CollegeHockeyPlayers

6th year right wing Matt Berry(19) decided to take the COVID season off last year and only skated one ECHL game for Kalamazoo Wings in 2019/2020, so must have been anxious to sign a contract and elected to go with the high powered offense of Toledo Walleye for 2021/2022.

He’s off to a blazing hot start, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists in 7 games with a +9 rating.

The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward started his pro career after 4 years at Michigan State University Spartans, where he averaged around 20+ points, 31 as a sophomore, in the AHL with 5 games for Norfolk Admirals.

He didn’t get any points, but for his rookie season, San Diego Gulls gave him a contract.

Through 15 games, he had 3 goals and an assist, but was mostly reassigned to affiliate Utah Grizzlies, where he was putting up point-per-game numbers.

He would head off for a couple of campaigns with Florida Everblades, putting up a best 24 goals and 44 assists for 68 points in his first year there.

The Canton, MI native once again moved west to Utah, but was quickly scooped to head back to Southern California, only to put up 4 goals and 14 assists with a +6 rating, but can’t seem to garner any real respect from the league.

At 29-years old, he’s likely just accepted his path.

He was loaned up to Grand Rapids Griffins for 19 games, grabbing 2 goals and 4 assists with a +1, but really lit it up big in the lower league with 24 goals and 37 assists in 44 games with a +30, then added another 14 (5-9) points in 21 playoff matchups.

For 2022/2023, he signs a 1-year deal with Cincinnati Cyclones and could be on the move for his best session yet.

After basically point-per-game numbers last season, matching his exact output in the previous frame 61 points, he has decided to go exploring.

For 2023/2024, he is heading to the tougher to play Slovak Extraliga and signs a 1-year deal with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas.

He does pretty well in Slovakia, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with a +3 rating and 4 points in 5 playoff matchups, but wants something different and ultimately signs with Glasgow Clan, where he must have been given some good incentives.

For 2025/2026, he switches allegiances and signs with rivals Dundee Stars, where he scores pretty well, but decides to head back and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

He is scoring ok, but gets dished and returns to Kalamazoo Wings, who maybe need him to score a little more for them in the 2nd half.

Not likely seeing results he is used to seeing, he once again decides to leave and heads to Ligue Magnus, signs with Rapaces De Gap for 2026/2027.

Colorado College Tigers‘ graduate defenseman Connor Mayer(18) completes his studies and turns pro, signing a standard player contract with Utah Grizzlies.

The 5’11” 195 lbs. blue liner was never much of a scorer, getting his best 4 goals and 8 assists as a freshman, but maybe more importantly was a +10 rating player.

From Champlin, MN, he did 3 USHL junior sessions before committing.

The 24-year old finds room to score with his 1st ECHL goal and 2 assists on unfortunately a non-playoff team.

He scores 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games and the parent club and the team from his college town signs him, Colorado Eagles for 2024/2025.

He produces decently in the AHL, but doesn’t stick a 2nd go and is signed by Hershey Bears, where even a 1st goal in his debut still gets him reassigned for the remainder of the frame to affiliate South Carolina Stingrays.

For 2026/2027, he is looking elsewhere and signs with HC Innsbruck Sharks of IceHL, where we think he will do really well.

University Of Lowell Riverhawks‘ undrafted junior center Reid Stefanson(14) catches maximum air in their first of two vs. Northeastern University Huskies.

The Winnipeg-born 6′ 185 lbs. forward was not able to connect with the scoresheet in the game but was a full part of a sound 4-1 win.

He did two years of junior hockey starting with a season in the NAHL but finished up skating for Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL.

The senior graduated with exact totals of 8 goals and 12 assists he posted as a rookie, but always skated hard and was tough to play against.

Upon getting beaten in Hockey East tournament play, he signs a 1st pro contract with somewhat local Maine Mariners.

He didn’t connect in his debut, but got on the score sheet in game 2 and followed it up with another and a two-game point streak.

The 25-year old is finding his footing quickly in the ECHL.

He will return to Maine for his rookie season after scoring a pair of goals and assists in 9 games on an ato, and another 2 points in 6 playoff appearances.

The power forward should be able to take his game up nicely in his first official season and could even score a loan up.

After a 22 goal and 25 assist performance with a +22 rating in 69 games, he is an easy re-sign to stay in a Mariners‘ jersey for 2023/2024.

He’s an easy point-per-game player as a full 2nd year player in the league and looks elsewhere to find a nice deal with Vienna Capitals to continue in IceHL, where he will likely do very well for himself and become something of a star on skates.

In 13 games, he comes away with 2 goals and 6 assists and maybe doesn’t feel like he is quite catching on, so heads to the EIHL, where he signs with Nottingham Panthers for 2024/2025.

He does pretty well scoring here, but may likes hockey a little better in Central Europe and signs Meran/Merano of AlpsHL, where he should do exceedingly well.

In just 23 games, he scores 12 goals and 23 assists with a +8 rating, then adds another 20 points (a league high 17 assists) in the playoffs.

He decides to continue moving along and spots a deal in Germany3 with KSW IceFighters Leipzig for 2026/2027.

Western Michigan University Broncos‘ Swedish-born senior center Liam Valente(40) had a college best 20 goals and 35 points with a +12 rating in 39 games.

The 6′ 201 lbs. forward played a college best 42 games as a junior and had a high 19 assists in the year the team won the 2025 NCAA D1 Championship.

He played all his youth hockey and juniors back home before playing 2 pro games for HC Kalmar, scoring a 1st Hockeyettan goal before heading to Providence College Friars.

The 22-year old transferred after his sophomore year of inconsistent play and signed a 1-year AHL deal with Rochester Americans for 2026/2027 that is surely under the watch of the parent club, Buffalo Sabres.

In 2 games, he has a 1st goal.