Category: Europe

28Jun

Jarod Hilderman (3)

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Four year and consecutive NCAA Champion defenseman with University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ Jarod Hilderman(3) knew before the 2019/2020 season came to a crashing halt during the playoffs that he would be heading to Birmingham Bulls for 2020/2021 and spend his rookie season in the SPHL.

Well, a pandemic didn’t sideline those plans, as he reported and played basically a full slate of 36/42 game schedule, unable to grab a goal but he did produce 6 assists.

The 6’1″ 210 lbs. Calgary, AB native started his junior hockey closer to home with 2 seasons for Penticton Vees, where he won his first title, a 2015 BCHL Championship, which is when he committed to college, but then moved south to do a season with Fargo Force of the USHL before reporting to school.

At 24-years old and the leagues opening up to full service, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him elevate his game to the next level.https://www.sandiegogulls.com/players/detail/hilderman

He would spend his 2020/2021 under contract to Tulsa Oilers and ended a 48 ECHL game “rookie” season with a goal and 15 assists, then added 3 assists in 6 playoff matchups.

For 2022/2023, he will return, but we also feel may earn a 1st AHL loan to San Diego Gulls, who have him on their radar.

He puts up some decent enough numbers with a pair of visits up, but needs better on ice accountability.

Despite the parts of his game to work on he gets an invite to return for a 2nd chance in an Oilers‘ jersey.

He has a solid 3rd frame, scoring 35 assists to seemingly rebound hard and will take his game over to Ligue Magnus, signing with Les Bruleurs De Loups for 2024/2025.

He took off 2025/2026 to play for Nottingham Panthers and did decently in the EIHL, but will head back to France and signs with Boxers de Bordeaux for 2026/2027.

28Jun

Filip Nordberg (3)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ huge 6’5″ Swedish-born freshman defenseman Filip Nordberg(3) got 7 assists in 38 games with a +3 rating, but seems to maybe want more, enters the transfer portal and will next play for Arizona State University Sun Devils as a sophomore in 2026/2027.

Ottawa Senators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft (#64 overall) played his youth and started juniors back home, even playing in many HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL games before coming over for 2 USHL frames.

27Jun

Luke Santerno (25)

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Undrafted left wing Luke Santerno(25) re-signs to stay with Greenville Swamp Rabbits after joining them upon finishing up his graduate year at Clarkson University Golden Knights.

The big 6’3″ 201 lbs. forward scored only an assist in 5 ECHL games on an ato, but could definitely light up this league, much like he did Atlantic Hockey with assists for Bentley University Falcons.

He scored nicely in his 3rd and final season of junior hockey in the BCHL for Trail Smoke Eaters. as a more than point-per-game scorer.

The 26-year old from Smithers, BC should find some room to pocket points in his official rookie season.

After just 2 games, recording 1 assist, he gets dished to Wheeling Nailers, where in 15 games he scored 2 goals and 3 assists and now is on the move a 2nd time as a 1st year player to Kansas City Mavericks, where he may find better footing to score.

Decently effective with 1 goal and 5 assists in 14 games with a +1 rating, he’s invited to return to Missouri for hopefully a full season with one team.

He’s actually doing pretty decently in a full round with the team, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists in 34 games with a +2 rating on a very good team, but finds himself traded to another good club Florida Everblades to continue.

Once again, he scores well with his new team, 4 goals and 6 assists in 19 games with a +4 rating, but finds himself dealt to Cincinnati Cyclones and continues to score with 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games with a +2.

He would play for 3 different teams last season and scored decently with good accountability.

For 2024/2025, he is looking for something new to his game and signs with Budapest Jégkorong Akadémia.

He explodes scoring in Erste Liga to the tune of 16 goals and 20 assists in 37 games with a +19 rating.

For 2025/2026, he heads of to Ligue Magnus and signs with Rapaces de Gap.

