Yale University Bulldogs‘ senior left wing Niklas Allain(11) scored a college best 6 goals last season and the North Branford, CT native takes that to a 1st pro contract with Brodernas/Vasby of Hockeyettan.
The 6’2″ 181 lbs. forward was selected by his college during his 1st USPHL/NCDC season with Junior Bruins.
We think the 24-year old finds a bit more room in Sweden’s tier 3 league to score more.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 7th round pick in the 2018 draft (#190 overall), 2022 NCAA Division 1 University Of Denver Pioneers’ Champion center Brett Stapley(7) signs a 1-year AHL deal with affiliate Laval Rocket for 2022/2023.
The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward scored a college best 18 goals and tying 25 assists in 41 games with a +22 rating.
He was also a solid scorer in his 2nd and 3rd BCHL seasons with Vernon Vipers.
The 23-year old from Campbell River, BC may be an immediate impact player.
For his rookie season, he was shipped down to Trois-Rivieres Lions and has a tidy 9 goals and 36 assists in 49 ECHL games, playing a real energy role on the team.
He ends with 41 helpers, which gains the notice of Colorado Eagles, who sign him to bring him “home” to an AHL deal for 2023/2024.
For the entire season, he is sent to play for affiliate Utah Grizzlies and blows up scoring as a 2nd year league player with 24 goals and a monster 47 assists in 67 games.
He’s stretching and signs with HK Ducla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga to try his hand at a higher rung of hockey, just overseas.
Former two-time Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ center captain Derek Barach(19) signs himself a nice tw0-year deal to head to Finland’s top hockey Liiga, joining Assat starting 2021/2022.
He skated 31 AHL games last season for Texas Stars, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists.
The small 5’8″ 165 lbs. forward has always been a good scorer and hard player on ice but probably no period was better than when he scored 38 points in 37 Atlantic Hockey games as a junior, then in his senior frame grabbed 37 points in 38 contests.
That’s just math.
The 26-year old native of Glenmont, NY will likely find enough open space to become a big scorer in the league.
In 2 seasons playing the highest hockey in the Finnish culture, he pots 33 goals and 27 assists in 114 games, then adding another 6 in 8 during the playoffs last frame.
He is rewarded for his efforts with a contract to play his game in the KHL with Vityaz Moscow Region for 2023/2024.
Through 68 games he scores 10 goals and 25 assists, yet is a horrible -21 rating, but is wanted back.
Rookie right wing Matt Tugnutt(29) signs his first pro contract with Idaho Steelheads 2021/2022.
He played for Providence College Friars in 2020/2021 after transferring from 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, who did not skate last season.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward spent 5 campaigns in junior hockey all with Kemptville 73’s, , who happened to be coach by his dad of 537 NHL games, Ron Tugnutt, running up big points (83-127) in 261 CCHL games.
He’ll have to work for it, but the 25-year old could run up some good numbers in the ECHL.
Traded after 49 games, he winds up with Greenville Swamp Rabbits heading down the stretch, and in 4 games managed to put up 5 assists with a +4 rating, but was unable to find space on the playoff roster before the season came to an end.
The Portland, ME native should easily sign where he wants for 2022/2023.
He decides to head off to see how hockey life will be on the other side of the ocean as a pro and signs a 1-year deal with Chamonix Mont-Blanc Pionneers of Ligue Magnus and should do extremely well in France’s top league.
Through 37 games, he grabs 13 goals and 16 assists with a +5 rating, but will return home to sign a 1-year deal with South Carolina Stingrays for 2023/2024.
After 12 games, recording 2 goals and 1 assist, he decides to head back across the pond and signs in the EIHL with Guildford Flames for the remainder of the season.
In 32 games, he scores 6 goals and 8 assists, but it’s the 3 helpers in 4 playoff matchups with a +3 rating that we were mostly eyeing.
For 2024/2025, he will take his game back to France’s highest Ligue Magnus and it’s an easy choice, who to sign with as he returns to the Pionneers for more.
8th year defenseman Jeremy Beaudry(27) leaves 3 years at Slovak Extraliga, skating for HK Spisska Nova Ves, putting up decent stats in the tough to play league.
The 5’10” 194 lbs. forward has scored well as a rookie in the ECHL, Ligue Magnus, Metal Ligaen and the EIHL.
