Junior defenseman Elliot McDermott(58) cashes in a pair of seasons at Colgate University Raiders for a new adventure through the transfer portal, arriving at UMass Minutemen for 2022/2023.
The 5’11” 193 lbs. blue liner will has geared up nicely for the transition, scoring a college career tying 2 goals and new best 9 assists, 11 points with a +9 rating last year.
A Kingston, ON native, he played his high school and junior hockey relatively close to home.
The 23-year old will likely step nicely into Hockey East style.
While maybe not scoring a lot of points, he was still a + player after 2 seasons.
He would in fact, pull a graduate frame and scurried off to RPI Engineers, where ECAC style must have gelled with his, because he made off with a college best 3 goals, 15 assists in 35 games and a 0 rating.
Upon tournament elimination, he quickly signs with Adirondack Thunder and works himself into 5 ECHL games before the season is over.
He recorded an assist.
Miami University (Ohi0) Redhawks‘ graduate defenseman Jack Clement(4) tied a college best 7 assists and signs a 1st deal with Cincinnati Cyclones.
The big 6’4″ 201 lbs. blue liner has skated 8 ECHL games with no points on a non-playoff team.
He won a 2018 NAHL Robertson Cup in his 1st year in the junior league and committed after more good play in his 2nd.
The 24-year old from Detroit, MI may have found a good landing spot close to school, but we shall see.
He is signed, but traded to Tulsa Oilers, who will definitely look to make good use of his size.
In 45 games with 1 goal and 15 assists with a +6 rating, he is strong for this team.
Kalamazoo Wings, who unfortunately aren’t in playoff contention move to obtain him for future considerations.
In 10 games, he grabs 1 goal and 1 assist with a 0 rating.
He should return there.
Plymouth State University Panthers‘ junior defenseman Donte DiPonio(79) spent the last 2 seasons at University Of New England Nor’easters, but figured into only 16 games overall with 1 goal and 2 assists, so entered the transfer portal to arrive at his new college hockey home.
He’s already skated 17 in the current frame, so obviously made a good decision, but he also has 5 goals and 11 assists with a +16 rating in just 17 games.
The small-ish 5’9″ 175 lbs. blue liner did mostly 2 USPHL/NCDC seasons, but never quite struck for any points.
From Trenton, WI, the 23-year old has made a smart choice about where he is playing his hockey.
He skates 26 games in his senior year for 2 goals and 10 assists with a +10 rating and takes it to a 1st pro contract with Quad City Storm.
In 3 SPHL games, he records no points, but is likely a good signing going forward.
Brown University Bears‘ sophomore goaltender Lawton Zacher(1) enters the transfer portal, as the hot pick up and will tend net up the street for Northeastern University Huskies starting 2025/2026.
The 6’2″ 179 lbs. net minder was stellar, helping the small ECAC team win games to the tune of 14-11-2 with a 2.48 GAA and .917 SV%, including 2 shutouts.
He did only 1 year of NAHL juniors after high school.
From Buffalo, NY, the 21-year will be stellar in Hockey East.
University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ graduate right wing Brock Caufield(12) signs a 1st pro contract with Toronto Marlies for his rookie season, 2023/2024.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward scored a college best 11 goals and 23 points last season.
From Stevens Point, WI and older brother of Cole Caufield(22), the 24-year old may find more room to score points.
He is mostly reassigned to affiliate Newfoundland Growlers, where he goes on to score 12 goals and 20 assists in 63 games, when he team vanishes at the tail end of last season.
For 2024/2025, he signs with Reading Royals.
He gets traded to a non-playoff team, Cincinnati Cyclones, plays 1 ECHL game and records an assist to be loved by club going forward if signed.
University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ freshman net minder Cameron Korpi(31) takes a season of learning the ropes with a top notch team to entering the transfer portal and will next try his hand at Union College Dutchmen.
He will be joining his senior brother, Carter Korpi at the school.
The big 6’4″ 172 lbs. goalie had 18 starts with a 7-6-1 record.
Coming up through the Honeybaked youth hockey program, he went onto 4 seasons of junior hockey before school.
He had an absolute mammoth last frame, staring 47 USHL games for Tri-City Storm, posting a record of 26-13-1.
From South Lyon, MI, the 20-year old will likely shine in the ECAC.
Boston University Terriers‘ freshman right wing Devin Kaplan(12) got a pair in a weeknight 6-2 home win over UMass Minutemen to earn 1st star honors.
The big 6’3″ 206 lbs. forward has 6 goals and 9 assists in 20 games with a +9 rating.
He was selected by Philadelphia Flyers in the 3rd round of 2022 (#69 overall) after he lit up his 2nd season at USNTDP with 8 goals and 10 assists in 22 USHL with a +18 and even better numbers for USDP.
It will be interesting to see how long the 19-year old from Bridgewater, NJ sticks with his college career.
After a junior year, serving as assistant captain, scoring fairly decently, he will leave a year on the table to sign a 3-year NHL entry level deal.
He makes his debut on the last night of regular season, skates 16 shifts for 12:12 ice time with 1 hit and left a 5-4 loss with a -1 rating.
Still nice to get on the big ice.
Atlanta Gladiators‘ 8th year right wing Eric Neiley(59) looks set to eclipse his best ECHL goals marks in the current frame with already 14 in 23 games.
He’ll need to surpass 27 posted in his 2nd season with the team, but regardless will hit the 20+ goal mark for a fourth time.
The prolific former assistant captain as a senior at Dartmouth College Big Green, he struck for 10+ goals and assists in his last pair of sessions.
He also skated to EIHL frames, but almost oddly didn’t score as well as he does at home.
The 5’11” 185 lbs is originally from Warminster Township, Pa.
Already 30-years old, it seems like he’s still just getting started.
1 more season of running up the point totals, 25 goals, just shy of his best and 19 assists for 44 points with a +10 rating in 50 games and that’s gonna be plenty enough hockey for the now 31-year old.
For 2023/2024, he will take up as Assistant Coach with this same Gladiators‘ club.
And for 2024/2025, he comes back off the bench to sign a 1-year deal to play with the home team, Gladiators once again.
After another good season, helping his team score points with 13 goals and 21 assists in 45 games, he announced his retirement x2, but will likely find himself riding a Glads‘ bench is what we are thinking.
UMASS Minutemen Russian-born, freshman left wing Aydar Suniev(89) is off and running in his 1st crack at college hockey with 11 goals and 10 assists in 27 games, including a +4 rating.
The 6’2″ 192 lbs. forward came over pretty quickly to play his youth hockey, some high school, then with Penticton Vees, lighting up the scoring with 45 goals and 45 assists, followed by 23 points en route to a 2023 BCHL Championship.
A Calgary Flames‘ 3rd round pick in the 2023 draft (#40 overall), the 19-year old. has a lot of upside to watch.
After a sophomore season of new college bests 20 goals and 18 assists with a +12 rating to a 3-year NHL entry level deal with the team that selected him.
On the final night of the regular season, he receives a debut, skating 18 shifts for 14:48 of ice with 1 shot, 1 giveaway and was a +2 in a 6-1 win.
Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen graduate left wing Darion Benchich(13) signs a 1st pro contract with Binghamton Black Bears.
The 5’8″ 174 lbs. forward has skated 4 FPHL games, recording an assist.
He only played just over a half of a season in USPHL Premier junior, blowing up scoring before he was wooed to come to college.
The 24-year old should do well as a pro.
