Category: Europe

10th year defenseman Andrew MacWilliam(4) switched up 2 years in DEL skating for EHC Munchen to signing with EC Salzburg for 2022/2023.

In 15 IceHL games, he has a goal and 3 assists with a +6 rating.

The fairly big 6’2″ 223 lbs. blue liner has 413 AHL games to his credit, scoring 9 goals and 53 assists with a +6 rating.

He has also played 12 NHL games with a draft team Toronto Maple Leafs (7th round, 2008, #188 overall), recording 2 assists.

A University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate, he may have not put up a lot of points, but left school a +37 player.

The 32-year old from Calgary, AB may just be starting a new chapter.

After just one year away from Germany, he missed it and returns to sign on for a 3rd frame with the Red Bull Munchen boys.

Finishing up with his team of mostly the last few seasons, he heads to his 3rd overseas league, EIHL and agrees to terms with Cardiff Devils, which should equal a good late career move.

6th year defenseman Jack Dougherty(5) heads back to Belleville Senators after only 1 AHL game with Providence Bruins.

He has signed with that team twice previous with decent enough results to stick.

The 6’1″ 211 lbs. blue liner was originally a Nashville Predators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2014 draft (#51 overall) selected after a solid USNTDP showing, then only one year at University Of Wisconsin Badgers before bolting to put up 41 assists with Portland Winterhawks.

He spent two years in the system before getting dished to Buffalo Sabres to play out his entry level deal.

It wouldn’t be entirely out of the possibility that soon the 25-year old from St. Paul, MN looks overseas for something a little more lucrative.

He has a pair of tough seasons through the COVID shuffle, but decides to stick around and signs his 1st ECHL deal with Orlando Solar Bears for 2022/2023.

This will likely be a very good decision for the now 26-year old.

He actually leaves for DEL near the end of this session, then signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for 2023/2024.

Doing just ok wasn’t good enough, so he takes his game to IceHL for 2024/2025, signing with Vienna Capitals, which should equal a lot of fun for him.

13th year center Rick Schofield(23) heads back to Austria’s top league IceHL, signing with his 5th team Pustertal/Val Pusteria Wolves for 2023/2024.

He comes off a year with Nurnberg Ice Tigers, scoring 13 goals and 13 assists in 38 DEL games.

Undrafted, the 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played 2 AHL seasons before heading overseas.

The former 2-time Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ captain and top scorer has almost maybe a bit oddly only won a championship in his 1st year away from home.

From Pickering, ON, the 36-year old is still finding good hockey to play.

He comes away with another fantastic season, but decides he wants to head back to Germany to play and signs with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL.

After a four-year career at Quinnipiac University, finishing with a 2020/2021 season NCAA Division 1 best 39 assists, center Odeen Tufto(29) signs a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning and will report to affiliate Syracuse Crunch to see if he can add to that helpers stat.

The small 5’7″ 175 lbs. forward has always connected with the scoresheet in college play, 3 times with 30+ assists and 40+ points.

A Minnesota-native he spent a year in the BCHL before heading back “home” to join the USHL and skated with three different club s in a campaign before heading off to school.

He’s small but we have a feeling he will find his space to grab numbers.

Mostly shipped as a rookie to ECHL affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he was close to point-per-game player.

In 2022/2023, he was signed by Tuscon Roadrunners, but played 13 games with Atlanta Gladiators before heading to DEL2, signing with Krefeld Pinguin, getting 15 points in 12 games, then 11 in 12 through the playoffs.

He’ll return in 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with Iowa Heartlanders.

Through 29 games, he managed 3 goals and 19 assists, but isn’t great with his plus/minus and maybe gets a little bored, looking elsewhere and signs with EHC Olten of the tier 2 Swiss League, SL.

He will return for 2024/2025 after a successful little run through Switzerland’s hockey and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

Straubing Tigers‘ 7th year center Travis St. Denis(74) re-ups to return to the German club, his 2nd year in DEL.

He scored 22 goals and 17 assists in 51 games last season.

The 5’7″ 170 lbs. forward was twice a 40+ point scorer in the AHL for Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while under contract to New York Islanders for at least one of those sessions.

He spent 4 seasons at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, always increasing his totals to leave as a senior with 49 points in 43 NCAA Division 1 games.

The Trail, BC native played his junior hockey up north and won a 2012 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, scoring 37 goals and 51 assists in 54 games, then adding 13 more points in the playoffs.

At 29-years old, he is likely to be happy still playing hockey at a very high level.

After spending 2 years with the same club, recording just about exact excellent numbers, he reaches out and signs with rivals, ERC Ingolstadt for 2023/2024.

His season with a new German team doesn’t go maybe as planned and he heads right back, where he scored 22 goals in each of his 2 frames, the Tigers for 2024/2025.

Wheeling Nailers‘ center Tim Doherty(37) was recently claimed off waivers after being released by Allen Americans, where he played 12 ECHL games scoring a pair of assists.

In his debut with his new team, he scored a goal and has already surpassed what he did previously, popping in 3 goals, an assist, including a multi-point effort and +3 rating.

The Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ graduate spent the previous four seasons at University Of Maine Black Bears, where he produced his best numbers as a fourth year player (although he didn’t play in his freshman frame), scoring 14 goals and 23 assists with a +14 rating.

He definitely did ok at his new school during a very COVID busted 2020/2021, but did pick up an additional 8 goals and 10 assists in 22 games.

The 6′ 190 lbs. actually originally committed to Brown University Bears after two sessions with Junior Bruins Premier but then added another year.

At 25-years old, the Portsmouth, RI native may find himself a good hockey home for the time being in West Virginia, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens after the season concludes.

As it turns out, he had such a good run after the trade to Wheeling Nailers, scoring 7 goals and 2 assists, he re-signs to stay for 2021/2022.

He would have great totals in his 2nd frame, scoring 17 goals and 28 assists in 65 games.

As 2022/2023 is set to get started, he’s involved in a trade that sends him a little closer to home, Maine Mariners.

In a no brainer move, Chicago Wolves sign him to an AHL contract for 2023/2024 after he absolutely blew up scoring with 21 goals and 52 assists with a +15 rating in 69 games.

We definitely predict he does well at the higher level.

Not sure why, but he spends his 1st 10 games of the new session back in northern New England, running up 8 assists in the process before getting himself traded for future considerations to Hartford Wolf Pack.

He is reportedly heading to their affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones.

Through 21 games, he pots 5 goals and 9 assists with a +1 rating and maybe gets a little bored, so signs with SG Cortina of AlpsHL in maybe a little oddball of a move to potentially set something up bigger over there later.

He does well through a short regular season run, then extremely well in the playoffs, but is heading to the EIHL for 2024/2025, signing with Nottingham Panthers.

4th year defenseman Ryker Killins(77) will switch up overseas leagues and heads to DEL3, joining SC Riessersee after spending 2021/2022 with Esbjerg Energy.

The 5’9″ 181 lbs. small blue liner made an impact upon turning pro from 4 years at Ferris State University Bulldogs, signing an ato with South Carolina Stingrays and putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 ECHL games with a +7 rating.

He would parlay that into a 1-year AHL deal with Tuscon Roadrunners, but was mostly dispatched to affiliate Rapid City Rush to spend his rookie season.

It’s definitely possible the 25-year old finds a good fit in Germany’s tier 3 hockey.

As thought, he found it to be a decent enough place to play and got 3 goals and 13 assists in 25 games with a +15 rating to earn a contract up to DEL2 with Bietigheim Steelers for 2023/2024.

He does ok up, but maybe doesn’t really love it and signs back down in German pro hockey with some former rivals, EC Hannover Indians for 2024/2025.

Swedish-born senior left wing Jake Stella(28) leaves 3 years at American International College Yellowjackets for something maybe a bit more challenging in the 2022/2023 schedule of UMass-Lowell Riverhawks.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward skated his youth hockey and some juniors at home, but came over initially playing with South Shore Kings for a season before switching to Corpus Christi Ice Rays of the NAHL as assistant captain, where he picked up his college commit and some solid scoring (21-17-38).

He posted college career high marks in 2021/2022, potting 12 goals and 16 assists with a +10 rating in 37 NCAA Division 1 games.

The 23-year old should continue to improve, even with some very tough ice ahead of him.

He actually scored decently as a senior with 4 goals and 9 assists, playing Hockey East schedule and added a graduate session, as team captain.

Finishing up playoff hockey, he signs a pro contract with Rapid City Rush, where in 8 ECHL games he has 1 assist with a +1 rating.

He thanks for east for the hockey experiences, but is heading back home to sign Tingsryds AIF of HockeyAllsvenskan for 2024/2025.

2nd year right wing Quinn Preston(43) returns from a very good EIHL season for Belfast Giants, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists with a +6 rating, to re-signing with Wichita Thunder, where in his 1st game back scores 1 goal and 1 assist.

The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward, former twice assistant captain at Ohio State University Buckeyes also racked up big numbers at juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints and at high school.

From Trenton, MI, the 26-year old could use a loan up to the AHL to see what gives.

After 17 games, scoring a fairly tidy 3 goals and 9 assists, he finds himself traded to another team that wants him, Kalamazoo Wings.

He gets 3 goals and 7 assists in 16 games with a +2 rating with his new club and is invited to return for a full season in a Wings‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

8th year left wing Matt Wilkins(91) will try yet another league to add to the notches on his belt overseas, joining Slovak Extraliga, signing a 1-year deal with HC Banska Bystrica, which will definitely take it up a big notch for the former Union College 2014 NCAA Division 1 Champion, as a sophomore.

Last season, the 5’11” 190 lbs. forward won the Swiss tier 2 2023 SL Championship with HC La Chaux-da-Fonds, had most points in one session and most assists the previous the 2-year he played AlpsHL for Gherdeina and even raised the 2012 AJHL Championship as a junior with twice holding down most assists.

The 32-year old from Kimberley, BC, who started with 2 ECHL years for Reading Royals, putting up big numbers, has to be happy with the results of his game, despite maybe not reaching for the highest levels.

In 49 games, he blows up scoring with 19 goals and 33 assists, but decides to leave for Ligue Magnus, signing with Les Ducs D’Angers.