Undrafted, 6th year goaltender Adam Carlson(31) makes the easy decision to return for another, third season to tend net for Rapid City Rush.
He had an ok enough campaign in 2020/2021, but we’re thinking the 6’3″ 190 lbs. back stop will look more like he did when he arrived in 2018/2019.
Originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal by Washington Capitals after coming off just one year of college at Mercyhurst University Lakers, he would mostly be reassigned to ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays.
The 27-year old may have found a pretty solid place to call his hockey home for awhile.
He would spend all of 2021/2022 on the injured reserve list and even ended up as assistant coach on the bench as the frame was wrapping up, but will return to the net for 2022/2023, his 4th in a Rush uniform.
After 35 Rush starts last season, posting an admirable 15-15-2 record with a 3.35 GAA and .897 SV% on a non-playoff team, he has decided maybe that is enough for suiting up for a pro hockey game again and onto a different path.
He was behind the bench when he was injured likely comes with some managerial smarts, so we do believe that’s where we will see him next.
Boston University Terriers‘ absolute tower of a 6’6″ 183 lbs. senior defenseman John Copeland(27) signs a 1st pro deal keeping it all close to his Wellesley, MA home with Worcester Railers of the ECHL for 2023/2024.
He’s only really skated 45 games, registering an assist, although he was a +4 rating player as a senior.
After 4 years at Belmont Hill USHS-Prep and an outstanding senior frame, he played on one year of CCHL juniors for Carleton Place Canadians before heading to school.
Big 6’5″ 218 lbs. right wing Dominic Franco(11) signed with Charlotte Checkers for 2022/2023, skated 49 AHL games, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists with a 0 rating, then added 2 points in 7 playoff matchups with a +3.
When reassigned down to affiliate Florida Everblades, he was essentially a point-per-game player and ran a 10-game point streak.
He first signed 2 minor league contracts with Rochester Americans after completing 4 years at the US Army West Point Black Knights, where he 3 times was good for 10+ goals and 10+ assists in frames.
We still the 27-year old from Scituate, MA is finding his way to the net with more frequency.
For 2023/2024, he signed a 1-year minor league deal with Chicago Wolves.
5th year net minder Charles Williams(1) in his 2nd term with Jacksonville Icemen is off to a good 2-2-1 start with a 2.16 GAA and .919 SV%.
He was decently solid in his first session with the team in 2020/2021.
The 4-year Ferris State University Bulldogs, then transfer portal entry to a graduate year at Canisius College Golden Griffins that really helped him shine with a 21-7-5 record and outstanding 1.82 GAA and .943 SV%.
He’s appeared in 164 ECHL games, posting a 91-53-13 record.
You have to wonder with one more good run, if the 29-year might look overseas for some different kind of ice.
After an overall solid season in net, going 13-14-1 on a win-some-lose-some team, but then holding down for a stellar 1.32 GAA and .952 SV% definitely has him eyeing a return to see if he can’t get the job done for a championship in northern FL.
The 31-year old from Detroit, MI has decided to turn his attention off the ice and agrees to become Goaltending Coach and Director Of Community Hockey Development for the Icemen.
6th year center Ryan Fitzgerald(13) re-signs with Lehigh Valley Phantoms to stay for a 3rd season, after spending all but 4 AHL on the injured reserve in the last frame.
Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#140 overall), the 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward spent 4 years in the system amassing points for their affiliate Providence Bruins.
A huge scorer as a junior at Boston College Eagles, amassing 24 goals and 23 assists in 40 NCAA Division 1 games, he definitely has it in his arsenal to score big as a pro.
The 27-year old from Boca Raton, FL will certainly be one to watch to see if he can play himself up to the highest level, where his dad Tom Fitzgerald played some 1097 NHL games to his credit.
He spent most of last season once again on the injured list, but did manage to appear in 13 games, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist with a +1 rating.
Teams must see the potential in his scoring though, as Utica Comets step in quickly to sign the unrestricted free agent for 2023/2024.
Orlando Solar Bears‘ rookie defenseman Luke McInnis(3) is playing for a club still fighting for their playoff berth in this oddball 2020/2021 ECHL hockey season.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. former Boston College Eagles‘ blue liner has appeared in more than half the games, skating 39, scoring his first pro goal and two assists.