After a solid frame, scoring 11 goals and 26 assists in 43 games, he trades in loyalty to sign with rivals Boxers de Bordeaux for 2026/2027.

27Jun

Griffin Ness (77)

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University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior right wing Griffin Ness(77) recorded his 3rd straight college hockey season of 6 points and signs a 1st pro deal with Maine Mariners.

In 2 ECHL, he doesn’t have any points with a -3 rating and didn’t appear in the playoffs.

The 6′ 184 lbs. forward was a big scorer at Wayzata USHS-MN high school, then put up similar stats as 2-time captain for Waterloo Black Hawks before college.

We will see if the 24-year old gets retained for a full pro season look.

He’s actually signed for 2024/2025, but gets traded just before the start of the new year to Toledo Walleye, which is going to be blessing to his point production.

With 11 goals and 11 assists in 59 games, he’s proving he can connect with the net, but gets himself swapped in a player deal to Utah Grizzlies, who may need him a little more.

He scores 3 goals and 7 assists in 14 games with his new team and they are liking what they see to re-sign him to return in Utah for 2025/2026.

In 24 games, he picks up 6 goals and 9 assists, but Kalamazoo Wings eye and want him for future considerations.

After a decent 2nd year in the league, he decides to jump and heads to the EIHL, signs with Coventry Blaze for 2026/2027.

26Jun

Carter Savoie (8)

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Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#100 overall), University Of Denver Pioneers‘ sophomore left wing Carter Savoie(8) is this close to knocking off first year totals in fewer games.

He already has a college best 12 assists and 22 points, with goal-scoring just one off his total from 2020/2021.

The small 5’9″ but stocky 190 lbs. forward has always been a heck of a point-producer through youth hockey, then blew up juniors with Sherwood Park Crusaders, notching a crazy 172 points (84 goals, 88 assists) in 112 AJHL games.

At just 19-years old, we’ll see what the parent club says about having him turn pro before his four years are up.

And just like that, as he finishes up a 2022 NCAA Division 1 Champion, he signs an at0 with affiliate Bakersfield Condors, which just may be the dawn of him officially signing an NHL entry level deal, turning pro.

After 2 years in the AHL, he gets a nice deal to leave and joins TPS of Liiga.

In 5 games in Finland’s top league, he records only 1 assist and decides to leave and return on a 1-year deal with Ontario Reign for 2024/2025.

Reassigned to Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he puts out a team leading 20+ goals and assists in 57 games and signs for 2025/2026 with Allen Americans.

He actually gets a trade right back to the Rabbits before the new season starts.

Through 22 ECHL games, he has 7 goals and 8 assists and maybe decides he would like a little more competition and heads off to Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves.

In 2 games, he has 1 assist.

After 21 games with 11 goals and 10 assists, he decides to jump to IceHL and signs with Ferencvarosi TC for 2026/2027.

26Jun

Chase Dubois (16)

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University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ senior right wing Chase Dubois(16) didn’t quite throw up the 11 goals and 11 assists he did as a junior, but still managed ok and in his final 2 college seasons, leaves with a +16 rating.

The 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward from Williams Lake, BC is heading over to Ligue Magnus to start his rookie season with Diables Rouges de Briancon.

He did 3 BCHL seasons with West Kelowna Warriors, continuously adding to his junior scoring numbers.

We think the 26-year old scores big in France’s top hockey league.

In 44 games, he gets 17 goals and 19 assists with a +6 rating, then added another 4 points (3-1) in 6 playoff games.

For 2025/2026, he returns, as he is likely already a fan favorite of de Briancon.

After a 29 assist and 43 point best mark, he decides to head off to join Fife Flyers of EIHL for 2026/2027.

26Jun

Chris Grando (6)

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Arizona State University Sun Devils‘ 3rd year graduate left wing Chris Grando(6) signed with Jacksonville Icemen upon finishing up the current college frame.

The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward got an assist in his debut, then 4 ECHL games later scored a 1st goal.

