Rochester Jr. Americans‘ 3rd year goaltender Florian Wade(30) commits to Hobart College Statesmen for 2026/2027.
The 6’4″ 183 lbs. net minder gave his team a good shot to play for the NAHL Robertson Cup to the conference finals.
From Anchorage, AK, 21-year old should give the 3-time D3 champ team their new starter.
Four year and consecutive NCAA Champion defenseman with University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ Jarod Hilderman(3) knew before the 2019/2020 season came to a crashing halt during the playoffs that he would be heading to Birmingham Bulls for 2020/2021 and spend his rookie season in the SPHL.
Well, a pandemic didn’t sideline those plans, as he reported and played basically a full slate of 36/42 game schedule, unable to grab a goal but he did produce 6 assists.
The 6’1″ 210 lbs. Calgary, AB native started his junior hockey closer to home with 2 seasons for Penticton Vees, where he won his first title, a 2015 BCHL Championship, which is when he committed to college, but then moved south to do a season with Fargo Force of the USHL before reporting to school.
At 24-years old and the leagues opening up to full service, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him elevate his game to the next level.https://www.sandiegogulls.com/players/detail/hilderman
He would spend his 2020/2021 under contract to Tulsa Oilers and ended a 48 ECHL game “rookie” season with a goal and 15 assists, then added 3 assists in 6 playoff matchups.
For 2022/2023, he will return, but we also feel may earn a 1st AHL loan to San Diego Gulls, who have him on their radar.
He puts up some decent enough numbers with a pair of visits up, but needs better on ice accountability.
Despite the parts of his game to work on he gets an invite to return for a 2nd chance in an Oilers‘ jersey.
He has a solid 3rd frame, scoring 35 assists to seemingly rebound hard and will take his game over to Ligue Magnus, signing with Les Bruleurs De Loups for 2024/2025.
He took off 2025/2026 to play for Nottingham Panthers and did decently in the EIHL, but will head back to France and signs with Boxers de Bordeaux for 2026/2027.
Long Island University Sharks‘ sophomore defenseman Spencer Cox(13) enters the transfer portal and is up for a new challenge, heading to Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks for 2023/2024.
He committed to his 1st school after a decent NAHL frame for Chippewa Steel, getting 4 goals and 16 assists.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. blue liner, who sometimes skates forward, from Powell, OH will likely find the NCHC schedule a bit tougher to play, but may also add a little pepper to his game.
After 2 years at his new school, he signs a 1st pro contract with Indy Fuel.
In 9 ECHL games, he has 2 assists.
Doesn’t take them too long to re-up with him for his rookie season, 2025/2026 in a Fuel sweater.
Before he even skates a game in the current 2025/2026 frame, he is traded to Cincinnati Cyclones.
He appears in only 28 games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists, which he takes to some off season training and signs with Canberra Braves of the AIHL.
10th year defenseman Aaron Ness(27) was in Boston Bruins‘ training camp, but signs for 2021/2022 with affiliate Providence Bruins to stay in the system.
It’s his 1st minor league deal.
The 5’10” 184 lbs. blue liner has played an outstanding 557 AHL games, scoring 45 goals and 222 assists with an overall +7 rating.
He’s appeared in 72 NHL games in 7 seasons with 3 different teams, scoring just a goal and 6 assists.
We do believe the 31-year old, former 3-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers will look to continue his hockey overseas next, just to be able to say he did it as a pro.
Looks like we guessed wrong, as he signs for 2022/2023 with the team he had a 50 assist campaign for a few years ago, Hershey Bears and the recently turned 32-year old should be able to help them find their playoff punch again.
He’s riding a good playoff run with the team after getting 5 goals and 14 assists in 69 games with a +14 rating during the regular season, but has yet to add anything in the playoffs.
No worries says this minor league club as they would like him to stay in Chocolatetown for at least another 2 more years.
For a 7th season, he will stay a Bears, 2024/2025.
He spends his 2nd year as team captain, but maybe limits appearances to 38 games to ease off a bit.
Well, 818 games in the AHL and 72 in the NHL with 1 goal and it’s time to at 36-years old retire from pro hockey.
We think he stays put to assume an assistant coach role, he’d be a perfect fit for.
Melbourne, Australian-born University Of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers‘ rookie center Tyrone Bronte(18) had a very successful COVID blasted season in the college ranks scoring 4 goals and 9 assists in 22 NCAA/WHCA games.
Always a solid scorer through 3 NAHL seasons for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, he finished with a junior career best 36 assists and 48 points with a +21 rating.
It looks as though, he’s been away from home from a fairly young age simply plying his hockey talents to see how far this now 21-year old can take it.
