2nd year Metro Jets‘ French-born right wing Andreas Fleutot(16) struck gold in his 1st USPHL Premier frame with the team capturing 27 goals and 48 assists in 41 games, then in his 2nd outing had 26 goals and assists in 31 matchups.
For 2023/2024, he commits to Westfield State University Owls and will definitely be helpful as an incoming freshman.
He did a lot of his youth hockey back home and even played 1 France2 game for Mont-Blanc.
The 20-year is likely just happy to be headed to such a good school.
11th year right wing Bobby Butler(8) returns to sign for 2022/2023 with hometown club, Worcester Railers after spending 20 ECHL with the team last season, suiting up as he saw fit.
The 6′ 191 lbs. forward has 4 times produced 20+ goals in an AHL season, 32 assists once and as a rookie helped Binghamton Senators capture the Cinderella-like run to the 2011 Calder Cup Championship.
He did not play in 2019/2020 and the follow-up COVID-busted season.
The former University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ senior captain, who blew the lid off scoring that campaign to become a Hobey Baker finalist, has also skated 130 NHL games with 20 goals and 29 assists.
He also head a variety of team positions as he was looking beyond the ice to become Director Of Player Development and even spent a pair of sessions as a volunteer assistant coach at Holy Cross College Crusaders.
The 35-year old obviously is not finished.
He would serve as team captain and score 17 goals and 21 assists in 63 games, so put in a full slate.
That is enough though, as he announce it’s time to retire from the game he loves.
He already has some office experience, so we will wait to see what office he holds.
9th year defenseman Jake Chelios(7) continues to have luck with 4th year KHL team, Kunlun Red Star.
The 6′ 198 lbs. blue liner had decent success through 296 AHL games, getting 17 goals and 91 assists with a 0 rating.
In 24 games this season, he has 1 goal and 7 assists.
The former Michigan State University Spartans had a nice 19 assists as a senior and does have a 5 NHL appearances to his credit.
At 31-years old, the son of former great Chris Chelios(24) is likely happy to still be playing at a high level of hockey.
In the last frame, he recorded a Russian league tying 3rd goal and new best 17 assists and 20 points in 51 games, so pretty obviously he needs to stay put under a new 2-year deal and continue on his China-based team.
10th year defenseman Matthew Maione(18) signs with his 9th overseas team and 7th different league for 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with AIK of HockeyAllsvenskan.
He had one really successful run in the KHL for Dinamo Riga, grabbing 11 goals and 35 assists and won the 2017 Slovak Extraliga Championship with the famous HC Banska Bystrica.
The small 5’9″ but stocky 191 lbs. blue liner twice had most points by a defenseman in Liiga and the ECHL.
A Toronto, ON native, he played 3 OHL seasons before heading to 4 years at University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers before turning pro.
The 32-year old is bound to do well in Sweden’s tier 2 league and may even get a loan up.
4th year defenseman Miles Gendron(10) exchanges 2 contracts with Colorado Eagles, including 2 goals and an assist in 15 AHL games and 116 ECHL appearances to a new adventure for 2022/2023, signing with Storhamar of Fjordkraft-ligaen.
Originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2014 draft (#70 overall), he only skated parts of his rookie season in the system before moving on.
The 6’2″ 181 lbs. blue liner skated only one year of juniors, winning the 2015 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, amassing 12 assists in 22 playoff games before heading off to school.
He did 4 years, including serving as senior captain at University Of Connecticut Huskies.
The still young 25-year old should do very well in Norway’s top league.
After 19 games with 3 goals, 5 assists and a +9 rating, he decides to return and signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2023.
He takes an impressive little run into the playoffs with his new club, but will look to branch out again and head over to the EIHL for 2023/2024, signing with 2 time champs, Belfast Giants.
Boston Bruins‘ 11th year, former 2-year University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ captain, center Craig Smith(12) has twice accumulated 50+ points, once 40+, 5 time 30+ including 32 last season, his first with his new NHL team after 9 for draft club Nashville Predators (4th round 2009, #98 overall).
The 6′ 207 lbs. power forward is in the 2nd year of a 3-year deal he signed in unrestricted free agency and the relationship has certainly been a healthy one.
