Coumbus Blue Jackets sign Colorado College Tigers‘ junior center Hunter McKown(41) to a 3-year NHL entry level deal.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward scored a college career best 21 goals and 28 points in 38 games as assistant captain last season.
A 20-year old San Jose, CA native played 2 years of USNTDP before heading to college.
They seem to have plans for this skater.
Montreal Canadiens see something they like, so trade for him 2o26/2027.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ NCAA Division 1 Championship winning, junior goaltender Yaniv Perets(1) signs a 2-year entry level deal with Carolina Hurricanes.
The 6’1″ 181 lbs. net minder ran a 34-4-3 record last season with a 1.49 GAA and .931 SV% and 10 shutouts.
It’s a bit of a wonder why the 23-year old from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC was never drafted, despite winning the 2019 USPHL/NCDC Championship with Junior Bruins.
He should do well now that he’s decided to turn pro with a year left in college.
Recalled from the ECHL to the backup for a 2nd time, in this outing he is put into net to face 1 shot in 12:46 net time that he turned away and he has a 1st NHL appearance.
Nice backup.
After playing in all three leagues last season, he is an unrestricted free agent and signs a 1-year AHL deal with Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
He does well between the two leagues and signs up for 2026/2027 to continue as a Phantoms net minder.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2016 draft (#99 overall), 3rd year left wing Brett Murray(57) played his first season under the guide of the parent club on an AHL contract with affiliate Rochester Americans.
The kinda giant 6’5″ 228 lbs., former year and a half Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ forward posted 9 goals in each of his first two seasons and 10+ assists before dropping a goal and 7 assists in 6 games in the current frame to earn a 2nd recall.
In his first re-appearance, he failed to connect in a win, but had an assist the next night and topped it with a two point, first NHL goal and an assist performance in a loss that should have earned him a third star award.
The Bolton, ON native took an interesting path from a first year at juniors, directingly into a first year at college hockey, but only stayed one run before returning to Youngstown Phantoms to absolutely detonate the stat sheet with a league best 41 goals and 35 assists with a +13 rating.
That was basically all the now 23 year old needed to turn pro and now he’s looking at some extended time up.
He manages less games in the big league as he goes, but scores pretty easily in the lower league, so decides to move as unrestricted free agent status approaches, signing for 2025/2026 with Nurnberg Ice Tigers.
Recording very close to point-per-game totals, he takes his game up to the KHL and agrees to terms with Shanghai Dragons for 2026/2027.
10th year defenseman Aaron Ness(27) was in Boston Bruins‘ training camp, but signs for 2021/2022 with affiliate Providence Bruins to stay in the system.
It’s his 1st minor league deal.
The 5’10” 184 lbs. blue liner has played an outstanding 557 AHL games, scoring 45 goals and 222 assists with an overall +7 rating.
He’s appeared in 72 NHL games in 7 seasons with 3 different teams, scoring just a goal and 6 assists.
We do believe the 31-year old, former 3-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers will look to continue his hockey overseas next, just to be able to say he did it as a pro.
Looks like we guessed wrong, as he signs for 2022/2023 with the team he had a 50 assist campaign for a few years ago, Hershey Bears and the recently turned 32-year old should be able to help them find their playoff punch again.
He’s riding a good playoff run with the team after getting 5 goals and 14 assists in 69 games with a +14 rating during the regular season, but has yet to add anything in the playoffs.
No worries says this minor league club as they would like him to stay in Chocolatetown for at least another 2 more years.
For a 7th season, he will stay a Bears, 2024/2025.
He spends his 2nd year as team captain, but maybe limits appearances to 38 games to ease off a bit.
Well, 818 games in the AHL and 72 in the NHL with 1 goal and it’s time to at 36-years old retire from pro hockey.
We think he stays put to assume an assistant coach role, he’d be a perfect fit for.
Harvard University Crimson senior captain defenseman Ian Moore(3) signs a 2-year entry level contract with draft team Anaheim Ducks (3rd round of 2020, #67 overall) and starts his pro career with affiliate San Diego Gulls, where he’s good for a 1st AHL goal and 4 assists in 9 games to score a recall in his short pro career.
In his NHL debut, he skates 18 shifts for 15:31 of ice time with 3 shots and 1 block in a 4-2 loss.
The 6’3″ 194 lbs. blue liner equaled his college best 3 goals last season and had 18 assists as a sophomore.
From Concord, MA, the 24-year is just getting started.
In 67 games, he scores 4 goals and 8 assists, then adds another tally in the playoffs to earn himself a 2-year extension to stay a Ducks.
10th year right wing Garnet Hathaway(19) didn’t much of a pay boost after signing the 4-year with Washington Capitals worth some $6M total, but he gets 1 on a 2-year deal with Philadelphia Flyers worth $2.375M AAV after a spectacular 25-game effort in a Boston Bruins‘ uniform after a trade sent him there.
