Category: Europe

Rochester Jr. Americans‘ 2nd year left wing Landon Brownlee(18) taks a junior best scoring 19 goals and a 2nd straight season of 17 assists and new high 36 points in 58 NAHL games with a +18 rating.

He added another 4 points in 12 playoff matchups with a +5 rating.

The 6’1″ 201 lbs. forward from Finch, ON did 2 CCHL sessions before coming down.

For 2025/2026, he commits to Middlebury College Panthers.

Undrafted 4th year right wing Nick Jones(8) is coming off a career AHL season, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists in 60 games to add a 3rd season with Manitoba Moose to his resume.

The 5’11” 186 lbs. forward had an interesting two year run through the AJHL before committing to Ohio State University Buckeyes for 2 years, after which he decided on a pair of BCHL sessions, scoring almost equal 60+ point totals and winning the 2017 Championship with Penticton Vees and then heading to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for a junior and senior frame.

From Edmonton, AB, the 26-year old may be off to a bit of a late start connecting with the net.

In 47 games last season, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating, but wants more and eyes an opportunity in the tough to play Tipos Extraliga, signs with Vlci Zilina for 2024/2025.

He explodes scoring to the tune of 24 goals and 21 assists in 41 games with a +7, but he decides to head off to close by Czechia Extraliga and signs with HC Dynamo Pardubice, where he may do even better.

In 9 games, he scores 3 goals and 3 assists, then in 16 playoff contests, grabs 2 goals and 9 assists.

For 2025/2026, he takes this success and signs with rivals HC Energie Karlovy Vary.

UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Swedish-born, graduate center Filip Fornaa Svensson(14) skated only 3 games with his 1st team, Fort Wayne Komets grabbing an assist, but is wanted for his 6’4″ 216 lbs. frame in Norfolk Admirals to continue.

He transferred to his new school as a senior, coming over from University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, where he scored his college best as a junior with 9 goals and 16 assists.

All of his junior hockey was played back home before coming over strictly for school and now for his pro game.

He takes a solid scoring ECHL season with 25 goals and 13 assists in 48 games with a +16 rating to a new deal in his homeland HockeyAllsvenskan with Vimmerby HC for 2025/2026.

American International College Yellowjackets‘ Swedish-born, senior left wing Oscar Geschwind(17) takes a 2nd season of 7 assists to a 1st pro contract back home in HockeyEttan with Tingsryds AIF for 2025/2026.

The 6′ 196 lbs. forward had his best college scoring season as a sophomore with 8 goals and 7 assists after he transferred from doing his freshman year at Northern Michigan University Wildcats.

He did all his youth hockey and juniors back home, even getting into a couple league games, where he will officially start as a rookie.

The 24-year old we think will do really well.

12th year NHL defenseman Steven Kampfer(51) will try something new for 2021/2022, signing a 1-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL.

The former University Of Michigan Wolverines blue liner was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round 2007 draft pick (#93 overall) but traded to Boston Bruins and agreed to terms upon completing his fourth year at college.

He left the Black & Gold within his entry level deal, traded to Minnesota Wild, where he stayed for two seasons before being dealt to New York Rangers but was again quickly on the move to Florida Panthers, where he stayed for another pair of campaigns.

The 5’11” 198 lbs. d-man started his next frame in the zone for the ‘Cats but after a single game was changing addresses heading back to the Blueshirts.

It seems like this is a player who favors 2 year terms with teams, as he did another here before rejoining his original club in Boston for another two year contract and a solid role as a fill-in guy.

The 32-year old may find continued life in Russia’s top hockey but we would be surprised to see him jump around a bit before deciding to pull the curtain on it.

After putting up a career high 11 goals, 19 assists and 30 points and being named assistant captain of Team USA Olympic squad, the now 33-year old will return home on a 1-year 2-way deal with close to home, Jackson, MI, Detroit Red Wings worth at least $325K in the minors and the league minimum $750 if he stays up.

He would be traded for future considerations to Arizona Coyotes, where he would actually do alright on a non-playoff team with 3 goals and 19 assists that actually gave him a career high 6 goals and 23 assists.

Reassigned to minor league affiliate, he is named team captain for 2023/2024 of Tuscon Roadrunners.

With no quit in site, he will return to Russia for 2024/2025 and signs with Traktor Chelyabinsk.

