Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#162 overall), St. Lawrence University Saints‘ sophomore transfer, Czechia-born Tomas Mazura(10) is putting up college career best 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 games after only skating 8 as a freshman at Providence College Friars.
The big frame 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward is a power force out there, only played 4 USHL games after a monster senior year at Kimball Union Academy, serving as captain, recording an eye-popping 60 assists in 35 USHS-Prep games.
It looks as though the 22-year old will play out his college term and continue to escalate and grow his game.
He posts a new college best 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points as a junior and scores the only goal his team needs to head to the ECAC Finals.
After 17 games with good output, 1 goal and 13 assists, he decides to head back home and signs with BK Mlada Boleslav of Tipsport Extraliga.
10th year veteran left wing Derek Whitmore(21) hasn’t played a pro game since 2017/2018, but he returns at 40-years old to sign with Maine Mariners, where he may act a little more as a coach.
He returns to the city, where he played most of his AHL hockey with Portland Pirates.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward also played a few seasons overseas with decent luck.
He has 349 games experience in the higher league and left Reading Royals as team captain.
We aren’t sure how much scoring the former Bowling Green State University Falcons‘ 27-goal scorer as a senior has left in the tank, but he is going to be pivotal in the locker room.
And he scores in his 1st game back, just for good measure.
Florida Everblades‘ 6th year center Joe Widmar(72) was just obtained from Allen Americans, where he seemed to struggle with only 3 assists in 14 games after starting the season decently for the lowly Norfolk Admirals, scoring 5 goals and 4 assists in 13 contests.
The big 6’1″ 210 lbs. forward has struggled to stay with one team for an entire frame, except for his one complete season overseas, where he skated 26 Polish Hockey League games for Cracovia Krakow.
A former 2-year UMass Minutemen wasn’t a big scorer in college before turning pro.
The 27-year old from Northbrook, IL still can be an elite player in the ECHL, but needs to not get traded.
He has definitely struggled in the higher league some, as he started the 2024/2025 frame with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs and scored 3 goals and 6 assists in 2 SPHL games to earn a quick loan up, but there he has been perplexed hitting the scoresheet.
With only 1 assist in 20 games, he moves for a 3rd time, claimed from waivers by Fort Wayne Komets, where he hopes to find luck.
Holy Cross College Crusaders‘ graduate goaltender Jason Grande(30) put up quite a spectacular 10-4-2 record with a 2.06 GAA and .929 SV%, as his team heads into the Atlantic Hockey playoffs in the 2nd seed position.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. net minder played 2 stellar years in the NAHL with Amarillo Bulls before committing to his 1st school, Bentley University Falcons.
From West Chester, PA, where he played his youth hockey, the 25-year old will likely turn pro once college hockey wraps up.
Not surprising, he signs an ato with Bridgeport Islanders that we think could get him some action.
He plays no games upon graduation, so looks elsewhere and it may be one of the best offseason signings yet, he agrees to terms for 2024/2025 with HC Nove Zamky of Slovak Extraliga, which will have him playing a very high level of pro hockey.
Things are not going so well in Slovakia, so he looks elsewhere and signs with Nottingham Panthers to try to help them right their EIHL ship.
2nd year net minder Evan Cowley(31) signed at the beginning of 2018/2019 with Wheeling Nailers but after one uneven start on a bit of a struggling squad was released.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#92 overall), he never agreed to terms with the team but did eventually get a contract with affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, where he split time with Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL as a rookie.
The former University Of Denver backstop put up stellar numbers in college and went on to win the 2017 NCAA Championship.
At 23-years old, it didn’t take him long to secure a new deal after he was let go, grabbing a contract with MH Automatyka Gdansk of Polska Hokej Liga, where he will likely excel and move up the European hockey ladder as he goes.
He spent the last 3 seasons in Ligue Magnus with Ducs D’Angers and put up league best GAA (2.02) and SV% (.935), but is ready to explore again and signs to Asiago and will play in the IceHL for 2024/2025.
Through 20 games, he has struggled some, so makes a decision to head to HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with IK Oskarshamn.
Stonehill College Skyhawks‘ Swiss-born, 3rd year center Dean Schwenninger(25) has decided to head home to sign in the tier 2 league, SL with EHC Visp and puts school on the shelf for now after 2 assists in 16 games in the current frame.
He heads back to a league he spent 3 years playing after youth hockey and before heading to America for juniors in the NAHL for 1 big scoring season before school.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. 23-year old forward will likely do well in his return.
Rookie defenseman Matt Staudacher(25) leaves Italy2, where he scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 19 games for Brixen/Bressanone Falcons, for a contract with the new Bloomington Bison.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. blue liner finished up a graduate year of college at Northeastern University Huskies with a new best 2 goals.
He had more assists in 4 years (3 playing) at University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
From Grand Blanc, MI, we expect the 24-year old to do quite well in the ECHL.
6th year center Zach White(5) gets traded from single year team Worcester Railers to Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2024/2025.
He twice had really good seasons with Iowa Heartlanders.
The 5’7″ 150 lbs. former Curry College Colonels‘ senior captain started his pro career with a solid frame in France2, scoring big.
He came back during the COVID season and agreed to terms with Carolina Thunderbirds of the FPHL.
From Milford, CT, the 28-year old has worked his game up nicely.
In 6 games, he scores no points and is dished to Fort Wayne Komets for future considerations.
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.
