The 27-year-old, right winger joins the club from French topflight side, Cergy-Pontoise and last season he posted 28 points (13G, 15A) across 43 matches for the Jokers, who would finish fourth in the league and reach the playoff semi-finals.
Born in Pierrefonds, Quebec, Rinaldi has played over 140 games in the NCAA as he spent four years at Union College, before going on to make 88 ECHL appearances with two different teams.
Standing at 6-feet-tall and weighing in at 185lbs, Anthony has also played six times in the American Hockey League, after earning a professional try-out contract with Tucson Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.
Rinaldi, who holds dual nationality as a Canadian-Italian, turned pro with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks in the 2020-2021 season, before being traded to Greenville Swamp Rabbits where he produced 50 points (24G, 26A) in 93 games.
LEFEBVRE ON RINALDI
Once the deal to add Rinaldi to his roster was complete, Stars Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre, said: “Anthony brings even more skill and more speed to our line-up and that is something we have been looking for, but also a right-handed shot, which I thought we needed up front.
“Anthony’s name kept coming up and I knew him a little from last season, coaching against him in France and I knew some players that had played with him.
“Cergy had two great seasons, during the two years I was there, they got two the semi-finals of the playoffs in both years and I believe Anthony is going to be a great addition to the Elite League.”
LeFebvre continued: “His speed is the biggest thing he brings to our line-up and we hope he can use that this season.
“He is also someone that can play the flank on the powerplay, on his off-side and he is an overall great guy, so I am looking forward to working with him.”
Listen to the full interview below!
RINALDI ON THE SWITCH TO SCOTLAND
Hear what Anthony had to say as he spoke to Stars TV’s Stephen Swann about making the move to Dundee and the Elite League.
RINALDI’S CAREER
Anthony’s career began back in 2010 as he played AAA hockey in the Quebec leagues, icing with Lac St-Louis Lions Black, posting 30 points (18G, 12A) in his debut season.
After two years with the Lions, he moved across the border to join the United States High School-Prep league and would spend the next two campaigns with Kent School Lions in Connecticut.
Across 51 games as a Kent Lion, Rinaldi recorded 46 points, scoring 26 goals and by the 2014-2015 campaign, he stepped up to the British Columbia Hockey League, one level below the major junior leagues, and joined Nanaimo Clippers.
Anthony scored 22 goals as a rookie and added 16 more assists in 53 regular season matches, before he would get his first taste of playoff hockey, adding 10 more points in 21 post-season games.
For his outstanding efforts, he then earned a move to Ontario’s version of the BCHL and would play one season with Kingston Voyagers as an alternate captain.
Rinaldi would be the third-top point scorer in the league that year, amassing 73 points 38G, 35A) in the regular season from 52 appearances, he then posted five goals and eight assists in 11 playoff games, before being named to the OJHL First All-Star Team.
The right winger then took another step up the following summer as he committed to play college hockey in the NCAA with Union College.
Over the next four years, Anthony would feature in 140 NCAA games and score 40 goals and 44 assists, before turning professional after his senior year.
Ahead of the 2020-2021 COVID-19 impacted season, Rinaldi joined ECHL outfit, Kansas City Mavericks and after only five appearances, Greenville Swamp Rabbits came calling and acquired the winger in exchange for former Fife Flyer, Kamerin Nault.
He would then go on to play two seasons in Greenville, South Carolina, being coached by former Cardiff Devils Head Coach, Andrew Lord and after posting 13 points in his first year and a lone goal in four playoff ties, Anthony then exploded for 35 points in just 40 games in the 2021-2022 campaign.
After putting up 15 goals and 20 assists, as well as one more goal in six more playoff contests, he earned his professional try-out contract with Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and that would evolve into a six-game loan spell with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes farm side.
Then last season, Rinaldi crossed the pond to test his game in Europe for the first time, playing under the now Head Coach of Nottingham Panthers, Jonathan Paredes at Cergy-Pontoise, he would produce 28 points across 43 league, playoffs and French Cup games.
In his 13-year-career so far, Anthony has featured in 449 matches, recorded 176 goals, 164 assists and collected 262 penalty minutes, while also playing in 50 playoff games, where he tallied 32 points (14G, 18A) and 21 penalty minutes.
Anthony is our 16th signing of the summer and joins Drydn Dow, Lucas Brine, Kris Inglis, Jonathan McBean, Craig Moore, Craig Garrigan, Johnny Walker, Josh Brittain, Chris McKay, Ryan Valentini, Brendan Harms, Carter Johnson, Tommy Parrottino, James Phelan and Kevin Carr on the roster for next season.
Rinaldi will wear #17 for the Stars and you can sponsor his equipment for this season right now, click HERE.
To see Anthony’s career stats on Elite Prospects click HERE.
Featured Image: Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Banner Image: Union College Athletics.
