Curry College Colonels‘ senior defenseman, captain Nicholas Favaro(3) took his game up in his final frame to grab a college best 8 goals 25 assists in 29 games with a +28 rating.
He turns pro and signs a 1-year ECHL deal with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2023/2024.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. blue liner from Woodbridge, ON stayed close to play 4 OJHL junior seasons before heading to school.
At 25-years old, he’s likely ready for this next step.
12 games in with his new team, recording only 1 assist, another team wants him and Wichita Thunder have plans for him on their blue line.
He would only record another helper in 9 games with a -4, but they are seeing something and invite him back to wear a Thunder sweater for his rookie session, 2024/2025.
Mostly reassigned to the SPHL, he scores decently but is waived and signs with Monroe Moccasins of the FPHL.
For 2025/2026, he signs with rivals Port Huron Prowlers, where his game comes together and he scores 11 goals and 28 assists with a +11 rating in 55 games.
He’s an easy invite to return for 2026/2027.
Elmira College Soaring Eagles‘ junior net minder Kyle Curtain(35) is heading to Utica College Pioneers for his senior frame, 2025/2026.
The 6’2″ 181 lbs. goalie played 22 games with a 2.20 GAA, .902 SV% and 3 shutouts.
From St. George, ON, the 25-year old signs a 1st pro deal with Fayettesville Marksmen for his rookie season in 2026/2027.
Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate left wing, Ben Brar(18) takes a new college best 14 assists to a 1st pro deal with Florida Everblades.
In 3 ECHL games, he has 2 assists.
The 6’2″ 195 lbs. forward from Abbotsford, BC did 3 BCHL seasons, really connecting in his 3rd frame as assistant captain with Prince George Spruce Kings before heading to school.
There’s little doubt the 25-year old is ready to contribute a power game style.
He keeps those 2 helpers through 5 games, then adds another 1 in 7 en route to the 2024 Kelly Cup Championship and he will return for more in 2024/2025.
Signed as a rookie, he scores 9 goals and 5 assists with a +9 rating.
For 2025/2026, he re-signs for a 2nd year to stay an Everblades.
Limited to 24 games, then 2 in the playoffs on the way to a 2nd 2026 Kelly Cup trophy, he will stay put in Florida for 2026/2027.
2nd year Bentley University Falcons‘ goaltender Nicholas Grabko(33) is definitely garnering some attention.
He has put up an impressive pair of victories vs. ranked clubs, but even in losses has performed with gymnastic-like theatrics, stopping pucks.
The almost unassuming 5’11” 181 lbs. net minder was a late add to the college after a 2nd season on good junior hockey stats for Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, even though he was basically an upcoming star in the Chicago Mission 13U – 16U AAA.
For a 2nd time in 3 weeks, the 21-year old has been named Atlantic Hockey Goalie Of The Week.
He has decided to take on a graduate season at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks for 2024/2025 and we should watch him help his new college team win games.
In 20 games, he goes 5-11-4 with a 2.74 GAA and .899 SV%, which he takes to a 1st pro contract with Idaho Steelheads.
After 1 unsuccessful start, he finds himself on the move, signed by Toledo Walleye, where he notches a 1st ECHL win.
For 2025/2026, he leaves to sign with Yetis du Mont-Blanc of France2, which is likely to give himself a completely new start.
He had returned to sign with one FPHL team, but as the season approaches gets traded to join Columbus River Dragons for 2026/2027.
Junior net minder Dominic Basse(31) heads to St. Cloud State University Huskies in hopes to change his luck from a couple of tough sessions with Colorado College Tigers.
At 6’6″ 185 lbs., he’s a pretty massive block, who will likely find a ton more luck on a good club in the WCHA.
The Alexandria, VA native is a Chicago Blackhawks‘ 6th round pick in the 2019 draft (#167 overall), who will almost assuredly step up on their radar after just a season where he’s headed.
He’s still super young at 21.
After 2 decent years at his new school, he heads to St. Lawrence University Skating Saints to play a graduate frame.
He gets a couple tryouts that don’t go as well as anyone would have liked, but has waited and signs with Pensacola Ice Flyers for the remainder of 2025/2026.
Loaned up to the ECHL on a number occasions, he decides to return to the SPHL and signs with Macon Mayhem for 2026/2027.
Misericordia University Cougars‘ graduate defenseman Domenic Della Civita(2) signs a 1st pro deal with Watertown Wolves.
