Category: Europe

14th year right wing Kevin Clark(32) has carved out a heck of a career for himself playing and scoring in leagues, such as the SHL, KHL (only 1/2 one session), NL and returns to DEL for his 5th season, signing with Düsseldorfer EG for 2023/2024.

Not too crazy bad for a player that skated only 2.5 campaigns in the AHL after 4 years at University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.

He really blew up scoring in his senior year at school with 23 goals and 14 assists, making him a twice 30+ point guy in college hockey, as he achieved that feat as a junior too.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. 35-year old from Winnipeg, MB has run up awards where he is in one campaign and last year helped win his 1st title, the 2022 DEL Championship in his 2nd year with Eisbären Berlin, so likely wants more with someone else.

Despite doing decently with 13 goals of production in 49 games, he decides at 36-years old to become the player development coach for Tri-City Storm, despite playing no American-based junior hockey.

He is maybe still getting the itch to play some hockey and signs with EC-KAC of IceHL should be a good challenge for him.

Undrafted center Patrick Grasso(21) signs his first pro contract with Utica Comets for 2021/2022 after 5 seasons at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.

Almost oddly his best scoring year was as a freshman, when he struck for 20 goals and 13 assists, which followed up a particularly good 3rd/4th USHL campaign for close-to-home Des Moines Buccaneers.

The small 5’7″ 170 lbs. 25-year old quick pivot will likely do well in the AHL.

He actually had a goal and 3 assists in 9 games, but was mostly sent down to skate with affiliate Adirondack Thunder, where he was stellar scoring 26 goals and 24 assists in 68 ECHL games.

For 2022/2023, he goes a bit of the easy route, signs to stay in Glens Falls, NY and will potentially score some loans up to the higher league.

He comes up with a new league and team best 37 goals and 59 assists in 64 games and is loaned up to 2 teams for 9 games, gaining 2 assists.

The Des Moines, IA native is back for a 3rd run with his favorite team.

He’s taking some good 3rd year stats with him to a new adventure, signing for 2024/2025 with HC Innsbruck Sharks of the IceHL and should do very well in Austria’s top hockey.

In 45 games, he strikes for 21 goals and 14 assists, but is a horrible -25 rating, so looks to explore other pro hockey and signs with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan.

Undrafted 4th year right wing Nick Jones(8) is coming off a career AHL season, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists in 60 games to add a 3rd season with Manitoba Moose to his resume.

The 5’11” 186 lbs. forward had an interesting two year run through the AJHL before committing to Ohio State University Buckeyes for 2 years, after which he decided on a pair of BCHL sessions, scoring almost equal 60+ point totals and winning the 2017 Championship with Penticton Vees and then heading to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for a junior and senior frame.

From Edmonton, AB, the 26-year old may be off to a bit of a late start connecting with the net.

In 47 games last season, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating, but wants more and eyes an opportunity in the tough to play Tipos Extraliga, signs with Vlci Zilina for 2024/2025.

He explodes scoring to the tune of 24 goals and 21 assists in 41 games with a +7, but he decides to head off to close by Czechia Extraliga and signs with HC Dynamo Pardubice, where he may do even better.

JYP left wing C.J. Smith(49) quickly signs up for a 1-year extension after 1 goal and 4 assists through 5 games looks like a lock for him to score goals in Liiga after starting the season late with the team.

After 3 years at UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks, the 5’11” 183 lbs. forward signed an NHL entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Buffalo Sabres and stayed in their system for 4 years.

The 29-year old from Des Moines, IA is said to be coming back from surgery due to an injury, so this is a nice landing spot for him to re-stake his game.

He comes away with 8 goals and 12 assists in 33 games, which gains interest from Barys Astana of the KHL for 2024/2025.

So much for the tryout in Germany, as he will head home under contract to Charlotte Checkers, where he should do well and help.

3rd year center Carter Johnson(18) was traded late last ECHL season from Wheeling Nailers to Maine Mariners, giving him a chance to make a deep playoff run after wracking up 13 points (4-9) in 14 games during the regular frame, then adding another 5 points in 6 games in the postseason.

The 6’3″ 201 lbs. forward was a decent scorer earlier after never really connecting through 4 years at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks, but seemed to jump to his new team.

For 2023/2024, he signs a 1-year deal to skate for Dundee Stars.

The 27-year old from Gimi, MB will likely put up good numbers in the EIHL.

In 27 games, he scores 4 goals and 8 assists with a -10 rating and is maybe a little unhappy, so decides to head back overseas, hooking up with Esbjerg Energy of Metal Ligaen for the rest of the current frame.

Carolina Hurricanes‘ rookie center Jack Drury(72) scores a first recall for his debut and pots a first NHL goal in the process to help the win.

Who had those odds?

The 5’11” 174 lbs. forward skated 23 shifts for 16:05 of ice time with 4 shots, 2 hits, 2 blocks and 2 penalty minutes, leaving the contest with +1 rating.

He’ll easily always where his former school, Harvard University Crimson on his sleeve.

