CollegeHockeyPlayers

4th year Latvian-born defenseman Janis Jaks(27) signs on for a 2nd season to stay with HC Litvinov of Czechia Extraliga for 2023/2024.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner played a lot of his youth hockey and beginnings of juniors before coming over to the NAHL  with Minnesota Wilderness, where he was twice a +10 player fully grounded in his own zone and helped his team with the 2015 Robertson Cup.

After spending 4 fairly strong sessions at American International College Yellowjackets, he signed with Dinamo Riga, but after 17 KHL games, the relationship soured and he agreed next to Bakersfield Condors and things were looking decent with  2 goals and 4 assists in 20 AHL games with a +3 rating.

He would return to Russia to skate for HK Sochi, but the results didn’t yield much, so he turned his attention to where he is now with much better results, 8 goals, 17 assists in 47 games with a +3 rating to move forward.

The 27-year old has to have at least a little smile on his face to how things are going, especially after winning Bronze at the recent IIHF Worlds.

After 2 strong seasons with the same team, he was in a pretty good spot for himself, but decides to sign with rivals, HC Energie Karlovy Vary.

After 2 seasons with the same club, he decides to return to to HC Litvinov in 2026/2027, where he’s had good success.

Harvard University Crimson senior Marek Hejduk(14) right wing didn’t score in college hockey as hard of a game he played as a power forward.

He had 2 goals and 5 assists in 35 games last season and did best in his freshman frame with 6 goals and 7 assists.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. point signed a 1st pro deal with Utah Grizzlies, when tournament played finished up.

From Parker, CO, the 22-year old has 4 goals and 2 assists in 8 ECHL games with a +3 rating, but will need a new deal for 2026/2027 with a new team.

For his actual rookie season, he decides to head to a place of his family background, Tipsport Extraliga and signs a try-out with HC Motor Ceske Budejovice, but we think it sticks for 2026/2027.

Undrafted 2nd year defenseman Ivan Chukarov(13) takes the COVID season off, but decides to get back on the ice and switches allegiance from Worcester Railers, the only team he’s played for since graduating UMass Minutemen to Wheeling Nailers for the 2021/2022 ECHL.

The 6’2″ 203 lbs. forward was a big scorer in his 2nd year of junior with Minnesota Wilderness, scoring 12 goals and 31 assists in 55 NAHL games to get his college commitment.

Originally a Buffalo Sabres‘ 7th round pick in the 2015 draft (#182 overall), it seems like the 26-year old still can be a big contributor, despite what league he eventually lands.

He would actually land at Adirondack Thunder for last season’s play and had 2 goals and 5 assists in 38 games, but a terrible -22 rating.

For 2022/2023, the Des Plaines, IL native will return to continue work on his game, trying to contribute.

He puts up a career best 11 assists with 12 points and was a +12 rating through 58 games last season.

For 2023/2024, he gets traded and signs a 1-year deal with Jacksonville Icemen, his 3rd team in the league.

After 67 games, scoring a new best 7 goals and 26 assists with a +16 rating, he will take his game for a 1st time overseas, joining Coventry Blaze of the EIHL for 2025/2026.

In 23 games, he is scoring ok, but has a bad +/-, so decides to come back and signs with Bloomington Bison for the 2nd half of 2025/2026.

With only 1 assist in 8 games and a not so hot +/-, Savannah Ghost Pirates see something they can use in his game and acquire him for future considerations.

In 13 games, he gets 5 assists, but for 2026/2027 he is heading to Germany4 and signs with Eisadler Dortmund.

Straubing Tigers‘ 7th year center Travis St. Denis(74) re-ups to return to the German club, his 2nd year in DEL.

He scored 22 goals and 17 assists in 51 games last season.

The 5’7″ 170 lbs. forward was twice a 40+ point scorer in the AHL for Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while under contract to New York Islanders for at least one of those sessions.

He spent 4 seasons at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, always increasing his totals to leave as a senior with 49 points in 43 NCAA Division 1 games.

The Trail, BC native played his junior hockey up north and won a 2012 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, scoring 37 goals and 51 assists in 54 games, then adding 13 more points in the playoffs.

At 29-years old, he is likely to be happy still playing hockey at a very high level.

After spending 2 years with the same club, recording just about exact excellent numbers, he reaches out and signs with rivals, ERC Ingolstadt for 2023/2024.

His season with a new German team doesn’t go maybe as planned and he heads right back, where he scored 22 goals in each of his 2 frames, the Tigers for 2024/2025.

He continued to play well, but maybe after 4 years in 1 league was looking for something different and signed with EC Salzburg of IceHL.

Scoring in this league increases to levels reached when he initially hit Germany, but for 2026/2027 he signs with rivals, EC-KAC.

5th year Fife Flyers‘ defenseman Justin Bean(26) has 7 assists in 7 EIHL games to start the 2025/2026 season.

He recorded an ECHL best 7 goals and 28 assists last season with Maine Mariners.

The 6’3″ 205 lbs. blue liner from Pickering, ON did 4 years in juniors, then 5 at York University Lions, taking the COVID 2020/2021 off.

At 29-years old, he seemingly has found a good league to play in.

in 43 games, he gets 4 goals and 17 assists, but once again he looks back and signs with South Carolina Stingrays for 2026/2027.