Category: Europe

Alvernia University Wolves‘ senior center Patrick Del Vecchio(68) was sent to sign with an SPHL club after skating 4 games with Evansville Thunderbolts, recording 1 assist, he decides to head off for something new to start his pro hockey career and signs in Central European Hockey League with Smoke Eaters Geleen II for 2025/2026.

The 6′ 170 lbs. forward, who started college with 3 years at Norwich University Cadets has exploded scoring in this league to the tune of 28 goals and 10 assists in 14 games.

From Mississauga, ON, you got to think the 25-year is looking out for other higher opportunities.

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.

In 16 games with his new team, he has 1 goal and 5 assists with a +2 rating, but finds himself traded to a Cincinnati Cyclones, who maybe need him to score for them a bit more.

Bentley University Falcons‘ graduate portal transfer from 4 years at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats, left wing Kohei Sato(25) is off to a nice start with his new club, connecting for a goal and 4 assists in 9 games.

He only ever really did decently as a junior with 7 goals and 10 assists in 32 games with a +4 rating.

The Nishitokyo, JPN native took a pretty hard road up through earning his space, initially spending one year with North Iowa Bulls, blowing up scoring with 22 goals and 20 assists with a stellar +38 rating, then 17 more points in 9 games en route to the 2016 NA3HL Championship.

That and an incredibly hot start to the next session with his title team earned him a look up and a contract with Northeast Generals, where he secured his college choice.

The 25-year old will be fascinating to see if he decides to turn pro.

Finishing up a solid graduate season, he decides to leave to try Finland’s tier 2 Mestis, signing a 1-year deal with JoKP for 2022/2023.

He would end up splitting last season with KeuPa HT, but for his new adventure will head to the EIHL powerhouse Belfast Giants.

In 47 games, he comes away with 11 goals and 12 assists with a +2 rating, but has decided he wants to return to the states and signs for 2024/2025 with Orlando Solar Bears.

He scores 1 goal and 1 assist in 10 games and is traded to Bloomington Bison, who look to get him more involved with scoring.

After the deal, he starts to connect with his new club to the tune of 2 goals and 8 assists in 22 ECHL games with a +2 rating on a non-playoff team and is wanted to return for 2025/2026 in a Bison jersey.

In 8 games, he has 1 goal and 1 assist, but maybe gets a little bored, so jumps for Ligue Magnus and signs with Diables Rogues de Briancon for the rest of the 2025/2026 season.

Undrafted 3rd year left wing Anthony Nellis(19) is having a career year scoring a Trois Rivieres Lions‘ best 19 goals and 38 assists.

Last season he skated for Fort Wayne Komets and was a point-per-game player in the playoffs en route to the ECHL 2021 Kelly Cup Championship.

The former top scorer at Lake Superior State University Lakers had a 1 AHL game loan up to Manitoba Moose this session.

I think it depends if the Levis, QC native wants to stick around or goes for a better deal overseas on strong numbers.

He decides to leave for Slovakia after finishing last season with 22 goals and 39 assists and adding another 7 points in 7 playoff games.

The still young 27-year old signs with HK Spisska Nova Ves for 2022/2023.

He comes away with 12 goals and 10 assists in 37 games to earn himself a 1-year extension to stay at least through 2023/2024.

Leaving on a high note, getting 25 goals and 17 assists in 50 games with a +11 rating, he heads off to Tipsport Extraliga and agrees to term with HK Vitkovice Ridera.

Well, in 43 games, he has a tidy 20 goals and 15 assists to earn himself a 1-year contract extension to stay.

He’s almost a point-per-game player in the current frame and is offered a 2-year deal to continue on with Ridera through 2026/2027.

Big 6’4″ 195 lbs. defenseman Joe Leahy(4) concludes 2 years at University Of Vermont Catamounts after transferring from 3 with Cornell University Big Red and signs a 1st pro deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

Other than maybe his junior year with 2 goals and 8 assists, he isn’t much of a point-getter, but does leave college hockey with a +12 rating.

We think the Waterloo, ON native makes a great stay-at-home style d-man.

He also won a 2017 BCHL Championship with Penctiton Vees in his 1st session of juniors.

The 25-year old should do quite well in the ECHL, but we don’t really expect him to stay around too long.

He gets 4 assists in 10 games for his new team and is impressive enough to want to have him return in a Swamp Rabbits‘ uniform for his rookie season.

For his rookie season, he skates 69 games, scoring 9 goals and 18 assists with a +18 rating to get him an easy invite to return and be a Swamp Rabbits for 2024/2025.

He actually leaves the team late season to try his hand at Czech Extraliga and signs with HC Vitkovice Ridera.

In 13 games, he scores no points, but adds 2 assists in 5 playoff matchups to earn an invite to return for 2025/2026.

With 3 goals, 7 assists in 28 games and a +3 rating, he is invited to stay with Ridera through 2026/2027.

Worcester Railers‘ 3rd year right wing Quinn Ryan(53) returns  for 2023/2024 after a successful 2nd year run, grabbing 15 goals and 25 assists in 49 ECHL games with a +4 rating.

He spent most of his rookie season with Utah Grizzlies, scoring 12 goals and 12 assists.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. spent 5 years at Liberty University Flames putting up 30+ assists twice, 43 as a senior and twice 20+ goals.

From Branchville, NJ, the 27-year old has to thinking about moving up overseas, if he continues to burst this league scoring .

Things are not quite zooming on the scoresheet the way they were in his first campaign with 2 goals and 3 assists in 14 games, so he decides to move on, signing with Rungsted Seier Capital for the remainder of the frame in Metal Ligaen.

