Category: Europe

25Feb

Jeremy Bracco (97)

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5th year right wing Jeremy Bracco(97) is off to a hot start with his new club overseas, Krefeld Pinguine. scoring 6 goals and 11 assists in 15 DEL games.

He had 17 points (2-15) last season with KalPa in just 24 Liiga games.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward was originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 2nd round pick in 2015 (#61 overall) and spent his 1st 3 pro years in their system, playing for affiliate Toronto Marlies. but somehow amassing 145 points in 169 AHL games isn’t good enough to score a qualifying offer.

He was signed to play with Carolina Hurricanes last season, but when he was to be sent to the minors, entertained and accepted a more lucrative offer and was released on unconditional waivers to Finland.

It seems likely that if the still young 24-year old, former 5-game Boston College Eagle (3 assists), who quickly left for a pair of very solid OHL campaigns before turning pro will get pick up by an NHL team for a one-way contract if he keeps scoring big.

He may not be making his way to the big league in North America quite yet, but does take it up another level overseas, joining Bary Nur-Sultan of the KHL after putting up a career 2nd best 40 assists in Germany’s top hockey.

We do think the Freeport, NY native and 2018 Calder Cup Champion will return.

He starts his 2nd year with the team after 14 goals and 26 assists last season, but records only 1 goal in 6 games and maybe they get nervous and deal him to HC Sochi.

We do believe he will do just fine.

In 33 games, he scores 8 goals and 7 assists that he will take with him to his new league, Slovak Extraliga, where he signs with HKM Zvolen for 2024/2025.

He almost oddball takes 7 assists in 6 games to a new deal with HC Innsbruck and will head over to IceHL for his next hockey.

Scoring pretty well in Austria, he wants to head back to the tougher Slovakia and signs with HK Poprad.

24Feb

Tanner Fritz (11)

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Undrafted 7th year right wing Tanner Fritz(11) signs a 2nd straight AHL contract, but will skate for heated CT opponents from where he’s played 198 games, Bridgeport (Sound Tigers) Islanders to Hartford Wolf Pack for 2021/2022.

The 5’11” 192 lbs. forward originally signed a minor league deal after 4 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes , including captain as a senior and junior assistant, to the only team he’s thus far appeared with, but was up to a 2-way NHL contract after his sophomore season in which he popped 19 goals and 23 assists.

He played all of his youth hockey and 4 years of junior hockey close to home with Grand Prairie Storm and won the 2009 AJHL Championship, then was voted most valuable player, scoring 70 points in 60 games, before heading off to college.

The 30-year old signed a pair of contracts with parent club New York Islanders, including a single 1-way deal, and played in 42 games with 3 goals and 5 assists.

It’s likely this could be his last time in the minors, as we’re predicting he leave for some hockey overseas before retirement.

After 2 years of playing up the road in Connecticut, he returns on a 1-year minor league deal with Bridgeport for 2023/2204.

After 20 games, scoring 1 goal and 6 assists, he may be getting a little bored as he closes in on 350 games played in the league.

He decides to leave and signs with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, which should definitely bring some challenge and excitement back into his game.

Not surprisingly he does ok with 2 goals and 9 assists in 18 games, but decides not to try and return.

He waits a little and signs with SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of NL and with 5 goals and 7 assists in 15 games with a +3 rating, there’s little doubt he gets asked to return for 2025/2026.

24Feb

Ben Almquist (12)

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University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves‘ senior left wing Ben Almquist(12) takes a pretty good run at a rookie season with Lillehammer of Norway to head off to try to help Cardiff Devils with their EIHL playoff positioning.

The 6′ 185 lbs. forward actually transferred from 3 seasons of popping in and out of the lineup at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

He scored and played a college high 34 games, scoring 14 goals and 16 assists.

His results in his 2nd year of NAHL junior, as captain for Austin Bruins was similar and he was wooed to leave and join his 1st college team.

From Victoria, MN, the 25-year old looks to be playing himself up.

