Amin acquired by North Stars -- again

The Traverse City North Stars like Ryan Amin so much, they picked him up twice.

The former North Stars tender who signed with the club in December 2007 and played 13 games with Traverse City in 2008-09, was re-acquired from Kenai River on Thursday in a three-way trade that sent forward Sean Keane to Wichita Falls.

Amin, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound forward from Canton, had a goal and a pair of assists in 12 games this season with the Brown Bears. While he may not arrive from Alaska in time for this weekend’s home-and-home series with Alpena, Amin is expected to play a significant role straight away.

“We’ve got Kellin (Ainsworth) out with an injury, Kyle Jean is home with the flu, and we might have to dress as few as 10 forwards this weekend,” lamented Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. “So we’re looking to get Ryan in the mix right away. He’s a strong kid, and brings some more grit and toughness to our team. He’s also a versatile player that can go in at center or play on the wing.”

Amin played his final year of midgets with Compuware prior to signing with TC. He had eight goals and as many assists in 25 league games with that club in 2007-08. Keane, a Honeybaked midget product, appeared in seven games this year for the North Stars, and recorded his first junior goal last weekend in a 4-1 win over Alpena.

“We think the world of Sean, and he’s going somewhere where he’ll have a bigger role,” Palumbo said. “This has the makings of a positive deal for everyone involved.”