RIT Tigers‘ senior defenseman Ryan Nicholson(44) signed an ato with Savannah Ghost Pirates upon finishing school and scores 1 assist in 2 ECHL games to get his pro career started.
For his official rookie season, he will head to Finland’s tier 2 Mestis league and signs with RoKi for 2024/2025.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. blue liner had a college high 9 assists last season.
From Mississauga, ON, he did 3 years of juniors close to home before college.
We think the 25-year old does well in this league.
Newfoundland Growlers‘ rookie defenseman Jonny Tychonick(81) was actually AHL signed by affiliate Toronto Marlies and returned when the ECHL went belly up right at the end of 2023/2024.
He almost oddly had 1 goal and 1 assist in 3 games, when reassigned down, then added another assist in his reappearance.
From Calgary, AB, he did 2 BCHL seasons with Penticton Vees before heading 1st to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, then 3 years at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, where he posted a college best 8 goals and 18 assists in his graduate frame.
Ottawa Senators drafted him in the 2nd round of 2018 (#48 overall), but another bit of a head scratcher did not sign him.
The 6′ 172 lbs. blue liner heads off to sign with Djurgardens IF of HockeyAllsvenskan for 2024/2025 and should bang Sweden’s tier 2 league.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#170 overall) defenseman Patrick Holway(6) signed an AHL ato with affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins as he was finishing up his last year of college hockey at Merrimack College.
I guess we’ll see if the parent club follows through to sign the very big 6’5″ 220 lbs. blue liner, but if that doesn’t materialize we feel that the Cohassett, MA native will become an irresistible unrestricted free agent signee.
After appearing in 6 games without registering a point and having his rights expire with the club that selected him, the 24 year old signs with South Carolina Stingrays to play his first full year of pro hockey and should do well in the ECHL.
The giant-sized forward was loaned up to San Jose Barracuda after a goal and 12 assists with his original contract team.
He finished the frame there, playing 43 AHL games, scoring 4 goals and 8 assists to grab a new contract with the team for 2022/2023.
Playing in only 27 games, scoring 2 assists with a -9 rating without being reassigned definitely has him searching where next and lands at Florida Everblades for 2023/2024.
He is playing well and scores a new best 7 goals and 9 assists in 31 games with a +2 rating, but maybe feels like he needs more and decides to leave, signing with HC Slovan Bratislava of Slovak Extraliga.
In 13 games, he records 7 assists, then scores a goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff matchups to make this journey a success.
For 2024/2025, he heads off to IceHL, signing with Villacher SV, which should continue to yield good results.
Reading Royals‘ 2nd year left wing Joseph Nardi(18) is leaving most of his earlier scoring behind with 17 goals and 30 assists in 66 ECHL games.
The 5’10” 179 lbs. forward skated 5 years at Northern Michigan University Wildcats before turning pro.
From Edmonton, ON, he did 3 junior AJHL seasons for Whitecourt Wolverines, running up 30+ assists twice.
The 26-year old was originally signed out of college by Manitoba Moose, but mostly reassigned despite a 1st AHL goal in 4 games.
He would put up bests 17 goals and 33 assists, but wants some different kind of hockey for his 3rd season, 2024/2025 and signs with Pioneers Voralberg of the IceHL.
Undrafted center Patrick Grasso(21) signs his first pro contract with Utica Comets for 2021/2022 after 5 seasons at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.
Almost oddly his best scoring year was as a freshman, when he struck for 20 goals and 13 assists, which followed up a particularly good 3rd/4th USHL campaign for close-to-home Des Moines Buccaneers.
The small 5’7″ 170 lbs. 25-year old quick pivot will likely do well in the AHL.
He actually had a goal and 3 assists in 9 games, but was mostly sent down to skate with affiliate Adirondack Thunder, where he was stellar scoring 26 goals and 24 assists in 68 ECHL games.
For 2022/2023, he goes a bit of the easy route, signs to stay in Glens Falls, NY and will potentially score some loans up to the higher league.
He comes up with a new league and team best 37 goals and 59 assists in 64 games and is loaned up to 2 teams for 9 games, gaining 2 assists.
