Category: Europe

6th year right wing Matt Berry(19) decided to take the COVID season off last year and only skated one ECHL game for Kalamazoo Wings in 2019/2020, so must have been anxious to sign a contract and elected to go with the high powered offense of Toledo Walleye for 2021/2022.

He’s off to a blazing hot start, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists in 7 games with a +9 rating.

The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward started his pro career after 4 years at Michigan State University Spartans, where he averaged around 20+ points, 31 as a sophomore, in the AHL with 5 games for Norfolk Admirals.

He didn’t get any points, but for his rookie season, San Diego Gulls gave him a contract.

Through 15 games, he had 3 goals and an assist, but was mostly reassigned to affiliate Utah Grizzlies, where he was putting up point-per-game numbers.

He would head off for a couple of campaigns with Florida Everblades, putting up a best 24 goals and 44 assists for 68 points in his first year there.

The Canton, MI native once again moved west to Utah, but was quickly scooped to head back to Southern California, only to put up 4 goals and 14 assists with a +6 rating, but can’t seem to garner any real respect from the league.

At 29-years old, he’s likely just accepted his path.

He was loaned up to Grand Rapids Griffins for 19 games, grabbing 2 goals and 4 assists with a +1, but really lit it up big in the lower league with 24 goals and 37 assists in 44 games with a +30, then added another 14 (5-9) points in 21 playoff matchups.

For 2022/2023, he signs a 1-year deal with Cincinnati Cyclones and could be on the move for his best session yet.

After basically point-per-game numbers last season, matching his exact output in the previous frame 61 points, he has decided to go exploring.

For 2023/2024, he is heading to the tougher to play Slovak Extraliga and signs a 1-year deal with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas.

He does pretty well in Slovakia, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with a +3 rating and 4 points in 5 playoff matchups, but wants something different and ultimately signs with Glasgow Clan, where he must have been given some good incentives.

13th year left wing Jerry D’Amigo(74) stays in DEL for a 2nd straight season, but leaves an alright frame with Düsseldorfer EG to sign with rivals Loewen Frankfort for 2022/2023.

He briefly returned home for a season, signing with Orlando Solar Bears after his 1st pair of years in Germany’s top league, which followed a some ok frames in Liiga, where he split time with a couple teams.

The 5’11” 201 lbs., originally a 2009 Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round NHL draft pick (#158 overall) is bit streaky scoring, but did manage 10+ goals 4 times in the AHL and once hit 20 with 6 seasons of 10+ assists to go along with.

At 31-years old, the Binghamton, NY native, who only did 1 year at RPI Engineers, lightly up Atlantic Hockey, is likely pretty happy to still be signing good contracts.

After 4 seasons in Germany and 2 in Finland, it’s time to come back and sign with a team that has some sunny weather going for it year round, agreeing to terms with Jacksonville Icemen for the rest of 2023/2024.

He has a decent season, leading in the ECHL, but is ready for more adventures overseas and signs with a 3rd new league, the tough to play Slovak Extraliga, signing with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas.

 

12th year net minder Joe Cannata(35) switches up 4 seasons in Sweden, 3 with IK Oskarshamn of the SHL, loading some decent enough stats, but will go for something new and tend net in 2023/2024 for Lowen Frankfort of DEL.

Originally a Vancouver Canucks‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#173 overall), the 6’1″ 201 lbs. goalie was in the system for 4 years.

He would next bounce to Washington Capitals, then eventually Colorado Avalanche, where he would play shutdown for affiliate Colorado Eagles, going 21-5-2 with a 2.22 GAA and .931 SV% in the regular season, then backstopping a 2018 Kelly Cup Championship.

In his 1st year overseas, he basically won all the league awards in HockeyAllsvenskan.

The 33-year old, former Merrimack College Warriors from nearby Wakefield, MA probably has a little smile on his face how his hockey is still going.

He does ok for himself in a German net, but has decided to return to playing hockey much closer to home, signing a 1-year ECHL deal with Norfolk Admirals.

After 5 games in net and things maybe not going quite as well as he may have wanted, he decides he is heading back overseas and signs with Villacher SV in IceHL.

Undrafted rookie right wing Chase Zieky(25) didn’t play last season, but decided to jump in 2021/2022 and signed with Idaho Steelheads.

He managed to put up 12 goals and 5 assists in 38 ECHL games, but was surrendered as compensation for an earlier trade and sent to Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The 5’10” 187 lbs. forward seems to like his new team, as he grabbed an assist in his 2nd appearance, then a pair of goals in the follow-up.

After finishing up high school locally, the Avon, CT native went north for his only session of juniors lighting it up for Salmon Arms Silverbacks with 28 goals and 24 assists in 49 BCHL games.

He followed it up by heading to Providence College Friars, but in 2 seasons only figured in a handful of contests, so entered the transfer portal and arrived as a junior at RPI Engineers.

Arriving at his new school, he figured in the mix with his new club and as a senior posted a college career best 16 assists and 23 points with a +4 rating.

The 26-year old really seems to be just getting it started.

He would finish his rookie session with 3 goals and an assist in 6 games and only appeared in a single playoff game, but left with a +1, so he will stay in North Carolina to see if he can help ignite this club to the next level.

In a full season with his 3rd team in the league, Maine Mariners, he posts a much better 2nd frame with 17 goals and 20 assists in 50 games with a +5 rating, but he’s maybe a little anxious for more, so signs for 1-year with Rapaces de Gap of Ligue Magnus for 2024/2025.

