home for a “Three Dollar Deweys Threekend” this weekend as the Tahoe Knight Monsters come to town January 3, 4, and 5. Single game tickets are available at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Hammond Lumber Company Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. For more information on ticket packages and group discounts, fans can call 833-GO-MAINE, go to MarinersOfMaine.com, or visit the Mariners front office at 94 Free Street in Portland.
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