Category: Juniors

10Aug

Colin White (36)

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Montreal Canadiens stepped up and claimed former Ottawa Senators‘ 1st round pick in the 2015 draft (#21 overall), center Colin White(36) from Pittsburgh Penguins, who put him on waivers after spending most of the current frame in the minors with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. 7th year forward was a huge scorer in 2 campaigns of USNTDP and then 2 at Boston College Eagles.

He can score, as he did in his best season, his 2nd, where he struck for 14 goals and 27 assists in 71 NHL games.

The 27-year old can definitely still contribute, if he is placed in the right situation.

He scores nothing in the big league and signs with San Jose Barracuda for 2024/2025 and scores 5 goals and 5 assists in 20 games to gain notice and get signed by parent club, San Jose Sharks to a 1-year, 2-way deal for the remainder of 2024/2025.

With 25 points in 48 games and 3 games on recall and under a new contract, he is fully on the radar and no time is wasted to get a new 1-year deal to stay in a Sharks‘ uniform.

10Aug

Zach Metsa (22)

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Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate defenseman Zach Metsa(22) just put himself in a really good position to net an NHL entry level deal after grabbing an assist in all 3 goals for the 3-2 overtime NCAA Division 1 National Championship win.

The 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner put up a college best 28 assists and point tying 37 mark with a +34 rating.

He is consistently a 20+ assist player, even through his BCHL and USHL junior frames.

At 24-years old, we think the Delafield, WI is ready.

He twice scores 7 goals, but last season posts a monumental 39 assists in 69 AHL games, which he turns into a 2-year deal to stay a Sabres.

 

10Aug

Jamie Engelbert (18)

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Providence College Friars‘ graduate center Jamie Engelbert(18) scores 7 goals for a 2nd time in his college career and will take that to a 1st pro contract with the new Bloomington Bison of the ECHL for his rookie season, 2024/2025.

The big 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward should find the net better in his upcoming 1st season.

From Coburg, ON, he played 2 strong frames for local Cobourg Cougars of the OJHL before committing.

The 24-year old is likely ready for the next challenge.

After 2 games and 1 assist with a +1 rating, he finds himself maybe a little fortunately heading to South Carolina Stingrays to complete an earlier trade transaction.

He scores 17 goals and 14 assists in 38 games with a +13 rating and also gets loaned to Manitoba Moose for 3 games to get a 1st AHL goal and a +1 rating.

For 2025/2026 Rockford Icehogs pick him up on their radar and sign him to a 1-year deal.

10Aug

Isaac Howard (22)

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Michigan State University Spartans‘ sophomore left wing Isaac Howard(22) is taking up where he left off with his USNTDP team, scoring 5 goals and 15 assists in 18 games with the #7 USCHO NCAA Division 1 team in the country.

After a junior season of exploding scoring with 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games with a +19 rating to win the 2025 Hobey Baker Award, he leaves a year on the table at school to sign a 3-year NHL entry level deal with Edmonton Oilers.

Isaac Howard (3)

10Aug

Logan vande Meerakker (46)

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Alvernia University Golden Wolves‘ senior defenseman Logan vande Meerakker(46) takes a college best 14 goals and 19 assists in 27 games with a +24 rating to a contract for his rookie season, 2024/2025 with Evansville Thunderbolts.

He joined them upon graduation and didn’t register a point in 3 SPHL games, but then popped for 2 goals and 1 assists in 5 playoff matchups with a +1 rating.

The 6′ 209 lbs. solid blue liner from Dieppe, NB should do well in a full frame and it’s possible the 24-year old gets loaned up.

After an outstanding frame, scoring 18 goals and 19 assists in 54 games with a +4 rating, then another 7 points (4-3) in 7 playoff matchups, he will take these numbers over to the NIHL and signs with Swindon Wildcats for 2025/2026.

09Aug

Sam Jardine (21)

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7th year defenseman Sam Jardine(21) leaves for overseas hockey a 2nd time, this time signing with Bratislava Capitals of IceHL for 2021/2022.

Originally a 6th round pick by Chicago Blackhawks in 2011 (#169 overall), he initially signed a one-year minor league deal with affiliate Rockford IceHogs to stay in the system but was sent further down for most of his rookie campaign.

