Category: Minor League Deal

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.

8th year left wing Kellen Jones(11) returns from three successful seasons overseas, most recently playing his 2nd stint  for Vasterviks IK of HockeyAllsvenskan to sign with Fort Wayne Komets for 2021/2022.

Undrafted, he’s worked his way up from an pair of ECHL contracts to playing a pair of seasons under an AHL deal to Bridgeport Sound Tigers before splitting.

The former two-time Quinnipiac University Bobcats assistant captain was a pretty big scorer through 4 years of college.

Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 7th round pick in the 2010 draft (#207 overall), he managed to only sign with their affiliate Oklahoma City Barons.

The 31-year old should put up some nice totals for his new team, who he joins with identical twin brother, Conner Jones.

After putting up a career high 47 assists and 59 points with a +19 rating, he has decided it’s time to move on, so retires from the game at his peak. Way to be.

Army West Point Black Knights‘ senior, right wing captain Eric Butte(19) signed an ato to join Kansas City Mavericks.

In 3 ECHL games, he was unable to secure any points.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward scored a college career high 11 goals and tied his 17 points in 2021/2022.

A Belmont, MA native, he went north for 2 years of junior hockey with Langley Rivermen for 109 BCHL games.

It wouldn’t be tough to see the 24-year old pick up a contract for 2022/2023, if he wants one.

After 17 seasons with the last three played in the top German league, DEL, Chris Bourque(17) announces that it’s time to hang up the skates.

He’s a veteran of 794 AHL games, scoring a quite impressive 251 goals and 495 assists with a +63 rating, 51 NHL games, 3 Hershey Bears’ Calder Cup Championships, 6 All-Star game appearances, twice most points, once most assists, one regular season MVP and once Playoff MVP.

The 5’8″ 176 lbs. forward worked for everything he ever got.

At 36-years old, we’re sure the former 1-year Boston University Terriers‘ d-man will find something good to do.

 

University Of New England College Nor’easters‘ graduate defenseman Chris Jones(2) took 5 years of solid scoring with a deep NCAA D3 tournament run to a 2-way deal with Indy Fuel.

He skated only a single ECHL game, and left a 6-2 win with a +1 rating before being sent to Knoxville Ice Bears.

In 2 SPHL games, he scored a 1st goal and was a +1 before entering into the postseason, where he picked up another assist before exiting.

He played 5 seasons of junior hockey, mostly for Wenatchee Wild, finishing up in the BCHL.

The 5’11” 190 lbs., Seattle, WA blue liner could most definitely latch on with another good team to start his rookie year 2022/2023.

RPI Engineers‘ graduate goaltender Linden Marshall(40) went out into the world as an undrafted, unrestricted free agent and signed up with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The 6’3″ 194 lbs. net minder played roughly 8 minutes in a relief effort, saving 8 without letting one in.

He was just under a week later scoped by Cleveland Monsters and signed to an ato.

The 23-year old from Victoria, BC is off to a nice start.

9th year defenseman Mark Alt(3) gets traded in a minor league deal, going from San Jose Barracuda to Rochester Americans.

The big 6’4″ 201 lbs. blue liner has played 456 AHL games.

Originally a Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#53 overall) traded to Philadelphia Flyers, as he was a junior at University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

He quickly signed a 3-year entry level deal.

The Kansas City, MO native has played under NHL contract for 5 different team, but only appeared in 20 games.

He’s definitely more of a stay-at-home d-man, but has struck for 20 assists once and 10+ 3 times.

It would definitely almost be a no-brainer for the 30-year old to look overseas for some different kind of fun and a next good contract to play under.

Providence College Friars‘ graduate center Kohen Oleschefski(51) signs a 1st pro deal with Rochester Americans for the remainder of 2021/2022.

He’s coming off a solid session, where his totals were just a goal and an assist off his college career highs and was a +7 skater.

The 6’1″ 187 lbs. forward came to his new school on a year of eligibility through the transfer portal upon completing 4 seasons at University Of Denver Pioneers.

A native of Abbotsford, BC, he played a couple of BCHL frames, with his 2nd going off the hook for 52 assists in 58 games for Chilliwack Chiefs.

No points in his first 2 AHL games, but the 24-year old can’t be too far off.