Maine Nordiques‘ 1st year right wing Cole Hipkin(61) commits to St. Lawrence University Saints for 2024/2025 and has known about his school for a long while, since a goal-a-game senior high school tilt.
The Brantford, ON native played 3 years of junior hockey, cycling through 2 Canadian leagues before coming south.
At 6′ 194 lbs., the 20-year old will add some size to their ECAC blue line.
6th year center Kevin Roy(12) signs for 2021/2022 with Laval Rocket.
It’s his 2nd contract in the league, as he skated for Tuscon Roadrunners, getting 11 goals and 19 assists in 35 AHL games last season.
Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#97 overall), he played for 3 years on 2 contracts in their system and appeared in 28 NHL games over a pair of years, scoring 6 goals and an assist.
The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward has 56 goals and 97 assists through 218 games in the farm league.
In his one campaign of junior hockey for Lincoln Stars, he got voted USHL Player Of The Year, Most Points, Most Goals, Most Assists, Best Plus/Minus and Forward Of The Year with his 54 goals and 50 assists in 59 games.
He was easily set to go to Northeastern University Huskies, where he twice struck for 19 goals and averaged 26 assists as a sophomore then junior before being named team captain as a senior.
The 28-year old should put up good numbers for his Montreal Canadiens‘ affiliate club and may even spark some notice.
After a very solid frame in Quebec, scoring 13 goals and 20 assists, he decides to split for Sweden, joining Brynas IF of the SHL late, but after 6 games with little pop, leaves for Liiga, and signs with HIFK.
Only getting 1 goal and 5 assists in 19 games, has him looking for a good next stop and he has found it, signing with HC Innsbruck of IceHL f0r 2023/2024.
He posts an almost silly 25 goals and 33 assists with a +20 rating in 47 games, and next will skate for rivals Graz99ers in 2024/2025.
Bentley University Falcons‘ graduate left wing Jonathan Bendorf(7) signs a 1st pro deal with Reading Royals of the ECHL.
He twice scored 20+ goals and 30+ assists in NAHL juniors for Aberdeen Wings and helped them to a 2019 Robertson Cup.
The 5’11” 187 lbs. forward was only twice decently prolific through college scoring 11 goals as a sophomore at 1st commit Mercyhurst University Lakers and had 14 assists in his junior frame.
Maine Nordiques‘ 2nd year NAHL defenseman John-Paul Steele(4) put up almost identical stats from the previous frame with a super-healthy +33 rating to commit to University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves for 2024/2025.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs. blue liner from Franklin, MI will likely do well with the independent schedule the college team plays.
7th year defenseman Dajon Mingo(6) was a waiver claim by Adirondack Thunder late last season from a team he was certainly decently familiar with spending the previous year and most of the current frame with, Cincinnati Cyclones.
The 5’8″ 174 lbs. blue liner would help his new team secure a spot to the Kelly Cup Playoffs, getting 1 goal and 2 assists in 6 games with a +2 rating.
He stayed only 8 games in his senior year at Bowling Green University Falcons before deciding to turn pro, signing with Toledo Walleye.
The 31-year old, Canton, MI native has 348 ECHL games to his credit with a +21 rating.
He waits a tiny bit to step back in, but eventually agrees to terms with Fort Wayne Komets, scoring a goal on his 1st night with the team.
Through 17 games, he isn’t scoring a ton, but is a steady +2, but Reading Royals want him heading into their playoff push and trade future considerations for him.
Worcester State University Lancers‘ sophomore center Shane Prifrels(7) scored very much the way he did as a freshman with 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points, tied for 3rd on the team.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. forward was a huge scorer in his junior and senior high school years.
From Inner Grove Heights, MN, the 20-year old will likely continue to score better.
Northern Cyclones‘ 3rd year right wing Anthony Dalessio(16) takes a USPHL/NCDC best 15 goals and 10 assists in 45 games to a 2024/2025 commit to Wentworth Institute Of Technology Leopards.
The pretty large 6’3″ 181 lbs. forward did all his youth hockey with New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs.
From Burlington, MA, the 20-year old should definitely help the CCC team score more goals.
6th year defenseman Rob Hamilton(65) trades in the remainder of his 2-year AHL deal with Colorado Eagles to sign a similar pact to Traktor Chelyabinsk through 2024.
The solid 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner played his way up from originally agreeing to ECHL deals, almost literally the same way he is entering his new deal in the KHL.
A former 4-year University Of Vermont Catamounts, he came alive scoring as a senior with 10 goals and 11 assists in 38 games.
The 28-year old from Calgary, AB may just get comfortable in his new hockey environs.
Through 9 games in 2023/2024, he records only 1 assist and is a -4, which must have made his club antsy, as he gets dealt to Dinamo Minsk.
His game curves much the way it did when he 1st arrived, but even better with 4 goals and 19 assists with a +15 rating in 54 games, then another 3 assists in 3 playoff games and he gets re-upped to Minsk for another 2 seasons through 2025/2026.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ graduate goaltender Austin Roden(33) played a college career by-a-mile best 24 games last season.
He posted a 12-10-1 record with a 2.44 GAA and .904 SV% in 2023/2024.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. has twice transferred, 1st at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, then a senior year at Providence College Friars before arriving New York.
He played 3 BCHL frames before committing to school.
We shall see what the 25-year old from Surrey, BC decides next.
Long Island University Sharks‘ graduate left wing Remy Parker(27) has 5 goals and 2 assists in 7 games, which could put him on pace to eclipse marks set as a senior in his 2nd frame at Utica College Pioneers, 23 goals and 12 assists in D3 hockey.
The 6’3″ 184 lbs. forward was a more than point-per-game performer in his 2nd USPHL/NCDC frame with Jersey Hitmen before heading to his first school, University Of Maine Black Bears for 2 years, but only 3 appearances.
From Montclair, NJ, the 25-year old is keeping his game close to home.
He doesn’t come away with career bests, as he’s now skating a D1 schedule, but scores admirably with 13 goals in 36 games.
For his next step, he signs a 1st pro deal with Cincinnati Cyclones, but likely knows nothing will come easy.
