2nd year in Florida Panthers‘ system (6th overall), left wing Ryan Lomberg(94) gets a new contract extension for a couple more seasons after opening 2021/2022 with 2 goals and 3 assists in 14 NHL games with a +5 rating.
The scrappy 5’9″ 187 lbs. forward started his pro career on a minor league deal and even was sent to the ECHL for most of his rookie session to Adirondack Thunder, putting up close to point-per-game production, then helping the playoff push with more strikes.
He spent the entirety of his sophomore campaign up in the AHL, scoring 13 goals and 16 assists with a +15 in 68 games to gain final notice of the parent club, Calgary Flames, who signed him to a 2-year entry deal with a one year follow-up.
He received some big league time and had an assist, but couldn’t hang on with the parent club.
The 2-year University Of Maine Black Bears’ averaged close to 10 goals while he was there, but in an almost oddball move, left and returned to become captain of Youngstown Phantoms for another run through the USHL before turning pro.
While not exactly a fighter, he has gotten into some scraps with guys much bigger than him, which shows disregard but a level of balls for sure.
As an unrestricted free agent, he waited right up until the start of the new season before agreeing to terms, but almost oddly played entirely up in the show.
The 26-year old has to laugh a little at the ride he’s taken to make it stick.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 4th round pick in the 2016 draft (#99 overall), 3rd year left wing Brett Murray(57) played his first season under the guide of the parent club on an AHL contract with affiliate Rochester Americans.
The kinda giant 6’5″ 228 lbs., former year and a half Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ forward posted 9 goals in each of his first two seasons and 10+ assists before dropping a goal and 7 assists in 6 games in the current frame to earn a 2nd recall.
In his first re-appearance, he failed to connect in a win, but had an assist the next night and topped it with a two point, first NHL goal and an assist performance in a loss that should have earned him a third star award.
The Bolton, ON native took an interesting path from a first year at juniors, directingly into a first year at college hockey, but only stayed one run before returning to Youngstown Phantoms to absolutely detonate the stat sheet with a league best 41 goals and 35 assists with a +13 rating.
That was basically all the now 23 year old needed to turn pro and now he’s looking at some extended time up.
Undrafted 4th year 6’1″ 209 lbs. center tower Nic Pierog(61) decides to head for some new kind of hockey, signing with HKM Zvolen of Slovak Extraliga for 2021/2022.
The former two-time Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ captain always keeps it exciting on the ice and maybe what he had yet to develop scoring in college, he’s definitely a new kind of player as a pro.
Through 179 ECHL games, he’s popped in 78 goals and 56 assists.
He would end up signing an AHL deal with Springfield Thunderbirds after agreeing to head off, but aside from one appearance played 4 games for Worcester Railers (2 goals, 2 assists), but is now set to head to some tougher hockey in the top Slovakian league.
12th year veteran defenseman Jared Nightingale(3) retired after 1 game for Quad City Mallards and went on to take the assistant coach reins at Omaha Lancers of the USHL.
The big 6’3″ 205 lbs. blue liner has skated 472 AHL games, 202 ECHL after 4 years at Michigan State University Spartans.
He sort of followed a bit of a pattern coaching, two years in US juniors, two OHL and then adopted to coach a team he’d played 67 games for as team captain, Rockford Icehogs.
The 39-year old from Jackson, MI has to have a little smile on his face.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Alex Thow(3) started 2021/2022 with 6 Tipos Extraliga games for HKM Zvolen, but was unable to connect, so decided to leave and signs with Nottingham Panthers.
The former 4-year Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ blue liner was always a + player, graduating with a +30 rating and posting a college career best 8 goals and 18 assists as a senior before signing an AHL ato with Utica Comets.
He would sign an extension over the summer to stay, but was reassigned to Kalamazoo Wings, where he spent the entirety of his rookie campaign, scoring ECHL bests 7 goals and 22 assists.
The 6’1″ 200 lbs. 26-year old d-man from East York, ON will likely do very well in the EIHL.
