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.
New Hampshire Mountain Kings‘ Swedish-born 2nd year left wing Kim Hilmersson(23) scored a junior best 23 goals and 24 assists in 54 NAHL games with a +10 rating that he takes to a 2025/2026 commit at Plymouth State University Panthers.
The 6’1″ 216 lbs. forward has 3 goals and 3 assists in 10 games to start his college career.
He came over early and did NH youth hockey before juniors.
Cornell University Big Red junior left wing Kyle Kovich(38) enters the transfer portal to next skate at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs for 2025/2026.
The 6’2″ 181 lbs. forward had a college best 5 goals and 9 assists last season with a +13 rating in 36 games played.
This season he has 1 goal in 18 games, so is still looking to pop.
From Coquitlam, BC, he did 2 BCHL frames before 1 in the USHL prior to school.
University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ senior right wing Brady Risk(9) takes 3 seasons of 10+ goal scoring to a year of eligibility at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks 2024/2025.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward did 4 AJHL seasons, blowing up scoring in his final 2 frames before school.
From Medicine Hat, AB, we can easily see the 25-year old putting up another great session, then turning pro.
He would put up a 3rd straight campaign of 13 goals and added 12 assists in 36 games with a +6 rating.
As we thought, he signs for his rookie year with IF Troja-Ljungby of HockeyAllsvenskan, where we feel he will do really well.
With 1 goal and 3 assists in 15 games with a -5 rating, he decides to jump and join Glasgow Clan of the EIHL for the rest of 2025/2026.
9th year net minder Zane McIntyre(30) signs for a 3rd straight season 2023/2024 in Minnesota Wild system after 34 AHL games with a 16-12-5 record, 2.87 GAA and .899 SV% last season.
He was in the cage for 37 the year before that with even better numbers.
Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#165 overall), he left a year at University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks on the table before turning pro.
Although he hasn’t played an NHL game since his 2nd season, he’s always been under a contract to a big league club.
At 30-years old from Grand Forks, ND, he has to be smiling how things have worked out.
Dispatched almost exclusively to affiliate Iowa Wild, he struggles on a not so good team.
He is going to head back overseas, but looks for far more success, signing a 1-year deal with Straubing Tigers of DEL for 2024/2025.
In 28 games, he posts a good record, but decides at 33-years old to head closer to home for his next hockey and signs a 1st ECHL contract with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2025/2026.
He gets into 5 starts, but ultimately decides and maybe gets wooed back overseas to join Stavanger Oilers of the Eliteserien league.
Simon Fraser University Red Leafs‘ junior defenseman Caleb Huffman(2) decides to leave school and turn pro, signing a contract with Wichita Thunder.
The big 6’4″ 201 lbs. blue liner had 3 goals and 13 assists in 20 games this season.
He transferred from 2 years at University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, where he first played after leaving as captain of 2nd year NAHL junior team, Kenai Brown Bears.
From Fairbanks, AK, the 23-year old should fit in quickly with his new ECHL team.
He played 6 games with no points, but get re-signed to return a Thunder for 2025/2026.
Attending training camp, he is released and signs with Macon Mayhem, who will eventually add him to their SPHL roster for 2025/2026.
Nichols College Bison sophomore center Nathan Carl(37) grabbed a pair of goals in the 5-2 win of the team-hosted Boston Landing Collegiate Invitational Tournament held over last weekend at Warrior Ice Arena in Boston to earn 1st star honors.
The 5’9″ 160 lbs. forward now has a new college scoring best 9 goals and 13 points in 13 NCAA D3 games.
From Sherwood Park, AB, the 22-year old has a lot of fire on ice and ignites plays out there for his team.
He is consistently a high 10+ scorer through college and signed a 1st pro deal for his rookie season with Knoxville Ice Bears, but is waived after just 3 appearances and Macon Mayhem pick him up.
In 10 games, he grabs 2 assists, but once again is released.
Pee Dee IceCats of the FPHL are paying attention and invite him in.
11th year defenseman Steven Oleksy(4) elected not to play last season, but returns for 2021/2022 and re-signs with Toledo Walleye, a team he was with for 36 ECHL games (1 goal, 14 assists) in 2019/2020 before leaving for a 1st visit overseas to Black Wingz Linz of EBEL.
At 35-years old, the former 3-year Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ blue liner doesn’t really need to do it for the paycheck.
He’s had quite the interesting career journey starting through a series of minor league deals that even took him to the ill-fated IHL with Port Huron Icehawks as a rookie, but it was time spent with Idaho Steelheads that got him noticed, initially by Bridgeport Sound Tigers to sign him to an AHL deal, then his first NHL contract.
Washington Capitals signed him and for the first two seasons, he play games and contribute all the way to 7 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.
The solid 6′ 190 lbs. d-man has signed 4 big league deals including 1 one-way deal and would also love it if you bought his coffee, The Elite Coffee Co.
He would get traded midseason to Orlando Solar Bears and finished up decently strong with 1 goal and 6 assists in 28 games.
The Chesterfield Township, MI native seemed to like his hockey experience in Florida and has elected to return for 2022/2023.
He steps back off for a few seasons, but likes the itch and signs at age 39 with local Jacksonville Icemen, where in 1 game, he has no points, but is a +1 rating.
Robert Morris University Colonials‘ graduate left wing, captain Mitchel Deelstra(41) signs a 1st pro contract with Reading Royals, who are fought hard for their playoff lives before bowing out.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs. forward did his 1st 3rd years at Ferris State University Bulldogs, before transferring to 1 at Northern Michigan University Wildcats.
From Wallace, ON, the 25-year old got 2 goals in 9 ECHL regular season games, then got 1 assists in 3 playoff matchups.
He signs with South Carolina Stingrays for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
Having a hard time connecting in 6 games, he is released to be signed quickly by Maine Mariners.
