3rd year defenseman Jake Massie(56) signs a 1-year ECHL deal with South Carolina Stingrays for 2021/2022 after not being qualified when his 2-year NHL entry level deal to Florida Panthers expired.
He signed as an unrestricted free agent after leaving after three years at University Of Vermont Catamounts, but completing his degree before he left.
While mostly spending time with then affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds as a rookie, he was only able to get in roughly half the regular season slate of games, despite getting 3 goals and 2 assists in 29 AHL games with a +2 rating.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner was reassigned for all of his sophomore campaign to Greenville Swamp Rabbits from Syracuse Crunch, who became the default affiliate during the faulty 2020/2021.
He was originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#156 overall), and played only one year of junior hockey with Omaha Lancers, recording 10 points in 44 USHL games.
It seems like the 24-year old from St. Lazare, QC is still playing himself on an upper level radar, but may find better waters elsewhere.
After 10 years of playing 310 AHL with 6 different teams and 71 NHL games for 2 (New York Rangers & Minnesota Wild), Stu Bickel(4) hung up the skates a few years ago and quickly took to coaching.
The extra large 6’4″ 207 lbs. defenseman started with two years as a Undergraduate Assistant Coach with his former college team of only one season University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
He moved on from there to become Head Coach, then Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Magicians, playing in the NAHL.
That lasted for the single 2020/2021 session, and recently he was named assistant coach for Springfield Thunderbirds, a team who is very familiar with him from having to skate against for a great many years.
The 34-year old has elevated himself to a nice new level but we see how long the Chanhassen, MN native stays.
Undrafted, 7th year net minder C.J. Motte(30) circles back to rejoin Coventry Blaze after playing a much smaller 2020/2021 schedule closer to home on return with Allen Americans and on loan to Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
He was last in the EIHL after a somewhat unsuccessful run in EBEL with HC Innsbruck.
The 6′ 185 lbs. has played net in 22 AHL games and 155 ECHL posting very decent numbers in both leagues.
It’s likely the 29-year old, former Ferris State University Bulldogs‘ senior captain, who did very well in four years at school, will be well at home playing in the United Kingdom again.
8th year defenseman Kevin Gravel(25) was no stranger to an AHL contract, having signed his first pro deal with Manchester Monarchs in 2014/2015 that led to a 2015 Calder Cup trophy before agreeing to 2-year entry deal with parent club Los Angeles Kings.
He inked another last season with a club, Bakersfield Condors, he spent 5 games with on loan from Edmonton Oilers and appeared in 37 games, getting a goal and 7 assists, then adding another pair of helpers in 6 playoff contests.
The former, 4 year, senior captain at St. Cloud State University Huskies has caught the eye of Calgary Flames, who put him under contract for 2021/2022, and the veteran could see significant time in the show on a team that has some needs to fill.
Toledo Walleye undrafted, 6th year left wing Shane Berschbach(10) has decided after spending last year on the sidelines as his club suspended operations in 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions, and he’s recently reached his 30th birthday, to suspend operations on playing hockey.
The 5’11” 165 lbs. forward spent 376 ECHL games with his one club, scoring a hefty, team leading 117 goals and 278 assists for 395 points with a +75 rating.
You also have to love he scored an exact equal 20 goals and 43 assists in his final two frames ’18/19, ’19/20, which seems like a perfect way to leave it.
That’s a pretty huge lift for the one-time Western Michigan University Broncos, who also connected big in college with 117 points (39-78) in 146 NCHC games with a +27.
We hope he puts his degree earned to good use, but see him as a perfect coaching fit somewhere.
Undrafted 4th year defenseman Garrett Cecere(29) circles back to re-sign with Reading Royals after a year away in which they had to decide not to play hockey in 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions, but was scheduled to re-join them, ended up taking residence for a decent enough 25 ECHL game season with Tulsa Oilers with no goals but a new high 8 assists.