The fairly big 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward 1st signed an AHL contract with Adirondack Flames for his rookie season and did well enough to catch the radar of the parent club, Calgary Flames, who signed him to a 2-year entry level deal.
He was in their system for 4 years.
The 31-year old, Brown University Bears‘ graduate from Naples, FL should work harder, but find space to score with his new team.
Doing decently for his new club, he gets 2 more years in a Flyers‘ uniform to continue his game.
With 1-year left on his deal, he is traded to Florida Panthers to hopefully elevate his game again.
6th year center Kevin Roy(12) signs for 2021/2022 with Laval Rocket.
It’s his 2nd contract in the league, as he skated for Tuscon Roadrunners, getting 11 goals and 19 assists in 35 AHL games last season.
Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#97 overall), he played for 3 years on 2 contracts in their system and appeared in 28 NHL games over a pair of years, scoring 6 goals and an assist.
The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward has 56 goals and 97 assists through 218 games in the farm league.
In his one campaign of junior hockey for Lincoln Stars, he got voted USHL Player Of The Year, Most Points, Most Goals, Most Assists, Best Plus/Minus and Forward Of The Year with his 54 goals and 50 assists in 59 games.
He was easily set to go to Northeastern University Huskies, where he twice struck for 19 goals and averaged 26 assists as a sophomore then junior before being named team captain as a senior.
The 28-year old should put up good numbers for his Montreal Canadiens‘ affiliate club and may even spark some notice.
After a very solid frame in Quebec, scoring 13 goals and 20 assists, he decides to split for Sweden, joining Brynas IF of the SHL late, but after 6 games with little pop, leaves for Liiga, and signs with HIFK.
Only getting 1 goal and 5 assists in 19 games, has him looking for a good next stop and he has found it, signing with HC Innsbruck of IceHL f0r 2023/2024.
He posts an almost silly 25 goals and 33 assists with a +20 rating in 47 games, and next will skate for rivals Graz99ers in 2024/2025.
After a 2nd 39 point season, which included the 2026 IceHL Championship, he’s an easy invite back for a 3rd term with Graz99ers in 2026/2027.
Western Michigan University Broncos‘ junior, assistant captain center Grant Slukynsky(13) leaves a year on the table after tying his sophomore scoring of 10 goals and posting a new college best 30 assists and 40 points with a +15 rating in 39 games last season.
The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward signs a 1-year NHL entry level contract as an unrestricted free agent with Los Angeles Kings for 2026/2027.
After blowing away scoring at USHS-MN, he stretch for 3 USHL seasons before committing to Northern Michigan University Wildcats.
In his NHL debut, center Nick Abruzzese(26) skates 15 shifts for 9:05 ice time in a 6-3 Toronto Maple Leafs‘ win.
The 5’9″ 160 lbs. forward was a 4th round pick in the 2019 (#124 overall).
He was signed to a 2-year entry level after skating his junior season for Harvard University Crimson.
The Slate Hill, NY native had a very good 2nd USHL season for Chicago Steel, scoring a league high assists (51) and points (80).
At 22-years old, he may spend a little time in the AHL to see how that develops.
He has been playing up in the show since he started and pots a 1st goal in his 9th appearance.
After 69 games with 16 goals and 32 assists, then 7 points in 7 playoff games and 2 assists in 2 games in the big league, he is retained for 2023/2024.
The restricted free agent gets a new, 2-year 2-way deal and will likely continue with affiliate Toronto Marlies, and it’s very likely he will continue to see time in the show.
Coming off a 2nd successful run in the minors, he is an unrestricted free agent and signs for 1-year with Tampa Bay Lightning.
In 56 games with the affiliate Syracuse Crunch, he earns a 2nd 50+ scoring season to score another 1-year contract.
University Of Denver Pioneers‘ Swedish-born, senior goaltender Magnus Chrona(30) signs a 2-year entry level deal with San Jose Sharks after being picked up in a trade with draft team Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was selected in the 5th round of 2018 (#152 overall).
The absolutely massive 6’6″ 216 lbs. net minder has always done well at school, winning the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Championship in what was his best season as a junior with a 28-8-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .911 SV%.
He would likely be best to sign an ato with affiliate San Jose Barracuda, as they fight to make the last playoff spot.
In his rookie year, he plays the full gambit of pro hockey leagues from the ECHL, AHL and NHL, but definitely looks to be working out the some kinks for consistency.
A big offseason trade sends him to Nashville Predators to continue and he’ll likely get the nod in net for affiliate Milwaukee Admirals to start.
He spends 2 seasons in net for the affiliate, but his contract is up and he is looking to home for his next contract, signing with Brynas IF of the SHL, which should be outstanding for him.
