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.
University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves‘ graduate left wing Jamie Collins(15) turns pro, accepting terms on a 1-year deal with Meudon of France2.
The small 5’7″ 160 lbs. forward had a college career best 3 goals and 4 assists in 27 games last season.
A Fergus, ON native, he came down to attend high school, but returned for a pair of BCHL campaigns for Nanaimo Clippers before committing to school.
We think the 25-year old finds room in this lower league to score points.
After 3 seasons at Boston University, undrafted center Jack DeBoer(19) decides to switch it up almost completely, deciding to leave for Niagara University Purple Eagles for his senior 2021/2022 year.
The big 6’3″ 187 lbs. forward originally committed to college in his first year at Salisbury School USHS-Prep but would only stay there a season before moving onto two years of the USDP U17-18 program before heading off to school on the young side for hockey.
He’s not exactly the biggest goal scorer but in Atlantic Hockey the 20-year old could hover around the net and open up a bit more room to pot shots.
He is also the son of former Vegas Golden Knights‘ coach Pete DeBoer.
In a pair of frames for his new school, he continues to struggle to score points with only 2 goals and 1 assist in 35 games.
The graduate student decides to go pro upon finishing up a 5th year at school and signs a 1-year deal in BeNe League with EHC Neuwied.
11th year defenseman Chad Billins(41) re-signs with HV71 for 2022/2023, but gets an SHL promotion after helping his team to the 2022 HockeyAllsvenskan Championship with a league most 35 assists in the regular season.
It will be his 6th year in the top Swedish hockey league.
Undrafted, he signed with Grand Rapids Griffins as a rookie after completing four years at Ferris State University Bulldogs.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. won the 2013 Calder Cup in that season and he managed a nifty 2 goals and 12 assists in 24 AHL Playoff games with a +5 rating.
He was subsequently signed by Calgary Flames, giving him a 1st NHL contract, skated 10 games over a pair of recalls and grab an assist in each of his 1st 2 appearances, but was reassigned back down.
The Marysville, MI would leave for the KHL in the next session, but only lasted half a campaign before leaving for Sweden.
He would return a couple years later under contract to Vancouver Canucks, but skated the entire frame as veteran presence with affiliate Utica Comets.
To follow that up, he made the easy return to Linkoping HC and was once again the assist king.
At 33-years old, it’s still got to be a thrill to play for someone who always seems to show a lot of passion for the game on ice.
He must be having some sort of hockey laugh to himself with his current deal to head back to his 3rd team, Brynas IF, but walking back down a rung to Allsvenskan for 2023/2024.
