Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ goalie Casey DeSmith(1) has already been on quite the journey as he exits his 2nd pro season.
In 2016/2017, he won the Harry “Haps” Holmes Award for least goals allowed per game along with teammate Tristan Jarry.
The 6′ 180 lbs. net minder played a career high 29 AHL games posting an outstanding 21-5 record with a 2.05 GAA and .926 SV% with 1 shut out.
He signed a one-year deal with the club after being loaned from affiliate Wheeling Nailers towards the end of his rookie campaign, stepping in and backstopping the team through the second round of the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs.
In 13 ECHL games through his first year he had decent numbers but nothing like he was able to do in the higher league.
He was better during three seasons at University Of New Hampshire but didn’t even play in his senior year due to some litigation that he was eventually cleared of.
The 25-year old may just be playing himself into at least a one-year entry level deal from an NHL club, whether that will be the parent club, Pittsburgh Penguins remains to be seen.
7th year right wing Max Friberg(6) has decided to return home to his native Sweden.
He signed a three-year deal with Frolunda HC of the SHL, the league he started his pro career in 2011/2012 with two seasons for Timra IK.
Scheduled to become a restricted free agent, he’s possibly seeing the writing on the wall with current contract team Montreal Canadiens.
Traded early in 2014/2015 after signing a two-year agreement with draft squad Anaheim Ducks, he was reassigned to affiliate St. John’s IceCaps but never recalled.
He spent 2016/2017 as captain of the AHL club and for the fourth straight season came away with 10+ goals and 20+ assists.
The 24-year old has appeared in 6 NHL games scoring no points.
He’ll likely produce well back where it all started and be much happier.
7th year center Andy Miele(21) decides it’s time to leave North America pro hockey signing a one-year deal with an option for a second with Malmo Redhawks of the SHL.
He leaves after leading playing 420 AHL games (119-249-368), where he was his team’s leading scorer from 2011’s rookie campaign through 2016.
The small, high scoring forward only missed out being first last season while playing for Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
He has however had the most assists on his minor league squad every year and for three straight runs settled at 44 helpers (and 45 his final run with Portland Pirates in 2013/2014).
As a member of Detroit Red Wings for two seasons and Philadelphia Flyers he was unable to crack the big league roster and almost oddly only has 15 NHL games to his credit, recording 2 assists.
Seems smart for the recently turned 29-year old to move on, as he’ll likely see more success overseas as he approaches 30.
We will miss him, but wish him the best as he’s always been one of this site’s favorite players.
After being reassigned for all of 2016/2017 down to affiliate Reading Royals, 5th year Swedish-born defenseman Jesper Pettersson(37) isn’t waiting around to see about a qualifying offer as his three-year entry level deal is set to expire.
Philadelphia Flyers‘ 7th round pick in the 2014 draft (#198 overall) will return home signing with Djurgardens IF of the SHL.
The small, swift moving blue liner played all of his later junior hockey with Linkoping HC and even had a short stint with their pro team in 2012/2013, then spent all of the next season before coming to North America.
He skated his entire rookie campaign with farm club Lehigh Valley Phantoms appearing in 51 AHL games but also sitting on the sidelines some as a healthy scratch.
In his sophomore run, he would split time between the two lower leagues and seemed to jump to life a bit in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs scoring 1 goal and 6 assists in 14 ECHL match-ups.
He also got 4 goals and 16 assist during the regular season and tied his tally mark and had a new career high 20 assists last season.
The 22-year old, who will turn 23 over the summer, will likely be much happier with his decision to go back to where it all started.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 3rd round pick in the 2014 draft (#73 overall) 2nd year defenseman Brett Lernout(36) basically ended his 1st official season (2015/2016 was played on an entry level slide) adding a pair of games to his totals on the big league roster.
He’s skated 3 NHL games but easily had no greater role than in his last appearance, skating 25 shifts for 23:54 of total ice in a 3-2 overtime win.
The big 6’4″ 213 lbs. blue liner is always tough for opponents to match up against but has also shown the ability to affect the stat sheet as he did in his third and final year with Swift Current Broncos, when he posted 28 assists in 72 WHL games.
He was also raise his game slightly in 2016/2017 with affiliate St. John’s IceCaps playing a career high 74 AHL games scoring new bests 3 goals and 13 assists with a +5 rating and 95 shots on net.
The 21-year old is signed through 2019 and look for him to compete hard to stay on the parent club roster for a full-term when 2017/2018 starts.
Manchester Monarchs and Brampton Beast engaged in an all out on ice brawl during the 3rd period as the game was slipping away from the visiting team from Canada 4-0 in the third period.
With the game 3 win the ECHL Kelly Cup North Division Finals stands at 2-1.
Even Monarchs‘ goalie Sam Brittain(1) can be seen mixed up in the melee.
Beast resident tough guy Mathieu Gagnon(21) threw punches at no less than three players from the opposing team in the feisty affair.
Hard to believe former 1st round draft pick Marc-Antoine Pouliot(78) will suit up for games in his 13th year of pro hockey.
He will play for a 2nd consecutive year, 3rd overall with EHC Biel-Bienne, his 6 season in the NLA.
The 6’1″ 189 lbs. forward joined the elite Swiss Hockey League after spending the majority of the 2012/2013 campaign with Portland Pirates, while under contract to Arizona Coyotes.
Although he’s played 192 NHL games, he only had one full year 2008/2009 up in the big league skating 63 contests but otherwise split time or played mostly in the minors.
At 31-years old it seems like he still has plenty of playing time left but how long he’ll want to continue is solely up to him, although we could easily see him grabbing good contracts overseas into his 40’s.
Undrafted 5th year defenseman Spencer Humphries(2) gets a one year extension from Stavanger Oilers after he scored a league best 14 goals for a blue liner and 19 assists in 45 games, then added another 4 goals and 5 assists in 14 playoff contests en route to the 2017 Get-ligaen Championship.
The rugged 6’2″ 209 lbs. d-man had a pair of 20+ assists seasons in the ECHL from 2014-2016 and a nice playoff ride with South Carolina Stingrays, so definitely can put up the points, especially those helpers.
He proved that early, especially in his final two runs with Calgary Hitmen, where he cranked out an exceptional 30+ assists.
In a bit of an odd move, he spent his rookie season in the KHL with HC Lev Praha, while also being loaned for 10 games and playoffs to HC Litomerice.
The 25-year old (as of today – happy birthday!) seems like he could play himself up the European hockey ladder quite nicely if he decides to stick with it.
7th year left wing Garrett Roe(11) switches lands for his two seasons, leaving two strong campaigns with Linkoping HC of the SHL for EV Zug of the NLA.
It will be the fourth country since heading overseas in 2013/2014 that have included EBEL and a career best run with EHC Munchen, where he was a point-per-game player connecting for 13 goals and 38 assists in 51 DEL games.
The former deep draft pick has put up 40+ points four times and eclipsed 20+ assists on 5 different occasions, including his rookie season for Adirondack Phantoms.
He proved he was able to connect big through 4 years at St. Cloud State University, as he was credited for 178 points (65-113) in 156 NCAA games and had similiar results in his final pair of runs with Indiana Ice of the USHL.
The small 29-year old seems to have a lot left in the tank and is having plenty of fun.
He just needs one championship to complete the story.
