8th year left wing John Kurtz(21) decides it’s time to try his game elsewhere, signing a one-year deal with Belfast Giants for 2017/2018.
The tough to play against forward split last season with Norfolk Admirals and Syracuse Crunch, two clubs he’s spent significant time with.
He had a pair of years under contract with Anaheim Ducks but failed to score a recall in a fourth line grinder role and was released.
Looking for a new deal, his next move was signing a pto with Utica Comets but after 25 AHL games was released, then picked up immediately by Toronto Marlies, where he was at the beginning of the season in training camp and played out 2015/2016.
He was able to connect better with his new team but still left him with few suitors moving forward.
As the next season got started, he was without a team until a month in agreed to terms with his former Virginia team but now in a new league.
It would be his first ECHL games in 5 years but he wouldn’t stay there through the entire year, instead he was loaned to Syracuse and played out the campaign there.
His style game should go over well in the United Kingdom league and he may even see some new career scoring highs.
Undrafted 9th year center Cory Quirk(11) had a good first season with Fischtown Pinguins of DEL that he has decided to stick around for shot at another title.
He won a pair of Metal Ligaen Championships in 2013 and 2014, while playing for SønderjyskE.
The mini 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward spent three big years scoring 56, 58 and 59 points with the club before leaving for Germany.
After leaving his first contracted team, Worcester Sharks, where he spent his first two seasons, he had best success with Starbulls Rosenheim scoring 18 goals with a career high 42 assists and 60 points in only 42 DEL2 games.
In 2012/2013, he split time with three different clubs/leagues skating for JYP of Liiga, while also dropping down to Finland’s tier 2 Mestis and finally finishing up in his first German appearance with Hannover Scorpions.
The 31-year old has played himself into some nice staying power and could simply continue.
7th year defenseman Simon Despres(7) was bought out of the final four years of a five year contract by Anaheim Ducks after concussions sidelined him for all but one appearance in the 2016/2017 season.
The big blue liner played only 49 games for the team after being dealt from draft club Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2015 trade deadline.
Never one to connect on the scoresheet with high frequency, he’s thought of as being tough to play against in his own zone and had a +31 total rating through 193 NHL games and a +5 in the AHL.
The recently turned 26-year old is set to make very decent money from his deal gone south but isn’t waiting around to sign another term in North America, instead splitting for the KHL agreeing to one year with HC Slovan Bratislava.
If he can stay healthy, he should fit in nicely over in Russia.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Chris Carlisle(6) takes a career high 2nd season performance with Binghamton Senators to Erste Bank Eishockey Liga signing a one year deal with HC Bolzano Foxes.
The somewhat small-sized 5’11” 178 lbs. blue liner had 3 goals, which was down one from his rookie campaign but 13 assists and 16 points were new bests in 74 AHL games.
He also had a dismal -29 on a team that mostly dwelled in the league cellar.
Before he turned pro he was part of an Oshawa Generals team that won the 2015 OHL Championship, then went on to win the Memorial Cup.
Boston Bruins‘ 3rd year net minder Zane McIntyre(31) has an awesome tribute to his grandmother painted on the back panel of his mask.
“LOVE YOU, GRANDMA SUSIE MCINTYRE”
He should see more time in between the pipes for the black n’ gold in the upcoming season.
The very decently sized goalie played his first NHL games last campaign posting a 0-3-1 records with a 3.97 GAA and .858 SV%.
He received a new 2-year extension recently.
5th year left wing Antoine Laganiere(28) put together a career high 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points in 64 AHL games with a -1 rating and a rock solid 155 shots on net under contract to San Diego Gulls.
For the big Quebec-born forward it equals a nice switch to play in Liiga, signing with Assat for 2017/2018.
The 27-year old should do well in Finland’s top league.
Undrafted 3rd year center Ben Lake(9) takes two seasons with Alaska Aces (136 ECHL games – 16 goals, 30 assists) over to the EIHL joining Coventry Blaze for 2017/2018.
His scoring is very much on par with what he was able to produce in his four years at Sacred Heart University.
The 5’11” 170 lbs. forward was a much better scorer in his final pair of years before college in the AJHL for Fort McMurray Oil Barons, where he was virtually a point-per-game player.
At already 27-years old, he should be able to take his stats up quite a bit in his new surroundings.
He recently scored a hat trick in a preseason match-up, which points towards good things.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Kodie Curran(4) takes a career and league best goals and points (10-33) by a blue liner for Esbjerg Energy to the 2017 Metal Ligaen Championship.
The fairly large 6’2″ 205 lbs. tough to play against d-man decides to try his hand at their northern neighbors’ top league GET-ligaen, signing with Storhamar for 2017/2018.
As a rookie, he inked with Hartford Wolf Pack but spent 45 ECHL games with affiliate Greenville Swamp Rabbits notching 7 goals and 16 assists.
He also played 18 games recording 4 assists with a +3 rating with the AHL club that was close to last place in the league.
After 4 years of AJHL with Calgary Canucks and Spruce Grove Saints, he decided to head to University Of Calgary and spent 5 years at school before turning pro with a pair of games in Connecticut.
The 27-year old will do well in Norway and should continue to increase his worth overseas.
Undrafted 2nd year goaltender Michael Garteig(35) finished up a one-year entry level contract with Vancouver Canucks but was left unqualified heading into the new season.
He tended the cage for 8 AHL games with affiliate Utica Comets and even though he posted a 0-4-2-1 record with a 3.01 GAA and .897 SV%, they must have liked what they saw, as he is signed to a one-year minor league deal for 2017/2018.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. net minder played most of his rookie season for Alaska Aces, where he was in the cage for 22 ECHL games posting similar stats to what he achieved in the higher league.
He twice was the BCHL‘s leading backstop and won the 2012 Doyle Cup Championship with Penticton Vees before agreeing to four years at Quinnipiac University.
Averaging just shy of 40 games played as a sophomore, junior and senior at college hockey, he won the 2016 NCAA/ECAC title as he consistently put up excellent numbers.
The 25-year old will likely rebound nicely.
9th year left wing Brandon Mashinter(53) is returning to his roots signing a one-year two-way deal with the first team he laced up for San Jose Sharks.
This wrapped up four years in Chicago Blackhawks‘ system.
He was with them in his first full season 2014/2015, when they won their last Stanley Cup but played only with affiliate Rockford Icehogs.
It would be the follow-up season that he played a career high 41 NHL games scoring 4 goals and an assist.
He played the entirety of 2016/2017 in the AHL pacing himself for a 5th 30-point session.
It’s possible the soon-to-be 29-year old could assume the captain’s role for farm club San Jose Barracuda but chances are he fits into the big league team structure.
