RPI Engineers‘ Latvian-born senior defenseman Arvils Bergmanis(38) played a college most 35 games, scoring a new high 4 goals and 4 assists.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner scored best as a sophomore at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks with 17 assists and 19 points.
He did youth hockey at home, but played 3 years of junior hockey in Russia and got into 3 KHL games.
For his rookie season, the former National league played signs a 1st ECHL pro deal with Rapid City Rush, 2025/2026.
13th year center Brian O’Neill(91) will skate the SHL for his 1st season, signing with Lulea HF for 2024/2025 after 2 NL frames for EV Zug.
Upon leaving North American pro hockey, the 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward spent 6 years in the KHL for Jokerit.
Undrafted, he played his 1st 3 seasons in Los Angeles Kings‘ system, winning the 2015 Calder Cup with affiliate Manchester Monarchs, getting voted MVP amongst other awards.
He would next be traded to New Jersey Devils, scoring 22 NHL games, getting 2 assists.
The 2-time Yale University Bulldogs‘ 20-goal scorer and 3-time 20+ assists for the former captain did 1 USHL year Chicago Steel before school.
We think the 35-year old still has some hockey to prove.
Off to a hot start in 2025/2026, he is rewarded with a 3-year deal to stay with Lulea HF.
Kansas City Mavericks‘ rookie defenseman Noah Delmas(24) is having a season that maybe exists a little below the radar as he’s on a team that’s still in the hunt but currently at the bottom of their division and he has only tallied a goal and 3 assists through 26 ECHL games.
The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner was named team captain for Niagara University Purple Eagles, but failed to connect as he did as a sophomore and junior, when he scored 25 assists in both frames and even potted 15 goals in his third year.
He was a 2018 invite to Toronto Maple Leafs‘ development camp.
Playing most of his junior hockey with close to home club Aurora Tigers of the OJHL, the Newmarket, ON native did come down for 17 USHL games with Bloomington Thunder after committing to college, it didn’t last and he headed back for a bit of a playoff push with his former team.
It’s likely the 25-year old will continue in the league he accepted but also wouldn’t be out of the question for him to get a few nods at AHL life.
He signed on for another tour with his 1st pro club and in 32 games, had new best marks of 2 goals and 7 assists with a +2 rating, but he decided to head off to the EIHL, signing for the remainder of 2021/2022 with Manchester Storm.
In 18 games over in England, he grabbed 2 goals and 2 assists, but was a bit of a lowly -8 rating.
He is welcome “home” though, signing a 1-year deal with Worcester Railers for 2022/2023 that will likely see him achieve his best results.
After a decent enough 3rd frame in central MA, scoring 2 goals and 16 assists, but with a horrible plus/minus signs for 2023/2024 with GKS Katowice of Polska Hokej Liga.
In 40 games, he scores 3 goals and 10 assists and will next take that to the EIHL and signs with Fife Flyers for 2024/2025.
He returns “home” after a couple seasons away to sign with the new league team Greensboro Gargoyles and we feel like that will settle his game nicely.
3rd year left wing Lincoln Griffin(44) has skated most of his first two years in the SPHL, but on a pair of loans he scored 3 goals and 2 assists in 13 ECHL games as a rookie.
For 2021/2022 he agrees to terms on a new deal with Indy Fuel.
The former Northeastern University Huskies‘ forward was a decent scorer at college, taking his totals up to new highs as a senior (7-14-21) with a +20 rating.
He was a big scorer through 4 years at Thayer Academy.
The 24-year old from Walpole, MA should be able to elevate his game in the higher league.
He would actually end up playing the entire 2021/2022 frame with Cincinnati Cyclones, scoring an almost bananas, best by a mile 21 goals and 25 assists in 57 games.
There’s little doubt he would be invited back to try to win the whole league thing.
He is taking a very good 2nd frame with the team from Ohio to a new adventure, signing a 1-year deal with HK Nitra to play his next games in Slovak Extraliga 2023/2024.
Only managing to get into 12 games over there, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist, he decides to return home to the team he knows and obviously likes a lot, having spent more than 100 games with in the Cyclones for 2023/2024.
Another solid season of getting points and he is back for a 3rd swing through Cincinnati and may be searching for a home.
He goes on to score new bests in his 4th frame with 25 goals and 27 assists in 70 games with a +7 rating and he will be back for more as a Cyclones again.
University Of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets‘ senior left wing Reed Stark(29) signs a 1st pro deal with Utah Grizzlies.
The fairly big 6’2″ 180 lbs. forward scored a college best 14 goals last season and tied his assists from freshman year at 9.
From Suffern, NY, the 25-year old will likely do well in the ECHL once he gets his footing.
For his rookie season, he decides to sign with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL2, where he will definitely be challenged.
5th year right wing Jake Smith(24) doesn’t seem to be bothered finding the net, regardless of the ECHL team he may be paired with at the moment.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. took a bit of a weird path, starting with 2 QMJHL seasons, then switching to the OHL and heading to a year at Carlton University Ravens before turning pro.
He started as a rookie in the SPHL, but would eventually split for a short run in Germany3 with Starbulls Rosenheim, a team he oddly played a year of youth hockey with, considering his birth place is Pickering, ON.
Returning, he skated the COVID-busted season in the league and would do well enough to score a look in the higher league.
He started with Kansas City Mavericks, but failed to connect and took up with Iowa Heartlanders and the scoring wasn’t immediate, but eventually pulled in for 25 goals and 25 assists in 52 games.
