10th year veteran left wing Derek Whitmore(21) hasn’t played a pro game since 2017/2018, but he returns at 40-years old to sign with Maine Mariners, where he may act a little more as a coach.
He returns to the city, where he played most of his AHL hockey with Portland Pirates.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward also played a few seasons overseas with decent luck.
He has 349 games experience in the higher league and left Reading Royals as team captain.
We aren’t sure how much scoring the former Bowling Green State University Falcons‘ 27-goal scorer as a senior has left in the tank, but he is going to be pivotal in the locker room.
And he scores in his 1st game back, just for good measure.
Florida Everblades‘ 6th year center Joe Widmar(72) was just obtained from Allen Americans, where he seemed to struggle with only 3 assists in 14 games after starting the season decently for the lowly Norfolk Admirals, scoring 5 goals and 4 assists in 13 contests.
The big 6’1″ 210 lbs. forward has struggled to stay with one team for an entire frame, except for his one complete season overseas, where he skated 26 Polish Hockey League games for Cracovia Krakow.
A former 2-year UMass Minutemen wasn’t a big scorer in college before turning pro.
The 27-year old from Northbrook, IL still can be an elite player in the ECHL, but needs to not get traded.
He has definitely struggled in the higher league some, as he started the 2024/2025 frame with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs and scored 3 goals and 6 assists in 2 SPHL games to earn a quick loan up, but there he has been perplexed hitting the scoresheet.
With only 1 assist in 20 games, he moves for a 3rd time, claimed from waivers by Fort Wayne Komets, where he hopes to find luck.
5th year center, Nick Hutchinson(12) maybe pulls a surprising move, leaving the captaincy at Wheeling Nailers to head back to Europe, signing with EV Landshut of DEL2.
He leaves after 9 ECHL games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists with a +4 rating.
The pretty big 6’3″ 210 lbs. forward always had 10+ goals and assists through 4 years at Canisius College Golden Griffins.
His best scoring season was his 1st with his recent former team, where he was well over a point per game player.
It’s possibly he goes there in the tier 2 league and gets elevated to the top level there.
Maine Mariners‘ rookie left wing Xander Lamppa(19) had a pretty healthy start, signing with the team off 4 years at Penn State University Nittany Lions, where he had 13 assists as a junior and senior.
In that 16 games period, he scored 3 goals and 5 assists.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward did 2 USHL seasons for Waterloo Blackhawks, scoring big in his 2nd frame.
In 22 games, he has 2 goals and 4 assists and will likely post new ECHL bests through the entire session.
From Rochester, MN, the 24-year old is likely happy to get a chance to play pro hockey.
Worcester Railers‘ rookie center Matt Kopperud(18) has been scoring at a decent clip with 7 goals and 14 assists in 28 games, but has to clean up a -7 rating.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward was a twice 20+ goal scoring and similar 10+ assists in 4 years at Arizona State University Sun Devils.
From Denver, CO, he did 2 BCHL seasons and 1 USHL before heading to school.
The 25-year old could very well set himself up to do well.
Holy Cross College Crusaders‘ graduate goaltender Jason Grande(30) put up quite a spectacular 10-4-2 record with a 2.06 GAA and .929 SV%, as his team heads into the Atlantic Hockey playoffs in the 2nd seed position.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. net minder played 2 stellar years in the NAHL with Amarillo Bulls before committing to his 1st school, Bentley University Falcons.
From West Chester, PA, where he played his youth hockey, the 25-year old will likely turn pro once college hockey wraps up.
Not surprising, he signs an ato with Bridgeport Islanders that we think could get him some action.
He plays no games upon graduation, so looks elsewhere and it may be one of the best offseason signings yet, he agrees to terms for 2024/2025 with HC Nove Zamky of Slovak Extraliga, which will have him playing a very high level of pro hockey.
Things are not going so well in Slovakia, so he looks elsewhere and signs with Nottingham Panthers to try to help them right their EIHL ship.
2nd year net minder Evan Cowley(31) signed at the beginning of 2018/2019 with Wheeling Nailers but after one uneven start on a bit of a struggling squad was released.
Originally a Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#92 overall), he never agreed to terms with the team but did eventually get a contract with affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, where he split time with Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL as a rookie.
The former University Of Denver backstop put up stellar numbers in college and went on to win the 2017 NCAA Championship.
At 23-years old, it didn’t take him long to secure a new deal after he was let go, grabbing a contract with MH Automatyka Gdansk of Polska Hokej Liga, where he will likely excel and move up the European hockey ladder as he goes.
He spent the last 3 seasons in Ligue Magnus with Ducs D’Angers and put up league best GAA (2.02) and SV% (.935), but is ready to explore again and signs to Asiago and will play in the IceHL for 2024/2025.
Through 20 games, he has struggled some, so makes a decision to head to HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with IK Oskarshamn.
Salve Regina University Seahawks‘ senior right wing Mitch Walinski(57) saw his team’s season end in a close game against the club maybe to win the entire D3 hockey this year.
The 6’1″ 180 lbs. forward takes the news in stride and quickly signs a 1st pro deal with Atlanta Gladiators.
He posted an assist in his debut and then a few days later in game 2, grabs a 1st ECHL goal with a 0 rating in some high scoring wins.
From Lincoln, RI, the 24-year old left two seasons with 10+ goals and 10+ assists in college hockey.
He finished his ato with 3 goals and 1 assist and a -5 rating, but they see something they want to continue and sign him up for his official rookie season, 2023/2024.
Scoring ok for his 1st year, he definitely needs to bring up that +/-, but he is wanted to return to wear a Gladiators‘ sweater for 2024/2025.
He grabs 7 goals and 5 assists last season, but hadn’t figured into a game yet this season, so gets dished to Adirondack Thunder to see if they can turn the magic.
After 4 games with no points he gets waived and quickly scooped by the new Bloomington Bison.
Adirondack Thunder 2nd year ECHL defenseman Ryan Orgel(12) scores a loan up to Syracuse Crunch.
In 1 AHL game, he has no stats to report.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner has a career best 5 goals this season, but his 10 assists after moving up from the SPHL Pensacola Ice Flyers stands for now.
He did 2 years of little use at University of Denver Pioneers, only to transfer to University Of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers where his best showing was the ill-fated 2020/2021, where he scored 5 goals and 4 assists in 10 games.
The 27-year old from Los Angeles, CA seems to be pulling his game together at the perfect time.
He actually left his 2nd NAHL season to head to college.
In 40 games, he scores a new best 5 goals and will take that to a contract with the new to the league, Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2024/2025.
He records 2 assists in 9 games with a +3 rating, but gets himself dished to Indy Fuel.
Rookie defenseman Matt Staudacher(25) leaves Italy2, where he scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 19 games for Brixen/Bressanone Falcons, for a contract with the new Bloomington Bison.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. blue liner finished up a graduate year of college at Northeastern University Huskies with a new best 2 goals.
He had more assists in 4 years (3 playing) at University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
From Grand Blanc, MI, we expect the 24-year old to do quite well in the ECHL.
