Crunch re-sign Brendan Furry to two-year deal after career season

Brendan Furry gave Syracuse exactly the kind of season that earns a longer stay, and the Crunch rewarded him with a two-year AHL contract that says as much about the roster plan as it does about the player.

Furry, 27, played 58 games for Syracuse before an injury and delivered career highs with 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points. For a Crunch club that has built its identity around surviving the grind of the North Division, that production mattered beyond the box score. Secondary scoring is often what keeps an AHL team steady through injuries, call-ups and the weekly churn of the schedule, and Furry proved he could fill that role without needing the spotlight.

The move also fits the direction Joel Bouchard has been setting since arriving in Syracuse. Bouchard was hired as the Crunch’s 10th head coach on June 26, 2023 and took over general manager duties on July 7, 2025. In his first two seasons behind the bench, Syracuse went 76-47-12-9, reached the Calder Cup Playoffs in back-to-back years and advanced to the North Division Finals in 2024 for the first time since 2017-18. Keeping Furry in the fold is less about a depth patch and more about preserving a player the organization already trusts in a system that values consistency, reliability and internal development.

Furry’s career line supports that view. He has played 179 AHL games with Syracuse and Lehigh Valley since 2023 and has 68 points, including 31 goals and 37 assists. The Crunch signed him to a one-year AHL contract on July 2, 2025 after he spent 2024-25 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he played 61 games and posted 10 goals and nine assists. Syracuse’s roster bio also lists him at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, and notes that he produced three game-winning goals in 2024-25, including an overtime winner Jan. 4 at Syracuse.

His background helps explain why he has translated so smoothly into the pro game. Furry spent three seasons at Minnesota State University, Mankato from 2020 to 2023, served as captain in his final year and helped the Mavericks reach the national championship game for the first time as a Division I program. He finished his college career with 111 games and 85 points, including 27 goals and 58 assists, plus two Frozen Four appearances and three NCAA Tournament trips. Syracuse’s decision to lock him in now signals a larger truth about the next season: the Crunch are not waiting for a reset, they are building around players who have already shown they can hold up when the games get heavy.