Category: Europe

27Jan

Adam Rockwood (12)

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5th year center Adam Rockwood(12) takes a career year with 33 assists and 39 points for AIK of HockeyAllsvenskan to a new challenge, joining HC Innsbruck to skate IceHL for 2023/2024.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. had 40 assists as a junior transfer to Northern Michigan University Wildcats, then 28 as a senior.

He won a 2014 BCHL Championship with hometown junior team Coquitlam Express as a 2nd year player before heading to his 1st school, University Of Wisconsin Badgers.

The 27-year old from Coquitlam, BC may continue to play himself up through leagues overseas or could come back and light the ECHL again.

He comes away from his 1st year in Austria, with a career high 33 assists and +25 rating and decides to stay, but signs with rivals, Asiago for 2024/2025.

Slovak Extraliga is calling his name and he is heading there to skate for HC Ducla Michalovce.

He would record 32 assists in 33 games, but decides to sign with the rivals HK Spisska Nova Ves.

In 10 games, he scores 2 goals and 4 assists, but is dished to HC Presov Penguins and has 1 goal and 1 assist in his debut game.

He is taking 2 years decent scoring in Slovakia back to HockeyAllsvenskan, signing with BIK Karlskoga for what remains of 2025/2026.

21Jan

Sean Montgomery (25)

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After 2 successful, was supposed to be 3 ECHL seasons with Norfolk Admirals, 4th year center Sean Montgomery(25) leaves for a 2nd time, heading to the Poland hockey league, joining Cracovia Krakow for 2025/2026.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward did 5 years with Prince Albert Raiders and won the 2019 WHL Championship before going to 4 years of University Of Western Ontario Mustangs.

From Anchorage, AK, he is 27-years old despite already playing a ton of hockey.

20Jan

John Gilmour (7)

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After two seasons suiting up for CSKA Moskva, 7th year defenseman John Gilmour(7) signs with rivals Dinamo Minsk for 2022/2023.

Originally a Calgary Flames‘ 7th round pick in the 2013 (#198 overall), he was never signed and picked up as a free agent and signed to an NHL entry level deal by New York Rangers upon graduating Providence College Friars.

He was an important part of the team, when they won the 2015 NCAA Division 1 Championship.

The 6′ 192 lbs. blue liner spent 3 years in the system, skating 33 big league games, pocketing 2 goals and 3 assists.

He would next sign with Buffalo Sabres on a one-way contract before leaving for the KHL.

At 29-years old, he likely still has a long way to go.

He scores basically the same exact totals for his new team as he did for his old and has decided to move on for something new, signing for 2023/2024 with Adler Mannheim.

We expect him to do very well in Germany’s top league, DEL.

After 3 years of consistent scoring, he is re-up for another 1 year to stay in Adler Mannheim through 2026/2027

20Jan

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 3 games, he has 1 assist and is a +1 rating.

17Jan

Luke Weilandt(44)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ junior right wing Luke Weilandt(44) has seen his playing time slip, so he elects to leave school and sign a pro contract with Deggendorfer SC of Germany3.

The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward had 3 goals as a freshman and 5 assists in his sophomore year, which were both college bests.

From Northbrook, IL, the 23-year old actual is of some German descent, so him heading over here maybe makes sense.

13Jan

Bobby Trivigno (41)

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UMass Minutemen senior, captain Bobby Trivigno(41) had himself a career year, scoring all new bests 17 goals, 26 assists for 43 points with a +20 rating, as his team pushes towards Hockey East playoffs.

The 5’8″ 162 lbs. undrafted fleet foot forward has to be on many a team’s list to have a look at as 2022 unrestricted free agency opens up.

He had solid runs through USHS-Prep, then one season of USHL for Waterloo Blackhawks before committing.

The 23-year old possesses a lot of those skills you can easily see on display and plenty of intangibles that comes from being a team player.

He has a decent pair of AHL frames with Hartford Wolf Pack, while signed to a 2-year NHL entry level deal with New York Rangers, but spies an opportunity in the SHL and signs another 2-year contract with Brynas IF for 2024/2025.

Doing pretty well scoring, he is definitely going well with this club, as they give him a 3-year extension to continue with Brynas IF.

13Jan

Max Newton (10)

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2nd year Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate center Max Newton(10) looks to be on his way to blowing out any scoring he was able to managed at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks having already pocketed 7 goals and 8 assists in 14 games with a +3 rating to start the 2021/2022 session.

