Category: Minor League Deal

26Sep

Dajon Mingo (10)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

6th year defenseman/right wing Dajon Mingo(10) signs with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2021/2022.

The former Bowling Green University Falcons‘ skater took 2020/2021 off, as did a lot of good players, but has 267 ECHL games of experience with 31 goals and 89 assists.

He’s only received one 3 game loan up to the AHL (no points).

The small 5’8″ 174 lbs. d-man/forward has definitely had seasons where his scoring increased nicely, like 2018/2019, his 2nd of three campaigns for Jacksonville Icemen (11 goals, 29 assists), sophomore year at college (8-14) and was almost a point-per-game guy with two teams in NAHL junior hockey.

At 31-years old, it’s a little surprising to not see the Canton, MI native take off from some overseas ventures, but he still has time.

25Sep

Rob O’Gara (42)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Free Agent Signing, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

5th year defenseman Rob O’Gara(42) decides to call it a career, just as he accepts the assistant coaching position at his old school, Yale University Bulldogs.

The big 6’4″ 214 lbs. d-man skated 33 NHL games, 11 with draft club Boston Bruins (5th round, 2011, #151 overall), no points and 22 for New York Rangers, who he was traded to in a late season deal.

He got his only points with the Blueshirts, 3 assists.

In 205 AHL games with 5 different clubs, most notably two seasons for Providence Bruins, he has 14 goals and 29 assists, but most notable is his overall +21 rating of in zone accountability.

The 28-year old will likely miss competing on ice for a bit, but his experience will help develop young players.

24Sep

Pat Nagle (35)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

11th year goaltender Pat Nagle(35) has played more AHL games in the last 2 seasons by 8x the previous amount through his 1st 9 years.

It didn’t hurt that he was under contract to one team, Grand Rapids Griffins for the last four campaigns and split duties for the last pair of runs after doing a super job for affiliate Toledo Walleye, whenever he was asked.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. net minder did win a 2012 ECHL Kelly Cup Championship by being stingy with Florida Everblades.

He has started 328 games in the league and posted phenomenal numbers (191-83-33) with 16 shutouts and a 2.59 GAA and .913 SV%.

The former Ferris State University Bulldogs standout signed an NHL entry level deal with Tampa Bay Lightning, but has always played the minors despite always having a winning record, whether it’s through one NAHL year of juniors for St. Louis Bandits, college or pros.

For 2021/2022, the unrestricted free agent signs a 1-year deal with Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but we will see where the 33-year old plays most of his games.

14Sep

Jake Pappalardo (37)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

2-year Holy Cross College Crusaders transfer (from University Of Maine Black Bears), center Jake Pappalardo(37) takes probably his best stats in a severely COVID cut 2020/2021, getting 5 goals and 3 assists in 13 Atlantic Hockey games to a 1-year ECHL deal with Idaho Steelheads.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward spent barely any time in juniors after graduating as 2-year captain at Proctor Academy and quickly entered college play.

He was an absolute scoring stud in high school.

The 25-year old, Salem, NH native is being given a tremendous opportunity with a top team in the league.

13Sep

Brock Trotter (9)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

There could be an argument to be made that 12th year center Brock Trotter(9) would like to play games in as many overseas leagues as possible.

Signing with ASC Corona Brasov Wolves brings that number up to 7.

He’s only returned to one league: the KHL.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward originally left to join the league after skating a pair of games for 1st contract club Montreal Canadiens, but was mostly an elite player for affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

Injuries completely sidelined him for the next pair of seasons, but he fought through to make a return and signed a tryout to return to Russia, but unfortunately did arrive with the same impact he had for Dinamo Riga earlier.

Undeterred, he would move along to sign with IF Bjorkloven and once again found that scoring touch, connecting for a modest 6 goals and 20 assists in 35 HockeyAllsvenskan games.

He would next jump for a short stint with a couple teams in Liiga and did decided well for Oulun Karpat, recording 4 goals and 8 assists in 9 games, but decided to return home.

Signing a tryout with Chicago Wolves, it ended after only 4 AHL games and then he seemingly was to head back to Sweden, but maybe never made it.

He firmly had his sites set on a couple of targets that would do well for his scoring abilities, first signing with Dornbirner EC, blowing up assists to 40 in 41 EBEL games.

The Brandon, MB native didn’t stay in Austria though, moving on to the tougher HKM Zvolen, but reloaded for 46 assists in 51 Tipos Extraliga games.

