Category: Europe

02May

Justin Addamo (26)

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RPI Engineers‘ French-born, senior graduate transfer from Robert Morris University Colonials, right wing Justin Addamo(26) takes a college career high 14 assists and tied for best 19 points to a 1st year pro ECHL deal with Wheeling Nailers for 2022/2023.

An absolute tower of a player at 6’6″ 249 lbs., he will definitely find some space in front of nets in this league.

He did some of his earlier junior hockey back home with Rouen U18 and U22, but came over for a pair of NAHL seasons with Lone Star Brahmas and just so happened to win the 2017 Robertson Cup in his 1st year and was a +24 rated player with 21 assists in 52 games in his 2nd.

The 24-year old will be one to watch.

As a rookie he lights it up with 21 goals and 12 assists with loans up to the AHL, where he has 5 goals in 14 appearances.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins like what they are seeing an sign him up for next season 2023/2024.

He splits time with ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers and is a point-per-game guy for them and does decently enough through 21 games as a rookie with his contract club, but is looking to really challenge his game next and signs for 2024/2025 in Czech Extraliga with HC Ocelari Trinec.

Doing decently enough, in just 27 games with 4 goals and 5 assists, he will look for another adventure, heading to Finland, signing with Jukurit for Liiga in 2025/2026.

27Apr

Brady Ferguson (12)

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Undrafted 4th year center Brady Ferguson(12) re-ups for another two seasons with Rogle BK after putting up 2 goals and 9 assists in 24 SHL games with a +4 rating, as 2021/2022 rolls.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward had a bit of an odd start and maybe a little bit of an odd contract experience with Toronto Marlies that saw him mostly reassigned to affiliate Newfoundland Growlers.

Following an awesome college career at Robert Morris University Colonials, scoring 66 goals and 101 assists with a mind-blowing +41 before signing an ato and grabbing 4 assists in 5 AHL games to start his pro career.

Oddly, although signed, he wasn’t able to stick at that higher level and was one of the more than point-per-game providers driving the ECHL team to a 2019 Kelly Cup Championship.

The 27-year old has definitely found a nice hockey home in Sweden and would be no surprise to see him stay.

He has shown point increases with each session, arriving at 25 last run in 52 games.

In 2023/2024, he already has 2 goals and 3 assists in 8 games, so we believe we are looking at Swedish career point bests in his 4th year there, and he was re-upped for 2024/2025 already.

He had a career best 10 goals last season, but has decided to look around and signs for 2025/2026 with EHC Red Bull Munchen.

24Apr

Tyler Boland (10)

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2nd/3rd year center Tyler Boland(10) is heading over to skate in DEL next season, joining Iserlohn Roosters for 2023/2024.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward played 44 AHL games with contract club, Manitoba Moose, good for 9 goals and 10 assists, and was only loaned down for 11 in the ECHL with Newfoundland Growlers, where he once again rung the bell a bit too loud for the lower league maybe.

He played 4 years of QMJHL for Rimouski Oceanic, blowing the lid off scoring in his final year with 48 goals and 55 assists in 68 games with a +5 rating.

Instead of turning pro immediately following that hockey experience, he decided to go to University Of New Brunswick Reds and won 3 of 4 USports Championships and would have maybe won a 4th, if they had playoffs in 2020 and they didn’t play 2020/2021.

The 26-year old from St. John’s, NL should light up Germany’s top league pretty nicely.

He is scoring nicely, but could improve his +/-, although he may be approaching fan favorite status, so he is wanted to return for a 3rd run in a Roosters‘ jersey.

19Apr

Eric Neiley (59)

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Atlanta Gladiators‘ 8th year right wing Eric Neiley(59) looks set to eclipse his best ECHL goals marks in the current frame with already 14 in 23 games.

He’ll need to surpass 27 posted in his 2nd season with the team, but regardless will hit the 20+ goal mark for a fourth time.

The prolific former assistant captain as a senior at Dartmouth College Big Green, he struck for 10+ goals and assists in his last pair of sessions.

He also skated to EIHL frames, but almost oddly didn’t score as well as he does at home.

The 5’11” 185 lbs is originally from Warminster Township, Pa.

Already 30-years old, it seems like he’s still just getting started.

1 more season of running up the point totals, 25 goals, just shy of his best and 19 assists for 44 points with a +10 rating in 50 games and that’s gonna be plenty enough hockey for the now 31-year old.

For 2023/2024, he will take up as Assistant Coach with this same Gladiators‘ club.

And for 2024/2025, he comes back off the bench to sign a 1-year deal to play with the home team, Gladiators once again.

After another good season, helping his team score points with 13 goals and 21 assists in 45 games, he announced his retirement x2, but will likely find himself riding a Glads‘ bench is what we are thinking.

15Apr

Jimmy Lambert (60)

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Providence Bruins welcome in 2nd year right wing Jimmy Lambert(60) after scoring 11 goals and 13 assists in 27 games with a +6 rating on reassignment with Worcester Railers from contract club, Bridgeport Islanders.

