Category: Europe

8th year right wing Trevor Mingoia(11) has bounced through a pair of leagues he’d previously skated, but arrives in a new place for the remainder of 2023/2024 with Valerenga of EliteHockey Ligaen.

Judging by some off ice going ons, he may have been wooed by a good deal, but looks a bit settled back at his 1st team overseas Vasteras IK HockeyAllsvenskan.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward played only 2 years ECHL and AHL before leaving.

From Fairport, NY, the 32-year old started at Union College, but left for Providence College Friars as a sophomore.

He may be settling in Sweden quite nicely.

After 6 seasons lighting up the scoreboard overseas, he has decided to return and sign with South Carolina Stingrays for 2024/2025.

Salem State University Vikings‘ Australian-born, graduate defenseman Dash Quartarolo(25) signs for his rookie season 2024/2025 with JHT Kalajoki of Suomi-sarja.

The big 6’5″ 229 lbs. blue liner didn’t play many college games, but went home 2 summers to play in the AIHL and would do ok.

He came over early for high school and skated 3 years junior hockey before heading to 2 years at Becker College Hawks, then the college went bust after COVID and he left for New England College Pilgrims.

We think the 24-year old does pretty well and maybe even plays himself up.

12th year defenseman Matt Donovan(46) will for a 3rd time take his game overseas, but this time signs for 2022/2023 with Adler Mannheim of DEL.

He twice played for SHL teams, Frölunda HC and HV71.

The former 2-year University Of Denver Pioneers‘ d-man was a New York Islanders‘ 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (#96 overall) and was in that system to start his pro career for 4 seasons.

At 6’1″ 205 lbs., he has skated 69 NHL games.

The 32-year old from of all places, Edmond, OK is likely happy to be still playing at a good level.

He actually does fairly well in German’s top league, scoring 8 goals and 15 assists with a +7 rating in 47 games, then added another 8 helpers in 12 playoff matchups.

For 2023/2024, he decides to come on and sign an AHL deal with Chicago Wolves, which makes a lot of sense.

He records 39 assists in 69 games and that will do it: 69 games in the big league, 524 in the lower league with 232 assists to his credit, 13 years of pro hockey and very quickly Nashville Predators sign him up to be an assistant coach with a team he spent 3 years with, affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

Smart move.

Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate center Jake Durflinger(14) signs a 1st pro deal with 2022 Champs‘ Florida Everblades for 2022/2023.

The small-ish 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward only reached 10 points twice in college sessions and only had 10+ goals and  15+ assists through 3 USHL years with a couple different clubs.

He skated 4 years at University Of Denver Pioneers before arriving east.

The 24-year old from Walnut Creek, CA may find some room to score in the ECHL.

Not exactly sure what transpired yet, but he just signed with the new Iowa Heartlanders instead.

After a rookie season of 10 goals and 10 assists, he re-signs in Iowa to show everyone he can do more.

He ups his scoring in his 2nd frame to 18 assists and 27 points and will take that over to the EIHL for 2024/2025, signing with Manchester Storm.

2nd year defenseman Jeff Solow(12) decides to switch things up, kind of dramatically after 16 ECHL games for Worcester Railers, scoring 5 assists with a -3 rating to a new ride, signing to Glasgow Clan for the remainder of 2023.

The 6′ 194 lbs., who left a last season of juniors for Amarillo Bulls, where he ran up 7 goals and 20 assists in 33 NAHL games with a +9 rating to finishing up that frame with Merrimack College Warriors.

He would eventually leave that school and finish up his college career at SUNY-Oswego State Lakers.

The Naples, FL native will likely find some light in the EIHL and potentially move on to higher levels of hockey overseas as he goes.

He almost oddly only got 2 assists in 18 games, but then grab a 1st league goal in 2 playoff matchups.

In a not so surprising summer move, he leaves for Skycity Stampede and completely blows the lid off NZIHL scoring with 10 goals and 19 assists with a +28 rating in just 16 games, then added another 5 points (1-4) in 2 playoff battles en route to the 2023 Birgel Cup victory.

He catches the eye of Wheeling Nailers, who sign him to a 2-way contract for 2023/2024.

Ultimately, he would start the season with Birmingham Bulls and be loaned up to Jacksonville Icemen, who signed him.