He was a good scorer through his first two years at the BCHL, but really popped on a shift to a new team, Cowichan Valley Capitals with 25 goals and 34 assists in 58 games.

The 5’10” 184 lbs. 25-year old will be an interesting watch to see what might materialize for this skater that plays with full-on compete next.

When his team pushed Hockey East playoffs as far as they would go, he quickly turned his attention to signing an spc with Worcester Railers to finish off the 2021/2022 season.

In his debut, he records an assist, then follows it up with his 1st ECHL goal in the next game to match his Merrimack pal he signed contracts with.

After scoring 3 goals and 5 assists in 13 games and getting a 2 game loan up to Providence Bruins, notching an assist, he signs for his official rookie session with rival Reading Royals, where scoring will continue to come for one of the hardest workers out there.

He exploded scoring in the league last season to the tune of 34 goals and 38 assists in 67 games, then added another 10 points in 10 playoff games.

For 2023/2024, the Vancouver, BC will take it up a notch, signing with HK Dukla Michalovce of Slovak Extraliga.

After scoring decently, he leaves for DEL2 and signs with Krefeld Pinguin, where his stats explode beyond goal-per-game numbers and he is doing it again for a 2nd straight season to earn himself a contract to stay 2 more through 2027/2028.

13Jan

Jake Smith (24)

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5th year right wing Jake Smith(24) doesn’t seem to be bothered finding the net, regardless of the ECHL team he may be paired with at the moment.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. took a bit of a weird path, starting with 2 QMJHL seasons, then switching to the OHL and heading to a year at Carlton University Ravens before turning pro.

He started as a rookie in the SPHL, but would eventually split for a short run in Germany3 with Starbulls Rosenheim, a team he oddly played a year of youth hockey with, considering his birth place is Pickering, ON.

Returning, he skated the COVID-busted season in the league and would do well enough to score a look in the higher league.

He started with Kansas City Mavericks, but failed to connect and took up with Iowa Heartlanders and the scoring wasn’t immediate, but eventually pulled in for 25 goals and 25 assists in 52 games.

There’s little doubt he can score in the league, but could definitely use more on ice accountability.

The 26-year old seems to have found a good spot with Reading Royals, good for 7 goals and 5 assists in 19 games, but a lowly -12.

It takes a little while, but he signs a 1-year deal to stay in a Royals’ jersey for 2024/2025.

With some good scoring, 16 goals and 21 assists, he decides to head back for another venture and signs with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen.

He’s a more than point-per-game, so will head to Mestis and signs with JoKP

11Jan

Lordanthony Grissom (3)

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Norfolk Admirals‘ 3rd year defenseman Lordanthony Grissom(3) won the 2022 SPHL Championship with Peoria Rivermen after completing 4 years, twice as captain at Aurora University Spartans.

He actually scored points in that league, raising his profile to score ECHL contracts moving forward.

The very large 6’4″ 229 lbs. blue liner had a league career best 3 goals and 7 assists last season for Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

From Detroit, MI, the 28-year old has 1 assist in 3 games in the current frame and could find his way to scoring more points when out there.

In 16 games, he only posts 1 assists, but is a +2 rating.

He is released and claimed off waivers by Jacksonville Icemen, who hope to do something with his great size.

Not really with a lot of luck last season, split between a couple of teams, Iowa Heartlanders see something they think they can turn into more of a scoring factor and bring him in for 2025/2026.

Released after 22 games with 3 assists, he is picked back up by Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he scored his best numbers.

10Jan

Nolan Dawson (9)

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Western New England University Golden Bears‘ 6’5″ 225 lbs. left wing Nolan Dawson(9) was at Curry College Colonels, playing a rough average of 20 games per frame, but just as he did after his freshman year at Saint Mary’s University Cardinals, he decides to switch things up and arrives for his senior session.

He has 2 goals and 2 assists in 11 games, which could see him turn new college best numbers, assuredly in tallies.

From Airdrie, AB, he played mostly 4 years of junior hockey in 3 different northern leagues, but only twice made it work for extended stays.

We don’t think it out of the question for him to add a year of eligibility, where he is.

As a graduate, he scores a college tying best 6 goals and adds a new high 9 assists and 15 points.

He takes these totals to a 1st pro deal and signs with Evansville Thunderbolts, where his size could help him score as a pro in the SPHL.

Officially signing for his rookie season in the FPHL, he is scoring well, but decides to head for Finland’s tier 3 league, Suomi-sarja signing with Muik Hockey for the rest of 2025/2026.