12th year left wing Jerry D’Amigo(9) played his hockey closer to home during the pandemic 2020/2021, signing with Orlando Solar Bears, doing ok scoring 10 goals and 16 assists in 52 ECHL games with a 3 AHL game loan to Colorado Eagles.
The 5’11” 201 lbs. forward leaves once again, rejoining DEL, but switch allegiances, agreeing to terms with Dusseldorfer EG for 2021/2022.
In 10 games, he has 3 goals and 1 assist with a +1 rating, so the 30-year old is still off and running.
The Binghamton, NY native had an interesting run through juniors and college hockey before turning pro.
He started with 2 years in the USDP program before agreeing to college at RPI Engineers, where he put up point-per-game numbers before signing his 3-year entry level deal.
A Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#158 overall), he was reassigned as a rookie to affiliate Toronto Marlies.
He would pot a decent 5 goals and 10 assists in 43 AHL games, but was sent to Kitchener Rangers to play out the remainder of the season in the OHL and blew up the stat sheet.
The 30-year old has only skated 31 NHL games with a goal and 2 assists to his credit, but has to be just still enjoying his time on ice and what he’s still able to accomplish.
For his 10th pro season, veteran of 275 NHL games, Brian Flynn(10) comes home to sign a 1-year deal with New Jersey Devils, and has him reassigned to affiliate Utica Comets, after spending the past pair of seasons overseas, mostly with HC Ambri-Piotta, wrapping up 33/34 points in his time in the NL.
He also skated 13 games for EV Zug after leaving 21 AHL games for San Antonio Rampage and ended up claiming victory of the 2019 Swiss Cup.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. was never much of a scorer in the big league, mostly a fourth line grinder wearing opponents down.
Undrafted, after graduating from 4 years at University Of Maine Black Bears, where he was a huge hit for points, signed a 1-year entry level deal with Buffalo Sabres and split time between the big club and affiliate Rochester Americans.
The 33-year old is rolling nicely with 2 goals and an assist in 4 games to start 2021/2022, and is likely a great person to have in the locker room and on the bench.
Undrafted 7th year defenseman Ryan Johnston(89) switches up top overseas leagues for a third time, landing in Finland with Liiga, signing a 1-year deal for HPK.
The former 3-year Colgate University Raiders‘ blue liner started his pro career on a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Montreal Canadiens that led to 10 games over two seasons, but no qualifying offer to stay.
From there, he departed for a pair of campaigns in the SHL.
The 5’10” 179 lbs. blue liner maybe somewhat oddly returned for 2019/2020, signing a 1-year AHL deal with San Diego Gulls.
He left for Germany during the pandemic, signing with Iserlohn Roosters and doing quite well with 3 goals and 10 assists in 17 DEL games with a +7 rating.
The 29-year old is off to a bit of a hot start with 4 assists in 9 games to start 2021/2022 and could find a good league to play out his career in.
Rookie center Brent Beaudoin(12) finally gets a full schedule crack at pro hockey.
After graduating from 4 years at Brown University Bears, he skated 1 ECHL game, signed to an ato by Worcester Railers and he scored a goal and an assist, leaving the game with a +2 rating.
He, like his team decided to sit 2020/2021, and returns, grabbing an assist with a +3 rating in the team’s home opener.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward took an interesting route lighting up lower levels of junior hockey before agreeing on a school, and now becoming what looks like a solid skater in one of the top leagues.
Undrafted rookie right wing Jake Coleman(29) took 2020/2021 off after graduating a COVID shortened, no playoff season with Robert Morris University Colonials.
He did initially agree to a deal with Worcester Railers, but then they decided not to play.
The small 5’8″ 165 lbs. forward signs with South Carolina Stingrays for 2021/2022 to get his pro career going.
He got a college career high 9 goals and 12 assists with a +8 rating as a senior.
The Pittsburgh, PA native scored pretty effectively through youth hockey and in his first year of juniors for Keystone Ice Miners with 30 points (5-25) in 55 NAHL games, but wasn’t as effective in the follow-up campaign with Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.
We do expect the 24-year old to connect pretty regularly in the ECHL.
