American International College Yellowjackets‘ junior center Casey McDonald(29) enters the transfer portal as his school isn’t playing in 2025/2026 due to switching down to D3, so will go as a senior with Long Island University Sharks and serves as team captain.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward scored 1 goal in his debut with his new team.
From Kindersley, SK, he did 3 years in juniors, with his last up north for a BCHL Championship before college.
The 24-year old is a natural leader on ice.
He scores a new best 6 assists and 10 points as a senior with a +3 in 31 games and gets signed by South Carolina Stingrays.
In 9 games, he has 2 ECHL goals and 1 assist.
Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#95 overall), defenseman Mike Benning(20) gets himself a 3-year NHL entry level deal, leaving 1 season at University Of Denver Pioneers on the table.
The 5’9″ 177 lbs. blue liner is small, but leaves with a very accountable +55 rating and scored 10+ goals and 20+ assists as a sophomore and junior.
He is also only 1 season off winning the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Championship.
The 21-year from Edmonton, AB is with the big club for playoffs, but potentially should head to Charlotte Checkers to help them win a Calder Cup.
He actually scores 9 points in 18 playoff games with a +6 rating, which may have factored in the decision to keep him around another 1-year deal with the Panthers after also gaining a career high 23 assists.
In 56 games, he scores almost exact points from a year earlier and scores a 1st recall, as the parent club is absolutely struggling with injuries down the stretch.
He has 4 assists in 13 NHL games, getting his footing on a team his dad, Brian Benning(2) played on the inaugural 1993-1994 team.
Providence College Friars‘ 2022/2023 commit, center Grant Porter(10) is spending his final year of junior hockey with Youngstown Phantoms.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. hard playing forward has a goal and 4 assists in 15 USHL games.
He had a seriously strong run in his first year for closer to home New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, scoring 17 goals and 27 assists in 33 USPHL/NCDC games.
The 19-year old seemed to grow into scoring leaving high school with good numbers.
After only seeing action in 1 game as a freshman, he has decided to try his luck at Canisius College Golden Griffins for his sophomore campaign and should show vastly improved playing time and scoring.
As a senior he plays a college high 35 games and scores point-per-game numbers 12 goals and 23 assists that he takes to a 1st pro contract with Bloomington Bison.
He seems to like being a pro with 4 ECHL goals and 5 assists in 11 games with a +2 rating.
South Shore Kings‘ 1st year defenseman Ryan Diffley(20) has a new junior best 14 assists in only 19 USPHL/NCDC games that he will take to a 2026/2027 commit at Babson College Beavers.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner had 7 goals last year with Springfield Jr. Pics 1st season in 29 games.
From Old Saybrook, CT, the 20-year plays with leadership qualities and should contribute to Little East play when he arrives.
Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ graduate right wing Alton McDermott(21) had a college best 8 goals in only 17 games last season, likely due to injury.
He sat out all of 2023/2024.
The 6′ 181 lbs. forward signs a 1st pro deal, an spc with Orlando Solar Bears.
From Oakville, ON, the 24-year has 1 assist in 5 ECHL games.
He did 2 years of OJHL juniors, scoring 20+ goals each frame and winning a 2019 Championship in his 1st year.
Dartmouth College Big Green junior center Luke Haymes(43) had 12 goals and 6 assists in 22 games last season and will leave a year on the table to sign a 2-year NHL entry level deal, as an undrafted, unrestricted free agent with Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 6’1″ 192 lbs. forward from Ottawa, ON did only 1 BCHL season before school.
He scored 2 goals and 4 assists in 9 AHL games with a +1 rating on an ato with affiliate Toronto Marlies.
We look for the 21-year old to step right in, when given an opportunity.
In 63 games, he scored a new best 15 goals and 17 assists and gets the recall for his NHL debut and has appeared in 3 games thus far with a 1st assist in the books.
Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior captain defenseman Nash Nienhuis(4) scored a college career best 9 goals and tied his 15 assists set as a junior.
The undrafted 5’10” 181 lbs. blue liner will take his game overseas for his rookie frame, as he signs with EC Red Bull Salzburg of IceHL.
From Sarnia, ON, he did 1 season GOJHL before transferring to the USHL, where he skated mostly with Muskegon Lumberjacks before heading to school.
We look for the 24-year old to do well in Austria’s top league.
In his 1st frame with the team he would win the 2025 Championship and sign on for a more productive 2nd season with 17 assists and 19 points in 47 games with a +20 rating, then 3 more points in the playoffs.
No doubt, he signs for a 3rd year at Red Bull.
University Of Massachusetts Minutemen graduate center Liam Gorman(20) may only have 2 assists in 10 games, but you feel the 6’2″ 187 lbs. power forward will strike for some Hockey East points sooner than later.
He had a college career best 12 goals and 10 assists as a senior with Princeton University Tigers.
The 23-year old from Boston, MA is a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 6th round pick in the 2018 draft (#177 overall), but was traded to Chicago Blackhawks and will need an NHL entry level deal after this frame.
Through 28 games, he only scores 1 goal and 3 assists with a +2 rating, but is not signed, so the free agent agrees to terms with Allen Americans for his ECHL rookie season, 2024/2025.
After 6 goals and 11 assists in 62 games last season, he is traded to Maine Mariners, who look to add him.
He gets 4 goals and 2 assists in 34 games with a 0 rating and is released to Kansas City Mavericks, where his scoring is almost assured to increase.
MCLA Trailblazers‘ junior defenseman, captain Connor Nagy(7) transferred after a freshman year at Finlandia University Lions.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner from Trenton, MI has 1 goal and 1 assist through 16 games with a -15 on a team with only 2 wins this season.
He did 2 campaigns of EHL with a couple of different teams before heading to school.
The 23-year old will very likely return for another year to help lead the club to hopefully better outcomes.
He finishes up school with a 2nd straight season of 1 goal and 1 assist in 24 games.
As tournament play winds down, he signs a 1st pro contract with Topeka Scarecrows and has 1 assist in 9 FPHL games to start.
Franklin Pierce University Ravens‘ senior right wing Austin Pick(47) looks to be setting up some college best scoring with 1 goal and 8 assists in 5 games to start 2025/2026.
He had 10 goals as a sophomore after transferring from Stonehill College Skyhawks.
The 5’8″ 185 lbs. forward scored 20 points in his junior year.
From Troutdale, OR, the 24-year old, former 2-year Seahawks HC looks great on his game out there.
He did put up bests 19 assists and 28 points that he takes to a 1st pro deal with Monroe Moccasins.
In 12 FPHL games, he is off and running with 6 goals and 2 assists, +1 rating.
Austin Pick (8)
