Berschbach, Jenks to return to Walleye for upcoming season

Spike takes a look out over Toledo during a Walleye event at the Holy Toledo Tavern ahead of the Mud Hens game on Monday.

THE BLADE/KURT STEISS
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The Toledo Walleye announced Monday they have re-signed two of the team's most prolific scorers the past four seasons.

Forwards Shane Berschbach and A.J. Jenks agreed to terms with the organization for the upcoming season.

Berschbach is the organization's all-time leader in points (267) and also holds the top spot in assists (191). Jenks is fourth all-time in Walleye history in goals scored and is tied for fifth in assists.

The two forwards have combined for 412 points during their four years in Toledo.

Shane Berschbach speaks to fans during a Walleye event at the Holy Toledo Tavern in Toledo ahead of the Mud Hens game on Monday.

Berschbach has appeared in 255 games and scored 76 goals, ranking second and third in Walleye history, respectively.

A 27-year-old native of Clawson, Mich., Berschbach is a playmaker with a knack for setting up goals. He set single-season Walleye records with 68 assists and 86 points in 2015-16. Last season, Berschbach posted 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 59 games.

In a four-year career at Western Michigan, Berschbach posted 39 goals and 78 assists and was a plus-27 in 146 games.

Jenks, a 28-year-old native of Wolverine Lake, Mich., is a versatile center who brings power and leadership to the position. With Toledo, Jenks has collected 145 points (72 goals, 73 assists) in 183 contests.

He posted a career high with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in just 46 games with the Walleye in 2016-17. Jenks missed almost half of last season because of injury and finished with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 40 games. At the conclusion of the regular season, he won The Blade’s My Favorite Walleye fan vote.

Jenks has appeared in 251 ECHL games for Toledo, Florida, Cincinnati, and Charlotte since 2011. A fourth-round pick in the 2008 NHL draft by the Florida Panthers, he has collected 20 goals and 48 points in 190 games played in the American Hockey League.

The duo has helped the Walleye capture division titles all four seasons.

Zach Nastasiuk and Christian Hilbrich, who played for Toledo last season, will not return to the team.

Nastasiuk, who spent parts of the past three seasons with Toledo, signed a one-year, two-way deal with Charlotte of the AHL. Nastasiuk played in 102 regular-season games with Toledo, totaling 31 goals and 40 assists.

Head coach Dan Watson said at a fan event Hilbrich, who was second on the team with 23 goals last year and added 23 assists in his lone season with Toledo, will sign overseas.

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354, or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.