As a rookie, playing in the AHL for affiliate Chicago Wolves, he wins himself a 2022 Calder Cup Championship with very good numbers.

He would split duties for just 1 more frame before becoming full-time in the show, where 8 goals and 19 assists in 74 games with a +4 rating, then adding another 5 points in 11 playoff matchups with a +7.

The restricted free agent picks himself up a nice 2-year deal to stay in a Hurricanes‘ sweater, moving forward through at least 2025/2026.

In an epic deal, he is traded to Colorado Avalanche, where in his debut, he scores a 1st goal with the team.

Bentley University Falcons‘ graduate portal transfer from 4 years at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats, left wing Kohei Sato(81) is off to a nice start with his new club, connecting for a goal and 4 assists in 9 games.

He only ever really did decently as a junior with 7 goals and 10 assists in 32 games with a +4 rating.

The Nishitokyo, JPN native took a pretty hard road up through earning his space, initially spending one year with North Iowa Bulls, blowing up scoring with 22 goals and 20 assists with a stellar +38 rating, then 17 more points in 9 games en route to the 2016 NA3HL Championship.

That and an incredibly hot start to the next session with his title team earned him a look up and a contract with Northeast Generals, where he secured his college choice.

The 25-year old will be fascinating to see if he decides to turn pro.

Finishing up a solid graduate season, he decides to leave to try Finland’s tier 2 Mestis, signing a 1-year deal with JoKP for 2022/2023.

He would end up splitting last season with KeuPa HT, but for his new adventure will head to the EIHL powerhouse Belfast Giants.

In 47 games, he comes away with 11 goals and 12 assists with a +2 rating, but has decided he wants to return to the states and signs for 2024/2025 with Orlando Solar Bears.

He scores 1 goal and 1 assist in 10 games and is traded to Bloomington Bison, who look to get him more involved with scoring.

Undrafted senior center Carter Turnbull(8) takes a solid year as team captain, pushing his University Of Connecticut Huskies to its deepest Hockey East climb to the Finals and a loss in overtime to a 1st pro contract with South Carolina Stingrays.

The 5’8″ 181 lbs. forward took a few games to get situated, but finally popped in his 1st ECHL goal and a 2nd one a couple nights later to sit at 2 tallies in 6 games.

He had 30 goals and assists throughout his 3 years with Powell River Kings in 155 BCHL games.

The 23-year old from Nanaimo, BC should be able to light up the league and climb, if he sticks.

He would finish his first pro contract with 2 goals and 3 assists in 11 games to warrant a full look in North Charleston for his rookie season 2022/2023.

After lighting things up to the tune of 24 goals and 18 assists in 41 games, he decides to head off for an opportunity overseas, joining HKM Zvolen for their Slovak Extraliga playoff run.

He appears in 6 games during the end of the regular frame, then skates 7 in the postseason, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in 7 games.

Slovak rivals HC Banska Bystrica swoop in an sign him up for 2023/2024, and we should see his numbers improve.

He is well over a point-per-game player in the tough to play Slovak hockey, equaling 25 goals and 31 assists in 41 games, but heads of to IceHL for a new experience with Asiago Hockey that could put him back on the radar for a better deal back home.

While scoring isn’t an issue with his new club, on ice accountability is faltering, so he up and moves back to Slovakia, signing once again with HC Banska to hopefully regain some glory.

4th year left wing Corey Mackin(81) trades in a decent 1st season overseas for HC Vita Hasten, skating 51 Allsvenskan games, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists for a new look in IceHL with HC Innsbruck.

The twice former Ferris State University Bulldogs‘ captain, who scored exactly 10 goals and 15 assists 3 of his 4 college seasons, had two solid ECHL campaigns, originally with close-to-home Reading Royals before leaving.

He’s not big at 5’8″ 165 lbs., but gets involved in all plays and won a 2014 BCHL Championship with Coquitlam Express in his 1st session after arriving from home in Philadelphia, PA.

The 27-year old should light up Austria’s top hockey nicely.

After scoring 11 goals and 29 assists in 44 games with a +4 rating, he is invited to for a 3rd season, don a Sharks‘ jersey.

In 40 games, he has 20 points, but is a miserable -20 rating, so decides to leave and try DEL2, signing with Eispiraten Crimmitschau for the remainder of the frame.

9th year defenseman Alex Wall(46) signs on to stay for a 3rd season in 2025/2026 on the blue line for Villacher SV of IceHL after posting 4 goals and 16 assists in 35 games with a +6 rating.

He did even better through more games in his 1st season with the team, his 6th in the league.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. started with 4 years of QMJHL junior hockey before heading to University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers for 3 years, then 2 at University Of New Brunswick Reds.

He turned pro with 2 ECHL games upon graduation and signed for his rookie frame with Adirondack Thunder, recording big points with 6 goals and 38 assists with a +10 rating.

His time last only 1 year, as he headed to GET-ligaen, joining Frisk Asker.

The 34-year old from St. John’s, NL obviously likes playing his pro hockey in Austria.