Category: Juniors

09Jul

K’Andre Miller (79)

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New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2018 draft (#22 overall) rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller(79) wastes no time acquainting himself to his new club as he made the 2020/2021 starting roster out of a COVID-delayed camp.

The very big 6’5″ 210 lbs. blue liner left University Of Wisconsin after 2 seasons with the college Badgers.

He signed a three-year entry level deal  just as the world was shutting down and has obviously figured in the team’s plans going forward.

The St. Paul, MN 21-year old native is a solid, block the offense-type of d-man and in 28 games has a first NHL goal plus two and 5 assists with a hefty +9 rating, while usually playing some 20+ minutes a night on a squad that’s fighting to make the playoffs.

Nice start, no doubt.

In 5 seasons, he is a solid performer and becomes a fan favorite, but heading into restricted free agency, he becomes maybe a little too expensive to keep and is dished to Carolina Hurricanes for some draft picks and is immediately signed to an 8-year, $7.5M AAV.

He will work unreal in their system and make them more dangerous going forward.

09Jul

LJ Mooney (18)

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USNTDP 2nd year center LJ Mooney(18) had quite the 2024/2025 season.

The small 5’7″ 157 lbs. forward scored a new junior best 23 assists and 28 points; he had 10 goals as a 1st year player.

From West Mifflin, PA, he did his youth hockey in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ system.

The 17-year committed to University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers for 2026/2027 and sees himself selected in the 4th round of the NHL draft by Montreal Canadiens (#113 overall).

He had a good year.

08Jul

Grant Gabriele (12)

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Last season rookie defenseman Grant Gabriele(12) scored 6 goals and 16 assists in 67 ECHL games for Maine Mariners with a +5 rating.

He signs a new 1-year deal with Toledo Walleye for 2023/2024, which couldn’t be a better team for him to hook up with.

The 6’2″ 196 lbs. blue liner was a 2-time 10+ assist man in his 5 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes.

He twice played for the USNTDP and for 3 different USHL clubs before heading to school.

The 26-year old from Brighton, MI should have an outstanding season.

He scores 1 goal and 14 assists in 40 games with a tremendous +34 rating to earn himself a 2nd season as a fish in a Walleye jersey.

Loaned up to Cleveland Monsters for 15 AHL games with no points, he gets traded to Utah Grizzlies.

In the offseason, he gets dealt to Fort Wayne Komets in a d-man switch for 2025/2026.

08Jul

William Lemay (8)

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University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ senior left wing William Lemay(8) signs a 1st pro deal fairly quickly after exiting the Hockey East tournament with Trois-Rivieres Lions.

The 5’10” 194 lbs. forward has 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 ECHL games as a pro.

His highest totals through college were 9 assists as a freshman and 5 goals as a junior.

The 24-year old from Marieville, QC could find the room he needs in this league to score more frequently.

4 goals and 4 assists in 14 games on an ato means sign this man up to a rookie T-RLions‘ contract for 2023/2024.

After escaping late last season to Italy2 to blow up scoring, especially in the playoffs to help win the Italian Cup for Pergine.

He will take off to the better known Ligue Magnus for 2024/2025, signing with Diables Rogues de Briancon.

In 44 games, he scores 20 goals and 18 assists with a +10 rating, but is wooed by rivals, Gothiques d’Amiens to sign a contract for 2025/2026, which should go as well as it did in his 1st frame.

08Jul

Jack McBain (22)

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Arizona Coyotes‘ rookie center Jack McBain(22) gets a first crack at the NHL after scoring a Boston College Eagles‘ career best by a long shot 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points with a +13 rating, then signing his entry level contract a couple weeks ago.

In his debut, he skated 24 shifts for 13:45 ice time with one shot block and left a 6-2 loss a -1.

The 6’3″ 201 lbs. Toronto, ON native did a couple of seasons in the OJHL with Toronto Jr. Canadiens, exploding the stat sheet in his 2nd year before school.

He also won an Ivan Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal with 2018 Team Canada.

The 22-year old will have to show up game in and game out with this team, but they are likely counting on that after picking him up from draft club Minnesota Wild (round 3, 2018, #63 overall).

Through 82 NHL games, he picks up 12 goals and 14 assists as a rookie on a non-playoff by a long shot club.

He avoids arbitration, agreeing to a new 2-year Coyotes‘ deal worth $1.599M AAV, which seems pretty accurate.

There’s little doubt now that he has this contract will look to put his team back on the map.

In his 1st full season with new Utah Mammoth hockey club, he scores a new high 14 goals and 13 assists in a full slate of 82 games with a +8 rating.

As a restricted free agent, he is fully rewarded with a 4-year, $4.25M AAV contract.

08Jul

Terrance Amorosa (2)

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Former Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ defenseman Terrance Amorosa(2) took some time before signing any deal for 2020/2021 and recently hooked up with Laval Rocket on a pto.

The sizable 6’2″ 202 lbs blue liner got in his first career AHL game and left a 3-0 blanking with no points but a +1 rating.

He had signed a pair of deals previously in the league, but was reassigned down to ECHL affiliates and last season had a decent 6 goals and 12 assists for Kansas City Mavericks.

Originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ draft pick in the 5th round of 2013 (#132 overall), he never signed and was released to unrestricted free agency.

At 26-years old the big d-man could just be getting his footing but we shall see.

