3rd year net minder Stefanos Lekkas(40) takes some pretty impressive regular season ECHL stats to a new outlook, signing for 2022/2023 with Odense Bulldogs of Metal Ligaen.
He tended cage for 4 different clubs over 2021/2022, but seems to find his footing, when he arrived in a late trade to Maine Mariners, posting a 7-4 record with 2 shutouts, a 2.55 GAA and .920 SV%.
A University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ graduate, he looked to survive 4 years, keeping the puck out of the net as much as possible, leaving with a 2.62 and .918 marks.
The 26-year old should do very well on a good team in Denmark’s top hockey league.
Undrafted rookie left wing Jonathan Desbiens(21) signs once again with Maine Mariners for 2021/2022, just as he did in 2020, but the team had to opt out of the season due to COVID restrictions.
He was a fairly prolific scorer in 4 years at Bentley University Falcons, averaging 12 goals and 13 assists and twice hit the 30 point mark.
The Rosemere, QC native did come to play his first junior campaign for Lincoln Stars, getting 6 goals and 4 assists in 48 USHL games, but left fairly quickly agreeing to head to the other side of Canada, signing with West Kelowna Warriors and he had much better success, scoring 27 goals and 27 assists in 54 BCHL games.
This is where he was spotted and agreed to his college, then really blew up the scoring bubble with 44 goals and 39 assists.
We do believe the only 5’9″ 181 lbs., 25-year forward is going to become a scorer in the ECHL.
He ended up leaving his team midway through his rookie season for Ligue Magnus, agreeing to terms with Scorpions de Mulhouse, scoring 10 goals and 14 assists in 22 games, but for his encore signs 2022/2023 with rivals Gothiques d’Amiens.
5th year center Marcus Power(9) leaves for a 2nd time after skating his 3rd season with the only local to home North American team he’s ever signed with, Newfoundland Growlers, who he also won the 2019 Kelly Cup Championship.
His other time overseas, for EV Landshut, he scored new career highs 29 goals and 40 assists in 47 DEL2 games.
The 6′ 185 lbs. forward heads to IceHL for 2022/2023, agreeing with Vienna Capitals.
We do think the 28-year old from St. John’s, NL, who skated three seasons for Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, then headed to 4 years at University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers will definitely make an impression in Austria’s top hockey.
Trent Vogelhuber(13) retired from pro hockey a few years ago and immediately was adopted by Cleveland Monsters to become their assistant coach, a role he’s filled for the last 4 seasons.
He actually had his best campaign for the team, when they were called Lake Erie Monsters, scoring 11 goals and 16 assists in 70 AHL games and helping them win the 2016 Calder Cup.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward was actually a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 7th round pick in the 2007 draft (#211 overall), but didn’t actually sign an NHL contract until after winning the minor league title by Colorado Avalanche.
He skated two sessions with their affiliate before deciding to change sceneries.
The former Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks from right there in Dublin, OH, at 33-years old becomes his team’s newest, 7th all-time head coach.
Undrafted Edmonton, AB defenseman Luke Orysiuk(47) had a pretty stellar senior year at Bentley University Falcons, scoring a college high 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in 26 NCAA Division 1 games to scoring a contract to finish out 2021/2022 with playoff bound Trois-Rivieres Lions.
He took a bit of a long route through junior hockey, starting in the AJHL for a couple of sessions before landing with Fairbanks Ice Dogs and spending 3 years in Alaska, scoring 13 goals (most in the league by a d-man) and 26 assists with a +28 rating in his final season.
The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner also won the 2016 NAHL Robertson Cup Championship in his first year with the club.
In 5 ECHL games, he has a pair of assists and is a +3 rating.
The 24-year old is off to a good start as a pro.
For 2022/2023 and his eventual rookie season, he has decided to head off to Ligue Magnus, signing a 1-year deal with Scorpions de Mulhouse.
He will likely be a big contributed in France’s top hockey.