There’s little doubt he can score in the league, but could definitely use more on ice accountability.
The 26-year old seems to have found a good spot with Reading Royals, good for 7 goals and 5 assists in 19 games, but a lowly -12.
It takes a little while, but he signs a 1-year deal to stay in a Royals’ jersey for 2024/2025.
With some good scoring, 16 goals and 21 assists, he decides to head back for another venture and signs with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen.
Rapid City Rush rookie signing, 4 year American International College Yellowjackets‘ left wing Blake Bennett(48) is off to a nice start as a pro, scoring his 1st ECHL goal in his 5th game and adding 3 assists in 6 total sightings.
The small 5’9″ but stocky 195 lbs. forward had a college career best 22 goals and 35 points in 38 games as a senior, his 2nd season with 20+ goals, 10+ assists and 30+ points.
He was a point-per-game player in his only NAHL session for Corpus Christi Ice Rays after playing himself up from a couple of seasons in lower levels and half a one in a Canadian based league before heading to college.
We predict the 24-year old from Grand Island, NY settles in nicely with his new club.
He finishes up from his ato with 1 goal and 4 assists in 15 games with a 0 rating.
This is good enough for the Rush to want to see a full rookie season by him in one of their jerseys.
In a full slate of 72 games, he absolutely blows up scoring with 35 goals and 28 assists, but decides to look elsewhere for his next contract and will head to Metal Ligaen to skate for Odense Bulldogs in 2024/2025.
He skates only 9 games, but scores 6 goals and 3 assists with a +1 rating.
Next, he will head to DEL2 and signs with EV Landshut for 2024/2025.
He does ok with 3 goals and 1 assists in 16 games, but maybe thinks he should be doing better, so eyes a return back to his one team, the Rush for the remainder of the frame.
After scoring a 2nd high numbered frame in the league, worth 50+ points, he signs a 2-way deal with parent club Calgary Wranglers for 2025/2026.
Curry College Colonels‘ Finnish-born, sophomore left wing Eelis Laaksonen(18) had a pair of tallies and an assist to help his team to a 5-1 semi-finals win to advance to the NCAA Division 3 CCC Finals.
The 6′ 185 lbs. forward has a college career tying 9 goals and best 15 assists for 24 points in 25 games this season.
At 22-years old, he should just continue to excel where he is playing hockey.
He finished up his senior year with a college best 14 goals and +19 rating, which he takes to possibly a slightly conservative deal with Evansville Thunderbirds, where he should score well in the FPHL to move up.
3rd year right wing Jordan Kaplan(47) recently signed with Newfoundland Growlers after a somewhat inactive year in 2021/2022.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward already has a helper in a couple of appearances with his new club.
After graduating from University Of Vermont Catamounts, which followed up 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, he signed as a rookie with Adirondack Thunder, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 ECHL games, but also had a somewhat disastrous -32 rating.
From Bridgewater, NJ, we think the 25-year old will fit in nicely with his new club.
After 6 games with his new team, he gets released and claimed by Worcester Railers, but only lasts a couple of appearances before he’s on the move again, this time heading overseas to join Saale Bulls Halle for the remainder of 2023.
Germany3 hockey should come pretty easy for him to score big for his new club.
He does almost exactly as we saw would happen, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during the regular frame, then adding another 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff matchups.
For 2023/2024, he will start his 3rd season in the league he’s mostly known with a 6th club, Indy Fuel and we think will find ways to put in points.
He actually played no games with who he initially signed and ended up bouncing around for a few games here and there, but lacking anything close to what he had as a rookie.
Playing maybe a bit of the waiting game, he decides to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates to help make an impact with the new team and scores 1 in his 2nd game.
A couple months prior to 2024/2025, he finds himself traded after 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games on a non-playoff team.
He returns to Worcester Railers, where he played 2 games and feel he will easily fit back into team mentality.
After 18 goals and 31 assists in an almost full run of 68 games, he re-signs to stay a Railers to see if he can help push this team further in 2025/2026, as they know they should be going.
As the new season approaches, he finds himself as part of a three team trade sending him to Wheeling Nailers, where we are sure he will be a big part of this team.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Alex Tonge(88) returns from a short, three game stint in Poland’s top league for GKS Tychy to Norfolk Admirals, where he spent the last 20 ECHL games of the 2019/2020 season, scoring a tidy 9 goals and 7 assists.
The former solid three-year scorer at Robert Morris University Colonials had sophomore and junior campaigns with 44 points, then 39 points in 39 Atlantic Hockey games as a senior.
He spent 4 years in the OJHL with Kingston Voyageurs growing his game and was discovered by his college after a strong 3rd session, getting 29 goals and 43 assists.
The 26-year old will definitely be a top scorer in the league but still has to become more accountable on ice to round out his overall play.
After an easy season best campaign in 2021/2022, scoring a way high 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points in 66 games on a non-playoff team, he is set to leave for DEL2, signing a 1-year deal with Heilbronner Falken for 2022/2023.
He blows up tier 2 German scoring to the tune of 19 goals and 40 assists in 52 games, then another 8 points in the playoffs.
Scoring would continue with his new league team EV Landshut, but he decides to look elsewhere and signs with Sweden’s tier 2 HockeyAllsvenskan and does alright.
For 2024/2025, he will head to the EIHL and signs with Dundee Stars, where we think he will become a very popular player.
The injury bug hits him and he is only able to skate 10 games last season, which was almost still equal to a point-per-game outcome.
He returns “home” for 2025/2026 and signs with Orlando Solar Bears.
