Category: Minor League Deal

07Mar

Sam Best (33)

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UMASS-Boston Beacons‘ graduate goaltender Sam Best(33) posted a 1-0 shutout against the #13 nationally ranked Norwich University Cadets in a major D3 upset for his 2nd blanking of the season.

Earlier in the year, they lost a 4-3 tilt in Northfield, VT to the team, so maybe this was them thinking we can beat this team and getting it done.

The 5’10” 161 lbs. net minder did 1 season at American International College Yellowjackets, but started no games and entered the transfer portal to come to his new school, where the 25-year old, Woburn, MA native has started 64 games with a winning record and 2.66 GAA and .904 SV%.

He finishes up what has been a stellar 4 years at school and signs a 1st pro deal with Macon Mayhem and should be tending his 1st SPHL imminently.

06Mar

Logan vande Meerakker (15)

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Alvernia University Golden Wolves‘ senior defenseman Logan vande Meerakker(15) scored a phenomenal 14 goals and 19 assists in 27 games with a +24 rating.

The 6′ big 214 lbs. forward transferred as a junior from 2 years at Norwich University Cadets.

He takes his size and D3 college experience to a 1st pro deal with Fayetteville Marksmen.

The 24-year old from Dieppe, NB did 3 years junior with Pictou County Crushers.

01Mar

Ben Finkelstein (28)

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Boston College Eagles‘ 2nd year defenseman (transferred from St. Lawrence) Ben Finkelstein(28) is off to a hot start as a rookie with his new club, Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

In 18 ECHL games, he’s grabbed 4 goals from the point and 13 assists with a solid +4 rating on a team that has been somewhat of a discovery mode for this odd season.

The 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner could easily gain a look on loan to an AHL team.

Through 35 games as a rookie, he scored 11 goals and 21 assists with a +11 rating, and got signed up by Toronto Marlies, but played the entire 2021/2022 frame with Newfoundland Growlers, where he equaled his 11 goals, but exploded his assists to a league best 51.

His good play has given him a new AHL deal with Iowa Wild for 2022/2023, but we doubt he’ll be assigned lower for his sophomore effort.

After managing his way into only 6 games with his new team, recording 1 assist, he has decided to push off and join Vienna Capitals for the remainder of the season, and we think the d-man’s game will be well-suited for Austria’s top league, the IceHL.

He scores 10 goals and 14 assists in 23 games to earn a new deal with Eisbären Berlin and is heading to Germany to play in DEL.

After 15 assists in 37 games, the 26-year old decides to retire, based on personal reasons that we are sure will surface eventually, but it’s a sad day for the former Eagles.

29Feb

Brent Rickett (5)

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Johnson & Wales University Wildcats 2nd year senior captain, center Brent Rickett(5) grabbed himself a 1st collegiate hat trick in a recent 6-4 non-conference win.

The 6′ 185 lbs. forward came over from playing few games at Norwich University Cadets.

He was a huge scorer his 2nd junior season, 1st with Boston Jr. Rangers for 30+ goals and assists in 45 EHL games.

From Portland, ME, he is a good leader with his college team.

Upon finishing up his college career, he signs a 1st pro contract with Ronoake Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL and will get started.

21Feb

Matt Tennyson (7)

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10th year defenseman Matt Tennyson(7) has appeared in NHL games now 9 of 10 years playing professional hockey, as he just gets his first summons from new 2-year contract club, Nashville Predators.

In his 2021/2022 debut, he skated 18 shifts for 12:50 of total ice time, with one assist, 2 penalty minutes, 2 hits, 1 giveaway and left a 5-2 win a +1 rating, which he followed up with a 2 assist appearance, giving him 3 helpers and a +2 since his return.

He has appeared in 168 games in the big league.

The 6’2″ 203 lbs. blue liner spent 3 years at Western Michigan University Broncos before signing his entry level deal with San Jose Sharks, where he stayed in the system for 4 campaigns.

He has also played 335 AHL games to his credit, and had a healthy 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 games prior to his recall.

The 31-year old probably has a little smile on his face that he still gets to do this.

For 2022/2023, he signs a minor league deal with Coachella Valley Firebirds, putting him pretty close to where he started his pro career in San Jose Sharks and close to home.

He will be an awesome leader here.

No doubt, he shines in his new role and scores a career high 18 assists, helping take his young squad all the way to the Calder Cup Finals.

He decides to wait a long while before making a new decision, where to turn next and at 33-years old he will test the waters overseas, signing with HC Lugano of NL for the remainder of the 2024.

18Feb

Brandon Osmundson (25)

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Rookie right wing Brandon Osmundson(25) was loaned up to Norfolk Admirals from Huntsville Havoc, where he tipped their scoring sheet to the tune of 9 goals and 4 assists in 16 SPHL games with a +6 rating.

