Category: Europe

10th year defenseman Matt Tennyson(7) has appeared in NHL games now 9 of 10 years playing professional hockey, as he just gets his first summons from new 2-year contract club, Nashville Predators.

In his 2021/2022 debut, he skated 18 shifts for 12:50 of total ice time, with one assist, 2 penalty minutes, 2 hits, 1 giveaway and left a 5-2 win a +1 rating, which he followed up with a 2 assist appearance, giving him 3 helpers and a +2 since his return.

He has appeared in 168 games in the big league.

The 6’2″ 203 lbs. blue liner spent 3 years at Western Michigan University Broncos before signing his entry level deal with San Jose Sharks, where he stayed in the system for 4 campaigns.

He has also played 335 AHL games to his credit, and had a healthy 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 games prior to his recall.

The 31-year old probably has a little smile on his face that he still gets to do this.

For 2022/2023, he signs a minor league deal with Coachella Valley Firebirds, putting him pretty close to where he started his pro career in San Jose Sharks and close to home.

He will be an awesome leader here.

No doubt, he shines in his new role and scores a career high 18 assists, helping take his young squad all the way to the Calder Cup Finals.

He decides to wait a long while before making a new decision, where to turn next and at 33-years old he will test the waters overseas, signing with HC Lugano of NL for the remainder of the 2024.

2nd year left wing Mike O’Leary(9) re-signs to stay with Hartford Wolf Pack for a third overall AHL contract with the team.

He played in roughly 3/4 of the games last season as a rookie, getting a goal and 2 assists in 16 appearances.

The 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward finished 4 years at University Of Notre Dame Fightining Irish with a college high 9 goals and 23 points in 37 games.

Heading into his first season that should seemingly be pulled off unencumbered may see him settle into some scoring.

In 53 games, he was able to notch 6 goals and 5 assists, and will take that to a next opportunity, a 1-year minor league deal with Iowa Wild for 2022/2023.

He takes his scoring up to a new level with 12 goals and 15 assists in 66 games, but in the current frame only has 3 assists in 40 contests.

Likely feeling pretty agitated, he moves on for a completely new experience, signing with Ilves of Liiga in hopes of finding that scoring touch once again, in Finland.

Undrafted 4th year defenseman Hayden Shaw(82) takes 3 AHL contracts for Manitoba Moose and solid play in the ECHL for Trois-Riveries Lions last season, scoring 6 goals and 17 assists with a +5 in 33 games, then added another 5 points in 7 playoff contests to a 1-year deal with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of DEL for 2022/2023.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. blue liner is an accountable force, maintaining a +33 rating through 4 years at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

A Woodbury, MN native, the26-year old should do well in Germany’s top league.

In 46 games, he puts in 7 goals and 11 assists, which is good enough to secure him another year for the Ice Tigers.

He is liked in the town of Germany and signs up to stay through 2024/2025 and be an Ice Tigers.

2nd year left wing Stevie O’Connor(17) switches up teams, going over and maybe up slightly, signing with Kalix HC of Hockeyettan after starting a 2nd season for JHT Kalajoki in Suomi-sarja, the 3rd tier league in Finland.

He heads to Sweden’s similar level league.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward from Marshfield, MA did 4 years at Wesleyan University Cardinals, only scoring decently as a senior assistant captain.

He did 1 season juniors with Boston Jr. Bruins USPHL/NCDC after graduating high school at Milton Academy.

The 25-year old is out there exploring pro hockey options quite nicely.

3rd year center Nolan Vesey(11) is off to his best start with a pair of goals and an assist in 5 ECHL games with new contract club, Worcester Railers.

The North Reading, MA native sort came home to a degree, signing with the close to home team for 2021/2022.

A one-time Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round pick in the 2014 draft (#158 overall), he was chosen after an exceptional one year of junior hockey for South Shore Kings USPHL Premiere team, and then went on to attend University Of Maine Black Bears for 4 seasons, but never signed.

He was three times a 10+ goals and 10+ assists player in Hockey East.

The 6′ 185 lbs., 26-year old forward seems to be a bit of an underachiever, considering his brother Jimmy is a full-time NHL skater.

After throwing in a career high by a long shot 12 goals and 28 assists with a +13 rating in 62 games as assistant captain last season and a 3-game loan up to Springfield Thunderbirds, he decides to stick around in central MA for a 2nd run.

He posts a career best 13 goals last season in the lower league, but his eyes are open for opportunities leading in his next stage and he maybe a tiny bit oddly late signs with DVTK Jegesmedvek of Erste Liga for the remainder of the frame.

