8th year left wing Chris Auger(16) will head back to England for a 2nd tour signing with Manchester Storm for 2017/2018.
He played 2014/2015 for Fife Flyers and did exceedingly well (16 goals, 26 assists) in 41 EIHL games.
Otherwise, the original Chicago Blackhawks‘ 6th round pick in the 2006 draft (#169 overall) has skated 190 ECHL games with his last pair mostly with Brampton Beast, where he twice notched 30+ points.
He started his pro career in the Central Hockey League under contract to Mississippi RiverKings, then had his best year yet as a sophomore player with Fort Wayne Komets (28 goals, 31 assists for 59 points).
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward stayed with the club for another pair of years through their switch up to better hockey.
At 29-years old there’s a good chance the cancer survivors will stay overseas and possibly once again light it up.
12th year center Tim Sestito(43) decides after his 2nd season with Dinamo Riga will be his last for any squad.
In 53 KHL games through 2016/2017 he scored 5 goals and 7 assists with a bit of a dreadful -14 rating but with his 75 penalty minutes proved he is still the same agitator on ice he’s always been and is always good for at least a couple of fisticuffs’ battles.
He hangs up those skates having played 101 NHL games, 103 in Russia, a monstrous 451 AHL contests and even 138 in the ECHL.
What the 32-year old will decide to do next is still up in the air but coaching would be an amazing prospect for him to pursue.
3rd year undrafted defenseman Spiro Goulakos(6) has signed a pair of AHL deals, first with Rochester Americans, then Hartford Wolf Pack but has played the majority of his games in the ECHL with Elmira Jackals and Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Through 46 games in the lower league last season the 6’2″ 195 lbs. blue liner put up a career high 15 goals and 34 assists.
The two-time captain of his Colgate University team is heading overseas for a new path.
He signs a 0ne-year deal to join Belfast Giants of the EIHL, where he should play himself up to another new level.
At 27-years old, he’s definitely getting up there in veteran status but with the move could find a good spot in England or will look to keep moving for better contracts.
10th year veteran center Andrew Joudrey(11) retires after three seasons with Adler Mannheim. where he won the 2015 DEL Championship in his first run overseas.
His pro career started playing four campaigns with Hershey Bears, while under contract to Washington Capitals, then moved onto a pair of years for Columbus Blue Jackets and was assistant captain for affiliate Springfield Falcons before signing a minor league deal to continue with the team.
The 33-year old picked up decent numbers in his first year in Germany but tailed off his last two.
He leaves the ice with an NCAA Championship, 2 Calder Cups and a DEL title, which ain’t too shabby.
No word quite yet what he’ll do as he wraps up but obviously coaching would look to be a natural move for him to make.
Undrafted 3-year defenseman Ian Young(7) goes exploring for his next on ice adventure signing a one-year deal with Fife Flyers of EIHL.
He put up a new, modest career high 3 goals and 8 assists for Elmira Jackals in 44 ECHL games last season.
Those scoring totals outpaced anything he did in four years at Colorado College.
The 6’1″ 200 lbs. signed his first deal with Mississippi RiverKings of the SPHL, skating 23 games recording 11 assists, before being loaned up and sticking.
At 25-years old, he should be able to affect the score sheet more in England but will definitely be a welcome addition for his tough to play against, shut-down style.
Undrafted 8th year Croatian-born right wing Borna Rendulic(71) heads back to Liiga after 3-years of North American hockey signing with Pelicans for 2017/2018.
He signed a 2-year entry level deal with Colorado Avalanche in 2014/2015 and upon skating his first game with the big club he became the first player from his country to play in the NHL.
The very decently sized 6’2″ 198 lbs. power forward would find his way into 11 games scoring his first goal and an assist.
He would make only three appearances in his follow-up campaign, otherwise, mostly being reassigned to affiliate San Antonio Rampage, where he posted a career high 16 goals and 22 assists in 68 AHL games.
Apparently this fell a bit short of expectations as he was left unqualified by the parent club and became an unrestricted free agent.
Vancouver Canucks wasted little time stepping in to pick up his services.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Scott Allen(29) played his first full AHL season with Bakersfield Condors in 2016/2017, skating 57 games scoring 8 goals and 11 assists with a -8 rating.
His efforts were good enough to grab the attention of Pacific Division rival Tuscon Roadrunners, who signed him up for 2017/2018.
The fairly large 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward only had one good scoring campaign as a junior at University Of Alaska-Anchorage.
He spent all of his rookie year in the ECHL, playing most of his games with Norfolk Admirals but almost like he was waiting to turn pro, starting to pop the scoring bubble getting 15 goals and 19 assists.
Stats better than any year at college.
Seems natural that an opponent would scout the 27-year old out and sign him.
He should add to those defensive totals, especially if he’s on an ok team.
Vancouver Canucks‘ 4th year center Brendan Gaunce(50) played a career high 57 NHL scoring a new high 5 assists in a mostly fourth line, checking role.
He was only reassigned once for a total of 4 AHL games with affiliate Utica Comets, where he popped in a pair of goals and an assist.
The first time restricted free agent as his entry level deal expired received some reassurance with a new 2-year one-way deal through 2019.
At 23-years old, he’s looking at spending a first full season up in the show but will definitely have to start delivering more on the scoresheet, as should be expected from a high draft selection.
17th year left wing Alexandre Giroux(22) seems to be taking a bit of an easier route signing with Brûleurs de loups of Ligue Magnus for what will likely be one of the last years for the top scoring forward.
He has scored an eye-popping 704 (368-336) points in 771 AHL games, 226 points as a junior in the QMJHL through 202 games, 119 points in 144 NLA games, where he’s spent three years with HC Ambri-Piotti sandwiched between a pair of KHL seasons: 44 points in 105 games.
Scoring has always been in the deep draft pick’s blood and he should basically win the scoring title hands down in France next season.
We still remember his days with Hartford Wolf Pack like it was yesterday.
Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Alexx Privitera(18) takes a strong rookie year with Manchester Monarchs overseas signing a one-year deal with Medvescak Zagreb of EBEL for 2017/2018.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner plays a tough as nails style despite not being huge and has definitely shown abilities to affect the score sheet.
He grabbed 5 goals and 17 assists in 33 ECHL games with a +2 rating, then added another tally, 3 helpers and +3 in 19 Kelly Cup Playoff contests.
Also loaned for 19 AHL match-ups to affiliate Ontario Reign, he pocket 6 assists and a nice +5.
This mirrored numbers he was able to produce through 4 years at school, first at Boston College and later University Of Vermont to finish up.
He split that time in between with a third USHL campaign skating for Dubuque Fighting Saints.
He started with the USNTDP and Muskegon Lumberjacks before his initial run at college hockey.
At 24-years old he should be able to do very well in Austria’s top league and even possibly move himself over to the KHL for 2018/2019.