After an incredibly solid year, scoring 10 goals and a new best 22 assists and 32 points, then doing very well in the playoffs, he decides 16 pro careers will do it and retires.

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.

For 52 games, he struggles with on-ice accountability, but rebounds nicely in the playoffs with 3 goals in 7 games and a +4 rating.

He will take this success to a new opportunity in Ligue Magnus, where he signs with Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise for 2025/2026.

Tuscon Roadrunners‘ pto defenseman Brandon Estes(6) comes in after completing a 5th year at Union College Dutchmen, putting up college career bests 7 goals, 22 assists and 29 points in 37 NCAA Division 1 games.

The 6′ 175 lbs. blue liner played two virtually equal seasons of junior hockey, first in the NAHL, then USHL before heading to school.

He has a pair of assists in 5 AHL games with a +3 rating, so is off to kind of a booming start.

The 25 year old from Richardson, TX is setting himself for a good contract somewhere next season.

He signs a 1-year deal with division rivals Henderson Silver Knights for 2022/2023.

Mostly reassigned down to affiliate Savannah Ghost Pirates, he strikes for 9 goals and 15 assists in 62 games, while playing only 4 up with no points.

For 2023/2024, he re-signs to stay in GA with one of their newest ECHL teams.

He scores a new career best 25 assists and 32 points and will take these stats overseas, signing with Odense Bulldogs to play his hockey in Metal Ligaen 2024/2025, where he should do really well.

He takes a tremendous frame in Denmark, helping win the 2025 Metal Ligaen Championship to a new deal with Cardiff Devils that will take him to the EIHL for 2025/2026, another league he will likely do well in.

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 into the tier 2 league and gets elevated to the top level.

He takes an amazing frame of 12 goals and 13 assists in 22 games to a new opportunity in IceHL, signing with Villacher SV for 2025/2026.

Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Sean Giles(41) gets a nice lift playing for Knoxville Ice Bears as a rookie, scoring 4 assists in 35 SPHL games with a +1 rating, to earn himself a contract with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2021/2022.

The 4-year Robert Morris University Colonials blue liner was pretty much always good for 5 assists a campaign in college.

He’s only ever had one scoring breakout, in his 2nd season as captain of Lone Star Brahmas, the 6’2″ 190 d-man had a pair of goals and 16 helpers with a +13 rating for his best showing and when he committed to college.

We feel the 25-year old Colorado Springs, CO native only has better things to add to his game in the ECHL.

Just before the new season starts, he gets traded to Jacksonville Icemen.

He takes a very decent session, scoring 6 goals and 6 assists in 56 games to a new, tough adventure, signing for 2022/2023 in Slovakia Extraliga with HC Presov Penguins.

For 2023/2024, he signs with Fife Flyers.

He was actually decently impressive in the allegedly tough to play league he was in before making the jump to the EIHL.

Seemingly looking for the right fit, he leaves England for Germany, signing Del2 with last year’s champs, Eisbaren Regensburg 2024/2025.

He does ok during the regular frame, but is not great on ice accountability until the postseason and comes away with 1 goal and 5 assists in 9 games with a +9 rating.

There’s little doubt he is asked to return to see if they can’t come away with a title for Eisbaren.

4th year left wing Corey Mackin(81) trades in a decent 1st season overseas for HC Vita Hasten, skating 51 Allsvenskan games, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists for a new look in IceHL with HC Innsbruck.

The twice former Ferris State University Bulldogs‘ captain, who scored exactly 10 goals and 15 assists 3 of his 4 college seasons, had two solid ECHL campaigns, originally with close-to-home Reading Royals before leaving.

He’s not big at 5’8″ 165 lbs., but gets involved in all plays and won a 2014 BCHL Championship with Coquitlam Express in his 1st session after arriving from home in Philadelphia, PA.

The 27-year old should light up Austria’s top hockey nicely.

After scoring 11 goals and 29 assists in 44 games with a +4 rating, he is invited to for a 3rd season, don a Sharks‘ jersey.

In 40 games, he has 20 points, but is a miserable -20 rating, so decides to leave and try DEL2, signing with Eispiraten Crimmitschau for the remainder of the frame.

After coming over for 14 games in the regular frame for point-per-game play, then better in the playoffs, he will be retained by Eispiraten with a new contract for 2025/2026.