Category: Juniors

20Sep

Ryan Leibold (16)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate center Ryan Leibold(16) signs a 1st pro deal with South Carolina Stingrays.

He transferred from 4 solid seasons at Holy Cross College Crusaders, where he had a college career high as a senior, 10 goals and 16 assists in 35 games with a +3 rating in Atlantic Hockey play.

The looks smaller 5’10” 194 lbs. forward is a spark plug on the ice and despite maybe not always getting points is right in the play at all times.

From Ashburn, VA, the 24-year old with 5 years of extra school under his belt should be able to assimilate himself nicely into the pro ranks.

He even got himself a pair of assists in a crushing 11-0 win against another top ranked ECHL team.

In 9 games, he scores a 1st league goal and adds 3 assists to earn himself a full look for his rookie season 2023/2024.

After a successful 1st pro frame, scoring 14 goals and 16 assists in 65 games with a +1 rating, he re-signs to stay with the Stingrays for 2024/2025.

He plays 5 games into his 2nd season scoring 2 assists and gets traded to Reading Royals, where he has 1 helper in 2 games.

Through 62 games, he had 12 goals and 8 assists, but Jacksonville Icemen see more of a use for him, so trade to get him.

20Sep

Ryan Lautenbach (43)

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UMASS Minutemen senior, assistant captain right wing Ryan Lautenback(43) takes a college best 15 assists to a 1st pro contract with San Diego Gulls for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

The 5’11” 190 lbs forward did 3 years of junior hockey, 2 with Omaha Lancers of the USHL.

He put up a high 39 assists in his final year before school.

From Dearborn, MI, the 24-year old signed after tourney play and is liked enough to retain.

19Sep

Tyler Halland (15)

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Trois Rivières Lions‘ 2nd year left wing Tyler Halland(15) re-signs to stay with the team after playing in the full ECHL slate of 72 games last season, scoring 15 goals and 17 assists with a +8 rating, then adds another 8 goals. in 18 playoff games to help his team capture their 1st Kelly Cup Championship.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward did 5 seasons of QMJHL juniors before another 5 at Concordia University Stingers, scoring quite decently at both.

From Chateauguay, QC, the 27-year seemed very set, where he’s at.

19Sep

Maxim Andreev (23)

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Cornell University Big Red Russian-born, undrafted, senior forward Maxim Andreev(23) is putting up numbers like he is going to be a player to watch come the end of the season, if he wants to turn into an unrestricted free agent.

The 6′ 183 lbs. power forward has 7 goals and 9 assists in 11 games this season, which already outstrips what he did as a freshman and is very near to numbers he put up as a junior.

His team did not play 2020/2021 due to COVID protocols.

He spent his youth hockey at CSKA Moskva U17 before coming over to initially play pay for junior hockey before getting brought up with great EHL numbers to the NAHL, where he spent a solid year.

Next, he would move up again to the USHL and be signed by Central Illinois Flying Aces before heading to school.

Almost completely oddly, he has scored 12 goals and 31 assists on three occasions, twice in juniors and once at youth.

The 23-year old will be a wonder to watch play out potentially his final frame, unless he goes for a year of eligibility.

He does extend school for another year, scoring a college best 16 assists, while taking in assistant captain duties.

Turning pro, he signs with Coachella Valley Firebirds, but is reassigned to affiliate Kansas City Mavericks, where he blows up scoring to the tune of 19 goals and 54 assists in 63 games with a +34 rating.

He signs on to stay for 2024/2025.

Continuing good scoring, he is an unrestricted free agent and Maine Mariners show interest to sign him for 2025/2026 and will likely continue to blow up ECHL scoring.

18Sep

Spencer Knight (30)

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Florida Panthers‘ 1st round pick in the 2019 draft (#13 overall) goaltending wizard Spencer Knight(30) signs his 3-year entry level deal after only a 2 season stay with Boston College Eagles. where he went a phenomenal 39-12-3 record with a 2.05 GAA and .931 SV%, including 8 shutouts.

The fairly sizable 6’3″ 192 lbs. net minder has a collection of awards but maybe none better than the recent 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal earning.

He will turn just 20-years old soon but more importantly, now signed, where does he go?

The openings seem slim at the AHL, where the parent club is only riding along as their affiliate shut down operations during the pandemic, so maybe he’ll simply be an add to the taxi squad with the main group and go from there.

Before his entry level contract is up, they solidify him to stay with the Litter Cats going forward on a 3-year deal worth $4.5M AAV.

He plays a continuous workload of games with stellar results, but looking for a little more up front, he is traded to Chicago Blackhawks to start their rebuilding process and he starts with a 5-1 win to stake that claim.

In 15 games, he runs a 5-8-2 record and he is the future of their net minding, signing to a 3-year deal for worth $5.83M AAV to be a Blackhawks for the long run.

 

17Sep

Pito Walton (8)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ graduate defenseman, Pito Walton(8) is off to a hot start with his new team, getting the 1st goal of the 2023/2024 season and adding another tally the next night.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner has come over from Princeton University Tigers and is making an impact, setting up a next move post college for the big man on d.

He had 7 goals and 14 assist in his final ECAC season and scores a darn close 6 goals and 12 assists in the slightly more difficult Hockey East play, but is really a pivotal +8 rating player on this team.

Upon finishing up a 5th year of college, he signs with Florida Everblades that should have him see some good action from the get-go, but unfortunately only played 1 ECHL game before being released, quickly picked up by Savannah Ghost Pirates for a look and has 1 assist in 4 games.

For 2024/2025, he re-signs with the Ghost Pirates for his rookie season.

After 14 games, with his 1st pro goal and 3 assists, he is traded to Idaho Steelheads, where he should see better success.

In 23 games, the Peacock, NJ native has 2 assists with a -4, but is wanted by another team for their back end, so is traded for future considerations to Worcester Railers, bringing him back to where he did his last year of college.

He scores 2 goals and 3 assists in 14 games last season, but is traded to Tulsa Oilers, who look to add him for 2025/2026.

17Sep

Ethan Langenegger (1)

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Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ graduate goaltender Ethan Langenegger(1) put up college career best numbers last year 22-10-2 record, 2.14 GAA and .914 SV%.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. net minder initially signed with Syracuse Crunch upon completion of tournament play and got 1 AHL start.

For his rookie season, 2025/2026 the 4-year Lake Superior State University Lakers stays in the system and signs with Orlando Solar Bears, where he will easily have eyes upon him from higher levels.

From Kamloops, BC, we have seen him play and expect the 25-year old to do well.

16Sep

Gustav Muller (23)

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Albertus Magnus College Falcons‘ senior transfer from Long Island University Sharks, Swedish-born left wing Gustav Muller(23) has 1 assist in 2 games with a +2 rating, putting on the mark to get career high totals with his new school.

The 6’1″ 207 lbs. forward played 1 USHL year of juniors for Madison Capitals before committing to a college.

He did all of his previous junior play and youth hockey back home in a few pretty famous systems.

The 24-year old is likely pretty happy how things turned out, switching schools.

He would score a college best 4 goals and 7 assists through 22 games and he takes that to signing a 1st pro contract with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL for his rookie season, 2024/2025.

After almost point-per-game numbers last season, he’s an easy re-sign to be a Rail Dawgs for 2025/2026, but he did get loaned up to Adirondack Thunder for a good 20 games and could easily occur again.