23Feb

Marly Quince (23)

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4th year center Marly Quince(23) will take his game up heading from last season with Coventry Blaze, scoring 15 goals and 30 assists with a +17 rating in 53 EIHL games to signing a 1-year deal with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas  of Slovak Extraliga for 2023/2024.

After graduating from 4 years at Clarkson University Golden Knights with a new college best 7 assists, he signed 1st in the SPHL with Fayettesville Markmen, but blew up scoring with 9 goals and 4 assists in 9 games to get permanently loaned up to the ECHL to maybe best skate for Reading Royals.

He started the next season down too, but was up quickly again and stuck for 40 games with Norfolk Admirals, scoring 12 goals and 12 assists with a +2 rating on a non-playoff team before heading overseas for the next frame.

The 29-year old from Sioux Lookout, ON should prove to do well in this league and may just play himself up yet again.

He performs really well through 2 seasons, serving as assistant captain in the current frame, but will head off to DEL, signing with Fischtown Pinguins, who he will help.

22Feb

Matt Cairns (22)

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Undrafted rookie defenseman Matt Cairns(22) signs a one-year AHL contract with Rochester Americans for 2021/2022 after completing his senior year at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

The big 6’3″ 213 lbs. blue liner skated three seasons at Cornell University Big Red, but we think saw the writing on the wall of a suspended 2020/2021, so entered the transfer portal to continue playing college hockey.

He won an OJHL Championship in his 2nd year of juniors in the league with Georgetown Raiders, scoring all bests 9 goals and 24 assists for 33 points, then added another 3 goals and 16 assists in 21 playoff games to the title.

The Mississauga, ON native would next try his hand at American junior hockey, signing on with Fargo Force, but leaving after 17 USHL games to join Powell River Kings and would keep scoring 2 goals and 14 assists in 18 BCHL games.

We’re not sure how much the 23-year old will be able to connect with points in his new top notch pro league, but do think he’ll be able to shut down offense as necessary.

He was mostly reassigned down to Cincinnati Cyclones for his 1st season, scoring 2 goals and 14 assists with a +21 rating.

For 2022/2023, he re-signs to stay in Ohio and should have another good ECHL year.

1 goal and 5 assists in 45 games with a +17 rating, then 11 playoff match ups, and he is invited to return again for 2023/2024.

Splitting his time between affiliates, his league rights get traded to Maine Mariners, but things get confusing and before you can blink he is going to Indy Fuel for some future rights considerations, so was wanted in the midwest.

He actually sticks through 49 games, 3 goals and 13 assists with a +13 rating, so does pretty well for himself, but is heading to the IceHL, signing for 2024/2025 with Asiago.

We think he does really well in this top Austria league.

He scores pretty decently, but is off on the +/-, so figures he will do better in Sweden’s tier 2 HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with IF Bjorkloven.

20Feb

Anthony Nellis (14)

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Undrafted 3rd year left wing Anthony Nellis(14) is having a career year scoring a Trois Rivieres Lions‘ best 19 goals and 38 assists.

Last season he skated for Fort Wayne Komets and was a point-per-game player in the playoffs en route to the ECHL 2021 Kelly Cup Championship.

The former top scorer at Lake Superior State University Lakers had a 1 AHL game loan up to Manitoba Moose this session.

I think it depends if the Levis, QC native wants to stick around or goes for a better deal overseas on strong numbers.

He decides to leave for Slovakia after finishing last season with 22 goals and 39 assists and adding another 7 points in 7 playoff games.

The still young 27-year old signs with HK Spisska Nova Ves for 2022/2023.

He comes away with 12 goals and 10 assists in 37 games to earn himself a 1-year extension to stay at least through 2023/2024.

Leaving on a high note, getting 25 goals and 17 assists in 50 games with a +11 rating, he heads off to Tipsport Extraliga and agrees to term with HK Vitkovice Ridera.

Well, in 43 games, he has a tidy 20 goals and 15 assists to earn himself a 1-year contract extension to stay.

