Category: Juniors

09Apr

Evan Buitenhuis (30)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Wichita Thunder circles back to re-sign 4th year goaltender Evan Buitenhuis(30) after a trade sent him over for most of 2020/2021.

In 21 ECHL starts he went a career best 15-5-1 with a 2.19 GAA and .937 SV%, also league lows.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. graduate of NCAA Division 3 Hamilton College signed a pair of AHL contracts, but not played any games.

Instead he was reassigned almost immediately upon his rookie season deal with Bridgeport Islanders (Sound Tigers) to affiliate Worcester Railers, where he played 28 games with good numbers.

For his sophomore frame, he simply just agreed to stick with the Central Massachusetts’ club and was credited with a new high 39 games in the cage.

He won the 2014 OJHL Championship with stellar numbers, 1.84 GAA and .943 SV% in his last year of junior hockey for the Burlington, ON native.

The 28-year old will likely see a lot of action in 2021/2022 and could also see his best totals.

He was definitely seeing a lot of time in the crease, playing a 2nd high 31 games recording a 11-15-4 mark with a 2.92 GAA and .919 SV%, which was decently in line where he was last season, but the team had sunk to last place, so have decided to cut ties and go with more youth in the cage for the time being.

The Burlington, ON native has decided to spread his wings and leaves for Storhamar of Fjordkraftligaen.

He returns to Kansas for a 3rd go at net after a good enough, but maybe brief showing in Norway.

After spending a couple of years in US minor league hockey, he is ready to move back overseas for hopefully a more extended run, signing for 2023/2024 with HC Innsbruck of IceHL.

We expect to see good things happen for the still only 29-year old in Austria’s top league.

Well, he does ok in his new league and is off to something better, signing with Jukurit of Liiga.

After a fairly solid performance with maybe not a winning record, he is wanted to return and re-signs to stay Jukurit.

We are sure, he is a fan favorite.

09Apr

Cole O’Hara (19)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

UMass Minutemen junior Cole O’Hara(19) leaves a year on the table to sign a 2-year NHL entry level deal with draft club (4th round of 2022, #114 overall) Nashville Predators.

The 6′ 183 lbs. forward is allegedly to be reassigned to join affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, as they ready for the postseason.

He blew up scoring last season with 22 goals and 29 assists in 40 games with a +21 rating.

From Richmond Hill, ON, the 21-year old put up huge numbers in his 2nd USHL season for Tri-City Storm.

08Apr

Cody Kunyk (37)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

9th year center Cody Kunyk(37) returns to Karpat after a year away in the KHL that actually grabbed hold scoring come playoff time for Barys Nur-Sultan.

The undrafted 5’11” 194 lbs. forward has skated 5 seasons in Liiga, Finland’s top hockey and tossed off a league best 39 assists in 2019/2020.

He signed a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning upon graduating University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks with 20+ goals and assists as a senior and even played 1 NHL game fresh out of school.

The Sherwood Park, AB native skated the AHL his rookie season for affiliate Syracuse Crunch, but left for Denmark’s Metal Ligaen in the next session, running up decent points for Gentofte Stars.

At 32-years old, he still seems to be connecting and is wanted for what he brings, so there’s little reason to put down the skates.

He would move along after a 5th strong year playing Finnish hockey to Germany and signed with Lowen Frankfort in 2023/2024, where he would come away with a pro best 17 goals and some decent point totals, but signs with rivals Augsburger Panther for 2024/2025 and should have continued success.

After a successful 1st season with the team, he re-signs to return a Panther for 2025/2026.

08Apr

Shane Soderwall (30)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Juniors, Transfers | Leave a comment

Curry College Colonels‘ freshman goaltender Shane Soderwall(30) unsurprisingly earns USCHO D3 Rookie Of The Year honors.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. net minder wins it basically for the 98-save effort in the heartbreaking 4-3 double overtime tournament loss to the eventual winner of the whole thing.

He played 2 NAHL seasons with Anchorage Wolverines, putting up respectable numbers, but received a nice workload.

His game even came up from the lower junior level after a pair of NA3HL frames for the Algonquin, IL native, coming out of the Chicago Fury youth program.

No doubt, the 21-year old, who played 21 games with an outstanding 1.59 GAA and .949 SV% and his young team have even better hockey days ahead of them.

Well, let’s see, he goes 24-4 with a 1.45 GAA and a .945 SV%, pushing his team to a very first Frozen Four appearance for the D3 hockey crown.

He’s getting all kinds of scouted for a D1 commit and sure enough, for 2025/2026 he is heading to Clarkson University Golden Knights.

07Apr

Kaleb Kinskey (26)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Framingham State University Rams‘ graduate left wing Kaleb Kinskey(26) signs a 1st pro contract with HC Venom and is off and scoring with 4 goals and 3 assists in 15 FPHL games.