2nd year right wing Tyler Hinam(20) re-signs to stay with Maine Mariners for 2022/2023 after a decent successful rookie season, scoring 8 goals and 13 assists in 31 ECHL games with a +7 rating.

The Cole Harbour, NS native played 4 successful season with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies winning both the 2019 QMJHL and Memorial Cup Championships.

At 6’1″ 194 lbs., he’s a bit of a power forward.

For the next two seasons, while COVID loomed, he decided to attend Arcadia University Axemen, but only managed to skate 3 USports‘ games.

The 23-year old should see some loans up to the AHL in his future if he can continue scoring.

He did get loaned up to Belleville Senators for 4 games, scoring 1 assist.

For 2023/2024, he branches out and signs with Manchester Storm of the EIHL, where he should see his game reach new heights.

He has wracked up 12 goals and 13 assists in 29 games with a +3 and is a fan favorite to earn him a new deal to stay in Manch through 2025/2026.

Rookie center Hugo Reinhardt(13) heads home to Sweden signing for 2020/2021 with Timra IK of Allsvenskan after 4 years at American International College, which follow a single USHL campaign for Fargo Force after undergoing most of his earlier hockey with Frolunda HC.

The 5’11” 201 lbs. forward had 5 goals and 3 assists with a +3 rating in 51 games as a rookie, heading into the qualifiers.

We think it would be almost bizarre if the 24-year didn’t build his game and play himself into a contract in the upper SHL before too long.

For 2022/2023, he leaves Sweden for the EIHL and signs with Dundee Stars.

We think his game will find more success in this league.

He scores a bit of a disappointing 5 goals and 9 assists with a -23 on a team that struggled for wins and will next take his game to Ligue Magnus, agreeing to 2023/2024 with Anglet Hormadi.

After 24 games with only 3 goals and 3 assists and a dreadful -17 rating, he ups and leaves for the new BeNe Liga, joining Liege Bulldogs for the remainder of 2024 on the schedule.

Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ transfer portal, graduate right wing Jake Witkowski(83) has made a good decision trading 4 seasons at Hockey East, Boston University Terriers for Atlantic Hockey.

in 6 games, he almost unbelievably has outpaced anything he did previously, as those became his first college tallies.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward played 4 years at Malden Catholic High, which was near to where he was born in Melrose, MA,

He would leave for a year at Avon Old Farms School, lighting it up for 13 goals and 27 assists in 27 games, then head off to the BCHL.

Signed for his only junior campaign with Alberni Valley Bulldogs, he continued to gain notice with 23 goals and 17 assists and agreed to head to his first school.

It will be interesting to see what the 25-year old ends up with and where he looks to take his hockey next.

He scores a college career best 5 goals and 6 assists in 32 games with a +6 rating and signs a rookie contract with Pensacola Ice Flyers just as the season starts.

In 2 SPHL games, he has an assist.

He will likely find room in this league to put the puck in the back of the net.

After 9 games last season, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist, he leaves for the 2nd tier league NIHL, signing with Leeds Knights and putting up a bundle of points, 46 (16-30) in 26 games.

He waits a tiny bit, but re-signs to head back to the small English town team for 2023/2024.

7th year pro, right wing Alex Wideman(10) takes a solid season for Denmark’s Rungsted Seier Capital, getting 13 goals and 28 assists in 47 games en route to a 2021 Metal Ligaen Championship to a new opportunity in Ligue Magnus with Bordeaux.

It’s the small 5’8″ 168 lbs. forward third year overseas, producing as he did through 244 ECHL games, potting 76 goals and 128 assists.

The St. Louis, MO native played his college hockey for Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks, and as a 29-year old should continue to be able to take his game higher for at least the next few years.

After a solid frame in France, scoring a career 2nd best 36 assists in 43 games, he decides to return home in 2022/2023 to the team he’s played over 120 games with, Indy Fuel.

He scores a career high 50 assists last season and waits out signing for the new frame a little, before deciding to return to Cincinnati Cyclones to try to get up past 100 games played with that team.

3rd year right wing Aaron Miller(17) returned home after 2 years away, first in Finland’s tier 2 Mestis, then in Ligue Magnus, connecting very decently in both spots on the scoresheet.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward initially signed with Wichita Thunder to come back, but was eventually dealt for the last 5 ECHL games to Norfolk Admirals, where he has 1 goal.

He played 4 years at Bemidji State University Beavers, where he twice was a 10+ goal scorer and assists.

The 28-year old from Superior, WI did 2 years of prolific scoring in the NAHL with Minnesota Wilderness.