CollegeHockeyPlayers

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.

Undrafted senior center Carter Turnbull(98) takes a solid year as team captain, pushing his University Of Connecticut Huskies to its deepest Hockey East climb to the Finals and a loss in overtime to a 1st pro contract with South Carolina Stingrays.

The 5’8″ 181 lbs. forward took a few games to get situated, but finally popped in his 1st ECHL goal and a 2nd one a couple nights later to sit at 2 tallies in 6 games.

He had 30 goals and assists throughout his 3 years with Powell River Kings in 155 BCHL games.

The 23-year old from Nanaimo, BC should be able to light up the league and climb, if he sticks.

He would finish his first pro contract with 2 goals and 3 assists in 11 games to warrant a full look in North Charleston for his rookie season 2022/2023.

After lighting things up to the tune of 24 goals and 18 assists in 41 games, he decides to head off for an opportunity overseas, joining HKM Zvolen for their Slovak Extraliga playoff run.

He appears in 6 games during the end of the regular frame, then skates 7 in the postseason, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in 7 games.

Slovak rivals HC Banska Bystrica swoop in an sign him up for 2023/2024, and we should see his numbers improve.

He is well over a point-per-game player in the tough to play Slovak hockey, equaling 25 goals and 31 assists in 41 games, but heads of to IceHL for a new experience with Asiago Hockey that could put him back on the radar for a better deal back home.

While scoring isn’t an issue with his new club, on ice accountability is faltering, so he up and moves back to Slovakia, signing once again with HC Banska Bystrica to hopefully regain some glory.

He gets on board and is invited to return to the tune of 20 goals and 17 assists in just 22 games with a +17 rating and there is a desire to keep him around long-term on a 2-year extension through 2026/2027 with HC Banska.

Undrafted defenseman Davis Bunz(7) takes 4+ years at Providence College Friars to a 1st pro contract with Wheeling Nailers for the 2022/2023 season.

The 6’1″ 181 lbs. blue liner has never been much of a scorer, but did leave a USHL frame for Central Illinois Flying Aces to head to school mid-campaign.

A Middleton, WI native, his senior year was way off the hook with 23 goals in 24 games.

The 23-year old should have a really good rookie run.

3 goals and 20 assists in a 1st ECHL frame was impressive enough to want to keep him in West Virginia another season.

He’ll have to work on his +/- some.

Accomplishing exactly what he needed to, he walks away from 2023/2024 with a league high 10 goals and 21 assists with a new accountable +20 rating in 2nd 58 games, then adds another 5 points in the playoffs.

For his new move, he skates overseas, accepting a 1-year EIHL deal with Nottingham Panthers for 2024/2025.

He comes home for 2025/2026 and signs with Orlando Solar Bears, but after 13 games with no points gets traded to Reading Royals.

University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ Russian-born, graduate left wing Anton Rubtsov(11) had a college best 8 goals and 20 assists in 30 games with a +6 rating as a junior.

He skated only 13 games last season, grabbing 3 goals and 1 assist.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward did most of 2 seasons in the NAHL, but also previous to it played most of 2 frames in Switzerland’s tier 3 league, Hockeyettan.

He signs a 1st pro contract with Danbury Hat Tricks and in 10 games has a nice 2 goals and 9 assists.

Undrafted 6th year, left wing J.C. Campagna(93) comes off a season, where he skated only 4 ECHL games for Florida Everblades and Wichita Thunder, but mostly took 2020/2021 off.

He has played 171 games in the league, scoring 65 goals and 58 assists.

The 6’4″ 205 lbs. power forward played in three junior leagues (OJHL, OHL and QMJHL) before turning his sights on St. Thomas University Tommies for two years, then University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers for one before turning pro with Adirondack Thunder, potting 6 goals and 4 assists in 16 games.

Nothing strange about that, except the former Ohio Blue Jackets 16U AAA is a Dallas, TX native.

The 28-year old signs with Toledo Walleye for 2021/2022 and we think that could be a super-charged good choice to pocket some career point totals.

He actually switched out his signing to Allen Americans more than midway through the frame, scoring 10 goals and 5 assists in 21 games to agreeing to a new contract for 2022/2023 with Tulsa Oilers, which should be an awesome resting space for him.

Not exactly sure what happened in Oklahoma, but it wasn’t necessarily bad stats, yet he decides to switch things up big and leaves for HC Presov of Slovak Extraliga and already has 4 goals and 1 assist in 4 games, so must be liking it alright.

He actually scores 6 goals and 6 assists in 17 games, but maybe his -10 wasn’t all that great, so left for DEL2, signing with EHC Freiburg, maybe taking it up a little in the playoffs.

For 2023/2024 though, he decides to return and signs with Utah Grizzlies.

He played in only 12 games, getting 1 goal and 4 assists.

It’s taken maybe a little bit to decide where to head next and will once again head across the pond and signs in Slovakia2 with MHK Humenne.

He was limited to only 4 games, but hammered home 2 goals.

For 2025/2026, he returns to shores and signs with Worcester Railers, who will welcome his size into their lineup.

After being let go before skating for his new team, Grizzlies steps back in to give him a contract.