The small 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward has 6 goals and 10 assists in 26 ECHL games with a +8, so looks to be flirting with the devil and solidifying his spot on the upper league squad.

He did 4 years at Utica College Pioneers, scoring 10+ goals and 20+ assists in freshman and junior frames after coming off a 60 assist USPHL Premier frame for Hampton Roads Whalers, a team he plays a lot of his youth hockey for.

Settling in nicely for 39 games for the home team of the Chesapeake, VA native, he manages a very good 9 goals and 20 assists with a +20 rating to gain an invite back for a full season in an Admirals‘ uniform.

10Feb

Brian Bowen (21)

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Undrafted 4th year right wing Brian Bowen(21) re-signs with Fayettesville Marksmen for 2021/2022 after spending last season away with rivals Macon Mayhem.

The 6′ 220 lbs. forward had his best scoring frame with the team in 2019/2020, pocketing 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points with a +27 rating in 46 SPHL games.

He also didn’t do so badly in the one weirdo 2020/2021 session away (18-12-30 in 28 games +16).

The former 3-year University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ initially left school and joined Worcester Railers for 11 ECHL games, getting 3 goals and an assist.

He’s been loaned up a couple of times since but hasn’t produced any more points in short activity.

There’s little doubt the 25-year old, Littleton, MA (that’s where we grew up) native, big body presence destroys scoring in the league he’s in and has received contracts and looks but it may just take one more season to secure that spot, if he even wants it.

Didn’t even take for the new 2021/2022 season to start and he gets recruited by Utah Grizzlies and will likely do very well.

In his rookie season in the upper league, he has a tidy 20 goals and 20 assists, but gets traded late in the frame to Orlando Solar Bears, who need to shore up their playoff spot before they look to go deep.

He will return where he finished last frame in Orlando but has been reassigned down to return to Fayettesville Markmen, where he has a goal in 3 games.

He blew up scoring in the lower league and was eventually loaned up to Norfolk Admirals, where he would get 14 goals and 5 assists in 25 games to prove himself worthy of a full look for 2023/2024.

Back in Worcester, he really wasn’t doing much through 6 games, so gets waived and immediately claimed by Reading Royals, who think they can turn the corner with him.

04Feb

Austin Rook (2)

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Long Island University Sharks‘ graduate defenseman Austin Rook(2) turns pro with the team right up the road from the 1st college he attended, Skidmore College Thoroughbreds, signing to Adirondack Thunder.

In 3 ECHL games he has no points.

In his senior year at his 1st college, he pulled off 8 goals and 14 assists in 23 games.

He 3 times has 10+ assists.

The 6’2′ 205 lbs. blue liner has definitely shown the potential to put up assist points.

26-years old from Shrewsbury, MA you know he’ll fight for every inch.

He takes a moment, but will return to Glens Falls, NY to continue his game.

03Feb

Hayden Shaw (82)

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Undrafted 4th year defenseman Hayden Shaw(82) takes 3 AHL contracts for Manitoba Moose and solid play in the ECHL for Trois-Riveries Lions last season, scoring 6 goals and 17 assists with a +5 in 33 games, then added another 5 points in 7 playoff contests to a 1-year deal with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of DEL for 2022/2023.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. blue liner is an accountable force, maintaining a +33 rating through 4 years at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

A Woodbury, MN native, the26-year old should do well in Germany’s top league.

In 46 games, he puts in 7 goals and 11 assists, which is good enough to secure him another year for the Ice Tigers.

He is liked in the town of Germany and signs up to stay through 2024/2025 and be an Ice Tigers.

02Feb

Nolan Vesey (11)

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3rd year center Nolan Vesey(11) is off to his best start with a pair of goals and an assist in 5 ECHL games with new contract club, Worcester Railers.

The North Reading, MA native sort came home to a degree, signing with the close to home team for 2021/2022.

A one-time Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round pick in the 2014 draft (#158 overall), he was chosen after an exceptional one year of junior hockey for South Shore Kings USPHL Premiere team, and then went on to attend University Of Maine Black Bears for 4 seasons, but never signed.

He was three times a 10+ goals and 10+ assists player in Hockey East.

The 6′ 185 lbs., 26-year old forward seems to be a bit of an underachiever, considering his brother Jimmy is a full-time NHL skater.

After throwing in a career high by a long shot 12 goals and 28 assists with a +13 rating in 62 games as assistant captain last season and a 3-game loan up to Springfield Thunderbirds, he decides to stick around in central MA for a 2nd run.

He posts a career best 13 goals last season in the lower league, but his eyes are open for opportunities leading in his next stage and he maybe a tiny bit oddly late signs with DVTK Jegesmedvek of Erste Liga for the remainder of the frame.