Category: Europe

08Jul

William Lemay (8)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ senior left wing William Lemay(8) signs a 1st pro deal fairly quickly after exiting the Hockey East tournament with Trois-Rivieres Lions.

The 5’10” 194 lbs. forward has 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 ECHL games as a pro.

His highest totals through college were 9 assists as a freshman and 5 goals as a junior.

The 24-year old from Marieville, QC could find the room he needs in this league to score more frequently.

4 goals and 4 assists in 14 games on an ato means sign this man up to a rookie T-RLions‘ contract for 2023/2024.

After escaping late last season to Italy2 to blow up scoring, especially in the playoffs to help win the Italian Cup for Pergine.

He will take off to the better known Ligue Magnus for 2024/2025, signing with Diables Rogues de Briancon.

In 44 games, he scores 20 goals and 18 assists with a +10 rating, but is wooed by rivals, Gothiques d’Amiens to sign a contract for 2025/2026, which should go as well as it did in his 1st frame.

03Jul

Mathieu Gosselin (63)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ graduate right wing Mathieu Gosselin(63) was a 3 time 10+ goals and twice 10+ assists and once more than 20 in a frame scorer and will next take his game to the ECHL, joining Newfoundland Growlers for the rest of the season.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward on 4 occasions played 30+ games.

From Quebec, QC, he did 2 BCHL sessions with Merritt Centennials, scoring more than point per game numbers in his 2nd year.

The 24-year old will likely find room to score in the league and does with 2 goals and 3 assists, but now has to find himself a new team to play for, as his ceased operations.

Parent club Toronto Marlies step right in and offer him an amateur tryout to see what he might do in the AHL, which turns into a full deal for 2024/2025.

He spends most of his time, running up numbers for affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones that he decides to take across the way to a deal with Guilford Flames, 2025/2026, where we think he will do very well for himself in the EIHL.

29Jun

Jackson Pierson (19)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish graduate left wing Jackson Pierson(19) signs a 1st pro deal and doesn’t go far from school with Fort Wayne Komets, which should lend him some valuable experience out of the gate.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward only put up 1 goal and 8 assists in 31 games, but managed 4 10+ assist seasons for University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.

From Zionsville, IL, the 23-year old barely played but 2 games of USHL hockey before heading to college.

We think he’s on the right team to find some footing out of the gate.

After 6 ECHL games with no points, he signs for 2023/2024 with Atlanta Gladiators, where he is likely to find his footing to score.

And he does score some points, 17 goals and 26 assists in a full slate of 72 games, the rookie assistant captain will return in a Gladiators‘ jersey to work on that horrible plus/minus, which we are sure happens on a better team.

He is taking 2 seasons of 26 assists to a new adventure for himself, signing with Herforder EV Ice Dragons of Germany3 for 2025/2026.

28Jun

Scott Wilson (10)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

Charlotte Checkers‘ 8th year center Scott Wilson(10) is off to a good start with his new team, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 16 AHL games, while helping them win games.

Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#209 overall), he was selected after a 2nd strong session for Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL.

The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward would then head to UMass-Lowell Riverhawks for three seasons.

He spent three years in the Pens’ system and played the entire 2016/2017 in the NHL en route of the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship, where he played 20 playoff matchups, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists.

The 29-year old should have some fun with his minor league deal this year and then look for a nice overseas contract for 2022/2023.

After scoring a career best 24 goals in 71 games, he decides at the last minute to head off and sign with Vityaz Podolsk, as we thought he might do, after initially thinking he was going to return.

He should be able to match up well in the KHL.

After a couple of good 20-goal scoring seasons, he was maybe off a bit in the current frame, so switches up allegiances to skate for Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the remainder of 2024/2025.

He has a pretty spectacular season with 9 goals and 14 assists in 30 games with a +13 rating, then added 16 points in 19 playoff matchups, but for 2025/2026, he will sign with a 5th league team, agreeing to terms for HC Sibir Novosibirsk for 2025/2026.

27Jun

Chase Gresock (13)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Transfers | Leave a comment

Undrafted right wing Chase Gresock(13) will play his year of eligibility at Bowling Green University Falcons for a graduate season after 1-year at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks and 3, 2 as captain for Merrimack College Warriors.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward is almost a deceptively good scorer.

A Powell, OH native he spent his youth hockey with the Ohio Blue Jackets 14U – 18U AAA before joining close by Youngstown Phantoms for 2 successful USHL frames.

The 24-year old should have a good campaign, but find play in the CCHA tough.

He would finish up an extra year with tying his twice best 11 goals and adding a new high 20 assists and 31 points before signing an ato with San Jose Barracuda to finish out the session.

For his official rookie season, he agrees to terms with “home team” Toledo Walleye, which should be a pretty great 1st stopping spot.