He will take his talents to DEL2 for 2024/2025, signing with Lausitzer Fuchse.
From Montmagny, QC, he did 4 years junior QMJHL before trying 4 games pro, but ultimately heading to 3 years at University Of Quebec-Trois-Riviere Patriotes.
We expect the 30-year old to light up Germany’s tier 2 league.
Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ French-born junior center Louis Boudon(15) finds himself tied for the lead in NCAA Division 1 scoring with a handy 20 points in 14 games.
He looks to easily eclipse marks he set as a sophomore and a freshman, although he had 21 assists in his first year.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward skated two seasons for Northeast Generals, notching better than point per game numbers after a run lighting it up for Metro Jets in the NA3HL, got a NAHL tryout that produced a couple of goals and a deal.
He played all of his youth hockey back home and it will definitely be interesting to see who scoops on the future NHL unrestricted free agent.
Upon completing 4 years at college, he signs a 1st pro contract, leaving a 2nd season as team captain, an ato with Laval Rocket.
There’s not much time left to impress, but you can bet he’ll be constantly looking to connect as soon as he arrives in the AHL.
He doesn’t stick in Canada and signs with Iowa Wild, but splits time with Iowa Heartlanders and gets 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 ECHL games with a +7 rating.
In the next season, he is re-signed, but spends most of his time down, scoring 18 goals and 28 assists in 56 games on a non-playoff team.
The listed as Gernoble, FRA-born skater decides to head off for another pro hockey look, agreeing to terms with Nybro Vikings IF of HockeyAllsvenskan.
University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ junior transfer from University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, Swedish-born goaltender Jakob Hellsten(37) started a college high 28 games, posting a 15-12-1 record with very nice 2.04 GAA and .909 SV%.
The 6′ 185 lbs. net minder will leave a year on the table and sign for 2024/2025 back home in the top league, SHL with Leksands IF.
He heads to the team he last played junior hockey for and even split with half a season in Hockeyettan for Halmstaad Hammers HC and called up for games he didn’t play.
On a decent team, the 24-year old does well.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ rookie center Jake Pivonka(37) was mostly sent down to the ECHL, where he exploded on the stat sheet for Worcester Railers to the tune of 21 goals and 24 assists through 60 games with a +5 rating on a non-playoff team.
A New York Islanders‘ 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#103 overall), he signed an AHL deal.
The 5’11” 198 lbs. forward from Olathe, KS came up initially through the Chicago Mission program before heading to 2 seasons of USNTDP.
He went to 4 years of University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the final frame as captain before taking on a year of eligibility with University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, where his scoring came alive with 10 goals and 8 assists in 37 games.
For 2024/2025, he signs with Dusseldorfer EG and will try his hand at DEL hockey.
Undrafted, Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ Netherlands-born senior, left wing Guus van Nes(26) signs his 1st pro deal with Iowa Heartlanders.
The 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward scored a college career high 6 goals and 17 points with a +13 rating in 37 NCAA Division 1 games last season.
He started his junior hockey back home but came over pretty quickly, signing with Boston Jr. Bruins, where he ascended in his 3rd year to their NCDC team and exploded the stat sheet with 16 goals and 40 assists in 41 games.
The 25-year old could very well find some space to score goals in the ECHL.
Instead on continuing his hockey in the U.S., he has a bit late in the game, decided to head overseas to start his pro career, sighing for 2022/2023 with Pioneers Vorarlberg.
In 34 IceHL games he gets 11 goals and 13 assists, good enough for him to get re-upped for 2023/2024.
He once again scores phenomenally with 19 goals and 33 assists in 48 games with a +6 rating, but will take that to a contract with rivals Villacher SV for 2024/2025.
Norwich University Cadets‘ Austrian-born junior left wing Paul Schmid(19) is heading back to AlpsHL, joining Die Adler EC Kitzbuhel for 2024/2025.
He scored a new college best 7 goals and 8 assists in 25 games with a +7 rating last season.
The 6’1″ 187 lbs. forward did 1 season at University Of St. Thomas Tommies after 1 NAHL campaign with Amarillo Bulls upon coming across.
It could simply be the 23-year old missing back home and wants to just go play pro.