The 5’9″ 180 lbs. forward’s best scoring season was 7 as a junior and 9 points.

From Waterloo, IA, he did 1 season of youth hockey in the Iowa Wild 18U system.

He did 2 USPHL Premier years before heading to school.

It’s quite possible the 25-year old starts playing himself up.

06Apr

Brett Chorske (36)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Transfers | Leave a comment

Colgate University Raiders‘ senior center Brett Chorske(36) we bet has NHL scouts in the building every college hockey game he plays until the end of 2024/2025 season.

The 6’7″ 216 lbs. tower forward has 9 goals and 7 assists in 16 NCAA Division 1 games.

He’s coming off a junior year, where he had a best 20 assists he’ll likely shooting for.

From Edina, MN, he did 2 years at Colorado College, but struggled getting footing.

The 23-year old we feel is a huge, rightful big contract watch.

His dad, Tom Chorske had a long career in the big league.

In 36 games, he scores 15 goals and 19 assists, while helping drive his college team to big wins.

Undrafted, he signs a 2-year AHL deal with Charlotte Checkers that should gain him lots of playing attention.

He has yet to connect in 2 games, but we know he will. He will.

06Apr

Liam McLinskey (49)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

Holy Cross College Crusaders‘ sophomore center Liam McLinskey(49) transferred after only 2 games in the lineup for Quinnipiac University Bobcats as a freshman and has seemingly made the wise decision.

The big 6’3″ but skinny 165 lbs. forward has 12 goals and 4 assists in his 2nd college frame and is a big reason his team wins games.

A Pearl River, NY native, he was well over a point-per-game player for New Jersey Hitmen, striking for 24 goals and 43 assists in 44 NCDC/USPHL games and winning the league title before hitting school.

The undrafted 22-year old will be a continued interesting Atlantic Hockey watch.

In his senior year, he connected for an unreal 24 goals and 30 assists, both obvious college highs, with a +5 rating in 40 games.

Undrafted, he signs a 2-year deal with Charlotte Checkers that begins on an ato in the current session and he has a 1st AHL goal and an assists, so multi-point game in his debut.

We have little doubt he strikes NHL radar.

06Apr

Caleb MacDonald (9)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Transfers | Leave a comment

University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ freshman defenseman Caleb MacDonald(9) will take a 31 games 1st season, scoring 4 goals and 10 assist with a +13 rating to the transfer portal and he will play hockey just a little closer to home, committing to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for 2024/2025.

The 6’4″ 220 lbs. forward from Cambridge, ON played 3 years of juniors up north, but really connected in his 2nd AJHL session with Whitecourt Wolverines, where he had 50 assists in his 2nd frame before school.

We are thinking the undrafted 21-year old puts himself on some radar.

After one season in the midwest, playing college hockey, he captures the attention of Columbus Blue Jackets, who offer him a 2-year NHL entry level deal to leave a couple of years of school on the table.

06Apr

Ty Gallagher (24)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick, Transfers | Leave a comment

Colorado College Tigers‘ graduate defenseman, Ty Gallagher(24) looks set to attain new college scoring highs this season with 3 goals and 8 assists in 14 games with a +6 rating.

The 6′ 187 lbs. Boston Bruins‘ 7th round pick in the 2021 draft (#217 overall) had 5 goals as a freshman at Boston University Terriers and 18 assists in his sophomore frame.

He has appeared in as many as 40 games in a campaign.

From Clarkston, MI, the 21-year old did 2 years of USNTDP before school.

He does look very singable to an NHL entry level deal.

Upon conclusion of his NCAA tournament play and year of eligibility, scoring a new best 9 goals and 26 assists, he signs a 2-year AHL deal with Providence Bruins, which keeps him squarely under the eye of the team that selected him.

In 8 games already, he has a 1st goal and 4 assists with a +2 rating on a playoff bound team.

05Apr

Lucas Mercuri (11)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

UMASS Minutemen junior center Lucas Mercuri(11) is definitely on track for next college career bests scoring with 5 goals and 9 assists in 18 games with a +4 rating, putting him just a point or two of his marks.

The 6’3″ 192 lbs. forward is a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 6th round pick in the 2020 draft (#159 overall).

He came down from Montreal, QC for school and scored big to secure his finding, then went onto 1 USHL frame with Des Moines Buccaneers before heading to school.

The 21-year old is likely just hoping he’s doing everything right to earn his NHL entry level deal and we think he’s heading in the right direction more than ever now.

Finishing up his final season with new college bests 10 goals and 21 assists with a +14 rating, he is traded to Tampa Bay Lightning, signed to a 2-year entry level deal and sent to start his pro career with affiliate Syracuse Crunch.