Category: Minor League Deal

07Mar

Chase McLane (12)

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Adirondack Thunder rookie center Chase McLane(12) has a nice 4 goals and 10 assists with a +7 rating on a good ECHL team.

The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward did a graduate frame at Colorado College Tigers before turning pro.

From Trenton, MI, he did 3 frames of USHL juniors with Tri-City Storm prior to heading to college.

His first school, Penn State University Nittany Lions didn’t see him score quite as well as he had been able to through juniors.

The 25-year old, former 7th round Nashville Predators‘ 2020 pick (#209 overall) should continue to do well as he settles.

06Mar

Odeen Tufto(26)

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After a four-year career at Quinnipiac University, finishing with a 2020/2021 season NCAA Division 1 best 39 assists, center Odeen Tufto(26) signs a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning and will report to affiliate Syracuse Crunch to see if he can add to that helpers stat.

The small 5’7″ 175 lbs. forward has always connected with the scoresheet in college play, 3 times with 30+ assists and 40+ points.

A Minnesota-native he spent a year in the BCHL before heading back “home” to join the USHL and skated with three different club s in a campaign before heading off to school.

He’s small but we have a feeling he will find his space to grab numbers.

Mostly shipped as a rookie to ECHL affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he was close to point-per-game player.

In 2022/2023, he was signed by Tuscon Roadrunners, but played 13 games with Atlanta Gladiators before heading to DEL2, signing with Krefeld Pinguin, getting 15 points in 12 games, then 11 in 12 through the playoffs.

He’ll return in 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with Iowa Heartlanders.

Through 29 games, he managed 3 goals and 19 assists, but isn’t great with his plus/minus and maybe gets a little bored, looking elsewhere and signs with EHC Olten of the tier 2 Swiss League, SL.

He will return for 2024/2025 after a successful little run through Switzerland’s hockey and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

A point-per-game player again during regular season, he returns for 2025/2026 and scores 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, but decides to head back to DEL2 and signs with Ravensburg Towerstars.

With 8 goals and 17 assists in 25 games, including a nice +12 rating, he is asked to return for 2026/2027 as a Towerstars.

06Mar

John Woernle (7)

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Assumption University Greyhounds‘ senior defenseman John Woernle(7) had a best 3 goals and 2nd 16 assists in his final frame that he took to a 1st pro deal with Evansville Thunderbolts for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

In 13 games, the 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner has 3 assists with a -2 rating.

He scored 22 assists as a junior.

From Wellesley, MA, the 25-year old did 2 productive EHL years with New England Wolves that he worked up from EHLP.

With 4 assists in 32 SPHL games, he gets traded to Fayettesville Marksmen, who look to use his size maybe a little more effectively.

06Mar

Logan Dapprich (7)

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Castleton University Spartans‘ senior defenseman Logan Dapprich(7) looks to set college high scoring this season with 1 goal and 8 assists puts him on 1 tally away from tying previous bests.

The 6’2″ 181 lbs. blue liner did 2 years juniors before committing to Rivier University Raiders as a freshman.

From Amherst, MA, the 24-year old should continue to do well.

He scores 6 goals and 13 assists in 26 games last season, all college bests and signs a 1st pro contract, a pto with Birmingham Bulls of the SPHL.

05Mar

Neil Shea (27)

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Undrafted, junior left wing Neil Shea(27) has played most of his hockey relatively close to home (Marshfield, MA), but after two underperforming seasons at Northeastern University Huskies, he’s branching out to leave for well, Connecticut, joining Sacred Heart University Pioneers in 2021/2022.

He was a prolific scorer when he committed to college in his 1st year at Lawrence Academy, then took it up a notch in his senior season with 24 goals and 34 assists in 32 USHS-Prep games before taking up with draft club, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders for 11 USHL games (1 goal, 2 assists).

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward was once again selected and skated his only full season of juniors for Chicago Steel, scoring 15 goals and 28 assists.

It’s possible the switch to Atlantic Hockey style play will connect with the 22-year old’s ability to amass points.

The Massachusetts’ native has scored big with his switch of schools, amassing decent scoring with 4 goals and 10 assists, blowing away his previous college marks, in 20 NCAA Division 1 games.

He finishes up a 2nd season at his new school with a new college best 14 goals and signs a 1st contract, an ato with Chicago Wolves to test the waters.

No doubt, he will have to step up his game to score in the AHL.

He gets a 1st goal in the league and adds 1 assist in 6 games with a +3 rating as a newly turned pro.

For 2023/2024, Toronto Marlies are liking what they see and sign him to a 1-year minor league deal as an official rookie.

