Category: Minor League Deal

13Jul

Dustin Gazley (10)

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12th year right wing Dustin Gazley(10) signs on for a 3rd season with HC Bolzano Foxes, as he continues to put up numbers (31 points in 38 IceHL games) at 33-years of age.

Not too bad for the 5’8″ 161 lbs. forward that came out of Michigan State University Spartans‘ scorer, who spent most of his 1st two seasons tearing up the scoresheet in the ECHL before signing with Hershey Bears.

He stayed with the team for 5 years before heading off to Europe.

The Novi, MI native has to be happy playing pro hockey for the Italian team in the mostly Austrian league.

After scoring a tidy 17 goals and 31 assists in 47 games with a +19 rating, then potting another 13 points in 18 appearances during the playoffs earns him a 4th season to return.

48 points is his highest point total so far in the league.

For 2026/2027, he signs on for a 7th season with the Foxes after scoring a 2nd 18 goal season.

12Jul

Reed Lebster (13)

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UMass Minutemen senior right wing Reed Lebster(13) is going to extend college for another year and will attend Michigan State University Spartans for the start of a graduate program.

Last season the 6′ 187 lbs. forward had a college career best 14 assists and 22 points.

He was on the team, who won the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Championship.

A Grand Rapids, MI native, he had a strong 2nd frame of USHL junior hockey with Des Moines Buccaneers.

The 24-year old will likely do pretty good in Big Ten Conference play.

He holds his own at his new school, scoring 6 goals and 13 assists with a +11 rating to signing a 1st pro contract with Florida Everblades, where he has only been able to figure in 1 playoff game on the reserved list.

Appearing in 5 playoff games for some experience en route to the team’s 3rd straight Kelly Cup Championship, he is liked enough for his contributions to sign up for his rookie season, 2024/2025.

As he is to get started on a pro career, a pitfall occurs almost immediately, as he is traded to Utah Grizzlies, where he will definitely be a valued team member.

After skating in 67 games as a rookie, scoring 17 goals and 27 assists on a non-playoff team, he is well-liked invite to score a return to the Grizzlies for 2025/2026.

Playing his last season for the team, he scores a big 31 goals and 31 assists, which he takes to a nice new deal in DEL with Schwenninger Wild Wings, 2026/2027.

12Jul

Xander Lamppa (19)

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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.

In 65 games, he scores 11 goals and 20 assists to earn a new deal to stay a Mariners for 2025/2026.

After scoring a new best 16 goals in 68 games last season, he decides to head off and search for a bit of a different style game in the EIHL, agreeing with Fife Flyers for 2026/2027.

12Jul

Lachlan Getz (2)

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Boston University Terriers‘ freshman defenseman Lachlan Getz(2) enters the transfer portal and will next skate for Michigan Tech University Huskies in 2023/2024.

In 16 games, he didn’t record a point, but was a +2 rating.

The 6’3″ 190 lbs. was able to dish assists in high school hockey and had 19 a couple years ago in the BCHL with Chilliwack Chiefs.

From Northfield, IL, the 21-year old will likely do well in the CCHA.

He plays 28 games, but something isn’t adding up, so he next heads to Holy Cross College Crusaders, as a junior.

Seemingly in a good spot, he scores a new best 8 assists and leaves from his senior frame with a +10 rating.

Upon completion of tournament play, he signs with Springfield Thunderbirds, but is waived after 1 appearance.

For his rookie season, 2026/2027, he agrees to a 1-year AHL deal with Rockford Icehogs.

12Jul

Jeremy Wilmer (16)

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Boston University Terriers‘ sophomore left wing Jeremy Wilmer(16) may fly under the radar, because he is all of 5’8″ 158 lbs.

That is despite him already amassing 13 assists in 13 games and adding his 1st tally of the season in a weekday non-conference battle.

He had 23 helpers and 9 goals as a freshman.

The Rockville Centre, NY native had 73 assists in his only full USHL frame for Tri-City Storm and was named Forward Of The Year.

We think the 20-year old will earn everything he’s able to obtain.

After a new college best 38 games, he scores 30 assists and 36 points for scoring highs and decides to continue school elsewhere at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, 2024/2025 as a junior.

In his 1st year, he scores a new college best 15 goals and 41 points in 38 games, then as senior assistant captain, appeared in only 15 games, recording 13 points.

For his rookie season, he signs a 1st pro contract with Utica Comets, 2026/2027.

12Jul

Jake Stevens (44)

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Long Island University Lakers‘ graduate defenseman Jake Stevens(44) has college career high 4 goals, tied his 13 assists as a freshman and a new best 17 points in 29 games.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. committed after his first BCHL season for Victoria Grizzlies, then in his follow-up went on to score junior best 8 goals and 45 assists in 58 games.

He transferred for 2021/2022 from 4 years at St. Lawrence University Saints.

The undrafted, 25 year old is definitely a good player to see what develops.

Upon completing his 5th year, the native of Naperville, IL signs a 1st pro deal with Iowa Heartlanders and has a 1st ECHL goal and 2 assists in 6 games with a +1 rating on a team that has been losing.

He would conclude his short spell with 1 goal and 7 assists in 11 games with a +1 rating.

For 2023/2024, he signs with Orlando Solar Bears and should be able to help their blue line not give up goals and score points.

He gets released after 2 goals and 2 assists in 24 games and quickly picked up by Greenville Swamp Rabbits, who think they can add to those totals.

In 10 games, he records 1 goal and 4 assists with a +5 rating, but decides to sign with Maine Mariners to start 2024/2025.

