University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ 2022/2023 commit, defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz(4) looks to add some depth to their blue line.
The 5’11” 187 lbs. emerged from the 13U & 14U Honeybaked system to attend a phenomenal season for Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U AAA, recording some 96 assists and 111 points with a +85 rating.
He only has 3 assists in 12 USHL games for USNTDP, but has produced better for the U18 Team with 10 assists.
The 17-year old Washington, MI native is draft eligible in 2023 and will be an interesting watch for the steadiness of his game.
He’s also been selected in the OHL draft and that could be a direction he takes before whatever happens to his pro situation.
Undrafted 2nd year right wing Austin McIlmurray(25) did ok as a rookie, scoring 6 goals and 4 assists in 22 ECHL games for Wichita Thunder after lighting it up as a senior for Sacred Heart University Pioneers, grabbing 18 goals and 14 assists in 34 with a +5 rating Atlantic Hockey contests.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward spent only one campaign in juniors, playing for Coquitlam Express and was a point-per-game player in this league (27-34 in 57 BCHL games).
He moves on for 2021/2022, signing a 1-year deal with Florida Everblades.
The 24-year old, Coral Springs, FL native should be able to take up scoring nicely in a new, full season without interruptions.
He lasts all of 2 games in his home state before that experiment leads him to a new opportunity with Toledo Walleye, where he gets 2 goals an 4 assists in 28 contests.
Not finished moving, he traded to Iowa Heartlanders and scores a goal in his debut against his former team for a nice start.
Undrafted, 8th year left wing Daniel Carr(28) will once again leave for Switzerland’s top hockey NL, signing with HC Lugano for 2021/2022.
He started last season with 8 games for the team, scoring a consistent 4 goals and 4 assists with a +5 rating.
Signed late in the offseason by Washington Capitals, he was only able to figure in 6 NHL appearances, spending most of his time on the club’s taxi squad, plus one in the playoffs for 2020/2021.
A decent scorer in the big league, the former Union College Dutchmen player has 16 goals and 21 assists in 117 games, while really popping totals in the AHL for 104 goals and 107 assists in 238 contests with an incredible +67 rating, and was the MVP in 2018/2019.
He also was part of the 2014 NCAA Division 1 Champions, as a senior, three times a 20+ goal scorer, twice a 20+ assist guy and all four seasons got 30+ points and 50 in his final year with a +46.
The almost 29-year old, Ontario native will likely find a lot of happiness playing overseas to ride out a great career.
In his 2nd season for HCL is off to a swimmingly good start, for 10 goals 9 assists in 20 games with a +6 rating to earn him a 3-year extension to stay in the country long term.
5th year right wing Shane Walsh(7) took all of last season off, and looks as though it took him half a year to figure out he still wanted to skate, signing for the remainder of 2021/2022 with South Carolina Stingrays, who could use some goal scoring.
The former 18-goal scorer as a senior for UMass Minutemen, has definitely put up some decent numbers in the ECHL, most recently for Worcester Railers, getting 14 goals and 16 assists in 44 games.
He had allegedly toyed with retirement at 30-years old, but laces them up for another chance.
University Of Denver Pioneers‘ senior, captain forward Cole Guttman(19) is one of 5 teammates in the top 20 NCAA Division 1 scoring.
The 5’11” 175 lbs. forward is just one point shy of tying his college scoring high mark as a sophomore (28), but does have a new best 16 assists and easily looks to surpass goals and points.
He’s a Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round 2017 draft pick (#180 overall), getting selected after a strong 1st year of juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints, where he got 27 goals and 27 assists in 53 USHL games with a +21 rating.
The 22-year old, Los Angeles, CA native looks poised to join his pro team after the current session and an entry level contract is signed.
RPI Engineers‘ sophomore portal transfer, center Jakob Lee(18) of Merrimack College Warriors has to be wearing a pretty big smile about his decision to switch schools after 19 NCAA Division 1 games, scoring a new high 4 goals and 1 assist.
The very decently sized 6′ 185 lbs was solid through two years juniors for Brooks Bandits, including 2nd as captain, scoring well over point per game totals (47-73-120) in 97 games and won a 2nd straight championship with the 2019 AJHL title after capturing the 2018 GOJHL with 3-year club Listowel Cyclones.
At 22-years old, the Owen Sound, ON native seems to continue to grow into ECAC game.
University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ freshman defenseman, German-born Luca Munzenberger(15) has only two assists in 19 NCAA Division 1 games, but when he left to play the IIHF World Juniors U20 pocketed a goal and a helper in 2 games before the whole thing went up in smoke.
He is an Edmonton Oilers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2021 draft (#90 overall).
The fairly sizable 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner played all his youth and junior hockey back home.
At just 19-years old, he’s still fairly young and has some time to develop his hard hitting Hockey East game.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ German-born, graduate defenseman Lukas Kaelble(2) is maybe not quite yet having a career college year scoring but is getting closer with a new best 4 goals and is close on points, but 21 assists as a rookie maybe be tough to catch with what’s left of the schedule.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. is a solid force on the blue line, transferred after 4-years at Lake Superior State University Lakers.
Before coming over for an impressive season with Fargo Force, scoring 4 goals and 13 assists in 37 USHL games with a +10 rating, he played all of his youth hockey back home.
The 24-year old will be a solid unrestricted free agent signing, if he decides to turn pro.
Rookie center Devin Penzeca(7) stepped up to Sweden’s Division 2, joining Soderhamm/Ljusne after absolutely blowing up scoring with Opole HK, getting 23 goals and 26 assists in just 14 Poland2 games.
The 6′ 180 lbs. forward decided to turn pro after completing his sophomore year at SUNY-Potsdam.
In 2 games with his new club, he already has 1 goal and 3 assists, so is obviously still playing below his level, but has a real opportunity here to get noticed and continue to move up.
He started his junior hockey in the U.S. but quickly moved to Canada before arriving at the pay-to-play EHL with East Coast Wizards and did it again with hitting the stat sheet huge, grabbing a goal a game (43) and 50 assists in 43 games.
At 24 years old, the Lake Zurich, IL is still easily young enough to find a team in a league that is equal to his abilities.
Merrimack College Warriors‘ sophomore, portal transfer from 1 year at Bentley University Falcons, defenseman Christian Felton(2) has definitely upped his game with his new club, scoring a goal and 2 assists in 13 NCAA Division 1 games with a +4 rating.
In as many games last season, he had no points.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner had a pair of solid campaigns for Kimball Union Academy and led the team as captain in his 2nd year for 3 goals and 17 assists, just slightly down from what he was able to accomplish in his 1st year of USHS-Prep.
Committed, he moved onto a deal agreeing to play for Madison Capitals, but after 8 USHL game that went south, though he was ready to move and took off for Vernon Vipers, doing decently with 5 tallies, 10 helpers in 50 BCHL games.
The 21-years old, Medina, OH native looks pretty solid and smart out there, so will just need to continue to develop.
