Category: Europe

28Jun

Scott Wilson (10)

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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.

He has a pretty spectacular season with 9 goals and 14 assists in 30 games with a +13 rating, then added 16 points in 19 playoff matchups, but for 2025/2026, he will sign with a 5th league team, agreeing to terms for HC Sibir Novosibirsk for 2025/2026.

27Jun

Chase Gresock (13)

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Undrafted right wing Chase Gresock(13) will play his year of eligibility at Bowling Green University Falcons for a graduate season after 1-year at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks and 3, 2 as captain for Merrimack College Warriors.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward is almost a deceptively good scorer.

A Powell, OH native he spent his youth hockey with the Ohio Blue Jackets 14U – 18U AAA before joining close by Youngstown Phantoms for 2 successful USHL frames.

The 24-year old should have a good campaign, but find play in the CCHA tough.

He would finish up an extra year with tying his twice best 11 goals and adding a new high 20 assists and 31 points before signing an ato with San Jose Barracuda to finish out the session.

For his official rookie season, he agrees to terms with “home team” Toledo Walleye, which should be a pretty great 1st stopping spot.

In his 1st year, he strikes for 16 goals and 19 assists with a +7 rating in 69 ECHL games, but he looks around a signs for 2024/2025 with Coventry Blaze, so switches up a letter and will be playing his pro hockey int he EIHL.

Ok, so this is a bit of a surprise maybe, he scores 32 goals and 30 assists in 54 games with a +7 rating, but decides to head over to Ligue Magnus for 2025/2026 and signs with Dragons de Rouen.

22Jun

Garrett Roe (9)

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13th year center Garrett Roe(9) returns home to sign with Hershey Bears for 2023/2024 after playing in 4 different leagues overseas with the last 6 in the NL for ZSC Lions and EV Zug.

The 5’9″ 180 lbs. forward was in fact a Los Angeles Kings 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#183 overall), but did not sign.

His 1st contract was with Adirondack Phantoms, where he scored 32 assists and he stuck there a 2nd season before leaving.

The Vienna, VA native initially went to Austria’s top hockey EBEL, signing with EC Salzburg and score points.

He left for Germany’s DEL, agreeing to terms with EHC Muenchen and he scored points.

His next stop would be for a pair of sessions in the SHL with Linkoping HC and yup, he scored points.

He would continue to do it in Switzerland and it’s expected the 35-year old, former St. Cloud State University Huskies will help out his new AHL team continue to score.

In 48 games, he bags 7 goals and 14 assists with a +15 rating, then through 12 in the playoffs, he nets another 6 goals and 4 helpers, which makes the now 36-year old and easy re-sign to continue being a Bears, 2024/2025.

He scored 4 goals and 14 assists in 38 games with a nice +16 rating of accountability.

In 4 playoff games, he grabs 2 assists with a +3 and that is plenty enough for the now 37-year old.

Chalk up 14 years, 226 games in the Swiss league, 215 in the minors and time spent in three other overseas leagues is a nice tally.

20Jun

Bryce Misley (9)

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Minnesota Wild 4th round pick in the 2017 draft (#116 overall) center Bryce Misley(9) must have jumped at the opportunity to sign his first deal, an ato with affiliate Iowa Wild to show a little of what he’s able to produce after coming off a piss poor COVID busted 2020/2021 University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ NCAA Hockey East schedule of only 14 games.

In 9 AHL games, the 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward has a goal and 2 assists with a multipoint spread.

While not scoring big numbers through 4 years of college, the Calgary, AB native did hit the score sheet hard as a point-per-game producer through 2 seasons of junior hockey with Oakville Blades of the OJHL (45-56 in 99).

The 21-year old has yet to sign his entry level deal and ends up inking a 1-year minor league deal to stay in the system.

He is reassigned down to affiliate Iowa Heartlanders, scoring 11 goals and 19 assists, but unfortunately was a bit of an abysmal -29 rating on a team that struggled.

For 2022/2023, he has decided to split the scene and sign with Asiago of IceHL and should find his scoring elevates nicely.

He posts 9 goals and 30 assists in 49 games to earn himself another 2-year deal to continue.

In his time, he does pretty well on the scoresheet, but definitely could up his on-ice accountability, but will head next to skate for the “hometown” Italian team in the league, HC Bozen-Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

19Jun

Jordan Murray (4)

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8th year defenseman Jordan Murray(4) signs on for his 4th year, 3rd DEL team, Schwenninger Wild Wings, 2024/2025.

He’s shown stronger numbers earlier in his career, but could still be worth something as a 31-year old pro.

The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner did 3 seasons with Belleville Senators, signing with the team after finishing up 4 years at University Of New Brunswick Reds.

This followed 3 QMJHL junior frames.

Undrafted from Riverview, NB, he is likely happy to be still playing.

After 4 seasons in Germany, he decides to move on, signing in IceHL with EC-KAC for 2025/2026.

