Charlotte Checkers‘ 8th year center Scott Wilson(10) is off to a good start with his new team, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 16 AHL games, while helping them win games.
Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#209 overall), he was selected after a 2nd strong session for Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL.
The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward would then head to UMass-Lowell Riverhawks for three seasons.
He spent three years in the Pens’ system and played the entire 2016/2017 in the NHL en route of the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship, where he played 20 playoff matchups, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists.
The 29-year old should have some fun with his minor league deal this year and then look for a nice overseas contract for 2022/2023.
After scoring a career best 24 goals in 71 games, he decides at the last minute to head off and sign with Vityaz Podolsk, as we thought he might do, after initially thinking he was going to return.
He should be able to match up well in the KHL.
After a couple of good 20-goal scoring seasons, he was maybe off a bit in the current frame, so switches up allegiances to skate for Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the remainder of 2024/2025.
Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#162 overall), St. Lawrence University Saints‘ sophomore transfer, Czechia-born Tomas Mazura(10) is putting up college career best 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 games after only skating 8 as a freshman at Providence College Friars.
The big frame 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward is a power force out there, only played 4 USHL games after a monster senior year at Kimball Union Academy, serving as captain, recording an eye-popping 60 assists in 35 USHS-Prep games.
It looks as though the 22-year old will play out his college term and continue to escalate and grow his game.
He posts a new college best 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points as a junior and scores the only goal his team needs to head to the ECAC Finals.
After 17 games with good output, 1 goal and 13 assists, he decides to head back home and signs with BK Mlada Boleslav of Tipsport Extraliga.
10th year veteran left wing Derek Whitmore(21) hasn’t played a pro game since 2017/2018, but he returns at 40-years old to sign with Maine Mariners, where he may act a little more as a coach.
He returns to the city, where he played most of his AHL hockey with Portland Pirates.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward also played a few seasons overseas with decent luck.
He has 349 games experience in the higher league and left Reading Royals as team captain.
We aren’t sure how much scoring the former Bowling Green State University Falcons‘ 27-goal scorer as a senior has left in the tank, but he is going to be pivotal in the locker room.
And he scores in his 1st game back, just for good measure.
Florida Everblades‘ 6th year center Joe Widmar(72) was just obtained from Allen Americans, where he seemed to struggle with only 3 assists in 14 games after starting the season decently for the lowly Norfolk Admirals, scoring 5 goals and 4 assists in 13 contests.
The big 6’1″ 210 lbs. forward has struggled to stay with one team for an entire frame, except for his one complete season overseas, where he skated 26 Polish Hockey League games for Cracovia Krakow.
A former 2-year UMass Minutemen wasn’t a big scorer in college before turning pro.
The 27-year old from Northbrook, IL still can be an elite player in the ECHL, but needs to not get traded.
He has definitely struggled in the higher league some, as he started the 2024/2025 frame with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs and scored 3 goals and 6 assists in 2 SPHL games to earn a quick loan up, but there he has been perplexed hitting the scoresheet.
With only 1 assist in 20 games, he moves for a 3rd time, claimed from waivers by Fort Wayne Komets, where he hopes to find luck.
5th year center, Nick Hutchinson(12) maybe pulls a surprising move, leaving the captaincy at Wheeling Nailers to head back to Europe, signing with EV Landshut of DEL2.
He leaves after 9 ECHL games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists with a +4 rating.
The pretty big 6’3″ 210 lbs. forward always had 10+ goals and assists through 4 years at Canisius College Golden Griffins.
His best scoring season was his 1st with his recent former team, where he was well over a point per game player.
It’s possibly he goes there in the tier 2 league and gets elevated to the top level there.
Holy Cross College Crusaders‘ graduate goaltender Jason Grande(30) put up quite a spectacular 10-4-2 record with a 2.06 GAA and .929 SV%, as his team heads into the Atlantic Hockey playoffs in the 2nd seed position.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. net minder played 2 stellar years in the NAHL with Amarillo Bulls before committing to his 1st school, Bentley University Falcons.
From West Chester, PA, where he played his youth hockey, the 25-year old will likely turn pro once college hockey wraps up.
Not surprising, he signs an ato with Bridgeport Islanders that we think could get him some action.
He plays no games upon graduation, so looks elsewhere and it may be one of the best offseason signings yet, he agrees to terms for 2024/2025 with HC Nove Zamky of Slovak Extraliga, which will have him playing a very high level of pro hockey.
Things are not going so well in Slovakia, so he looks elsewhere and signs with Nottingham Panthers to try to help them right their EIHL ship.
2nd year net minder Evan Cowley(31) signed at the beginning of 2018/2019 with Wheeling Nailers but after one uneven start on a bit of a struggling squad was released.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#92 overall), he never agreed to terms with the team but did eventually get a contract with affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, where he split time with Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL as a rookie.
The former University Of Denver backstop put up stellar numbers in college and went on to win the 2017 NCAA Championship.
At 23-years old, it didn’t take him long to secure a new deal after he was let go, grabbing a contract with MH Automatyka Gdansk of Polska Hokej Liga, where he will likely excel and move up the European hockey ladder as he goes.
He spent the last 3 seasons in Ligue Magnus with Ducs D’Angers and put up league best GAA (2.02) and SV% (.935), but is ready to explore again and signs to Asiago and will play in the IceHL for 2024/2025.
Through 20 games, he has struggled some, so makes a decision to head to HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with IK Oskarshamn.
Stonehill College Skyhawks‘ Swiss-born, 3rd year center Dean Schwenninger(25) has decided to head home to sign in the tier 2 league, SL with EHC Visp and puts school on the shelf for now after 2 assists in 16 games in the current frame.
He heads back to a league he spent 3 years playing after youth hockey and before heading to America for juniors in the NAHL for 1 big scoring season before school.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. 23-year old forward will likely do well in his return.
Rookie defenseman Matt Staudacher(25) leaves Italy2, where he scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 19 games for Brixen/Bressanone Falcons, for a contract with the new Bloomington Bison.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. blue liner finished up a graduate year of college at Northeastern University Huskies with a new best 2 goals.
He had more assists in 4 years (3 playing) at University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
From Grand Blanc, MI, we expect the 24-year old to do quite well in the ECHL.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ graduate center, assistant captain Chris Dodero(55) heads off for his 1st pro contract in IceHL with HK Olympija Ljubljana for 2022/2023.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward scored his college best last season, getting 13 goals and 16 assists in 36 NCAA Division 1 games.
He spent 5 campaigns in junior hockey, initially in the USHL, but switching to the BCHL for a year, then NAHL for the session before heading to school.
The 26-year old, West Chicago, IL native will definitely do well in Austria’s top league.
After a decent frame, scoring 10 goals and 20 assist in 39 games, he signs for 2023/2024 with a rival, Grazz99ers.
He maybe couldn’t get it started with 2 assists in 8 games and a woeful -8 rating, so pulls up the stakes and signs for the remainder of 2023/2024 with Starbulls Rosenheim of DEL2 for a new German start.
After some good seasons to start pro hockey away, he decides to return “home” and signs with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2024/2025.
He gains 3 goals and 3 assists in 15 games, but gets dished to the struggling Cincinnati Cyclones, who need some scoring.
