6th year right wing Wade Murphy(6) returns to sign with Idaho Steelheads for 2022/2023 after spending the last 3 seasons of pandemic madness away in Norway, Austria and Slovenia, where he managed to capture that country’s 2022 league championship.
The 6′ 194 lbs. forward has 120 games of ECHL experience with decent scoring, but definitely could flatten that +/-.
Originally a Nashville Predators’ 7th round pick in the 2013 draft (#185 overall), he was never signed after an outstanding junior season based on his early college numbers.
He graduated after a 2 season transfer to Arizona State University Sun Devils from University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks with a college career best 9 goals and 11 assists.
The 28-year old from Victoria, BC is a big frame that should be able to score goals almost at will we the right team in this league.
He takes a career high by a mile frame, scoring 21 goals and 22 assists in 54 games with a +38 rating to 20 playoff match ups and another 20 point total.
It’s an absolute no brainer that he receives a new contract to continue wearing a Steelheads‘ jersey for 2023/2024.
He is taking career scoring bests goals, assists, points with him for another foray to test his skills overseas in the tough to play Slovak Extraliga and signs with HC Slovan Bratislava for 2024/2025 and we think does very well here.
Limited to only 10 games last season, he scored 6 goals and 2 assists with a +5 rating and will next skate in the same league for HK Poprad in 2024/2025.
He is seemingly doing ok over there for a couple different teams, but has decided to return to strap on an Idaho jersey yet again.
New Jersey Titans‘ 2nd year defenseman Lucas Marshall(23) commits to Colby College Mules for 2025/2026.
The 5’11” 170 lbs. blue liner from Newport Beach, CA started juniors in the BCHL for a frame and a half before switching to the NAHL.
He scored well as a senior and looks to be a nice college addition for the 20-year old.
SUNY Cortland Red Dragons‘ freshman right wing Justin Legault(21) is lighting up team scoring with a team 2nd 7 goals and 9 assists in 14 games, with a hat trick in his most recent outing.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward burst onto the scoring scene in his final season of OJHL, with 30 goals and 31 assists in 54 games, so we think this is no accident.
From Oakville, ON, the 21-year old is one to watch.
St. Michael’s College Purple Knights‘ junior defenseman Kyle Lee(8) ties his 1 goal and has a new best 2 assists and 3 points with a +3 rating in a season that looks to be heading in the right direction for him and the college club.
The 6’2″ 182 lbs. blue liner did most of 3 seasons junior hockey in the EHL with Seahawks Hockey Club before school.
He was actually a transfer from a freshman season at Finlandia University Lions, scoring no points.
From North Tonawanka, NY, the 23-year old is setting up a nice senior session for himself.
7th year left wing Anders Bjork(10) signs an AHL deal with Rockford Icehogs for 2023/2024, you have to wonder if it’s under the radar of Chicago Blackhawks, who obtained him close to the trade deadline last season and he came through with a tidy 2 goals and 6 assists in 13 NHL games with a +4 rating.
The former Boston Bruins‘ 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#146 overall) has skated 225 games in the big league.
He was with them for 3.5 years before getting traded to Buffalo Sabres, where he stayed for roughly 2 years, but was bumped down for most of last campaign.
The 3-year University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish from Mequon, WI scored of 21 goals and 31 assists in 39 games as a junior left 1 year on the table, but where he is could even return online to finish up.
He’s still just 27-years old.
Unrestricted free agent, he late signs with Milwaukee Admirals, where he definitely should start helping them.
8th year left wing Frank Vatrano(77) looks to potentially eclipse the 24 goal mark he achieved in his 1st full season for Florida Panthers after coming over from initial, local to home East Longmeadow, MA team, Boston Bruins, where he got his start after 2 seasons at UMass Minutemen.
He played 2 seasons of USNTDP before hitting college.
The 28-year old signed a 3-year deal with Anaheim Ducks worth 3.650M AAV heading into 2022/2023 as an unrestricted free agent.
Last season, his 2nd with new team, he scores a career high by a mile 37 goals and 23 assists and this season he’s making pace with 12 goals and 13 assists in 39 games to earn himself another 3-year extension to stay on a Ducks.
Yale University Bulldogs‘ senior defenseman Brandon Tabakin(7) will head to Arizona State University Sun Devils to start a graduate program.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. blue liner didn’t play any games as a sophomore, instead deciding to return to his USHL junior team Sioux Falls Stampede for half a season.
He actually leaves his 4-year college team with a college hockey best 2 goals and 4 assists in 29 games on a team that struggled out of the gate last year.
The 22-year old from Woodbury, NY should find a little more room to skate with the schedule of his new college club.
He finishes up an extra frame with a college tying 2 goals, best 8 assists and 10 points to a 1st pro deal with Newfoundland Growlers, where he got an assist in his 2nd ECHL game.
Unfortunately, they end up closing down and parent club, Toronto Marlies step in to offer an amateur tryout offer.
He plays no games at the end of last season and for 2024/2025, his rookie frame signs a 1-year ECHL deal with the new Tahoe Knight Monsters.
After 30 games, 2 goals and 4 assists with a -3 rating, he gets himself traded to Wheeling Nailers, where his fortunes should increase.
University Of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets‘ junior defenseman Frank Dovorany(17) already has a college best scoring 2 assists in 15 games this season, but still needs that goal to even that total and should happen.
The 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner transferred after his freshman season of just 1 game at Michigan Tech University Huskies.
In his 2nd year of NAHL, he had 4 goals and 12 assists in 51 games before school.
From Wausau, WI, the 23-year old looks pretty happy out there.
Misericordia University Cougars‘ graduate defenseman Domenic Della Civita(2) signs a 1st pro deal with Watertown Wolves.
In 9 games, he has 2 assists.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner had a college best 2 goals and 5 assists last season.
He came over after 4 years at SUNY Morrisville Mustangs.
From Trenton, ON, the 25-year old must feel good to being playing pro and likely looking to elevate that game.
In 14 FPHL games, he scored 3 goals and 5 assists, then added another 2 points in the playoffs and gets elevated to the SPHL and sign with Macon Mayem to start 2025/2026.
He would only come away with 1 assist in 13 games, so returns to the Wolves and has 1 goal in his 1st game back.
For the start of the new season, he would actually sign with Macon Mayhem and through 13 SPHL games had 1 assist with a 0 rating.
He was put on suspension and ultimately went back to Watertown Wolves, running up point totals to the tune of 3 goals and 7 assists in 7 games with a +5 rating, but they trade him to PeeDee IceCats.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ freshman center Chris Pelosi(28) is a Boston Bruins‘ 3rd round pick in the 2023 draft (#92 overall) and has a healthy 4 goals and 3 assists in 17 games with a +5 rating.
The plays big 6’1″ 181 lbs. forward had an impressive 2nd USHL season of juniors, scoring 21 goals and 34 assists in 56 games before school.
From Seawall, NJ, the 19-year old looks set to score an NHL entry level deal when he’s ready.
