Category: Minor League Deal

16Feb

Kyle Mayhew (27)

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University Of Denver Pioneers‘ graduate defenseman Kyle Mayhew(27) signs a 1st pro deal to stay right at home joining Colorado Eagles on a 2-way deal to get going, meaning he could get shipped down the road to Utah Grizzlies.

The small-is 5’9″ 165 lbs. blue liner had a career tying 2 goals, best 11 assists and 13 points with a +20 rating last season.

He has been known to throw up helpers, as he did in his 2nd run with Fairbanks Ice Dogs, getting 31 assists in a campaign, where he also notched an NAHL high 8 goals.

The 25-year old will likely play hard for all the space he’s able to make.

Well, after scoring 15 goals and 42 assists, he is deciding to move on and signs with Fort Wayne Komets for 2024/2025.

He puts up another 11 goals and 41 assists in 60 ECHL games, then adds another 9 points in 11 playoff matchups and was named Defensive Player Of The Year.

Loaned up to Bakersfield Condors, he scored 1 goals and 8 assists in 11 games.

For 2025/2026, he decides to leave for DEL and signs with Augsburger Panther.

In 44 games, he scores 5 goals and 16 assists and is asks to return to be a Panther for 2026/2027.

16Feb

Graham Sward (15)

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Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ freshman defenseman Graham Sward(15) came to the school after playing a 1st pro season under contract to Manitoba Moose, but spent most of his playing time in Norfolk Admirals.

He had 2 goals and 11 assists in 47 ECHL games with a +13 rating.

The big 6’4″ 192 lbs. blue liner has 4 goals and 9 assists in 30 games with another +13 for his college team.

From Langley, BC, the 22-year old did 5 years in the WHL, scoring fairly big assists (66 in 66 games in his final frame).

A Nashville Predators’ 5th round pick in the 2022 draft (#146 overall), we think the 22-year old has become an unrestricted free agent.

15Feb

James Marooney (42)

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2nd year defenseman James Marooney(42) gets a 2nd ECHL transaction of 2025/2026, as he is traded as part of a previous future considerations deal to Kansas City Mavericks.

The 5’9″ 185 lbs. blue liner scored 2 goals and 3 assists in 21 games for Maine Mariners earlier this season.

From Chasta, MN, he did 4 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes before transferring to a graduate frame at University Of St. Thomas Tommies.

We think as long as he keeps his plus/minus clean, he can be effective guarding the zone.

15Feb

Zach Solow (73)

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

Former Northeastern University Huskies‘ captain, undrafted center Zach Solow(73) signs an ato with Chicago Wolves for the remainder of 2021, but it’s said to be tied to a whisper that he’s actually Nashville Predators‘ property and news actually came through their COVID dormant affiliate Milwaukee Admirals that he signed for 2021/2022, but we still have yet to see the confirmed word of his definite big league deal.

He’s a pure digger and was a point-per-game player last season for a first time in his college career.

Little doubt the only 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward has to be on a few teams lists for a big, unrestricted free agent pick up but as we said, he may be spoken for.

The 22-year old Naples, FL native did three years of junior hockey, committing to college just before his breakout campaign, when he scored 18 goals and 51 assists for 69 points (both most in the league) in 52 USHL games for Dubuque Fighting Saints.and was selected Forward Of The Year.

His initial foray into pro hockey turned out decent, as he was also signed to Florida Everblades, where he became a point-per-game player in 4 playoff games.

He signed on an AHL deal with Milwaukee to stay in the system, was in and out of the lineup before he went back down towards the end of the session to rejoin the ‘Blades.

Here he struck playoff gold and won the 2022 Kelly Cup Championship. with 9 goals and 9 assists in 19 games.

For 2022/2023, he heads into a new direction, signing a 1-year deal with Toronto Marlies.

Reassigned to ECHL affiliate Newfoundland Growlers, he is a point-per-game scorer.

He returned for last season and his game improved to 11 goals and 15 assists in 66 games, then 2 assists in 3 through the playoffs.

For 2024/2025, he is back on another 1-year deal with the Marlies.

In 52 games, he scores 6 goals and 13 assists with a +6 rating, then adds 2 goals in 2 games in the playoffs.

He will take off and signs with Adler Mannheim for 2025/2026 and we think will continue to grow his game in DEL.

In 44 games, with 14 goals and 19 assists with a +10 rating earns him another year to stay in a Mannheim jersey through 2026/2027.

14Feb

Mick Messner (87)

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Merrimack College Crusaders‘ senior left wing Mick Messner(87) is having a breakout campaign in his 2nd year with the team since being a portal transfer from 2 seasons at University Of Wisconsin Badgers.

In just 7 NCAA Division 1 games, he has a goal and 4 assists with a +4 rating.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward had mostly always connected for points through close to home high school in Madison, WI and 2 and a half USHL seasons for the Capitals.

At still just 22-years old looks poised to post Hockey East college career highs in 2021/2022, making him a nice unrestricted rookie pick up, if he decides to turn pro.

He spends a graduate season at the school and posts 5 goals and 4 assists in 35 games with a +6 rating on the way to a Hockey East Finals bout.

