12th year undrafted center Ben Holmstrom(21) comes home from a single season overseas with Lillehammer IK of Fjordkraftligaen, where his scoring and game was equally on par with 6 goals and 13 assists in 23 games with a +12 rating.
The 6’1 203 lbs. forward signs with South Carolina Stingrays, his 2nd foray into the league after spending the recent 2019/2020 with Norfolk Admirals, then Cincinnati Cyclones.
He’s played a monumental 586 AHL games, 7 times serving in a team captain role, mostly with Adirondack Phantoms and Bridgeport Sound Tigers, scoring 79 goals and 132 assists.
The former three-time UMass-Lowell Riverhawks‘ captain, since his sophomore year, was a true leader in college hockey.
He also captained his junior team, Sioux Falls Stampede in his third and final year.
The Colorado Springs, CO native has been signed to 6 NHL contracts with Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders, but only played 7 games in the big league with his first club, no points.
There’s little doubt, the gosh, now 34-year old will bring experience and lessons into the room for all the younger ECHL players to learn from.
After one season on as a freshman with RPI Engineers, defenseman Cory Babichuk(32) enters the transfer portal when a 2nd frame is left on the shelf due to the virus, and comes out as a 3rd year player with University Of Vermont Catamounts.
He played most of his junior hockey on home ice in the BCHL, where he likely committed to his first school, but did have a short foray into the USHL before heading back to Surrey Eagles, then playing a year of AJHL with Spruce Grove Saints.
The 5’10” 174 lbs., 22-year old blue liner will likely do well in Hockey East, considering he was good for 4 goals and 12 assists as a first year skater.
After a couple of seasons at University Of Maine Black Bears, junior defenseman Levi Kleiboer(16) decides to head to school closer to home at Mount Royal University Cougars for 2021/2022.
As a freshman, he saw playoffs get canceled, then endured a sophomore year where teams almost didn’t know whether they were going to be playing games or not.
He skated mostly a full schedule in his first campaign, but was limited to only 7 Hockey East games in 2020/2021, which is possibly why he decided to leave.
The 5’11” 176 lbs. blue liner played three sessions for Battlefords North Stars of the SJHL, confirming to his college after a successful 2nd stint, where he got 29 assists.
He would move down to play a year of American juniors, but quickly didn’t find the fit right at Sioux City Musketeers before switching to a much better one with Minot Minotauros.
We are deeply saddened by the news of 7-year NHL, former Boston Bruins‘ (2015-2017) right wing Jimmy Hayes(11) sudden death at age 31.
The big 6’5″ 215 lbs. forward played 334 games in the big league, scoring 54 goals and 55 assists.
He signed 5 major contracts with 5 different clubs, but was probably most successful in his pair of seasons with Florida Panthers, where he struck for 30 goals and 23 assists, including 3 game-winners and 7 on the pp.
The Dorchester, MA native also won the 2010 NCAA Division 1 Championship with his school of 3 years Boston College.
We’re all going to miss that big smile, we got to enjoy just once at an appearance at a local shoe outlet, where we got the chance to meet and talk with him as a member of the Black & Gold.
3rd year Robert Morris University Colonials‘ center Grant Hebert(3) heard what they were saying after hoisting career high 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points with a +6 rating in 24 Atlantic Hockey games, entered the transfer portal and will come out with his senior year at University Of Maine Black Bears.
The terrain in Hockey East will no doubt be tougher, but we feel the big 6’3″ 175 lbs. forward will step it up.
He caught the attention of his first school with a massive breakout season for Cumberland Grads, throttling 27 goals and 64 assists in 60 CCHL games as the team’s assistant captain.
This set him up for the one year they likely wanted him to put in to a US junior hockey program and he was drafted by and played for Fargo Force, dominating on offense with 15 goals and another helper party of 39 assists with a +19 rating, then another 10 points (3-7) in 14 playoff games to win the 2018 USHL Clark Cup Championship.
We think the 22-year old from St. Andrews West, ON will have a good run with his new college club.
3rd year defenseman Jake Massie(56) signs a 1-year ECHL deal with South Carolina Stingrays for 2021/2022 after not being qualified when his 2-year NHL entry level deal to Florida Panthers expired.
He signed as an unrestricted free agent after leaving after three years at University Of Vermont Catamounts, but completing his degree before he left.
While mostly spending time with then affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds as a rookie, he was only able to get in roughly half the regular season slate of games, despite getting 3 goals and 2 assists in 29 AHL games with a +2 rating.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner was reassigned for all of his sophomore campaign to Greenville Swamp Rabbits from Syracuse Crunch, who became the default affiliate during the faulty 2020/2021.
He was originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#156 overall), and played only one year of junior hockey with Omaha Lancers, recording 10 points in 44 USHL games.
It seems like the 24-year old from St. Lazare, QC is still playing himself on an upper level radar, but may find better waters elsewhere.
7th year center Travis Boyd(72) finds a new home with Arizona Coyotes for the cap minimum after becoming unrestricted free agent.
He was last spotted skating for Vancouver Canucks after being picked up off waivers from 2020/2021 contract club Toronto Maple Leafs.
Originally a Washington Capitals‘ 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#177 overall), he stayed with them most of his early career, playing 85 NHL games, getting 8 goals and 23 assists with a +12 rating, while his only AHL time was for affiliate Hershey Bears, picking up 57 goals and 115 assists in 221 games.
We do think it is believed the former University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers forward can score like he did as a college senior, posting 19 goals and 22 assists in 32 WCHA games.
After 10 years of playing 310 AHL with 6 different teams and 71 NHL games for 2 (New York Rangers & Minnesota Wild), Stu Bickel(4) hung up the skates a few years ago and quickly took to coaching.
The extra large 6’4″ 207 lbs. defenseman started with two years as a Undergraduate Assistant Coach with his former college team of only one season University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
He moved on from there to become Head Coach, then Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Magicians, playing in the NAHL.
That lasted for the single 2020/2021 session, and recently he was named assistant coach for Springfield Thunderbirds, a team who is very familiar with him from having to skate against for a great many years.
The 34-year old has elevated himself to a nice new level but we see how long the Chanhassen, MN native stays.
Undrafted left wing Christopher Berger(10) leaves after graduating 4 years at Brown University Bears, and somehow still has two years of eligibility remaining as he’s set to join Michigan Stage University Spartans for 2021/2022.
His former college team did not play in 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions and he ended the previous campaign on a season ending injury after just 9 ECAC games, scoring two goals and two assists, which gives him his pair of additional campaigns.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward did a pair of successful junior seasons, first with Buffalo Jr. Sabres (34-56-90) in 98 OJHL games, then moving more into America for a frame with Des Moines Buccaneers, where he got 10 goals and 20 assists.
He was having breakout scoring in college as a sophomore, similar to when he was able to produce 8 goals and 11 assists in 29 USHL games,
The 23-year old, Amherst, NY native may find it a bit tough, but he could adjust quickly to Big Ten play and start scoring.
Air Force Academy Falcons loses a good one through the transfer portal, as undrafted, right wing Thomas Daskas(34) takes off for Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.
The solid 6’2″ 201 lbs. power forward had only 14 Atlantic Hockey games in a screwed up 2020/2021, but struck for 3 goals and 4 assists.
He spent three seasons in junior hockey, starting up north in the CCHL for Kemptville 73’s before coming back to a pair of NAHL campaigns, of which hooking up with Lone Star Brahmas for a 2nd frame made it work for 19 goals and 29 assists with a +28 rating to score his college commitment.
The 21-year old will bring good things to his new school and should be able to play himself into a place, where he becomes a sought after unrestricted free agent upon completing.