19Feb

Evan Buitenhuis (30)

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Wichita Thunder circles back to re-sign 4th year goaltender Evan Buitenhuis(30) after a trade sent him over for most of 2020/2021.

In 21 ECHL starts he went a career best 15-5-1 with a 2.19 GAA and .937 SV%, also league lows.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. graduate of NCAA Division 3 Hamilton College signed a pair of AHL contracts, but not played any games.

Instead he was reassigned almost immediately upon his rookie season deal with Bridgeport Islanders (Sound Tigers) to affiliate Worcester Railers, where he played 28 games with good numbers.

For his sophomore frame, he simply just agreed to stick with the Central Massachusetts’ club and was credited with a new high 39 games in the cage.

He won the 2014 OJHL Championship with stellar numbers, 1.84 GAA and .943 SV% in his last year of junior hockey for the Burlington, ON native.

The 28-year old will likely see a lot of action in 2021/2022 and could also see his best totals.

He was definitely seeing a lot of time in the crease, playing a 2nd high 31 games recording a 11-15-4 mark with a 2.92 GAA and .919 SV%, which was decently in line where he was last season, but the team had sunk to last place, so have decided to cut ties and go with more youth in the cage for the time being.

The Burlington, ON native has decided to spread his wings and leaves for Storhamar of Fjordkraftligaen.

He returns to Kansas for a 3rd go at net after a good enough, but maybe brief showing in Norway.

After spending a couple of years in US minor league hockey, he is ready to move back overseas for hopefully a more extended run, signing for 2023/2024 with HC Innsbruck of IceHL.

We expect to see good things happen for the still only 29-year old in Austria’s top league.

Well, he does ok in his new league and is off to something better, signing with Jukurit of Liiga.

15Feb

Joseph Nardi (18)

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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.

Through 26 games, he does ok here, but searches for maybe a little higher level and signs with HK Dukla Michalovce, but in 11 games comes away with only 1 goal and a -8 rating.

He is heading back to the Royals, where it seems his point production riches are best, but still has to bring up that +/-.

14Feb

Ben Blood (89)

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11th year defenseman Ben Blood(89) is enjoying a 7th season playing at the highest level possible in Finland, once again with the 1st team he laced them up for after coming over, Pelicans of Liiga.

In 5 games this season he has an assist, but is a +3 rating.

The very big 6’4″ 227 lbs. blue liner isn’t really known for putting up the points, only three times doing decent, once for half a session in Norway, one where he is and last year, he had a fairly good showing in IceHL for Graz99ers.

From Plymouth, MN, the University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate was originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#120 overall).

The 33-year old is still playing a decent game of hockey, so if he doesn’t have anything nagging will likely continue for awhile.

After 7 years of playing Finnish hockey, he decides to jump for a season in DEL with Lowen Frankfurt, which should prove to be a very good fit.

Looks like he misses Finland and re-signs with the 1st team he suited up for overseas and 1 he skated fr just last season, Pelicans.

At 35-years old, he takes a minute to figure his next move and decides to sign with Jokerit tier 2 Mestis club for the remainder of the frame.

10Feb

Kevin Clark (32)

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14th year right wing Kevin Clark(32) has carved out a heck of a career for himself playing and scoring in leagues, such as the SHL, KHL (only 1/2 one session), NL and returns to DEL for his 5th season, signing with Düsseldorfer EG for 2023/2024.

Not too crazy bad for a player that skated only 2.5 campaigns in the AHL after 4 years at University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.

He really blew up scoring in his senior year at school with 23 goals and 14 assists, making him a twice 30+ point guy in college hockey, as he achieved that feat as a junior too.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. 35-year old from Winnipeg, MB has run up awards where he is in one campaign and last year helped win his 1st title, the 2022 DEL Championship in his 2nd year with Eisbären Berlin, so likely wants more with someone else.

Despite doing decently with 13 goals of production in 49 games, he decides at 36-years old to become the player development coach for Tri-City Storm, despite playing no American-based junior hockey.

He is maybe still getting the itch to play some hockey and signs with EC-KAC of IceHL should be a good challenge for him.