The Kirkland, QC native scored a rookie contract with Laval Rocket and wound up with 1 goal and 12 assists with a massive +22 rating in 35 games.

He has decided to head oversea for his 3rd season, signing a 1-year deal with Gherdeina of AlpsHL for 2022/2023.

After putting up 31 assists and 5 goals in 24 games with a +20 rating, he jumps to a higher league, joining HC Bolzano Foxes of IceHL, where he should continue his scoring success.

For 2023/2024, he will roughly stay put, but switch allegiances to rivals Rittner Baum.

He has been on a bit of a tear with assists in his “home” league, but decides after 2 years to switch things up and signs with Coventry Blaze of the EIHL for 2024/2025.

In 54 games, he scores 7 goals and 27 assists with a +3 rating, which he will take to Metal Ligaen, signing for a year with Herning Blue Fox for 2025/2026.

08Jul

Jordan Harris (22)

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Montreal Canadiens‘ 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft (#71 overall), Northeastern University Huskies‘ senior captain Jordan Harris(22) signs his 2-year entry level deal upon finishing up the Hockey East season.

Tying a career high 39 NCAA Division 1 games played, the 5’11” 179 lbs. blue liner had a new best 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points with a +11 rating as a senior captain.

The Haverhill, MA, former Kimball Union Academy defensive stud played only 5 USHL junior games before committing to school.

At just 21-years old, with the 4 seasons of hockey he just came from, maybe has readied him for the big time.

In his 10th game, he picks up his 1st NHL tally and ends the 2021/2022 with a +3 rating.

A forthcoming restricted free agent with 3 goals and 12 assists in his rookie frame in the offseason, he was fairly quickly inked to stay on another two seasons for $1.4AAV per, which is a nice fee to get him started.

After 2 seasons of doing well on their blue line, he is traded in a big 2024/2025 deal to Columbus Blue Jackets, who will definitely welcome him into a full-time top 6 role.

He is not qualified for an offer in 2025/2026 and Boston Bruins zoom right in to pick up the hometown boy and give him a chance to play pro hockey in his backyard.

08Jul

Gabe Randel (17)

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Rochester Americans‘ 2nd year right wing Gabe Randel(17) commits to University Of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers for 2025/2026 after scoring a moderate junior best 6 goals and 11 assists in 56 NAHL games with a +1 rating, then added another 4 points in 12 playoff games with a +4.

The 6′ 185 lbs. forward came up from exploding scoring in NA3HL for Wausau Cyclones.

From Hortonville, WI, the 21-year old. will likely do well with his new school.

07Jul

Nico Sturm (78)

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Minnesota Wild, German-born, unrestricted free agent signing, center Nico Sturm(78) is enjoying a first full (weirdo) season in the NHL, where he has tallied 8 goals and 5 assists in 41 games with a pretty excellent +14 rating on a team that is already playoff bound.

He’s still under a two-year one-way contract he signed before the start of 2020/2021.

The rather large 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward played 3 seasons at Clarkson University Golden Knights, leaving after posting college career highs of 14 goals and 31 assists for 45 points with a +23.

At 25-years old, he takes his place amongst many other “graduates” to the big league from the college.

It may have the biggest piece of career move luck, as he takes his career high 8 assists and points tied at 17 to a new endeavor on a trade to super-hot Colorado Avalanche.

He is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session.

His luck would be worth a 2022 Stanley Cup with his new team and he would show himself to be a pivotal player.

San Jose Sharks like what they see and ink him for 3-years, $2M AAV, giving the now 27-year old a nice first big payday.

In his 3rd season with the same team, things are maybe ticking down a bit, so he gets a new, sunnier zip code in a trade for future considerations with Florida Panthers, where he should find better light to his game.

Despite being hobbled by the injury bug, he appears in 15 regular season games and 8 in the playoffs to be a contributor and hoist a 2025 Stanley Cup.

For 2025/2026, he looks to stay healthy and signs a 2-year, $2M AAV deal with Minnesota Wild, returning to the 1st team he signed with out of college.

07Jul

Nate Schmidt (88)

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9th year undrafted defenseman Nate Schmidt(88) gets dished to his 2nd new club in a couple seasons, as he goes from one term of service with Vancouver Canucks to Winnipeg Jets for 2021/2022 with four years left on his current deal.

He was coming off three very successful campaigns for Vegas Golden Knights and 4 excellent start-up runs with first major contract team, Washington Capitals.

Heading into his first session with his new squad, he takes 450 NHL games, 34 goals, 121 assists and a jaw-dropping +81 rating for the 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner.

The 30-year, former 3-year University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers will likely find a new home in Manitoba, considering he was born in St. Cloud, MN.

For 3 years, he performs well, but almost oddball has the final years of his contract bought out, as his offensive production has diminished.

His metrics are still sound though, a +21 player over his time, fills a gap that opened for Florida Panthers 2024/2025, as he agrees to a 1-year deal.

He performs pretty much as promised with his new club, playing 80 regular season games, scoring 5 goals and 14 assists with a +4 rating, but really came alive in the playoffs with 3 goals and 9 assists in 23 games with a +9 rating to help a 2nd straight Stanley Cup victory, the 1st player ever from St. Cloud to win it.

For 2025/2026, he signs a 3-year deal with Utah Mammoth for $3.5M AAV that should keep him smiling nicely.