16Jun

Shane Gersich (10)

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Washington Capitals‘ 4th year center Shane Gersich(10) grabs another one-year, two-way deal to stick around in the prospect system.

The University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ 3-year forward has consistently put up respectable numbers for affiliate Hershey Bears.

He started his pro career with 3 NHL games fresh off his junior year at school, grabbed an assist and even skated a pair of playoff appearances en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship.

The 24-year old has to be fairly happy with the way things are turning out for this 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#134 overall).

For 2022/2023, he re-signs on a minor league deal to stay where he is after recording a career high 14 goals and 20 assists with a +4 rating.

After a 5th season where he’s been and a brand new 2023 Calder Cup Trophy to bear, he decides to look on and signs a 1-year deal with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, where he should do very well.

We pretty much thought what has occurred would, he takes a good frame in Sweden’s tier 2 league, scoring 19 goals and 13 assists in 48 games to a higher level of hockey next, signing with Iserlohn Roosters of DEL for 2024/2025.

He does ok with 16 goals and 21 assists in 51 games, but decides to look for another opportunity and signs with HC Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

15Jun

Philip Samuelsson (34)

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12th year, Swedish-born defenseman Philip Samuelsson(34) left 3 seasons of playing in his home country’s top league, SHL for a new adventure, signing for 2022/2023 with Fischtown Pinguins.

In 22 DEL games, he has 12 assists, so is on pace for a big first season in Germany.

The former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#61 overall) has played 512 AHL games, scoring 27 goals and 124 assists with a massive +76 rating.

He’s also appeared in 13 NHL games.

Because his dad, Ulf Samuelsson(5) was playing hockey in the US, he did his high school and junior hockey here.

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. blue liner even did 2 years at Boston College Eagles before turning pro on a 3-year entry level deal.

At 31-years old, he is still able to pull down good contracts, so must have at least a little smile on his face.

He finishes up his debut frame in Germany with 4 goals and 27 assists in 47 games only to be wooed by rivals Straubing Tigers to stay in the country and sign for 2023/2024.

After an exceptionally strong year, scoring 4 goals and 12 assists with a +5 rating through 49 games, then adding another 4 points in 11 playoff matchups, it’s a no brainer to keep him in a Tigers‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

3 seasons in Germany is all good and is heads of to IceHL and signs with HC Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

We think the 33-year old will do well and discover a few more years remaining.

15Jun

Daniel Lebedeff (60)

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Finnish-native net minder Daniel Lebedeff(60) spent 5 years in the U.S. honing his hockey skills but decided to head back home as the pandemic closed down the postseason and more, signing a two-year deal with HPK of Liiga.

After doing all of his youth hockey with HIFK, the fairly large 6’2″ 194 lbs. goalie left to sign with Madison Capitals of the USHL, where he spent a little over a year and committed to University Of Wisconsin Badgers but decided to  leave for the lower NAHL joining Janesville Jets.

He would better excel in this league and even made the playoffs for a couple of appearances.

Although his record at college (23-26-2) wasn’t exactly stellar with a 3.49 GAA and .892 SV% in 55 NCAA Big Ten Conference games, I think folks who know how better than us still see promise in the still young 21-year old, potentially from the one pretty strong junior campaign.

The Helsinki native is putting up some outstanding numbers through the midway point of 2021/2022, running together a 6-2-3 record with a 1.55 GAA and .938 SV% to earn another year added to his current deal.

After 5 years back in his home country, he is branching out to the tough to play Slovak Extraliga and signs with HK 32 Liptovsky Miskulas for 2025/2026.

14Jun

Connor Jean (12)

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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.

He scores point-per-game numbers and even better in the playoffs, so he is easily wanted to return to des Tours for 2025/2026.

13Jun

Tyler Welsh (44)

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In his year of eligibility, right wing graduate student Tyler Welsh(44) chose to attend Long Island University Lakers after completing four years at Yale University Bulldogs with a drop season due to COVID.

He made a good choice, because he came away tying his career high 23 points, while managing a career best 16 assists in only 25 NCAA games.

The 5’10” 174 lbs. forward was a point-per-game guy in his 2nd year of BCHL for Victoria Grizzlies, where he first committed to school.

It will be interesting to watch what the 25-year old, Whistler, BC native will do next.

Newfoundland Growlers sign him for the remainder of 2021/2022 and he’s already appeared in one absolute 9-4 ECHL drubbing, so hopefully has that kind of game worked out of his system for a bit.

He would end up with 1 goal and 2 assists in 9 games with a +4 rating, so obviously fortunes changed.

For his official rookie season, he decides to leave for Ligue Magnus, signing for 2022/2023 with Scorpions Mulhouse.

He takes essentially point-per-game numbers (36 points, 12-24 in 36 games) in France to a new adventure, agreeing to 1-year with Nottingham Panthers, which will likely see him to just as good in the EIHL.

After just one season in England, he’s heading back to France, but signs with rivals, Les Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise for 2024/2025.

He scores close to point-per-game totals, but once again next inks with rivals Spartiates de Marseilles for 2025/2026.