Category: Europe

24Sep

Dakota Raabe (22)

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Utah Grizzles‘ 2nd year right wing Dakota Raabe(22) re-ups after a successful rookie run, scoring 11 goals and 25 assists in 55 ECHL games last season.

He was never really a scorer through school with a sophomore best of 5 goals and 9 assists at University Of Michigan Wolverines and didn’t even do as well in a graduate season at Sacred Heart University Pioneers.

Upon finishing up though, has found the net in his 1st run where he is, connecting for 3 goals and 4 assists in 10 games with a +6 rating, then adding 6 points in 14 playoff matchups.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. speedy forward from Capistrano Beach, CA has to be on a short list of guys that need a look at a higher level.

He actually gets moved to Iowa Heartlanders to hopefully energize their scoring and could find new energy with a different club.

In 12 games, he grabs 4 goals and 4 assists to earn himself an invite to return in a Heartlanders‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

After a very decent full frame, in 44 games scoring 9 goals and 15 assists, he next decides to head off to Ligue Magnus, signing with Rapaces de Gap for 2025/2026.

23Sep

Matt Petgrave (22)

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Undrafted 5th year defenseman Matt Petgrave(22) takes 200 ECHL games of experience to a new venture for 2021/2022 with HK Spisska Nova Ves of Tipos Extraliga.

The solid 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner posted 32 and 26 assists for Brampton Beast, and has definitely shown he can be a big assist guy, like he was dishing 40 helpers in his overage OHL year for Oshawa Generals.

Without a pro team holding his playing rights, he next decided to head to school at University Of New Brunswick Reds, where he won back-to-back CIS, then USports Championships.

The 29-year old will likely take to pro hockey in Slovakia well and could put up new career high stats.

He would put up 9 goals and 20 assists in 34 games with a +11, but decided to leave near the end of the season for the Czech League, signing with HC Dynamo Pardubice.

For 2022/2023, he heads to the EIHL, where he is sure to become a hugely popular player and run the scoresheet with Sheffield Steelers.

9 goals and 39 assists in 54 games with a +41 rating, means he will don the Steelers‘ jersey for a 2nd straight season.

He would only manage 7 games due to injury and then decided to sit 2024/2025 out, but is back for 2025/2026 and signs a 1-year deal with Indy Fuel that should work well.

23Sep

Denis Smirnov (8)

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Norfolk Admirals‘ 2nd year Russian-born left wing Denis Smirnov(8) is looking to up his totals from his 1st year with the team, when he scored 9 goals and 12 assists in 39 ECHL games.

The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward already has 7 goals and 9 assists, so things are looking quite positive.

He came over pretty quickly to play youth hockey, displaying amazing numbers to get drafted into juniors and wins the USHL Clark Cup Championship in his 1st of 3 years in the league.

Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ 4-year scorer took a couple of years after college hockey through COVID to establish his game as a pro.

He is an exciting player to watch.

In 51 games, he scores 14 goals and 32 asssists with a +3 rating to earn an easy invite back in an Admirals‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

He’s a high scoring free agent heading into 2025/2026 and a powerhouse team, Toledo Walleye step in to offer him a 1-year deal.

20Sep

Chris Dodero (26)

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American International College Yellowjackets‘ graduate center, assistant captain Chris Dodero(26) heads off for his 1st pro contract in IceHL with HK Olympija Ljubljana for 2022/2023.

The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward scored his college best last season, getting 13 goals and 16 assists in 36 NCAA Division 1 games.

He spent 5 campaigns in junior hockey, initially in the USHL, but switching to the BCHL for a year, then NAHL for the session before heading to school.

The 26-year old, West Chicago, IL native will definitely do well in Austria’s top league.

After a decent frame, scoring 10 goals and 20 assist in 39 games, he signs for 2023/2024 with a rival, Grazz99ers.

He maybe couldn’t get it started with 2 assists in 8 games and a woeful -8 rating, so pulls up the stakes and signs for the remainder of 2023/2024 with Starbulls Rosenheim of DEL2 for a new German start.

After some good seasons to start pro hockey away, he decides to return “home” and signs with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2024/2025.

He gains 3 goals and 3 assists in 15 games, but gets dished to the struggling Cincinnati Cyclones, who need some scoring.

With an ECHL high 6 goals and 12 assists through 39 games with a +1 rating, he is once again dealt, this time heading to Idaho Steelheads for 2025/2026.

16Sep

Brady Keeper (25)

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Vancouver Canucks have picked up unrestricted free agent Brady Keeper(25) as his one-year extension to stay in Florida Panthers‘ system was up.

And even though the undrafted, 6’2″ 196 lbs. blue liner has only ever skated 2 NHL games, he is given a 2-year one-way deal to come play zone in the big league.

He originally came from three seasons of juniors in the MJHL for OCN Blizzard, serving as captain in his final session, before committing to University Of Maine Black Bears.

The Cross Lake, MB native played one full AHL campaign for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, earning 6 goals and 18 assists in 61 games.

He was loaned last season to Syracuse Crunch, where he figured into 11 games, scoring a goal and 2 assists.

They must see something in the 25-year old that looks ready to step it up full-time and it just may work.

He wouldn’t actually figure into any games for 2021/2022 after breaking 2 major bones in his leg, but returned for the next frame, contributing 1 goal and 5 assists in 35 games.

For 2023/2024, he has options and signs with Montreal Canadiens, but really is on a high-priced minor league deal with affiliate  Laval Rocket.

He only figures into 22 games last season, but his accountability is good.

For 2024/2025, he signs with HK Poprad of Slovak Extraliga, which should provide the challenge the 28-year old needs.

Instead of reporting to his new, overseas team, he elected to sit last year out and returns in 2025/2026 to sign with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL.

Injuries continue to nag him, as he tries to move towards a comeback, but it turns out to be too much and he needs to hang up the skates, having 2 goals in 4 NHL games.

Something is nagging him and he signs for 2025/2026 with South Carolina Stingrays.

14Sep

Ryan Nicholson (24)

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RIT Tigers‘ senior defenseman Ryan Nicholson(24) signed an ato with Savannah Ghost Pirates upon finishing school and scores 1 assist in 2 ECHL games to get his pro career started.

For his official rookie season, he will head to Finland’s tier 2 Mestis league and signs with RoKi for 2024/2025.

The 6’3″ 201 lbs. blue liner had a college high 9 assists last season.

From Mississauga, ON, he did 3 years of juniors close to home before college.

We think the 25-year old does well in this league.

He scores 1 goal and 7 assists in 47 games and will next take it to the EIHL and signs with Fife Flyers for 2025/2026.

14Sep

Nick Bochen (5)

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Bentley University Falcons‘ graduate defenseman Nick Bochen(5) scored a college best 9 goals and 21 assists in 40 games with a +15 rating.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. blue liner from North Vancouver, BC signs a 1st pro contract in tier 2 Hockeyallsvenskan with Vimmerby HC for his rookie year, 2025/2026.

He did 2 successful BCHL junior seasons before 1st heading to Quinnipiac University Bobcats for 2 seasons.

We look for the 24-year old to be successful in this league.

13Sep

Timofei Khokhlachev (22)

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American International College Yellowjackets‘ Russian-born junior left wing Timofei Khokhlachev(22) heads home, signing with Lada Togliatti, but starts in the lower VHL with CSK VVS Samara for 2025/2026.

The 6’4″ 216 lbs. forward scored a college best 8 goals and 10 assists in 32 games with a +5 rating last season.

He came over fairly quickly for some school and 3 years of juniors before college..

The 23-year old should compete to move up to play with his older brother Alexander.