He lasts all of 3 games in France and wants to return to his home-away-from-home, Maine.

Rockford Icehogs‘ rookie left wing Mitchell Fossier(49) currently has a three-game scoring streak going pushing his totals for 2021 to 4 goals and 3 assists in 17 AHL games.

The former University Of Maine Black Bears captain put up huge numbers as a senior notching 32 assists and 42 points with a +16 rating in 34 games with no playoffs possible.

Undrafted, the sturdy 6′ 188 lbs. forward had pretty big stats through 4 years of college, grabbing 38 goals and 90 assists in 134 NCAA Hockey East games.

He had similar success through a pair of campaigns at juniors, first in the NAHL with Janesville Jets, then moving up to the USHL to play for Sioux City Musketeers.

The 24-year old is finding his footing at exactly the right time.

Hello Chicago Blackhawks!

He finished his rookie run with 8 points in 19 games with a bit of a sad -9 rating to conclude 2020/2021.

The Alpharetta, GA native has decided to try his game in Slovak Extraliga for 2021/2022, signing a one-year deal with HC Banska Bystrica, and we’re thinking he could strike some gold in Slovakia’s top hockey.

He heads back from a season overseas to sign with the pro team in the same state as his college team, Maine Mariners for 2022/2023 after a decent 15 goal, 12 assist in 38 game showing in Slovakia.

It will be his debut ECHL season and he should do well.

He puts up more than point-per-game numbers: 21 goals and 36 assists in 47 games, but finds himself caught in a trade that sends him to Atlanta Gladiators, where he has signed for 2023/2024 and will likely continue to do just as well as he did in his last frame.

His numbers are point-per-game to earn him a loan up to San Jose Barracuda for 4 games with 1 assist and a +1 rating.

He will take last season over to the EIHL for 2024/2025, signing with Nottingham Panthers, which should keep him on the scoresheet.

 

3rd year right wing Nicolas Guay(91) returns rather quickly for a little overseas pro hockey experiment in Slovak Extraliga with HC Nove Zamky to sign with the team he has spent 108 ECHL games with Trois Rivieries Lions for the now remainder of 2024/2025.

He was a pretty big scorer as a rookie with 12 goals and 35 assists in a full load of 72 games.

The 6′ 185 lbs. forward did most of 5 years in the QMJHL before heading to 2 seasons at University Of New Brunswick Reds, scoring big in his 2nd frame.

From Chataeuguay, QC, the 25-year old must have missed his hockey closer to home.

Merrimack College Warriors‘ Swedish-born senior center Filip Forsmark(19) signs a 1st ato deal with Allen Americans.

The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward 3 times had 10+ assists and once 10+ goals in college.

We think he finds more room to score in the ECHL.

The 25-year old did 2 USHL years of juniors with Tri City Storm and was drafted after the 1st campaign, but ended up posted 38 assists with a +37 rating a year later.

He plays only 2 games to finish out last season and for 2024/2025 and signs with Atlanta Gladiators to get his pro career started.

After 4 game, he isn’t finding his footing and gets waived to sign a new pro contract to start his pro game in Sweden’s tier 3 Hockeyettan, signing with IF Troja Ljungby.

Merrimack College Warriors‘ Swedish-born, sophomore net minder Max Lundgren(47) picked up a 2nd big win of the 2024/2025 season, a 4-1 over University Of Connecticut Huskies to start the weekend and grabbed 1st player of the night honors.

The big 6’5″ 229 lbs. goalie did all of his youth hockey back home and even started 1 HockeyAllsvenskan game quite successfully before coming over for a single year of USHL junior hockey.

We expect the 22-year old to continue to push for the starter’s job.

4th year center Nick Master(89) returns to Maine Mariners for a 3rd season after scoring new bests 16 goals and 37 assists in 57 ECHL games.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward 4 times had 10+ assists at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks.

In the 1 season he didn’t play in Maine, because COVID knocked the entire frame out, he signed with Knoxville Ice Bears and grabbed 8 goals and 18 assists in 36 SPHL games and that seemed to help propel his game.

The 27-year old from Broomall, PA should continue his scoring streak.

He signs for 2023/2024 in DEL2 with EHC Freiburg and scores well, tying a career best 16 goals and 27 assists in 42 games with a +14 rating.

We think he may have been courted to head to Esbjerg Energy of Metal Ligaen for 2024/2025.

With little pop, 1 assist in 8 games, he decides to head to Ligue Magnus, signing with Anglet Hormadi Pays Basque.

UMass-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Latvian-born, graduate goaltender Gustavs Davis Grigals(39) signs a 1st pro deal with Milwaukee Admirals for 2023/2024, but has joined the club for the Calder Cup playoff push, although not likely to see action.

The 6’2″ 196 lbs. net minder had a 12-9-2 record with a 2.05 GAA and .924 SV%, including 2 shutouts.

He was better than any previous season he played at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, but did have 1 outstanding run through the NAHL juniors with Shreveport Mudbugs.

The 24-year old should be a standout performer as a rookie.

Parent club, Nashville Predators step in as the season is wrapping up and sign him for the current frame to an NHL contract, in a move we can only feel has implications for next season moving forward.

He is mostly sent to play in the ECHL for his rookie season and he decides to move back closer to home, signing with HK Dukla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga, where we think he re-finds his game.

After 5 games, he will switch things up and move on to Finland’s top hockey, Liiga signing with SaiPa for 2024/2025.

We do think it gels for him here.