He actually skates 64 ECHL games for affiliate Newfoundland Growlers, scoring 18 goals and 19 assists, but is moving on and signs with Colorado Eagles for 2024/2025.

In 8 contests, he scores 1 goal and 2 assists, but on reassignment to affiliate Utah Grizzlies popped 19 goals and 20 assists in 36 games to earn another year to wear an Eagles‘ jersey more often than not.

We are a little unsure of the detail of him leaving to sign with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but that is where he shows up under a new contract and should help them on the scoresheet.

04Mar

Janis Jaks (72)

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4th year Latvian-born defenseman Janis Jaks(72) signs on for a 2nd season to stay with HC Litvinov of Czechia Extraliga for 2023/2024.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner played a lot of his youth hockey and beginnings of juniors before coming over to the NAHL  with Minnesota Wilderness, where he was twice a +10 player fully grounded in his own zone and helped his team with the 2015 Robertson Cup.

After spending 4 fairly strong sessions at American International College Yellowjackets, he signed with Dinamo Riga, but after 17 KHL games, the relationship soured and he agreed next to Bakersfield Condors and things were looking decent with  2 goals and 4 assists in 20 AHL games with a +3 rating.

He would return to Russia to skate for HK Sochi, but the results didn’t yield much, so he turned his attention to where he is now with much better results, 8 goals, 17 assists in 47 games with a +3 rating to move forward.

The 27-year old has to have at least a little smile on his face to how things are going, especially after winning Bronze at the recent IIHF Worlds.

After 2 strong seasons with the same team, he was in a pretty good spot for himself, but decides to sign with rivals, HC Energie Karlovy Vary.

He apparently has found a good spot in Vary and re-signs for his 3rd upcoming season, 2026/2027.

03Mar

Andrew Kurapov (7)

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Endicott College Gulls‘ senior right wing Andrew Kurapov(12) is looking to best his 13 goals and 18 assists he set as a junior with 5 goals and 9 assists in 12 games with a +5 rating to start this campaign.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward blew out scoring his 2nd frame of USPHL/NCDC for Twin City Thunder, amassing 22 goals and 39 assists after a year earlier had 1 goal and 2 assists in 35 games.

From Corvallis, OR, the 24-year old.

He does a graduate frame and comes away with a new college best 14 goals in the process.

Upon finishing up tournament play, he signs an ato with Reading Royals and has gotten into 1 ECHL before playoffs.

He signs for his rookie season with Knoxville Ice Bears, but scores pretty well through 27 SPHL games to earn a loan back up to Reading, where he connects for 1 goal and 2 assists with a +3 rating, but when he is returned immediately gets traded to Pensacola Ice Flyers before deadline.

02Mar

Matt Wiesner (25)

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Matt Wiesner(25) comes off a 3rd D3 season of 10+ goal scoring for Babson College Beavers to sign a 1st pro contract for 2022/2023 with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

At just 5’9″ 165 lbs. he will definitely have to move around some to find scoring space in the ECHL, but definitely could do so.

He was a 20 goal, 20 assist scorer in his 2nd NAHL season for Northeast Generals.

The Newport Beach, CA native looks to potentially be able to be loaned to Birmingham Bulls of the SPHL, but he’s likely trying to just look forward.

He has been good for 10+ goals and assists 3 years in the league and is off to a good start 2025/2026 with 1 goal and 5 assists in 14 games, but finds himself traded to Fayettesville Marksmen, which should prove to be a good landing spot.

Scoring well, he is traded for a 2nd time in a frame, heading to Peoria Rivermen for the balance of the frame.

28Feb

C.J. Smith (29)

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JYP left wing C.J. Smith(29) quickly signs up for a 1-year extension after 1 goal and 4 assists through 5 games looks like a lock for him to score goals in Liiga after starting the season late with the team.

After 3 years at UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks, the 5’11” 183 lbs. forward signed an NHL entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Buffalo Sabres and stayed in their system for 4 years.

The 29-year old from Des Moines, IA is said to be coming back from surgery due to an injury, so this is a nice landing spot for him to re-stake his game.

He comes away with 8 goals and 12 assists in 33 games, which gains interest from Barys Astana of the KHL for 2024/2025.

So much for the tryout in Germany, as he will head home under contract to Charlotte Checkers, where he should do well and help.

He definitely help his new team win games, going into the playoffs, but waits a moment before signing 2025/2026 and agrees to terms with Bridgeport Islanders.

After 17 AHL games with 8 assists, he decides to head of to DEL and signs with Fischtown Pinguins for the 2nd half of 2025/2026.