We had no idea he entered the transfer portal and appears to be excited coming out the other side, heading to Michigan Tech Huskies for 2021/2022.
He finishes up his 3rd season, scoring a college best 6 goals and 8 assists in a high 35 games and takes these totals to a 1st deal with KHL Sisak of AlpsHL for his rookie frame, 2024/2025.
Doing pretty well, he returns to North American hockey and spends most of 2025/2026 with Pensacola Ice Flyers, scoring nicely.
For a 2nd straight season, he leaves for the AIHL for some summer hockey with Melbourne Ice.
University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ hometown, senior assistant captain right wing Ben Strinden(21) scored a college best 15 goals and 20 assists in 38 games last season with a +15 rating.
The 6’1″ 209 lbs. forward is a Nashville Predators‘ 7th round pick in the 2022 draft (#210 overall).
He signs a 2-year AHL deal with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals through 2027/2028, but that means he will stay under the watchful eye of the parent club for progress.
From Fargo, ND, the 23-year old has no points in 3 games, but we feel will step into his game as he settles.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ sophomore defenseman Michael Kesselring(7) fires the puck basically exactly where I’m standing (thank you, glass) looking to clear the puck from the zone.
The Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2018 draft (#164 overall) scored his first goal of the season in a 5-4 win over University Of New Hampshire Wildcats (2/13).
After only one season on juniors in the USHL with Des Moines Buccaneers then Fargo Force, the large than life 6’4″ 215 lbs. blue liner from New Hampton, NH has decided it’s time to turn pro, signing a three-year entry level contract starting immediately.
We knew it. Too big not to play with the big boys already.
As he heads into the final season on his initial deal, he finds himself traded to Arizona Coyotes, who we believe super like the 13 goals and 9 assists he’s posted in the minors with Bakersfield Condors with that super large frame of his and give him his NHL debut, skating 24 shifts for 16:04 of ice time in a 6-1 loss with a 0 rating.
Through 65 games, he scores 5 goals and 16 assists with a +11 rating on a non-playoff team to earn himself a 2-year deal worth $1.4M AAV.
He’s turned out to be a solid contributor at the blue line, scoring a new high 7 goals and 22 assists in a full slate of 82 games last season and was a bit of a fan favorite, but finds himself dished to Buffalo Sabres, who could certainly use him in the 2nd year of his contract.
After a bit of an injured plagued frame, he is traded to San Jose Sharks in the last year of his contract for 2026/2027.
University Of Maine Black Bears‘ junior center Harrison Scott(22) transferred after 2 years at Bentley University Falcons, where he had a best 8 goals and 7 assists as a sophomore.
In 10 games with his new college club, he has 1 goal and 4 assists, which could best earlier marks.
The 6′ 185 lbs. forward looks more committed to score playing Hockey East competition.
From San Jose, CA, the 23-year old looks to be a pretty natural fit for this northern New England school.
He does certainly best his scoring marks in his 1st year in a new school and then for his senior year, explodes to 18 goals and 17 assists with a +13 rating on a very good team.
His team exits the tournament late and he wastes little time signing a 1st pro deal, an ato to join Texas Stars., but the next day that gets upped to a 1-year NHL entry level deal to start 2025/2026 with parent club, Dallas Stars.
He plays 72 games, scoring 18 goals and 14 assists to gain another 1-year contract to stay with the Stars.
We look for him to 2nd season score a recall.
Harvard University Crimson senior captain defenseman Ian Moore(3) signs a 2-year entry level contract with draft team Anaheim Ducks (3rd round of 2020, #67 overall) and starts his pro career with affiliate San Diego Gulls, where he’s good for a 1st AHL goal and 4 assists in 9 games to score a recall in his short pro career.
In his NHL debut, he skates 18 shifts for 15:31 of ice time with 3 shots and 1 block in a 4-2 loss.
The 6’3″ 194 lbs. blue liner equaled his college best 3 goals last season and had 18 assists as a sophomore.
From Concord, MA, the 24-year is just getting started.
In 67 games, he scores 4 goals and 8 assists, then adds another tally in the playoffs to earn himself a 2-year extension to stay a Ducks.
Merrimack College Warriors‘ huge 6’5″ Swedish-born freshman defenseman Filip Nordberg(3) got 7 assists in 38 games with a +3 rating, but seems to maybe want more, enters the transfer portal and will next play for Arizona State University Sun Devils as a sophomore in 2026/2027.
Ottawa Senators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft (#64 overall) played his youth and started juniors back home, even playing in many HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL games before coming over for 2 USHL frames.