After a 7 game spell, getting 1 assist with a +3 rating, he is waived and claimed by Maine Mariners, where we feel he will see more success.

He gets only 1 goal in 14 games with his new team and for the summer takes off to the AIHL and signs with Melbourne Ice to regain the fun in his game.

In 23 games, he scores 5 goals and 24 assists to hopefully turn a corner and agrees to terms with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2024/2025.

Undrafted 4th year center Chase Berger(8) leaves HC Banska Bystrica with a solid one-year impression, scoring a career high 21 goals and 39 points in 46 Tipos Extraliga games.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward signs with Bietigheim Steelers of DEL for 2022/2023.

He was always a good scorer through 4 years at Penn State University Nittany Lions with 10+ goals and 10+ assists in each session.

The St. Louis, MO native started his pro career with a pair of seasons for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but seemed a little stilted on the scoresheet in the AHL.

At 27-years old, he may be starting to climb overseas a little on the late side.

He takes a fairly solid frame for his German team, getting 8 goals and 25 assists in 51 games to another new experience, agreeing with HC Kosice of Slovak Extraliga for 2023/2024.

In 37 games, he scores 10 goals and 17 assists with a +11 rating, but will add another league to his belt, signing in the IceHL with Fehervar AV19 for 2024/2025.

Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior captain defenseman Nash Nienhuis(4) scored a college career best 9 goals and tied his 15 assists set as a junior.

The undrafted 5’10” 181 lbs. blue liner will take his game overseas for his rookie frame, as he signs with EC Salzburg of IceHL.

From Sarnia, ON, he did 1 season GOJHL before transferring to the USHL, where he skated mostly with Muskegon Lumberjacks before heading to school.

We look for the 24-year old to do well in Austria’s top league.

4th year defenseman Willie Raskob(15) decides to leave again after a successful 2019/2020 in Metal Ligaen with Rungsted Seier Capital.

He’ll head to join HK Nitra of Tipos Extraliga for 2021/2022.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner started his pro career with 1 game for Worcester Railers, but got traded immediately afterwards to Quad City Mallards, where he struck for 3 goals and 34 assists.

Kind of maybe obvious, he would sign for his sophomore frame with Stockton Heat, but only managed to get into one dreadful game before being reassigned to Kansas City Mavericks, where he once again took it up a level to score a new best 9 goals and 40 assists in 69 ECHL games.

This would have him searching for a new endeavor, sending him to Denmark for a season.

He returned closer to home for the COVID staggered 2020/2021 and signed with Indy Fuel.

The 4-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ d-man, who always had 10+ assists per frame, struck for a new best 13 goals and 25 assists in 67 games, then added another 3 points in 4 playoff contests.

At 26-years old, he sure to find good game in Slovakia’s top league in the upcoming frame.

He completes a successful frame, getting 8 goals and 31 assists for 39 points, good enough for most by a d-man in the league and moves over to Czechia, signing with HK Vitkovice for 2022/2023 and once again finds good scoring fortune with 5 goals and 23 assists and a +8 rating to decide to stay put and re-sign for 2023/2024.

After a couple of successful years, he is 29-years old and leaves for an excellent opportunity with Vienna Capitals of IceHL.

5th year defenseman Blake Thompson(8) is taking his game overseas for 2022/2023, signing with Cardiff Devils.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner is coming off a career year, scoring a new best 20 assists and 25 points.

He even scored a 1 AHL game loan up to Hartford Wolf Pack.

The former St. Norbert College Green Knights‘ d-man twice had close to 20 assists in a frame.

We think the 29-year old is going to find good room in the EIHL to continue to elevate his game.

He returns home from a pair of decent frames overseas and signs a 1-year ECHL deal with South Carolina Stingrays for 2024/2025.

8th year center Philippe Maillet(61) returned last season to Laval Rocket under a 1-year NHL deal with Montreal Canadiens and scored quite well with a new AHL best 21 goals.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward is leaving again, this time he joins NL and signs with HC Ambri-Piotta for 2024/2025.

He came back from 2 very strong sessions in the KHL for Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

From Lachenaie, QC, the 31-year old played 4 years of QMJHL, then went to University Of New Brunswick Reds for another 4.

He will do really well in Switzerland.