Category: Minor League Deal

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.

28Feb

Ashton Collazo (17)

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Framingham State University Rams‘ senior, captain center Ashton Collazo(17) takes some decent scoring numbers to a 1st pro contract with Blue Ridge Bobcats.

The 5’8″ 176 lbs. forward played 2 FPHL games with no points.

After high school, the Victor, NY native worked himself up from a season in the EHLP to the EHL, putting up some pretty good numbers along the way.

The 24-year old will need a contract for 2025/2026, if he plans to continue.

He gets signed by the new Indiana Sentinels and goes on to score 5 goals and 17 assists, but gets himself dished to Watertown Wolves for the 2nd half of the session.

28Feb

Ryan Glazer (9)

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Rookie left wing Ryan Glazer(9) gets traded after picking up FPHL scoring to 14 goals and 3 assists in 16 games for Indiana Sentinels to Baton Rouge Zydeco for the remainder of 2025/2026.

The 5’10” 183 lbs. forward scored a college high 6 goals and 8 assists as a junior before leaving a year on the table at Morrisville University Mustangs to turn pro.

He did 3 years of junior hockey, scoring well.

From Montreal, QC, the 24-year old will likely continue to do well and maybe get loaned up.

27Feb

Ryan Orgel (29)

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Adirondack Thunder 2nd year ECHL defenseman Ryan Orgel(29) 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.

In 16 games, he has 1 goal and 2 assists with a +1 rating, but gets himself dealt again, this time to Fort Wayne Komets.

For 2025/2026, he decides to head down to sign with Knoxville Ice Bears and we are not sure if his age will cause him to not get loaned up, as quickly for good play.

He does go up to the Thunder and in 11 ECHL games scoring 4 assists, he is traded to South Carolina Stingrays for cash considerations and should incorporate into their lineup well.

27Feb

Jake Lucchini (19)

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Undrafted 4th year center Jake Lucchini(19) signed with Montreal Canadiens for 2020/2021 and has agreed to continue in the system on a minor league deal to affiliate Laval Rocket.

The former Michigan Tech Huskies‘ senior captain jumped in quick upon signing his first deal on an ato with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, grabbing a quick 6 goals and an assist in 15 AHL games.

He had a similar breakout upon the trade, scoring 4 goals and 1 assist in 6 games after being obtained in a trade with Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 5’11” 183 lbs. forward will need to get back on the scoring tear but could easily play his way into another NHL contract.

A product of Trail, BC, he played for hometown juniors Trail Smoke Eaters popping the lid leading the team with 35 goals and 48 assists in 58 BCHL games.

The 26-year old is still climbing.

After 2 almost 20 goal (19) sessions with Belleville Senators and a 2nd 30+ assist frame, he signs as an unrestricted free agent for 2023/2024 with Minnesota Wild and will help their affiliate Iowa Wild climb into the rankings.

He also skated 11 games with Ottawa Senators and potted a 1st big league goal.

After 40 games in the big league and 30 in the minors, he would move on to sign a 1-year deal with Nashville Predators.

He only skated 3 games with them, but 70 in the minors with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

It appears his time is good there as, after a 2nd 20+ assist season, signs for 2026/2027.

27Feb

TJ Semptimphelter (35) with video feature: 1-question interview

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ 2020/2021 commit, goaltender TJ Semptimphelter(35) really seemed to hit stride last season, while playing his only junior campaign in the USPHL/NCDC for Junior Bruins.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. net minder posted a fairly ridiculous 21-6-3 record in 2020/2021’s weirdo stop & start COVID infected run with a 2.05 GAA and .933 SV% including 4 shutouts.

He mostly posted some good numbers through youth hockey but it was the Marlton, NJ native’s 18U season and as a senior at Lawrenceville School, where it really seemed to come together big.

At just 18 years old he looks like a goalie some big clubs will have their eye on and could even challenge for the top job in his first year at the new school.

He started in 8 games as a rookie and ran totals, except for the record, almost exact to what he did in his last year of juniors.

Looking for more, he enters the transfer portal to tend net for Arizona State University Sun Devils that goes exceedingly well in his 2nd campaign there, posting a 16-5-4 record with a 2.52 GAA and .908 SV%.

For his senior year though, he is off to maybe his greatest college challenge, University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 2024/2025.

He starts 31 games, posting a 18-11-2 record with a 2.64 GAA and .910 SV% and has earned a tryout agreement with Bridgeport Islanders, which will hopefully have him see a couple of games before the season wraps.

After his 1st game in net, he signs for 2025/2026 with Milwaukee Admirals, but is mostly playing for affiliate Atlanta Gladiators, where he puts up some amazing ECHL marks to earn a 1-year extension.

College Hockey Players one question interview with Northeastern University Huskies 2021/2022 commit and Junior Bruins stellar 2020/2021 goaltender, TJ Semptimphelter.