He scored 1 goal and 6 assists in 33 games up with a +1.

The 6′ 176 lbs. former University Of Michigan Wolverines wasn’t a huge scorer at school.

Originally from Newcastle, GBR, the 26-year old could see time playing for rival Maine Mariners.

In 21 ECHL games this season, he’s tied his 13 assists, but will still need to add on tallies to his 4 to get him past those pretty amazing marks of 11 as a rookie.

He does well last season, tying his goals at 11 and 23 assists is a new career league best.

Though he appears in only 10 AHL games, he is wanted to return to continue and work on his game.

Mostly dispatched to Maine, he is scoring on a point-per-game pace and decides to branch out for some more difficult hockey in DEL and agrees to terms with Grizzlys Wolfsburg.

After 14 games with 2 goals and 4 assists, he is liked and asked to return for 2025/2026 as a Grizzlys.

14Apr

Dylan Jackson (15)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ sophomore right wing Dylan Jackson(15) will join his twin brother Ty on University Of Arizona Sun Devils in 2022/2023, as he enters the transfer portal to host his junior year at the new school.

The small 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward spent most of last season injured on the sidelines, but in 8 games managed 3 assists.

An Oakville, ON native, he did one season of junior hockey in the OJHL, but headed to a pair of USHL frames before heading to school.

The 20-year old has a ton of energy out there and if can stay healthy will contribute.

In 3 years, including a graduate session at his new school, he scores decently with 10+ points, but is a +2 rating to leave college hockey.

He signs his 1st deal with his brother to skate for Deggendorfer SC of Germany3, where we expect them to do very well.

09Apr

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.

After a fairly solid performance with maybe not a winning record, he is wanted to return and re-signs to stay Jukurit.

We are sure, he is a fan favorite.

08Apr

Cody Kunyk (37)

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9th year center Cody Kunyk(37) returns to Karpat after a year away in the KHL that actually grabbed hold scoring come playoff time for Barys Nur-Sultan.

The undrafted 5’11” 194 lbs. forward has skated 5 seasons in Liiga, Finland’s top hockey and tossed off a league best 39 assists in 2019/2020.

He signed a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning upon graduating University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks with 20+ goals and assists as a senior and even played 1 NHL game fresh out of school.

The Sherwood Park, AB native skated the AHL his rookie season for affiliate Syracuse Crunch, but left for Denmark’s Metal Ligaen in the next session, running up decent points for Gentofte Stars.

At 32-years old, he still seems to be connecting and is wanted for what he brings, so there’s little reason to put down the skates.

He would move along after a 5th strong year playing Finnish hockey to Germany and signed with Lowen Frankfort in 2023/2024, where he would come away with a pro best 17 goals and some decent point totals, but signs with rivals Augsburger Panther for 2024/2025 and should have continued success.

After a successful 1st season with the team, he re-signs to return a Panther for 2025/2026.

03Apr

Dans Locmelis (10)

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UMASS Minutemen Latvian-born, freshman center Dans Locmelis(10) may only have 2 goals and 1 assist in 10 games, but he is always fully involved in the action, when he’s on the ice.

The 6′ 172 lbs. Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2022 draft (#119 overall) played all his youth and junior hockey back home.

We feel we will see the former Lulea HF , Boston Bruins‘ selection will play out the full term of his college career and get himself an education.

The 19-year old is definitely a good watch.

In his sophomore frame, he records a new college best 8 goals and adds a hefty 25 assists with a +16 rating in 40 games to look ready for his NHL entry level contract, which starts immediately with affiliate Providence Bruins.

02Apr

Joel Messner (59)

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Former University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks‘ senior captain, defenseman Joel Messner(59) decides to leave the ship for other waters for his 4th season.

He will skate in Austria’s IceHL for a seemingly favored by Americans’ club, HC Innsbruck.

The solid 6’2″ 200 lbs. d-man was mostly under deals with Providence Bruins, originally scouted by Boston Bruins and in their system for 48 AHL games, but was in a uniform mostly with affiliate Atlanta Gladiators.

In 86 ECHL games, he did alright with 14 goals and 41 assists.

He played 4 more games in the league for Jacksonville Icemen to start 2020/2021 and got a goal and 2 assists.

We think the 27-year old Winnipeg native will like it in his new hockey home but if he does really well will move up.

He played for HKM Zvolen of Slovak Extraliga last season, putting up 4 goals and 9 assists in 50 games with a +7 rating, then added another 6 points in 17 playoff matchups.

For 2023/2024, he will head back to Austria, where he had very good luck and agrees to terms with Pustertal/Val Pusteria.

He grabs some decent points, but the -18 is a problem, then performs really well in 13 playoff games to get a want from rivals, Fehervar AV19 for 2024/2025.

Through 48 games, he has 2 goals and 17 assists with a +8 rating, so is becoming a bit of an offensive threat out there and scores himself a new 1-year deal to stay on in this part of Austria.