He hasn’t really been able to put up really good numbers since his prep school days and then one year of the USHL with Youngstown Phantoms popping in 22 assists.
The 22-year old, Hingham, MA native, son of former NHL veteran of 794 games, Marty McInnis, who was also his long-time assistant coach at college, is looking to be more stay at home style with on-ice accountability to get noticed.
After scoring a new best 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points in 64 games, he is staying put for a third session in FL, where he’s easily put down roots.
In his 3rd season with his only pro team, he posts a new best 24 assists.
Moving on, he decides it’s time to look elsewhere and signs for 2023/2024 with Indy Fuel on a 1-year contract.
3rd year defenseman Austin Osmanski(6) already has a pretty interesting story in the path that has taken him to his 3rd AHL contract with Springfield Thunderbirds for 2023/2024.
The towering 6’4″ 216 lbs. blue liner from East Aurora, NY started his junior hockey with 4 years in the OHL after being picked in the draft and decided to head that route.
He followed that decent enough run of 258 games with 3 years at University Of Western Ontario Mustangs, where he played the entire 1st USports‘ year, then sat out a COVID interrupted campaign, but skated only 8 games his 3rd semester before deciding to turn pro.
Last season he played 30 games up and only 1 in the ECHL with affiliate Worcester Railers.
The still quite young 25-year old, former Buffalo Sabres‘ 7th round pick in 2016 (#189 overall) was almost oddly not signed, but for all he has done is an interesting watch going forward.
Boston Bruins‘ prospect, center Matt Filipe(17) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal as draft team Carolina Hurricanes (3rd round, 2016, #63 overall) was not showing interest, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The 6’2″ 195 lbs. power forward skated four seasons at Northeastern University Huskies, producing his best output as a senior with a collegiate career tying 9 goals, best 13 assists and 22 points.
He was assigned to affiliate Providence Bruins as their season was getting underway in the new calendar and has picked up 2 goals and 3 assists in 17 AHL games with a +2 rating and he has one game-winning tally.
The 23-year old MA native will undoubtedly play himself into a position where the big club needs to take notice, but that may take just a little bit of seasoning time in the minor league.
After putting up 7 goals and 10 assists as a rookie, the Newton, MA native signs a 1-year, 2-way extension to stay.
He becomes a group 6 UFA upon completion of his 2nd contract and signs a minor league deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2023/2024.
2nd year defenseman Jared Brandt(26) has already surpassed his best goals mark with 3 and looks to eclipse his 7 assists from last season with already 4 in 21 ECHL games this year for Worcester Railers.
The solid 6′ 198 lbs. blue liner graduated from three campaigns at Niagara University Purple Eagles, which follow 1-year at Miami University Ohio Redhawks.
From St. Louis, MO, the 27-year old is definitely a key part to a winning team with a +14 rating.
After a career sophomore year, scoring 3 goals and 11 assists in 56 games with a +6 rating, he becomes trade bait for a forward scorer with more point upside and heads to Kansas City Mavericks for a new start 2023/2024.
11th year right wing Bobby Butler(8) returns to sign for 2022/2023 with hometown club, Worcester Railers after spending 20 ECHL with the team last season, suiting up as he saw fit.
The 6′ 191 lbs. forward has 4 times produced 20+ goals in an AHL season, 32 assists once and as a rookie helped Binghamton Senators capture the Cinderella-like run to the 2011 Calder Cup Championship.
He did not play in 2019/2020 and the follow-up COVID-busted season.
The former University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ senior captain, who blew the lid off scoring that campaign to become a Hobey Baker finalist, has also skated 130 NHL games with 20 goals and 29 assists.
He also head a variety of team positions as he was looking beyond the ice to become Director Of Player Development and even spent a pair of sessions as a volunteer assistant coach at Holy Cross College Crusaders.
The 35-year old obviously is not finished.
He would serve as team captain and score 17 goals and 21 assists in 63 games, so put in a full slate.
That is enough though, as he announce it’s time to retire from the game he loves.
He already has some office experience, so we will wait to see what office he holds.