The almost deceptively built 6’2″ 209 lbs. d-man has played 228 ECHL games and won a pair of Kelly Cups: 2017 and most notably 2019 in a great run with Newfoundland Growlers.

He’s also had 4 AHL contracts and played 71 games.

The Lacombe, AB native spent 2019/2020 overseas with Cardiff Devils of the EIHL, not scoring a load of points (15) but was a nice +24 rating for on-ice accountability.

He decided to spend 2020/2021 a little closer to home after confirming a return to England, and, inked with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he exploded for a personal best 41 assists and 44 points in 67 games.

The 29-year old, former 3-year, 10+ assist man at Ohio State University Buckeyes will likely do well in Austria’s 6 nation league.

As said, he excelled pretty well with a pair of goals and 4 assists in 14 games with a +2 rating to gain a look from HIFK of Liiga, so will head to Finland.

For 2022/2023, he went to skate in England’s top league for another spell with Cardiff Devils and although he may have not scored a ton of points, was an accountable +7.

He decides to return to the states for 2023/2024 and will come back to the Swamp Rabbits, where he recorded his greatest assist total.

Spending a bit more time on loan to Calgary Wranglers, he finishes up the year and has decided to return to Austria to sign with Fehervar AV19 for 2024/2025.

He actually has a change of attitude and signs in the Senior AAA Alberta league with Lacombe Generals, probably to just play some hockey somewhere to keep in shape.

For 2025/2026, he’s making a big return and signs with Idaho Steelheads.

09Aug

Riley Hughes (19)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ senior right wing, assistant captain Riley Hughes(19) will take his game into the transfer portal for one more year at Ohio State University Buckeyes before hopefully signing an NHL entry level contract with draft team (7th round, 2018, #216 overall), New York Rangers.

The 6’1″ 172 lbs. forward’s numbers at Hockey East don’t match up with what he was able to do in high school, then one BCHL season with Victoria Grizzlies, notching more than point-per-game numbers in the regular campaign, then playoffs.

While we don’t expect the 22-year old Westwood, MA native to be a scoring machine once he arrives at Big Ten hockey, we do think he’ll connect with better frequency, and continue to play as he always does with a spark plug of energy out there.

He knew as he was entering the new season that he would not be signed, but still goes on after graduating to get a 1st pro deal with Iowa Heartlanders, where we feel once he reaches the ECHL will find the scoresheet with more frequency and came away with 3 goals and 1 assist in 12 games.

Charlotte Checkers are watching and sign him up for a 2-way AHL contract in 2024/2025.

After 31 games with the team and 20 reassigned to the ECHL, where he was a more than point-per-game performer, he receives another 1-year deal to continue being a Checkers.

09Aug

Jaxon Nelson (82)

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University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers‘ graduate captain, center Jaxon Nelson(82) went undrafted, but Boston Bruins signed him to a 1-year NHL entry level deal upon graduation after scoring new college bests 19 goals and 12 assists with a +14 last season.

The 6’4″ 220 lbs. plays the power forward style.

He did 3 USHL campaigns of juniors after potting 70 goals in his senior year at Luverne High USHS-MN.

Signing an ato with Providence Bruins last season, he appeared in 7 games and scored a 1st AHL goal.

The 24-year old is in rookies training camp and looks ready to get started.

After 35 games with 2 goals and 7 assists with a 0 rating, he is not qualified to stay, so signs with Iowa Heartlanders for 2025/2026.

09Aug

Aaron Bohlinger (25)

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UMass Minutemen undrafted freshman defenseman Aaron Bohlinger(25) has 15 assists in the 2020/2021 frame but no goals.

Well, not until the NCAA Championship Final vs. St. Cloud University Huskies, where he nets the opening tally and that might be enough to close the door on the title and also be a game-winner.

The small 5’9″ 165 lbs. blue liner early in his tenure with Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL but was probably put on the radar after playing a year north in the BCHL for Alberni Valley Bulldogs, where he made a 7 goal and 27 assists in 55 games impression.

The 20-year old may be small but motors and can head man the puck with ease, so might garner some looks as he continues at school.

He becomes captain as a senior, but decides to add a year of eligibility and enters the transfer portal to skate for Quinnipiac University Bobcats, as a graduate.

ECAC was a nice switch up, as he scores a new best 3 goals and 11 assists with a +11 rating in 32 games.

He is set to turn pro and signs a 1st ECHL contract with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2025/2026.