After splitting 2020/2021 under AHL contract to Utica Comets with affiliate Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 2nd year right wing Shawn Cameron(15) accepts a new deal from Springfield Thunderbirds for 2021/2022.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward was a top scorer, especially as a senior at Rochester Institute Of Technology Tigers, scoring 18 goals and 11 assists in 36 Atlantic Hockey games.
He was also a sniper in a pair of CCHL seasons, especially the 2nd set with Cumberland Grads, as he connected for 40 goals and 51 assists in 61 games.
The soon-to-be 26-year old from Sherbrooke, QC should step up nicely for his new club.
He was mostly reassigned down for 36 games (3 goals, 5 assists), but did play a pair in the upper league and got 2 assists and was a +2 rating.
For his 3rd pro season, he has made the decision to head off and skate for Fife Flyers in 2022/2023.
He should be able to connect more with the scoresheet in the EIHL.
Undrafted center Terrence Wallin(92) retired after 5 seasons, skating his last couple with Maine Mariners.
The 6′ 181 lbs. forward became an assistant coach of the team a year after he hung up the skates.
Fortunes in front of him, had the current coach move on to a new position and the former UMass-Lowell Riverhawks is named the new head coach starting 2022/2023.
The 30-year old will likely be great in his new role for the twice ECHL 20+ goal and 20+ assists scorer.
Hartford Wolf Pack undrafted rookie center James Sanchez(12) took the first month of the weirdo 2021 season to decide to sign after a crazy run through a couple of colleges split by a third frame of juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL.
The pretty good size 6’2″ 194 lbs. forward really managed to put up some numbers as a junior at Arizona State University.
He scored 10 goals and 30 assists in 40 NCAA Division 1 games.
That came right after that 3rd visit to junior hockey, where he came alive for the exact 40 points, but as 16 goals and 24 assists.
In just 8 AHL games last seasons, he popped 2 tallies and 3 helpers.
The 23-year old re-ups for a full rookie season run in Connecticut.
He would spend most of his 1st year reassigned to affiliate Jacksonville Icemen, where he got 8 goals and 15 assists in 43 ECHL games, then another 2 tallies in 6 playoff matchups.
For 2022/2023, the Northbrook, IL native signs kind of close to home with Iowa Heartlanders.
Undrafted rookie left wing Brendan van Riemsdyk(26) is the younger brother of two famous hockey players (James & Trevor), but has started his pro career at a much lower level than either sibling.
After finishing up his college career with a year at Northeastern University Huskies, then entering the transfer portal from University of New Hampshire Wildcats for his final year, he initially signed with Reading Royals over the summer, but when they decided not to play the 2020/2021 season, agreed to head to Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL.
It’s likely he just wanted to find a place where they were going to try to play as much as possible to continue work on his game and way up.
At 6’4″ 225 lbs. he’s an extra large body, so when he gets his chance at the next rung, should be able to produce numbers just standing in front of the net, pocketing rebounds.
The 25-year old should find a good spot for 2021/2022, and signs on the dotted line with the team he was scheduled to skate for last season.
He shot for 5 goals and 6 assists with a +3 rating for his team of 2020/2021.
We shall see how he sets up in the ECHL.
In all eventuality he ends up skating most of last season for Wichita Thunder, scoring 6 goals and 6 assists in 36 games to earn a look from 2022 Kelly Cup Champions, Florida Everblades for 2022/2023.
2nd year center Patrick Shea(27) re-ups to stay with Maine Mariners for 2022/2023 after posting a decent rookie frame with 15 goals and 16 assists in 60 ECHL games, but certainly a cruddy -13 rating.
The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward turned pro after spending 4 years at nearby University Of Maine Black Bears.
He also was loaned up to the AHL for 2 games with Springfield Thunderbirds, coming away with a pair of assists and a +2 rating.
The 25-year old from Marshfield, MA should see his game continue to improve.
After 8 years of pro hockey, center Jared Gomes(20) took the 2020/2021 COVID year off, but quickly stepped into coaching and joined up with an under version of the last team he played OHL with, Missisauga.
A veteran of 189 AHL games, scoring 28 goals and 31 assists, he also has 130 games of experience in both German leagues, DEL and DEL2.
It certainly didn’t take him long to solidify a 1st real assistant coaching job, as Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL step in to offer him a contract for 2022/2023.
The 33-year old, former University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers from Brampton, ON will no doubt be great in his new role and jumps in on the 1st rung of the ladder.
4th year defenseman Kevin McKernan(6) re-ups to stay with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2021/2022.
In a short 7 ECHL game stint with the team, he picked up 3 assists with a +5 rating.
After 4 years at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, he signed an ato with Fort Wayne Komets, but switched for his rookie season to South Carolina Stingrays, where his scoring bests still stand at 6 goals and 22 assists with a +9 rating.
He followed that season up strong with Kansas City Mavericks. and even had 8 assists in 26 games with Jacksonville Icemen before getting traded to his current team.
The 27-year old from Grafton, MA is likely to continue his assist production that will likely land him a look from an AHL club.
He finishes 2021/2022 with 2 goals and 7 assists in 62 games, but maybe his 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 playoff contests was the factor that gets him a 1-year deal to return for his 5th pro season.
Undrafted 4th year defenseman Kelly Summers(27) takes a good season 2020/2021 with Eispiraten Crimmitschau, scoring 6 goals and 22 assists in 42 DEL2 games, but decided to sit out 2021/2022 and signs for 2022/2023 with Nottingham Panthers of EIHL.
The 6’1″ 191 lbs. blue liner played well in 2 years with Adirondack Thunder, amassing 24 points twice with a combined +33 rating in 93 ECHL games that included a 9 games AHL loan to Binghamton Devils, where he scored a goal.
He also did well at 4 years with Clarkson University Golden Knights, achieving a senior best 6 goals and 24 assists in 40 NCAA Division 1 games with a +19.
The 26-year old from Golden Lake, ON should do well in this league.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ graduate transfer from 4 years at University Of Connecticut Huskies, center Brian Rigali(10) signs a 1st ECHL deal with Worcester Railers for 2022/2023.
The small 5’8″ but stocky 185 lbs. forward had a college career best 12 goals and 14 assists in 32 NCAA Division 1 games.
We think the 25-year old from Green Oaks, Il find his spots to score as a rookie.
5th year defenseman Garrett Johnson(48) is branching out for 2022/2023, signing a 1-year deal with Coventry Blaze of the EIHL.
The very decently sized 6’2″ 194 lbs. blue liner has played his way up from signing his 1st pro deal with Birmingham Bulls, playing 21 games, getting 1 goal and 12 assists with a +5 rating to get loaned up to Newfoundland Growlers.
He would remain with the team, scoring 2 goals and 17 assists in 39 ECHL games, then adding another 7 points with a +6 in 23 games on the way to the 2019 Kelly Cup Championship.
The Winnipeg, MB native would continue to sign, where he won and even score a pair of AHL loans for games.
He did one year at University Of Manitoba Bisons after completing 3 years of QMJHL.
At 27-years old, this league could be a launching pad for further other good overseas endeavors.