9 game played without any points, Tahoe Knight Monsters want him to join their team.

In 3 games with his new club has 2 assists with a +4 rating, so things are looking up.

Worcester Railers see something in him they can you and sign him up for 2025/2026, where his size should fit in nicely with the team’s game style.

He would leave for 2025/2026 for Slovakia2, doing pretty well.

For 2026/2027, he heads of to Hockeyettan and signs with Bodens HF.

11Jul

Zach Uens (7)

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Charlotte Checkers‘ rookie defenseman Zach Uens(7) has a 1st AHL goal in his 5th of 6 games played.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner appears to have started his 1st season a bit late, but has appeared in each contest since.

A Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in 2020 (#65 overall), he left 1 year at Merrimack College Warriors on the table to turn pro with a 3-year NHL entry level contract.

The Belleville, ON native twice put up 10+ assists in three seasons at college and had similar marks in 2 years of OJHL juniors.

At the still young age of 21 years old, we do believe he is just getting started.

Reassigned to affiliate Florida Everblades, he did especially well scoring in his 2nd frame and won 2 2023 & 2024 Kelly Cup Championships.

An unrestricted free agent, he signed with Savannah Ghost Pirates, where he did pretty well as assistant captain to score a deal with Coachella Valley Firebirds and leads to strong performances with Kansas City Mavericks that rode all the way into the finals.

Syracuse Crunch are watching and sign him up for 2026/2027.

11Jul

Harrison Rees (27)

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University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ graduate defenseman Harrison Rees(27) signs a 1st pro contract with Fort Wayne Komets and nets a 1st ECHL goal in his debut and has a +1 rating.

The 6’2″ 175 lbs. blue liner from Mississauga, ON wasn’t a huge scorer in college hockey, but was a reliable +23 player.

He took 2 successful OJHL campaigns with North York Rangers to his college commit.

The undrafted 24-year old was likely looking forward to the moment he could lace up a pair of pro game skates for awhile.

In 8 games, he scores 2 goals and 2 assists with a +2 rating to gain a 1 AHL game loan up to Hartford Wolf Pack.

He will return to the Komets for his official rookie season, 2024/2025.

The entire of 2025/2026 was spent in the lower league, where he played well deep into a playoff run, but for 2026/2027, he is looking elsewhere and signs with HK Dukla Michalovce of Tipsport Extraliga.

10Jul

Brady Keeper (25)

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Vancouver Canucks have picked up unrestricted free agent Brady Keeper(25) as his one-year extension to stay in Florida Panthers‘ system was up.

And even though the undrafted, 6’2″ 196 lbs. blue liner has only ever skated 2 NHL games, he is given a 2-year one-way deal to come play zone in the big league.

He originally came from three seasons of juniors in the MJHL for OCN Blizzard, serving as captain in his final session, before committing to University Of Maine Black Bears.

The Cross Lake, MB native played one full AHL campaign for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, earning 6 goals and 18 assists in 61 games.

He was loaned last season to Syracuse Crunch, where he figured into 11 games, scoring a goal and 2 assists.

They must see something in the 25-year old that looks ready to step it up full-time and it just may work.

He wouldn’t actually figure into any games for 2021/2022 after breaking 2 major bones in his leg, but returned for the next frame, contributing 1 goal and 5 assists in 35 games.

For 2023/2024, he has options and signs with Montreal Canadiens, but really is on a high-priced minor league deal with affiliate  Laval Rocket.

He only figures into 22 games last season, but his accountability is good.

For 2024/2025, he signs with HK Poprad of Slovak Extraliga, which should provide the challenge the 28-year old needs.

Instead of reporting to his new, overseas team, he elected to sit last year out and returns in 2025/2026 to sign with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL.

Injuries continue to nag him, as he tries to move towards a comeback, but it turns out to be too much and he needs to hang up the skates, having 2 goals in 4 NHL games.

Something is nagging him and he signs for 2025/2026 with South Carolina Stingrays.

He actually heads to the semi-pro SaskEHL, but with 7 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, maybe thinks he should really play, gets a trade to and signs with Rapid City Rush.

In a very short stint, he does exceedingly well, but gets traded to Idaho Steelheads, where his leadership is going to be very nicely welcomed.

10Jul

Carson Musser (4)

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Long Island University Lakers‘ graduate portal transfer from 4 years at Bowling Green State University Falcons, defenseman Carson Musser(4) took a college best scoring 4 goals and 11 points in 31 NCAA games to a 1st contract with Norfolk Admirals.

In 7 ECHL games, he had an assist and left with no playoffs a +2 rating.

The 6’1″ 192 lbs. blue liner has never really scored many goals, but did manage 10 assists in his 2nd USHL year with Fargo Force.

From Grand Rapids, MI, it’s seems likely the 25-year old could score a new contract for 2022/2023 in the league, if he wants.

As considered, the d-man decides to go for a full session in Virginia to see what’s possible.

He is able to connect for 4 goals and 9 assists, but needs to clean up a -19 rating and hopefully the team posts a better record, as he re-signs to stay.

Increasing his numbers as he goes is easily the way to keep attention, so he scores a new best 8 goals and 18 assists, while bringing up that horrible +/- to a +13 rating in 57 games, then in 11 playoff matchups adds another 7 points, +5.

He is easy to continue to bring back in an Admirals‘ jersey.

For a 4th straight season, he will return to Norfolk after scoring a new high 23 assists and 29 points.

He maybe lost a little production last season, which has caused him to looked elsewhere and signs for 2026/2027 with Coventry Blaze of the EIHL.