In his 1st year, he strikes for 16 goals and 19 assists with a +7 rating in 69 ECHL games, but he looks around a signs for 2024/2025 with Coventry Blaze, so switches up a letter and will be playing his pro hockey int he EIHL.

Ok, so this is a bit of a surprise maybe, he scores 32 goals and 30 assists in 54 games with a +7 rating, but decides to head over to Ligue Magnus for 2025/2026 and signs with Dragons de Rouen.

22Jun

Garrett Roe (9)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

13th year center Garrett Roe(9) returns home to sign with Hershey Bears for 2023/2024 after playing in 4 different leagues overseas with the last 6 in the NL for ZSC Lions and EV Zug.

The 5’9″ 180 lbs. forward was in fact a Los Angeles Kings 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#183 overall), but did not sign.

His 1st contract was with Adirondack Phantoms, where he scored 32 assists and he stuck there a 2nd season before leaving.

The Vienna, VA native initially went to Austria’s top hockey EBEL, signing with EC Salzburg and score points.

He left for Germany’s DEL, agreeing to terms with EHC Muenchen and he scored points.

His next stop would be for a pair of sessions in the SHL with Linkoping HC and yup, he scored points.

He would continue to do it in Switzerland and it’s expected the 35-year old, former St. Cloud State University Huskies will help out his new AHL team continue to score.

In 48 games, he bags 7 goals and 14 assists with a +15 rating, then through 12 in the playoffs, he nets another 6 goals and 4 helpers, which makes the now 36-year old and easy re-sign to continue being a Bears, 2024/2025.

He scored 4 goals and 14 assists in 38 games with a nice +16 rating of accountability.

In 4 playoff games, he grabs 2 assists with a +3 and that is plenty enough for the now 37-year old.

Chalk up 14 years, 226 games in the Swiss league, 215 in the minors and time spent in three other overseas leagues is a nice tally.

19Jun

Jordan Murray (4)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

8th year defenseman Jordan Murray(4) signs on for his 4th year, 3rd DEL team, Schwenninger Wild Wings, 2024/2025.

He’s shown stronger numbers earlier in his career, but could still be worth something as a 31-year old pro.

The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner did 3 seasons with Belleville Senators, signing with the team after finishing up 4 years at University Of New Brunswick Reds.

This followed 3 QMJHL junior frames.

Undrafted from Riverview, NB, he is likely happy to be still playing.

After 4 seasons in Germany, he decides to move on, signing in IceHL with EC-KAC for 2025/2026.

15Jun

Philip Samuelsson (34)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

12th year, Swedish-born defenseman Philip Samuelsson(34) left 3 seasons of playing in his home country’s top league, SHL for a new adventure, signing for 2022/2023 with Fischtown Pinguins.

In 22 DEL games, he has 12 assists, so is on pace for a big first season in Germany.

The former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#61 overall) has played 512 AHL games, scoring 27 goals and 124 assists with a massive +76 rating.

He’s also appeared in 13 NHL games.

Because his dad, Ulf Samuelsson(5) was playing hockey in the US, he did his high school and junior hockey here.

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. blue liner even did 2 years at Boston College Eagles before turning pro on a 3-year entry level deal.

At 31-years old, he is still able to pull down good contracts, so must have at least a little smile on his face.

He finishes up his debut frame in Germany with 4 goals and 27 assists in 47 games only to be wooed by rivals Straubing Tigers to stay in the country and sign for 2023/2024.

After an exceptionally strong year, scoring 4 goals and 12 assists with a +5 rating through 49 games, then adding another 4 points in 11 playoff matchups, it’s a no brainer to keep him in a Tigers‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

3 seasons in Germany is all good and is heads of to IceHL and signs with HC Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

We think the 33-year old will do well and discover a few more years remaining.

15Jun

Daniel Lebedeff (60)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors | Leave a comment

Finnish-native net minder Daniel Lebedeff(60) spent 5 years in the U.S. honing his hockey skills but decided to head back home as the pandemic closed down the postseason and more, signing a two-year deal with HPK of Liiga.

After doing all of his youth hockey with HIFK, the fairly large 6’2″ 194 lbs. goalie left to sign with Madison Capitals of the USHL, where he spent a little over a year and committed to University Of Wisconsin Badgers but decided to  leave for the lower NAHL joining Janesville Jets.

He would better excel in this league and even made the playoffs for a couple of appearances.

Although his record at college (23-26-2) wasn’t exactly stellar with a 3.49 GAA and .892 SV% in 55 NCAA Big Ten Conference games, I think folks who know how better than us still see promise in the still young 21-year old, potentially from the one pretty strong junior campaign.

The Helsinki native is putting up some outstanding numbers through the midway point of 2021/2022, running together a 6-2-3 record with a 1.55 GAA and .938 SV% to earn another year added to his current deal.

After 5 years back in his home country, he is branching out to the tough to play Slovak Extraliga and signs with HK 32 Liptovsky Miskulas for 2025/2026.