4th year center Abbott Girduckis(39) leaves an ECHL best season, scoring 18 goals and 28 assists for 46 points with a +4 rating in his 2nd season with Jacksonville Icemen to a new opportunity, signing 2022/2023 to HC Presov.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward twice had 20+ assists as a junior and senior at R.I.T. Tigers. before turning pro with Toledo Walleye, recording 3 goals and 2 assists in 7 ECHL games to earn him a follow-up contract and 1st AHL loan to Cleveland Monsters for no points.
He was loaned again for 6 games with up team, Hartford Wolf Pack last season and pocketed a 1st league goal for himself.
We’re thinking the 26-year old from Belleville, ON comes away with some good totals from his time in Slovakia‘s top hockey.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Liam Pecararo(28) signs for a 2nd season but third overall stint with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
The former 3-year Northeastern University Huskies‘ forward only actually played one season for the school team, just about detonating the stat sheet with 11 goals and 19 assists in 38 Hockey East games as a junior before turning pro with 2 AHL games for Springfield Thunderbirds, getting a 1st assist.
He was re-signed for his rookie campaign, but spent most of his time on reassignment to South Carolina, where he was able to connect for a career high goals (23), assists (21) and points (44).
The 5’11” 185 lbs. pivot was also basically a point-per-game guy with two-year junior team, Waterloo Blackhawks.
After his 2nd USHL season, he agreed to attend University Of Maine Black Bears, but that only lasted one stint before he returned to his junior hockey home in Indiana.
The 25-year old Canton, MA native should have a complete breakout run in 2021/2022, as they play a normal schedule with hopefully zero interruptions.
He does ignite for a career tying 23 goals, new bests 28 assists and 51 points, and will take these to a new opportunity, signing for 2022/2023 in Tipos Extraliga with HC Slovan Bratislava.
It’s likely he’ll do well in Slovakia’s top hockey and very potentially move up the European hockey ladder.
10th year, Finnish-born goaltender Jussi Olkinuora(45) walks away from the 2022 IIHF World Championships with a bunch of awards for the home team, Finland, including MVP, Best GAA, Best Goaltender and a Gold Medal, his 2nd in two years.
He also won a similar award for winning the 2022 Olympics.
The 6’3″ 201 lbs. net minder was undrafted, but quickly signed by Winnipeg Jets upon complete his 2nd season at University Of Denver Pioneers.
He only stayed with them for a pair of seasons, but signed with their new affiliate Manitoba Moose in the following frame, only to be reassigned to Tulsa Oilers for most of the session.
The Helsinki native split for three campaigns in his homeland before accepting an offer to head to the KHL.
He came to life with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, but has decided to play in Switzerland 2022/2023 for EHC Beil-Bienne.
The 31-year old could return on a one-way NHL deal and hit his payday is what we’re looking at.
Tim Wallace(28) will enter his 15th season (excluding two in a row he didn’t play) with a new role for Milton-Keynes Lightning as Player-Coach and continues as Director Of Player Development in the tier 2 NIHL.
The 6’1″ 205 lbs. forward has played 382 AHL games, 105 NHL and even one full season in the ECHL after 3 overseas.
He’s played complete campaigns in Sweden and Germany before arriving in England.
The 37-year old, University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish graduate from Anchorage, AK must be still having a good time to keep it going.
14th year right wing Chad Costello(13) puts up a modest 26 goals and 46 assists for 72 points as a 35-year old playing for Allen Americans, where he was a three-time scoring champ from 2014-2016 and consecutive Kelly Cup winner.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward has skated 375 games in the ECHL, scoring an absolutely massive 172 goals and 389 assists for 561 points with a +78 rating.
He played his rookie and next two seasons in leagues that don’t exist anymore: IHL and Central Hockey League.
The former 2-year Northeastern University Huskies has accepted the duties to become the next head coach of the only Texas team he knows.