The Des Moines, IA native is back for a 3rd run with his favorite team.
He’s taking some good 3rd year stats with him to a new adventure, signing for 2024/2025 with HC Innsbruck Sharks of the IceHL and should do very well in Austria’s top hockey.
University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ senior right wing Chase Dubois(16) didn’t quite throw up the 11 goals and 11 assists he did as a junior, but still managed ok and in his final 2 college seasons, leaves with a +16 rating.
The 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward from Williams Lake, BC is heading over to Ligue Magnus to start his rookie season with Diables Rouges de Briancon.
He did 3 BCHL seasons with West Kelowna Warriors, continuously adding to his junior scoring numbers.
We think the 26-year old scores big in France’s top hockey league.
2022/2023 was certainly a busy 1st season for Connor Jean(12) coming off 11 games for Holy Cross College Crusaders, his 2nd stint with the college club, but decided to turn, signing a contract with Fort Wayne Komets.
After 5 ECHL games, that relationship went south and he switched to Indy Fuel, where he lasted 14 games, grabbing a 1st goal an an assist.
The 5’10” 183 lbs. forward then shifted down to sign with Evansville Thunderbolts and connected for 3 goals, including 2 in his debut and 2 assists in 5 SPHL games, but seems to be on the move again.
This time he’s really going away to agree with Perth Thunder for the summer league, AIHL in Australia, where the seasons are opposite.
The 26-year old from Oakland, MI will likely find his scoring footing nicely in the land down under and hopefully parlay that into something good for himself in 2023/2024.
He takes some insane numbers from Australian, 17 goals and 25 assists in just 19 games to a new deal for 2023/2024 with Kalix HC of HockeyEttan.
Through 34 games, he nets 12 goals and 17 assists, then another 7 points in 7 playoff games.
In what we see as a bit of an oddball move, unless he was somehow wooed, he signs with Les Remparts des Tours of France2 for 2024/2025 and should absolutely blow up scoring there.
7th year defenseman Ian McCoshen(3) is off trying something new this season, playing on a 1-year deal in Finland’s top league, Liiga for Assat.
In 23 games, the 6’3″ 215 lbs. blue liner has 3 goals and 11 assists with a +4 rating.
He was always decent with scoring in the AHL, where he played some 242 games, but was a more accountable +15 rating.
The oddball Anaheim, CA native also has 60 games NHL experience, all with draft club Florida Panthers, round 2, 2013 (#31 overall).
A former 3-year Boston College Eagles, he left a year on the table, to sign his entry level deal.
At just 27-years old, he’s likely just getting started over there.
He takes a very decent frame in Finnish hockey to another stop overseas and skate Czechia Tipsport Extraliga with Bili Tygri Liberec doing well enough to be wanted back for another season and he’s still not yet 30.
Just like that he gets a better deal from a KHL club to play with Kunlun Redstar for 2024/2025 instead.
14th year center Tyler McNeely(14) steps back to re-join Germany3 for 2024/2025, but will switch allegiances, signing with Bietigheim Steelers, who he played for their DEL2 team earlier career with success for a couple of seasons.
The 5’10” 183 lbs. forward has suited up for 3 different German teams over 12 years of his career.
Undrafted, the former twice captain of Northeastern University Huskies, 1st signed with Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders), but quickly moved on after 2 seasons closer to home, Burnaby, BC.
At 37-years old, he must still be having fun, playing pro hockey.
University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ Kazakhstan-born junior center Andrei Buyalsky(12) decides to leave a year on the table to turn pro, signing for 2024/2025 with Barys Astana of the KHL.
The 6’3″ 194 lbs. forward was a point-per-game USHL player with Dubuque Fighting Saints before school coming over after 4 seasons of Pro Hokei Ligacy at home and 27 games in Russia’s tier 2 VHL, so has quite a little history, hockey journey.
He was a Colorado Avalanche 3rd round pick in 2021 (#92 overall), but they don’t seem to be interested in pursuing him.
We think he finds space and does well in the top Russian league.