Almost oddly, he next would agree to terms with Rouen, and it looks like he was admiring the scenario some, although still did ok with 5 goals and 10 assists in 20 Ligue Magnus games.

The 34-year old is going to dominate Hungary/Romanian hockey and that could be the curtain call for the former 3-year University Of Denver Pioneers‘ rock star.

13Sep

Ben Street (9)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

12 year center Ben Street(9) leaves the nest for a first time, signing in 2021/2022 with EHC Munchen of DEL.

He has played a phenomenal 523 AHL games, scoring 173 goals and 266 assists for 439 points with an overall +32 rating.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward has only skated 59 NHL games (3 goals, 6 assists), but has had 7 big league contracts with 5 different teams, maybe most notably Anaheim Ducks, who he scored 3 goals and a pair of assists with.

His first pair of contracts were minor league deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The former two-time University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ captain was also a good point-getter through 4 years of school.

At 34-years old, he may not have much time left to play, so probably decided it was a good time to go adventure.

11Sep

Marcus Power (57)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Toronto Marlies‘ almost ironically signed 4th year center Marcus Power(57) to an AHL deal for 2021/2022.

The 6′ 185 lbs. forward skated 2 seasons for their ECHL affiliate Newfoundland Growlers and won the 2019 Kelly Cup.

He’s basically a point-per-game player through his two seasons in the league (47-60-107, 109 games).

The St. John’s, NL native left in 2020/2021 for EV Landshut and absolutely destroyed scoring for 29 goals and 40 assists in 47 DEL2 games.

He played three seasons with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and flipped the lid off their scoring in his final campaign, potting 31 goals and 78 assists in 61 QMJHL games before heading off to University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers, where he called home for the next four years.

The 28-year old still has a lot of work to do to stay at this level, but could very well do it.

10Sep

Brendan O’Donnell (21)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

7th year center Brendan O’Donnell(21) once again trades out his overseas leagues and teams, agreeing to a 1-year deal with Dusseldorfer EG for 2021/2022.

It seems like he joins a new country’s team, detonates the score sheet and leaves to go elsewhere from the first time he arrived under contract to Kunlun Red Star.

He may have only had limited success in the KHL, but when reassigned down to KRS Heilongjang, scoring 3 goals and 10 assists in 13 VHL games.

Almost exactly like the previous season, he next went on to join KooKoo, but after only 3 Liiga games with no points maybe split from the tryout for Dornbirner EC Bulldogs and scored 33 goals and 20 assists in 43 EBEL games with a +7 rating.

The 6’2″ 197 lbs. former Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#156 overall) almost shockingly never signed.

His first contract was with Florida Everblades after 4 steady years at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

Despite blowing up the scoring in Austria’s top league, he next went to Czech Extraliga and was decently solid, but following it up by heading to Slovakia’s Tipos Extraliga, skating for HC Slovan Bratislava once again elevated his game.

The now 29-year old will have to be on his best game going into DEL, but very well could be a great fit for his style.

09Sep

Johnny Coughlin (11)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

3rd year defenseman Johnny Coughlin(11) continues his tour through ECHL teams and very nicely ends up back with Cincinnati Cyclones, who he played 9 games, scoring 2 goals at the end of 2019/2020.

The big 6’3″ 201 lbs. blue liner first arrived, playing 10 games (4 assists) for Maine Mariners straight out of 4 years at Holy Cross College Crusaders, where he three times had 10+ assists.

His best scoring was during his rookie season with Norfolk Admirals, where he netted 9 goals and 8 assists in 47 games but had a lowly plus/minus.

We think what caught his new team’s attention was last campaign’s showing with Rapid City Rush, in 26 games scored 2 goals and 3 assists, but raised his accountability to a +7 rating.

It’s likely the Fairport, NY native has his best league showing in 2021/2022.

08Sep

Jake Linhart (7)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Undrafted 3rd year defenseman Jake Linhart(7) becomes the first signing with Iowa Heartlanders after taking last season off.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner played a pair of seasons to kick off his pro career for Adirondack Thunder, where as a rookie he scored a career high 8 goals and 22 assists.

He also showed he could be a decent scorer through 4 years at University Of Wisconsin Badgers, averaging 10+ assists in his last three campaigns.

The 25-year old will likely continue to add to those stats with his new ECHL team.