Category: Europe

20Dec

Odeen Tufto(26)

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After a four-year career at Quinnipiac University, finishing with a 2020/2021 season NCAA Division 1 best 39 assists, center Odeen Tufto(26) signs a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning and will report to affiliate Syracuse Crunch to see if he can add to that helpers stat.

The small 5’7″ 175 lbs. forward has always connected with the scoresheet in college play, 3 times with 30+ assists and 40+ points.

A Minnesota-native he spent a year in the BCHL before heading back “home” to join the USHL and skated with three different club s in a campaign before heading off to school.

He’s small but we have a feeling he will find his space to grab numbers.

Mostly shipped as a rookie to ECHL affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he was close to point-per-game player.

In 2022/2023, he was signed by Tuscon Roadrunners, but played 13 games with Atlanta Gladiators before heading to DEL2, signing with Krefeld Pinguin, getting 15 points in 12 games, then 11 in 12 through the playoffs.

He’ll return in 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with Iowa Heartlanders.

Through 29 games, he managed 3 goals and 19 assists, but isn’t great with his plus/minus and maybe gets a little bored, looking elsewhere and signs with EHC Olten of the tier 2 Swiss League, SL.

He will return for 2024/2025 after a successful little run through Switzerland’s hockey and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

A point-per-game player again during regular season, he returns for 2025/2026 and scores 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, but decides to head back to DEL2 and signs with Ravensburg Towerstars.

19Dec

Patrick Watling (14)

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6th year center Patrick Watling(14) decides to head off and try something new, signing for 2022/2023 with HC Kosice of Slovak Extraliga.

He exploded on the ECHL scoring sheet in 2021/2022 for Wheeling Nailers, scoring new bests 31 goals and 46 assists for 77 points 55 games with a +13 rating.

The 6′ 174 lbs. forward also scored a pair of loans up and managed another AHL goal and 2 assists in 5 appearances.

Undrafted, he signed his first deal after 3 OHL seasons with Toronto Marlies and split time with affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he pumped in point-per-game stats.

He skated his next pair of campaigns in Florida before being dished very late to Tulsa Oilers.

In the next frame, he took a break before heading to 2 years at University Of New Brunswick Reds before returning.

The 28-year old from Sault Ste. Marie, ON will definitely put up some big numbers in the new league he’s headed to.

In 11 games, he manages 1 goal and 8 assists, but somehow ends up traded or heading to rivals HC Banska Bystrica for the remainder of ’22/23.

Maybe a little oddly, he takes some very decent play after the trade to a new experience, signing for 2023/2024 with Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL.

After a season, scoring like he did in the minors with 22 goals and 36 assists, then helping his team win the 2024 league title, grabbing 3 assists in 3 games.

He will happily be back in a Steelers‘ sweater for 2024/2025.

After yet another strong scoring season, he waits just a minute to see if he will return to be a Steelers at 32-years old in 2025/2026 and the answer is yes.

18Dec

Patrick Grasso (21)

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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.

In 45 games, he strikes for 21 goals and 14 assists, but is a horrible -25 rating, so looks to explore other pro hockey and signs with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan.

For 2025/2026, he starts with Belfast Giants, but after scoring quite decently in 16 EIHL games, decides to head back to where he has scored the most, Adirondack Thunder for the rest of 2025/2026 and will add to their stat sheet.

11Dec

Zach Sanford (12)

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Winnipeg Jets‘ 6th year left wing Zach Sanford(12) was recently acquired as they head towards playoffs from Ottawa Senators, where he scored 9 goals and 8 assists in 62 games.

Since arriving he has 3 assists in 15 appearances.

The 6’4″ 203 lbs. Washington Capitals‘ 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft (#61 overall) was probably most known for his time spent with St. Louis Blues, where he won the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship his 1st year with the club.

He has played a total of 286 NHL games, scoring 47 goals and 47 assists.

The former 2-year Boston College Eagles‘ forward left after putting up very close to point-per-game numbers.

At 27-years old, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session.

He only managed 4 assists in 18 games with his new club, so was left unsigned.

It didn’t take long into being unsigned for him to pick up a 1-year 1-way deal with Nashville Predators for 2022/2023 at the league minimum to see if he can reconnect with the scoring sheet.

He contributes nicely when called, but mostly serves as a veteran to help the kids with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, where his numbers are good, then his playoff points additional.

For 2023/2024, he signs a new very short money deal on the 2-way with Arizona Coyotes, but with his size and strength may make the $800,000 AAV the deal is good for.

He was picked up off waivers by Chicago Blackhawks and in 18 games had 4 assists, then subsequently signed for the 2024/2025.

Opting out of maybe signing a minor league deal, he jumps for a new target, coming to terms with HC Lugano for 2025/2026 in NL.

He explodes scoring in Switzerland with 9 goals and 17 assists in 30 games with a +12 rating and re-ups to stay for another 3 seasons through 2027/2028 at HC Lugano.

11Dec

Carter Turnbull (98)

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Undrafted senior center Carter Turnbull(98) takes a solid year as team captain, pushing his University Of Connecticut Huskies to its deepest Hockey East climb to the Finals and a loss in overtime to a 1st pro contract with South Carolina Stingrays.

The 5’8″ 181 lbs. forward took a few games to get situated, but finally popped in his 1st ECHL goal and a 2nd one a couple nights later to sit at 2 tallies in 6 games.