In 9 games, he has 2 assists.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner had a college best 2 goals and 5 assists last season.
He came over after 4 years at SUNY Morrisville Mustangs.
From Trenton, ON, the 25-year old must feel good to being playing pro and likely looking to elevate that game.
In 14 FPHL games, he scored 3 goals and 5 assists, then added another 2 points in the playoffs and gets elevated to the SPHL and sign with Macon Mayem to start 2025/2026.
He would only come away with 1 assist in 13 games, so returns to the Wolves and has 1 goal in his 1st game back.
For the start of the new season, he would actually sign with Macon Mayhem and through 13 SPHL games had 1 assist with a 0 rating.
He was put on suspension and ultimately went back to Watertown Wolves, running up point totals to the tune of 3 goals and 7 assists in 7 games with a +5 rating, but they trade him to PeeDee IceCats.
After 4 goals and 9 assists in 30 games with a +18 rating, then adds another 5 points with a +4 in the playoffs, but elects to sign with rivals Columbus River Dragons for 2026/2027.
Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ assistant captain, junior right wing Declan McDonnell(26) had 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 games last season.
He came over from 2 USports‘ seasons at Saint Mary’s University Huskies, where he also scored well.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward has had a wild little run already, doing 4 years OHL, but going pro in the AHL the COVID campaign 2020/2021 with Syracuse Crunch.
Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 7th round pick in the NHL draft (#217 overall) made sense for him to play with the affiliate.
From Buffalo, NY, the 24-year old played his youth hockey in the Jr. Sabres‘ system.
He foregoes a senior year and signs a pro deal with Worcester Railers.
In 9 games, he has a 1st ECHL goal and 2 assists.
He ends up with 1 goal and 4 assists in 11 games and is an easy invite for his rookie season to return as a Railers for 2026/2027.
University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ senior defenseman Thomas Messineo(47) signs a 1st pro deal with Kansas City Mavericks, as tournament play winds down.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner played 3 ECHL before being loaned up to San Jose Barracuda on a pto.
He played 3 AHL games and 1 in the playoffs.
From Westwood, MA, the 24-year old will still need to be signed for 2026/2027.
After his 3-game loan, he scores a 2026/2027 deal for his rookie season with the Barracuda.
6th year right wing Wade Murphy(6) returns to sign with Idaho Steelheads for 2022/2023 after spending the last 3 seasons of pandemic madness away in Norway, Austria and Slovenia, where he managed to capture that country’s 2022 league championship.
The 6′ 194 lbs. forward has 120 games of ECHL experience with decent scoring, but definitely could flatten that +/-.
Originally a Nashville Predators’ 7th round pick in the 2013 draft (#185 overall), he was never signed after an outstanding junior season based on his early college numbers.
He graduated after a 2 season transfer to Arizona State University Sun Devils from University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks with a college career best 9 goals and 11 assists.
The 28-year old from Victoria, BC is a big frame that should be able to score goals almost at will we the right team in this league.
He takes a career high by a mile frame, scoring 21 goals and 22 assists in 54 games with a +38 rating to 20 playoff match ups and another 20 point total.
It’s an absolute no brainer that he receives a new contract to continue wearing a Steelheads‘ jersey for 2023/2024.
He is taking career scoring bests goals, assists, points with him for another foray to test his skills overseas in the tough to play Slovak Extraliga and signs with HC Slovan Bratislava for 2024/2025 and we think does very well here.
Limited to only 10 games last season, he scored 6 goals and 2 assists with a +5 rating and will next skate in the same league for HK Poprad in 2024/2025.
He is seemingly doing ok over there for a couple different teams, but has decided to return to strap on an Idaho jersey yet again.
St. Lawrence University Skating Saints‘ senior, captain defenseman Drake Burgin(26) signs a 1st pro contract with Kansas City Mavericks and in 10 ECHL games, nets 2 goals and 2 assists with a +2 rating.
The 6′ 181 lbs. blue liner scored best as a junior with 7 goals and 13 assists.
From Winnipeg, MB, he did 3 seasons of juniors up there.
The 24-year old has yet to appear in the playoffs and may have not made that roster, but will need a deal for 2025/2026.
He does sign and figures nicely in their push to the Kelly Cup Finals and even got loaned up to the AHL for 1 game.
For 2026/2027, he is actually picked up by Savannah Ghost Pirates in a trade.
