Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ Swedish-born, graduate defenseman Jacob Nordqvist(12) sure picked the right school to go to after completing 4 fine years at Lake Superior State University Lakers, as he wins himself a 2023 NCAA Division 1 Championship with his new college club.
He finished 38 games with a college career tying his 3-time low 11 assist mark with a +15 rating.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner had 15 assists as a freshman and 12 as a junior, leaving with a +43 on the plus/minus side.
He did most of his junior hockey back home, but came across for a single USHL session with a couple different clubs, amassing yes, 11 assists.
The 25-year old signs a 1st pro contract for 2023/2024 and will skate for Kalamazoo Wings, which we think will lead to some more on ice success.
He does ok scoring 1 goal and 8 assists in 48 games with a 0 rating, but decides to play his hockey maybe a little closer to home, signing with Herning Blue Fox of Metal Ligaen for 2024/2025.
13th year center Brian O’Neill(91) will skate the SHL for his 1st season, signing with Lulea HF for 2024/2025 after 2 NL frames for EV Zug.
Upon leaving North American pro hockey, the 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward spent 6 years in the KHL for Jokerit.
Undrafted, he played his 1st 3 seasons in Los Angeles Kings‘ system, winning the 2015 Calder Cup with affiliate Manchester Monarchs, getting voted MVP amongst other awards.
He would next be traded to New Jersey Devils, scoring 22 NHL games, getting 2 assists.
The 2-time Yale University Bulldogs‘ 20-goal scorer and 3-time 20+ assists for the former captain did 1 USHL year Chicago Steel before school.
We think the 35-year old still has some hockey to prove.
16th year left wing Ryan Stoa(13) re-signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for a 4th season, where 3 times he has scored 10+ goals in a season.
The one-time University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers‘ senior captain, 40+ point player has done quite well overseas with 6 KHL campaigns and 3 in the SHL before heading to Germany.
Originally a Colorado Avalanche 2nd round pick in the 2005 draft (#34 overall), he has skated 40 NHL games, scoring 4 goals and 3 assists, but has 290 AHL games of experience.
The 6’3″ 223 lbs. from Bloomington, MN did 2 junior seasons with the USNTDP.
At 37-years old, he’s still having fun out there to sign.
EV Landshut 3rd year defenseman Nick Pageau(24) signs on to return for his 6th DEL2 season.
It’s only his 2nd team in all his time in the tier 2 German league.
He came in from a single frame in HockeyAllsvenskan and 1 and playoffs in Norway with Frisk Asker.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner did 4 OHL seasons with Belleville Bulls before heading to 4 years at St. Francis Xavier University Mice.
He played 3 campaigns in Bakersfield Condors‘ system after school.
At 36-years old, he still has to be having fun.
Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior defenseman, captain Nash Nienhuis(4) signs a 1st pro deal for 2024/2025 to start his pro hockey overseas with EC Salzburg.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner from Sarnia, ON started junior hockey local in the GOJHL, but was quickly drafted to the USHL with Muskegon Lumberjacks before he had his best junior success in 27 games for Omaha Lancers.
He had a college best 9 goals, tied his 15 assists set as a junior and had a new high 24 points with +20 rating.
The 24-year old will likely excel nicely in the IceHL.
Kalpa‘s rookie defenseman Aapeli Rasanen(22) left his final year at Boston College behind possibly not knowing how the upcoming season would turn out during a raging pandemic, as he signed soon after 2019/2020 was aborted.
The 6′ 207 lbs. forward came to life scoring in his final year at college with 11 goals and 13 assists in 34 NCAA games with a +14 rating.
He continued on that path his first year in Liiga grabbing 13 tallies and 9 helpers.
It’s not certain what his future will be with Edmonton Oilers, who drafted him in the 6th round of 2016 (#153 overall) and still retains his contract rights.
The 22-year old is back home in Finland and maybe not looking back, which is too bad because he was always a good player to watch in Hockey East.
He spends his 1st 4 pro years with the same team, scoring decently, but maybe it’s time for a rival switch, so he signs with Tappara for 2024/2025.
Tuscon Roadrunners‘ pto defenseman Brandon Estes(7) comes in after completing a 5th year at Union College Dutchmen, putting up college career bests 7 goals, 22 assists and 29 points in 37 NCAA Division 1 games.
The 6′ 175 lbs. blue liner played two virtually equal seasons of junior hockey, first in the NAHL, then USHL before heading to school.
He has a pair of assists in 5 AHL games with a +3 rating, so is off to kind of a booming start.
The 25 year old from Richardson, TX is setting himself for a good contract somewhere next season.
He signs a 1-year deal with division rivals Henderson Silver Knights for 2022/2023.
Mostly reassigned down to affiliate Savannah Ghost Pirates, he strikes for 9 goals and 15 assists in 62 games, while playing only 4 up with no points.
For 2023/2024, he re-signs to stay in GA with one of their newest ECHL teams.
He scores a new career best 25 assists and 32 points and will take these stats overseas, signing with Odense Bulldogs to play his hockey in Metal Ligaen 2024/2025, where he should do really well.
12th year, small 5’9″ 161 lbs. defenseman Chay Genoway(39) maybe wants to take the edge off playing for big squads in the KHL or SHL, as he’s been doing for the past 8 seasons.
For 2022/2023, he has signed with EC Salzburg of ICEHL and will definitely find some room to score big in Austria’s top hockey league.
In fact, in his 1st 2 games, the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks already has a goal and an assist.
Undrafted, he signed an entry level deal with Minnesota Wild, yet only skated 1 NHL game at the end of his rookie season, coming away with an assist.
The 35-year old from Morden, MB is likely still just having too much fun playing the game to quit.
He posts 10 goals and 17 assists in 45 games, then adds another 8 points in 16 playoff matchups en route to the 2023 ICEHL Championship to earn himself another year on the now 36-year old’s contract.
At 37-years of age, he continues to contribute for a 2nd league title in a row and he is to be kept on in a Red Bulls‘ uniform for a 3rd straight year, 2024/2025 (and another championship).
Florida Panthers‘ undrafted center Henry Bowlby(21) leaves three years of Harvard University as he enters his senior season with zero hockey to play due to COVID considerations shelving it for the college in 2020/2021.
The decently sized 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward was assigned to affiliate Syracuse Crunch to start his career after signing a 2-year entry level deal that started right away.
In his AHL debut he potted his first pro goal and still has the one tally and no assists through 4 games with a +3 rating.
He’d always been a scorer in the teens at school, three times getting 8 assists and twice similar goal totals, so it will be interesting to see if a more open style opens up the scoring valve.
As a rookie, he scores 12 goals and 16 assists with a +14 rating and he is given a 1-year, 2-way deal to stay for 2022/2023.
We think he plays his way to an NHL recall.
He would score almost identical 2nd and 3rd frames for affiliate Charlotte Checkers, but was a group 6 unrestricted free agent at the end of his deal and was basically set free.
The Edina, MN next picks Colorado Eagles to play games, signing a minor league contract for 2023/2024.
After 7 games into his career with 1 goal and 2 assists in the north and he maybe gets a better offer to head to Sweden and signs with Rogle BK.
He should do well in the SHL.
Through 29 games, he scores 2 goals and 5 assists, then adds 2 points in 15 playoff matchups to be wanted back for 2024/2025 in a Rogle BK uniform.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ Finnish-born, senior center Julius Janhonen(11) heads home to Liiga to sign with HPK for 2024/2025.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward played a college high 40 games and scored a best 19 assists and 24 points last season.
He did all his youth and junior hockey back home for the 25-year old and should do well upon returning.