It takes him little time to agree to a pro deal, signing with Utah Grizzlies, where he has no points through 6 games with a +1 rating.

His efforts earn him an ECHL contract for 2023/2024 to wear that Grizzlies‘ jersey as a rookie.

He had a nice full frame, scoring 15 goals and 23 assists in a full slate of 72 games, gets him wanted back to continue wearing that Utah shirt.

As an assistant, he scores a new pro best 16 goals and 24 assists in another complete 72 game schedule and will return for his 3rd season as Grizzlies‘ team captain.

After 3 games, he has a change of attitude, sees an opportunity overseas to sign with HC Banska Bystrica for 2025/2026 in Slovak Extraliga and has an assist in his debut.

With 4 goals and 4 assists in 28 games, we don’t think it’s such a bad showing, but maybe he’s not as happy as he wants to be and shifts his game to sign with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL for the remainder of 2025/2026.

14Feb

Michael Bullion (50)

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4th year goaltender Michael Bullion(50) was a free agent heading into 2025/2026 after a decent season with Worcester Railers.

The 6′ 198 lbs. net minder signed with Jacksonville Icemen.

He has played 15 games with a winning record so far.

After 4 campaigns in the WHL, the Anchorage, AK native went to University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology 3 years, then 1 at the name change Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks before turning pro.

The 28-year old started in the SPHL and has been loaned up to the AHL, but we think he looks elsewhere next.

14Feb

Kevin Conley (20)

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4th year center Kevin Conley(20) has played most of his time in the AHL under contract to teams in the league and this year signed with Manitoba Moose for a 2nd season, but after 2 goals in 5 games has been mostly reassigned to affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. has 9 goals and 8 assists in 28 games in the ECHL and maybe got a little bored, so is off to find some better hockey and signs with Graz99ers of the IceHL for what’s remaining of 2025/2026.

From Wassua, WI, he did 1 year with University Of Denver Pioneers, but was maybe a little unhappy as to how it turned out despite scoring ok and returned to the USHL for a year before signing up with University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks for 4 seasons.

The 28-year old, twice captain of his college team should find some good hockey over there.

13Feb

Luke Pavicich (30)

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Rookie goaltender Luke Pavicich(30) has had a hard time settling with a team, but has played 8 games with 4th club, Cincinnati Cyclones, so could be settling.

The 6’3″ 194 lbs. net minder was a senior at Arizona State University Sun Devils and did good with a 13-9 record.

He was also at UMASS Minutemen 2 seasons doing pretty well before heading to UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks for his junior year.

From Clarence Center, NY, the 23-year did many years in the Buffalo Jr. Sabres youth hockey system.

12Feb

Wyatt McLeod (2)

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Trois-Rivieres Lions‘ 2nd year defenseman Wyatt McLeod(2) had 22 assists and 23 points last season, a new high for all of his playing career.

In 23 ECHL games in 2025/2026, he has 1 goal and 6 assists with a +10 rating.

The 6’3″ 204 lbs. blue liner did 5 years of WHL, but left his final season to join Utah Grizzlies.

Through 15 games, he had 2 goals and 2 assists.

He next decided to head to University Of Alberta Golden Bears for 3 campaigns before the 25-year old turned pro again.

In 40 games, he has 2 goals and 9 assists with a +6 rating, but decides to head for a bit of a trickier hockey to play and heads for Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Poprad for the rest of 2025/2026.

12Feb

Blake Christensen (27)

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Undrafted, 2nd year left wing Blake Christensen(27) takes a weirdo COVID run rookie season with Bakersfield Condors, but only appearing in a limited 10 AHL games, getting a pair of tallies, including a game-winner.

The small 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward signs a new deal to play in the exact rink he spent his college days at, the Mass Mutual Center, inking for 2021/2022 with Springfield Thunderbirds.

He had four solid years, graduating with 48 goals, 71 assists, 119 points, while skating for an outstanding America International College Yellowjackets team in 142 Atlantic Hockey games.

The Coral Springs, FL native spent two seemingly uninspired campaigns in the USHL before leaving to the BCHL to finish up before school and produced pretty well with Wenatchee Wild.

He was also given a nice chance to play a little hockey in Fjordkraftligaen for Manglerud, connecting for a nice 4 goals and 5 assists.

We think the 25-year old is still getting his wheels on the cart.

After scoring 18 goals and 10 assists on loan to Worcester Railers, he signs a 1-year ECHL deal for 2022/2023 to stick around and pot more tallies.

He records a career best 15 assists in his 2nd frame through 35 games, but gets an offer to join HC Thurgau for their SL playoff run and jumps at the opportunity.

In 4 contests, he has a goal and 2 assists with a +2 rating, but could have suffered an injury.

For 2023/2024, he decides to return to the Railers and hopes to build on what he established with them early.

He maybe doesn’t quite score as much as he did in his rookie campaign, but has a new high assists with 15.

New league club Tahoe Knight Monsters see the upside in his game and sign him for 2024/2025.

He is actually traded to Kalamazoo Wings, where he continues scoring, but in his 2nd run with the team isn’t going quite as well and he is waived only to be picked up quick by Rapid City Rush to see if they can find those points in his game again.