He once posted 20 assists in 24 games for Sioux City Stampede during his 2nd year of juniors.
The small 5’8″ 165 lbs. d-man first attended Colorado College prior to his first year with Janesville Jets, potting a healthy 24 assists in 52 NAHL games.
He would leave college early in his 2nd season to hook back up with his USHL team from SD.
The 26-year old Wes Demoines, IA native was also super solid for helpers in Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U and 16U AAA.
We’re thinking the eventual Northeastern University Huskies blue liner should see his best pro numbers in a campaign that’s hopefully just 100% straight ahead.
Undrafted 6th year center Nick Saracino(13) decides it’s time to head off for a great, new option, signing a 1-year deal with HKM Zvolen of Slovakia Extraliga.
After 4 very good years at Providence College Friars (46-70) in 145 Hockey East games with a mammoth +43 rating, he played his first 7 games for Iowa Wild, pocketing a 1st AHL goal and assist and then signing for his rookie campaign.
He only appeared in 33 games in his first season, so went unsigned and agreed to terms with a young Worcester Railers‘ club for a first full ECHL affair.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. always plays full throttle finds his scoring footing in the lower league and would next move onto a one-year deal on a trade to Wheeling Nailers and really popped the bubble with 17 goals and 20 assists in 27 games with a +17 rating.
This show would earn him a contract from Binghamton Devils, where he looked to make more sense, grabbing 6 goals and 4 assists in 38 games.
He returned to become captain of his PA club for a 2nd run, and although only good to go for 31 games, still scored at a great pace (8-15-23).
During the COVID stunted 2020/2021, he first was to play for South Carolina Stingrays, but they suspended, so decided to head to FL for a run with Jacksonville Icemen, and as it turned out, playing the somewhat weirdo schedule was his best production yet with a career high 18 goals and 27 assists for 43 points, the 29-year old says later on, going to find some Slovak hockey for myself.
Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Jon Lizotte(55) takes a pair of pretty decent minor league deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a new one-year, two-way deal with Minnesota Wild, that will no doubt see him reassigned to affiliate Iowa Wild.
The 6′ 210 lbs. blue liner had a career high 19 assists as a rookie and a +16 rating.
He managed 3 goals and 6 assists in a shortened 32 AHL in 2020/2021 weirdo season.
The former St. Cloud State University Huskies‘ d-man left with a mammoth +47 rating through 4 years and was also rock solid through 2 seasons of the NAHL for Minot Minotauros.
We think his first major contract club sees the 26-year old, Grand Forks, ND native as starting to arrive.
6th year defenseman Reece Wilcox(44) leaves after spending most of 2020/2021 on loan from contract club Florida Everblades of the ECHL to Hershey Bears.
The big 6’4″ 205 lbs. blue liner has played 259 AHL games, recording 12 goals and 59 assists, 3 times having 10+ helper seasons.
Originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 5th round pick in the 2012 draft (#141 overall), the Surrey, BC native played his junior hockey in the BCHL, spending two years with Merritt Centennials before committing to Cornell University Big Red.
He was team captain as a senior and upon graduation took up with affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms, skating his first 6 pro games, scoring a first goal and 2 assists.
The 27-year old will next embark on a new adventure, signing with HC Pustertal of IceHL and could do exceedingly well in this Austrian league.
8th year, undrafted center Allan McPherson(91) wins his 1st league title, the 2021 Slovakian Extraliga Championship, recording a Playoffs Most Points nod for the 20 he got with HKM Zvolen to a new league contract with rivals HC Kosice for 2021/2022.
He averaged 10+ goals and 15+ assists through 150 NCAA Division 1 Atlantic Hockey games with Clarkson University Golden Knights and was a point-per-game guy in three years of the CCHL.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward was also scored big in the ECHL with 134 points through 128 games with a +35 rating.
He’s easily as prolific where he currently is and there’s little doubt the 30-year old will not be for his new club.