His totals in Denmark are really good at 5 goals and 3 assists in 6 games with a +10 rating and he will maybe a bit oddly take those totals to Germany3, signing with Tilburg Trappers for 2024/2025.

Looks like he decided not to play in this session, but returns for 2025/2026 with a contract to Norfolk Admirals.

In 4 games, he scores a 1st goal, but is a -4 and is scratched from some appearances, so decides to head back overseas and signs with Dundee Stars, where we think his game elevates in the EIHL.

7th year defenseman Michael Kapla(3) signs on for a 2nd season with Rogle BK and is off to a nice start with 2 goals and 9 assists in 12 SHL games.

He scored 7 goals and 21 assists with a +12 rating in 44 games last season.

After his junior and senior year as captain of UMass-Lowell Riverhawks, he signed as an unrestricted free agent with New Jersey Devils.

He played 5 NHL games upon signing.

The 6′ 201 lbs. blue liner from Eau Claire, WI is 29-years old and has to be pretty happy about his hockey career has worked out.

After 3 seasons in Sweden, he switches things up to head to Switzerland next, signing with HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the NL.

In 35 games, he has 9 goals and 14 assists with a +5 rating, which gets him re-upped to stay another 2 season in Friboug-Gotteron.

Macon Mayem rookie defenseman Matt Stief(27) has maybe slightly conservative numbers with a goal and 6 assists with a +6 rating in 34 SPHL games for the number one team in the league.

He took a top scoring senior year, as assistant captain at Canisius College, grabbing new bests 3 goals, 23 assists and 26 points to his new gig.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. blue liner took an interesting route from his oddball hometown of Boca Raton, FL to a pair of campaigns up north in the BCHL before committing to college.

Originally signed to play for Idaho Steelheads in 2020/2021, until they decided they couldn’t go in a pandemic, the 25-year old still may have a good chance to play there next season.

It didn’t take too long for the Steelheads to step back in and re-up to have him enter into the fold for his rookie season.

In his 1st year, he gets no goals but 18 assists in 54 games to score an invite to return for a 2nd ECHL season.

He signs with Adirondack Thunder for 2022/2023 and does even better with 4 goals and 22 assists in 66 games.

Makes sense to have him back to see if he can add some to those numbers.

He was going to take his new best 31 assists and 35 points to a new deal for 2024/2025 with Orlando Solar Bears., but has maybe come away with a better deal to head over to the EIHL and sign with Glasgow Clan.

Coming back for 16 games on a deal with Worcester Railers, he maybe gets a big edgy to return overseas and signs with CSM Corona Brasov of Erste Liga, where we think he does really well for himself.

6th year center Patrick Watling(14) decides to head off and try something new, signing for 2022/2023 with HC Kosice of Slovak Extraliga.

He exploded on the ECHL scoring sheet in 2021/2022 for Wheeling Nailers, scoring new bests 31 goals and 46 assists for 77 points 55 games with a +13 rating.

The 6′ 174 lbs. forward also scored a pair of loans up and managed another AHL goal and 2 assists in 5 appearances.

Undrafted, he signed his first deal after 3 OHL seasons with Toronto Marlies and split time with affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he pumped in point-per-game stats.

He skated his next pair of campaigns in Florida before being dished very late to Tulsa Oilers.

In the next frame, he took a break before heading to 2 years at University Of New Brunswick Reds before returning.

The 28-year old from Sault Ste. Marie, ON will definitely put up some big numbers in the new league he’s headed to.

In 11 games, he manages 1 goal and 8 assists, but somehow ends up traded or heading to rivals HC Banska Bystrica for the remainder of ’22/23.

Maybe a little oddly, he takes some very decent play after the trade to a new experience, signing for 2023/2024 with Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL.

After a season, scoring like he did in the minors with 22 goals and 36 assists, then helping his team win the 2024 league title, grabbing 3 assists in 3 games.

He will happily be back in a Steelers‘ sweater for 2024/2025.

After yet another strong scoring season, he waits just a minute to see if he will return to be a Steelers at 32-years old in 2025/2026 and the answer is yes.

Undrafted center Patrick Grasso(21) signs his first pro contract with Utica Comets for 2021/2022 after 5 seasons at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.

Almost oddly his best scoring year was as a freshman, when he struck for 20 goals and 13 assists, which followed up a particularly good 3rd/4th USHL campaign for close-to-home Des Moines Buccaneers.

The small 5’7″ 170 lbs. 25-year old quick pivot will likely do well in the AHL.

He actually had a goal and 3 assists in 9 games, but was mostly sent down to skate with affiliate Adirondack Thunder, where he was stellar scoring 26 goals and 24 assists in 68 ECHL games.

For 2022/2023, he goes a bit of the easy route, signs to stay in Glens Falls, NY and will potentially score some loans up to the higher league.

He comes up with a new league and team best 37 goals and 59 assists in 64 games and is loaned up to 2 teams for 9 games, gaining 2 assists.

The Des Moines, IA native is back for a 3rd run with his favorite team.

He’s taking some good 3rd year stats with him to a new adventure, signing for 2024/2025 with HC Innsbruck Sharks of the IceHL and should do very well in Austria’s top hockey.

In 45 games, he strikes for 21 goals and 14 assists, but is a horrible -25 rating, so looks to explore other pro hockey and signs with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan.

For 2025/2026, he starts with Belfast Giants, but after scoring quite decently in 16 EIHL games, decides to head back to where he has scored the most, Adirondack Thunder for the rest of 2025/2026 and will add to their stat sheet.