9th year left wing Mike Zalewski(96) was scheduled to start the new season with EC-KAC, but returns for a 2nd season with Graz99ers, where he put in 10 goals and 11 assists in 36 IceHL games.
Undrafted, he signed a free agent NHL entry level contract with Vancouver Canucks and managed to appear in 6 games over 3 seasons and picked up 2 assists in the process.
Maybe not the most prolific scorer in the minor league with 63 points in 167 AHL games, he did however possess a nicely accountable +21 rating.
The 30-year old, New Hartford, NY native only did 2 seasons at RPI Engineers before turning pro, but can still pull in a good contract.
After 21 games in a new league for the 1st time post 10 straight SHL seasons, 13th year right wing Rhett Rakhshani(89) has decided to retire despite scoring a tidy 5 goals and 7 assists in his DEL debut.
He played a monster 428 games in the top Swedish league, scoring a very nice 112 goals and 170 assists with a +22 rating and two league championships in 2015 and 2019.
The 5’10” 189 lbs. forward was originally a New York Islanders‘ 4th round pick in the 2006 draft (#100 overall).
He skated 7 NHL with no points and 2 penalty minutes.
The Huntington Beach, CA native had great success in the AHL with Bridgeport Sound Tigers, lighting it up for 113 points (44 goals, 69 assists) in 120 games.
This effort definitely provided him the bridge to head to Sweden as his 1st stop.
The former University Of Denver Pioneers, now 34 will definitely find a good life off skates.
Undrafted 5th year right wing Nick Schilkey(7) will take his game to Iserlohn Roosters of DEL for 2021/2022 after signing 4 AHL contracts with three different clubs.
The 2-time Ohio State University Buckeyes‘ captain, who put up 41 points both as a junior and senior, with a college high 27 goals in his 4th year and 22 assists in his 3rd, can definitely strike for points.
His pro highs thus far were achieved in his 2nd campaign with Charlotte Checkers, when he scored 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points in 64 games, then added another 8 points (1-7) in 19 playoff contests on the way to the 2019 Calder Cup Championship.
The Marysville, MI native was also a big scorer in his 2nd frame of junior with Green Bay Gamblers (32-39 in 59 games), but won the 2012 USHL Clark Cup Championship in the previous year.
At 27 years old, he will likely have great success in Germany’s top hockey.
He takes some decent numbers, 8 goals and 19 assists in 49 games to a new possibility signing with IF Bjorkloven of HockeyAllsvenskan for 2022/2023.
For blowing up the scoresheet with 17 goals and 18 assists in only 26 games, he earns himself a nice 1-year extension to stay.
10th year defenseman Michael Boivin(28) returns to Graz99ers for a 2nd straight, 3rd overall season with the IceHL team.
It will be the 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner’s 7th season in Austria’s top league.
He 1st left for a couple of seasons after graduating from Colorado College Tigers, scoring 14 goals and 14 assists as a senior.
The Delta, BC native twice hit the 20+ assist mark and 1 ascended to 30 in a frame.
He’s only returned home for a pair of ECHL seasons and struck really well for Manchester Monarchs in his 1st run back.
At 32-years old, he’s still playing some good hockey and that’s all that likely matters.
Undrafted 4-year University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ left wing Ace Cowans(23) signs a 1st pro contract for 2021/2022, and leaves for Kalix HC of Sweden’s quickly growing tier 3 league, Hockeyettan.
The 5’8″ 170 lbs. forward had an interesting climb, committing to college from Groton School, where he was producing 2 points-per-game to maybe a bit of an oddball year, skating with Islanders Hockey Club of USPHL Premiere league before hooking up and having a decent showing (5 goals, 7 assists in 27 USHL games) with Waterloo Blackhawks ahead of going to school.
At 24-years old, he should be able to make a good impression overseas.
The Beverly, MA native detonates the score sheet with 17 goals and 28 assists in 44 games with a +20 rating and signs for 2022/2023 with rivals Mariestad BoIS.
Coachella Valley Firebirds‘ 7th year defenseman Eddie Wittchow(20) is with a 1st new team in 3 seasons after spending his first three minor league deals with Hershey Bears.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 6th round pick in 2011 (#154 overall), he was in their system for 2 years before being left unqualified after his best AHL season, scoring 5 goals and 10 assists with a +3 rating in 55 games.
The former University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ senior captain was never the biggest scorer through college.
We do think the 29-year old from Burnsville, MN will bring some accountability to the new club’s blue line.
Allen Americans‘ rookie net minder Francis Marotte(35) is enjoying a very decent first season posting a 6-3-1 record on a club that’s one of the better ranked in the ECHL for 2020/2021.
The former Clarkson University Golden Knights portal transfer from 3 previous years with Robert Morris University Colonials posted huge numbers as a senior for his new team, 23-8-3 record with a measly 1.78 GAA and .938 SV%.
A Quebec native, he did a few years of junior hockey in Canada, starting out in the BCHL, but after one season agreed to a pair of campaigns for Nepean Raiders of the CCHL, where he found his future school.
He did get himself on New York Islanders‘ radar and signed a deal with the team, but it’s thought to possibly be an AHL deal, as he did appear in a pair of dates for affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The 26-year old re-signs to finish the job in Texas, as he ended last campaign 8-3-1 with a 2.54 GAA, .917 SV% and 1 shutout.
After ascending to the radar of Anaheim Ducks‘ and scoring an invite to their training camp, he was invited to continue with affiliate San Diego Gulls‘, where he scooped himself a 1-year AHL contract for 2021/2022.
He played a career best 8 games up, but was mostly reassigned to the ECHL with affiliate Allen Americans.
For 2022/2023, he decides to spread his wings a bit signing a 1-year deal with Dundee Stars, where he should be a leading goalie on more than one occasion.
Finnish-born left wing, Erkka Vanska(40) should easily be commended for heading across the pond at age 16 to first attend school for a pair of years in Quebec before heading to the US to skate a season with Iowa Wild 18U AAA, where he amassed some points to gain the notice of Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
The 5’11” 168 lbs. forward was big in his 2nd NAHL season, scoring 19 goals and 36 assists in 60 games with a +19 rating before committing to Holy Cross College Crusaders.
He would spend 4 seasons at the school, but did not skate games in his final 2 frames.
For 2022/2023, he heads home to sign with Gladiators HT of the tier 2 Il-divisioona.
Nashville Predators‘ 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#111 overall), Czechia-based center Jachym Kodelik(29) signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal after completing his 4th year as senior captain at University Of Connecticut Huskies.
The massive 6’6″ 226 lbs. forward finished up last year with a college career best 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points with a +6 rating that made it to the Hockey East Final before bowing out in overtime.
He skated 2 AHL games with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals on an ato at the end of last campaign, but didn’t connect.
We think the still super-kind of young to graduate college, 22-year old will be finding ways to score points for 2022/2023.
12th year defenseman David Warsofsky(55) switches up a decently good season for ERC Ingolstadt to signing with DEL rivals Augsburger Panther 2022/2023.
The veteran of 55 NHL and 476 AHL games, he wracked up a pretty amazing 195 assists through 11 seasons in the direct affiliate league.
Originally a St. Louis Blues‘ 4th round pick in 2008 (#95 overall), his signing rights were traded to Boston Bruins, where he agreed to a 3-year entry level deal upon leaving Boston University Terriers after 3 sessions and a 2009 NCAA Division 1 Championship.
The 32-year old from Marshfield, MA has to be happy about still playing some amazing hockey and earning a good living from doing so.