His best college season was as a freshman at Boston College Eagles.

He has 3 times struck for 6 goals in a session.

The 24-year old from Islip, NY could possibly find more room to score in the pro league.

He had finished up his time after school with 4 goals and 5 assists in 15 games with a +5 rating, then as a rookie through 69 games, scored 15 goals and 31 assists with a +28 rating.

For 2024/2025, he will be back in an Icemen jersey.

After a league and team best 21 goals and 33 assists in 71 games played, he easily re-signs for a 3rd full season in a Jacksonville jersey.

Through only 28 games, he has scored 3 goals and 7 assists, but decides to head off for a new hockey experience in Germany3 with Lindau Islanders.

 

25Jun

Matt White (97)

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10th year left wing Matt White(97) re-signs for a two more sessions with Eisbaren Berlin through 2024 after putting up 28 goals and 31 assists with a +25 rating, then added another 14 points in 12 games to a 2nd straight 2022 DEL Championship.

He’s been playing in Germany’s top league for the past 4 seasons, except for a little year and a stint in the KHL, where he actually connected well with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Coming out of 3 years at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Huskers, he always scored well in 2+ ECHL campaigns before being elevating to almost two full runs at the AHL, in which he also was able to hit the net.

The 32-year old from Whittier, CA has to be pretty happy with the way his pro career has gone.

Despite doing pretty well for 3 seasons with new club Grizzlys Wolfsburg, the 36-year old decides to tick it down a notch to DEL2 and signs with EC Kassel Huskies for 2026/2027.

25Jun

Patrick Holway (6)

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Detroit Red Wings‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#170 overall) defenseman Patrick Holway(6) signed an AHL ato with affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins as he was finishing up his last year of college hockey at Merrimack College.

I guess we’ll see if the parent club follows through to sign the very big 6’5″ 220 lbs. blue liner, but if that doesn’t materialize we feel that the Cohassett, MA native will become an irresistible unrestricted free agent signee.

After appearing in 6 games without registering a point and having his rights expire with the club that selected him, the 24 year old signs with South Carolina Stingrays to play his first full year of pro hockey and should do well in the ECHL.

The giant-sized forward was loaned up to San Jose Barracuda after a goal and 12 assists with his original contract team.

He finished the frame there, playing 43 AHL games, scoring 4 goals and 8 assists to grab a new contract with the team for 2022/2023.

Playing in only 27 games, scoring 2 assists with a -9 rating without being reassigned definitely has him searching where next and lands at Florida Everblades for 2023/2024.

He is playing well and scores a new best 7 goals and 9 assists in 31 games with a +2 rating, but maybe feels like he needs more and decides to leave, signing with HC Slovan Bratislava of Slovak Extraliga.

In 13 games, he records 7 assists, then scores a goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff matchups to make this journey a success.

For 2024/2025, he heads off to IceHL, signing with Villacher SV, which should continue to yield good results.

In 41 games, he yields 3 goals and 15 assists with a +7 rating, but decides to sign with Dragons de Rouen of Ligue Magnus for 2025/2026.

In 44 games, he scores 6 goals and 28 assists with a +23 rating, then adds another 5 assists in the playoffs.

For 2026/2027, he gets another year with de Rouen.

25Jun

Beni Halasz (35)

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UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Hungarian-born, junior goaltender Beni Halasz(35) signs a 1st pro deal with Idaho Steelheads after some fairly impressive college hockey numbers.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. net minder transferred after his sophomore frame from Northern Michigan University Wildcats.

He did youth hockey back home, appeared in a bunch of international play and even tended net 12 pro games in the AlpsHL before coming across.

In 2 NAHL frames, he showed outstanding growth his 2nd year before committing to college.

The 24-year old wasn’t having a tremendous amount of luck, so decides to head back, signing in IceHL with Fehervar AV19 for his rookie run, 2026/2027.