He had 30 goals and assists throughout his 3 years with Powell River Kings in 155 BCHL games.

The 23-year old from Nanaimo, BC should be able to light up the league and climb, if he sticks.

He would finish his first pro contract with 2 goals and 3 assists in 11 games to warrant a full look in North Charleston for his rookie season 2022/2023.

After lighting things up to the tune of 24 goals and 18 assists in 41 games, he decides to head off for an opportunity overseas, joining HKM Zvolen for their Slovak Extraliga playoff run.

He appears in 6 games during the end of the regular frame, then skates 7 in the postseason, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in 7 games.

Slovak rivals HC Banska Bystrica swoop in an sign him up for 2023/2024, and we should see his numbers improve.

He is well over a point-per-game player in the tough to play Slovak hockey, equaling 25 goals and 31 assists in 41 games, but heads of to IceHL for a new experience with Asiago Hockey that could put him back on the radar for a better deal back home.

While scoring isn’t an issue with his new club, on ice accountability is faltering, so he up and moves back to Slovakia, signing once again with HC Banska Bystrica to hopefully regain some glory.

He gets on board and is invited to return to the tune of 20 goals and 17 assists in just 22 games with a +17 rating and there is a desire to keep him around long-term on a 2-year extension through 2026/2027 with HC Banska.

10Dec

Chris Brown (11)

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11th year center Chris Brown(11) takes 4 seasons with Nurnberg Tigers and trades it in to return to Iserlohn Roosters, the team he started with overseas, for 2022/2023.

The 6’3″ 214 lbs. forward was originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#36 overall) and was in their system for only about a year and a half before being traded to Washington Capitals. , where he arguably had his best success, but still only played 23 NHL games with 2 goals, 1 assist and a +1 rating.

He’s a 3-time 10+ goal scorer and 20+ assist guy in DEL.

The 31-year old former 3-year University Of Michigan Wolverines from Flower Mound, TX keeps on ticking very nicely.

For 2023/2024, he will start a new adventure at now 32-years old and head to Slovak Extraliga to suit up for HC Slovan Bratislava.

He scores kind of big in Austria with 14 goals in 24 games and decides to head back to Germany and signs with Schwenninger Wild Wings.

After 7 seasons in the same league, he looks to switch things up a bit and signs with Fehervar AV19 of IceHL and comes away with 21 goals and 12 assists in 48 games.

For 2025/2026, he late was going to retire, but decides to come play hockey a little closer to home and agrees to terms with Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL.

09Dec

Davis Bunz (7)

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Undrafted defenseman Davis Bunz(7) takes 4+ years at Providence College Friars to a 1st pro contract with Wheeling Nailers for the 2022/2023 season.

The 6’1″ 181 lbs. blue liner has never been much of a scorer, but did leave a USHL frame for Central Illinois Flying Aces to head to school mid-campaign.

A Middleton, WI native, his senior year was way off the hook with 23 goals in 24 games.

The 23-year old should have a really good rookie run.

3 goals and 20 assists in a 1st ECHL frame was impressive enough to want to keep him in West Virginia another season.

He’ll have to work on his +/- some.

Accomplishing exactly what he needed to, he walks away from 2023/2024 with a league high 10 goals and 21 assists with a new accountable +20 rating in 2nd 58 games, then adds another 5 points in the playoffs.

For his new move, he skates overseas, accepting a 1-year EIHL deal with Nottingham Panthers for 2024/2025.

He comes home for 2025/2026 and signs with Orlando Solar Bears, but after 13 games with no points gets traded to Reading Royals.

09Dec

Anton Rubtsov (11)

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University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ Russian-born, graduate left wing Anton Rubtsov(11) had a college best 8 goals and 20 assists in 30 games with a +6 rating as a junior.

He skated only 13 games last season, grabbing 3 goals and 1 assist.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward did most of 2 seasons in the NAHL, but also previous to it played most of 2 frames in Switzerland’s tier 3 league, Hockeyettan.

He signs a 1st pro contract with Danbury Hat Tricks and in 10 games has a nice 2 goals and 9 assists.

06Dec

Steven Oleksy (4)

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11th year defenseman Steven Oleksy(4) elected not to play last season, but returns for 2021/2022 and re-signs with Toledo Walleye, a team he was with for 36 ECHL games (1 goal, 14 assists) in 2019/2020 before leaving for a 1st visit overseas to Black Wingz Linz of EBEL.

At 35-years old, the former 3-year Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ blue liner doesn’t really need to do it for the paycheck.

He’s had quite the interesting career journey starting through a series of minor league deals that even took him to the ill-fated IHL with Port Huron Icehawks as a rookie, but it was time spent with Idaho Steelheads that got him noticed, initially by Bridgeport Sound Tigers to sign him to an AHL deal, then his first NHL contract.

Washington Capitals signed him and for the first two seasons, he play games and contribute all the way to 7 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.

The solid 6′ 190 lbs. d-man has signed 4 big league deals including 1 one-way deal and would also love it if you bought his coffee, The Elite Coffee Co.

He would get traded midseason to Orlando Solar Bears and finished up decently strong with 1 goal and 6 assists in 28 games.

The Chesterfield Township, MI native seemed to like his hockey experience in Florida and has elected to return for 2022/2023.

He steps back off for a few seasons, but likes the itch and signs at age 39 with local Jacksonville Icemen, where in 1 game, he has no points, but is a +1 rating.