Category: Europe

Salem State University Vikings‘ English-born senior left wing Rais Francis(74) signs a 1st pro contract back home for his rookie season with Manchester Storm, 2025/2026.

In 4 EIHL games, he has yet to register a point.

The very big 6’6″ 220 lbs. forward had a college best 6 goals and tied his junior 11 points as a senior.

He initially committed to Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen after 2 years of cycling through 3 junior leagues and would stay there for 2 years before doing his junior frame at Western New England University Golden Bears.

We look for the 24-year old to settle in an catch on scoring.

7th year right wing Casey Bailey(93) re-signs with Iserlohn Roosters after putting up a 2nd 40+ point season.

The 6’3″ 194 lbs forward has twice earlier hit the 40+ mark, first as a junior at Penn State University Nittany Lions, then as a 3rd year AHL player for Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

At 30-year old, the Anchorage, AK native is definitely still hitting the ice hard.

After a 3rd season with the same club, putting up 39 points in his last frame, he signs for 2023/2024 with DEL rivals ERC Ingolstadt.

He leaves 4 years in the league for some new waters, signing with the famous Graz99ers of IceHL, which should be a good country for him to play in.

Through 46 games, he scores 15 goals and 12 assists, so does alright, but decides to come back and play a little closer to home, signing with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2025/2026.

Albertus Magnus College Falcons‘ senior defenseman Nick Durajlija(38) signs a 1st pro deal in Finland’s tier 3 Suomi sarja, agreeing to terms for his rookie campaign with JHT Kalajoki, 2025/2026.

The massive 6’6″ 236 lbs. blue liner didn’t exactly burst his scoring slump, but did register 2 assists through 17 games.

From Hamilton, ON, we look for the 26-year old to play himself up over there, if he is looking for that.

6th year German-born center Daniel O’Regan(11) gets a new 1-year, 2-way deal from Anaheim Ducks for 2021/2022.

The unrestricted free agent signed a 1-year deal with Vegas Golden Knights last season and put up point-per-game numbers for affiliate Henderson Silver Knights.

Originally a San Jose Sharks‘ 5th round pick in the 2012 draft (#138 overall), he’s been a prolific scorer since he arrived to ultimate graduate St. Sebastian’s School before committing to 4 years at Boston University Terriers, where he scored 154 points (66-88) in 154 Hockey East games.

His dad Tom O’Regan took a similar path through school.

The 27-year old will likely be pivotal to affiliate San Diego Gulls‘ success.

Mid-season he is moved to Grand Rapids Griffins and his scoring takes flight with 14 goals and 17 assists in 39 games.

For 2023/2024, he will take his 1 NHL goal to a new adventure, signing with MoDo Hockey and we think he finds comfort in scoring in the SHL.

He scores just 4 goals and 8 assists in 34 games with a -9 rating, but Kunlun Red Star see something and sign him to a 1-year KHL deal for 2024/2025.

Through 65 games, he scores pretty well, but lacks some on-ice accountability and next decides to head to DEL, where he signs with Schwenninger Wild Wings for 2025/2026.

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.