A bit hard to believe the 32-year old skated 3 seasons for Waterloo Blackhawks, blowing the lid off scoring and getting everyone’s attention in that final frame.
It’s got to be nice still getting really good deals.
Traded to Washington Capitals as his contract was set to expire, he went to a non-playoff team, but fit in decently, getting 5 goals and an assist in 22 games with a +1 rating to grab a new deal from Dallas Stars worth $800,000 AAV with a $200,000 signing bonus.
Good beans.
9th year center Carter Rowney(24) waits fairly deep into unrestricted free agency after a down season hampered by injury and the last of his 3-year deal with Anaheim Ducks for a new 1-year contract to Detroit Red Wings in 2021/2022.
The 6’1″ 208 lbs. forward started his 1st three seasons on AHL deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he was almost literally climbing the ranks.
By his 3rd year the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ 4-year skater was 100% with the team and took his scoring up to a new level with 24 goals and 32 assists with a +23 rating, then added another 12 points (4-8) in 10 playoff contests.
This earned him his first NHL contract with Pittsburgh Penguins, where you split time during the season between the two leagues, but were mostly up near the end and figured in 20 playoff games, scoring 3 assists and a +3 rating on the way to the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship.
An unrestricted free agent going into the next frame, he signed his three year deal worth $1.133,333 AAV.
Other than last season’s bit of a fiasco, he’s a pretty decent scorer, who earn the money he was getting on a team almost in constant rebuild.
The 32-year old should find good space with his new team to be a contributor on the scoresheet.
For his 10th season, he leaves for Germany’s top league DEL and signs for 2022/2023 with Lowen Franfort, already putting up 2 assists in his debut game.
Through 55 games, he had a career best 37 assists and 58 points to earn him easily another year to stay German.
Boston Bruins‘ unrestricted free agent signing, consecutive NCAA Division 1 Champion, University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in 2018 and 2019, but was unavailable due to COVID shutting down hockey to finish 2020, defenseman Nick Wolff(65) signed a 1-year entry level deal just as the season was going belly up.
The Minnesota native who stands at a gigantic 6’5″ 224 lbs. was captain in his final year at college hockey.
Never the biggest scorer he finished up his senior year with 10 assists in 33 games.
He started his first pro season by heading over to Slovakia‘s top league joining DVTK Jegesvedmek and sort of came alive a little with 3 goals and 2 assists in 18 games.
The 24-year old has two assists in 24 AHL games on reassignment with Providence Bruins but we’re betting that as his career goes, goals are going to start to go with it.
For 2021/2022, he was fairly quickly retained on a 1-year 2-way deal, which we think could be counted as his rookie campaign.
He is currently in contract club, Black & Gold training camp.
After coming away from last season with 8 assists in 32 games with a +7 rating and adding his 1st league goal in 2 playoff appearances, he signs for 2022/2023 on another one year, two-way NHL deal.
Almost 3 years with one club out of college and it’s time to move on for the Eagan, MN native, who signs for 2023/2024 with San Diego Gulls, who could definitely use him to sure up their zone.
Harvard University Crimson senior center Austin Wong(27) signs a 1st pro deal to head to Russia’s only China-based team, Kunlun Red Star for his rookie season, 2023/2024.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. Winnipeg Jets’ 7th round pick in the 2018 draft (#has not been the most prolific of scorers in college, having his best frame as a junior with 2 goals and 6 assists in 32 games.
He did score well in his last session of AJHL junior hockey for Okotoks Oilers and the COVID season the ECAC took off and he went to play most of a season for Fargo Force.
It would be no surprise to see the 22-year old from Cochrane, AB, a decent banger around the net score some in the KHL.
Fitchburg State University Falcons‘ junior center Hunter Fortin(26) leaves a year on the table to turn pro, signing a 1-year deal with EG Diez-Limburg of BeNe Liga.
The 6′ 174 lbs. forward leaves on basically 2 equal seasons of 26 and 27 points in D3 college hockey.
Westerville, OH native, he came east to play most of his youth and junior hockey.
The 24-year should find more space to score in this Belgium/Netherlands’ based league.
