Toronto Marlies‘ rookie defenseman Marshall Rifai(83) has an assist in his first 2 AHL games with a +2 rating.
He scored a college career best 5 goals and 8 assists as a senior last season for Harvard University Crimson in 35 NCAA Division 1 games with a +23 rating.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner came here fairly quickly from Beaconsfield, QC to attend Hotschkiss School USHS-Prep, then did 1 USHL season before heading to school.
At 24-years old, he’s definitely ready to get started.
He scores 4 goals and 12 assists in 69 games last season with a +3 rating to earn a 2-year deal with parent club Toronto Maple Leafs to continue under their watchful eye.
Through 34 games, he has 2 goals and 9 assists with a +15 rating to earn himself a recall and a 1st NHL game.
He skates 19 shifts for 11:33 ice time with 1 shot on net, 1 hit and 1 block in a big 4-2 win.
Appearing in 57 games last season, he scores 2 goals and a new best 17 assists with a +14 rating, then pops in 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 playoff games.
It’s easy to see him get a new 2-year deal to stick with the Leafs.
University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior right wing Griffin Ness(11) recorded his 3rd straight college hockey season of 6 points and signs a 1st pro deal with Maine Mariners.
In 2 ECHL, he doesn’t have any points with a -3 rating and didn’t appear in the playoffs.
The 6′ 184 lbs. forward was a big scorer at Wayzata USHS-MN high school, then put up similar stats as 2-time captain for Waterloo Black Hawks before college.
We will see if the 24-year old gets retained for a full pro season look.
He’s actually signed for 2024/2025, but gets traded just before the start of the new year to Toledo Walleye, which is going to be blessing to his point production.
Colorado College Tigers‘ senior net minder Matt Vernon(30) posts a college career best 2.57 GAA on a 4-6-1 record with 2 shutouts to a 1st pro deal with Reading Royals.
In 2 ECHL games, he is about equal to his last season school hockey stats.
The 5’11” 175 lbs. backstop had his best junior run in his 2nd NAHL season for Aberdeen Wings to win a 2018 Robertson Cup and pretty much collect all the goalie awards and MVP.
From San Jose, CA, the 25-year old will likely have to prove his game every step of the way.
For 2023/2024, he signs for his rookie season with Jacksonville Icemen, which should turn out to be a good landing spot for him to prove what he can do.
He does pretty well for his first year with a 25-10-3 record, 2.67 GA and .909 SV% to earn a new deal for the son of 1997 Stanley Cup Champion Mike Vernon in an Icemen sweater 2024/2025.
14th year right wing Kevin Clark(32) has carved out a heck of a career for himself playing and scoring in leagues, such as the SHL, KHL (only 1/2 one session), NL and returns to DEL for his 5th season, signing with Düsseldorfer EG for 2023/2024.
Not too crazy bad for a player that skated only 2.5 campaigns in the AHL after 4 years at University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.
He really blew up scoring in his senior year at school with 23 goals and 14 assists, making him a twice 30+ point guy in college hockey, as he achieved that feat as a junior too.
The 5’9″ 172 lbs. 35-year old from Winnipeg, MB has run up awards where he is in one campaign and last year helped win his 1st title, the 2022 DEL Championship in his 2nd year with Eisbären Berlin, so likely wants more with someone else.
Despite doing decently with 13 goals of production in 49 games, he decides at 36-years old to become the player development coach for Tri-City Storm, despite playing no American-based junior hockey.
Bentley University Falcons‘ graduate portal transfer from 4 years at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats, left wing Kohei Sato(81) is off to a nice start with his new club, connecting for a goal and 4 assists in 9 games.
He only ever really did decently as a junior with 7 goals and 10 assists in 32 games with a +4 rating.
The Nishitokyo, JPN native took a pretty hard road up through earning his space, initially spending one year with North Iowa Bulls, blowing up scoring with 22 goals and 20 assists with a stellar +38 rating, then 17 more points in 9 games en route to the 2016 NA3HL Championship.
That and an incredibly hot start to the next session with his title team earned him a look up and a contract with Northeast Generals, where he secured his college choice.
The 25-year old will be fascinating to see if he decides to turn pro.
Finishing up a solid graduate season, he decides to leave to try Finland’s tier 2 Mestis, signing a 1-year deal with JoKP for 2022/2023.
He would end up splitting last season with KeuPa HT, but for his new adventure will head to the EIHL powerhouse Belfast Giants.
In 47 games, he comes away with 11 goals and 12 assists with a +2 rating, but has decided he wants to return to the states and signs for 2024/2025 with Orlando Solar Bears.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate right wing T.J. Friedmann(19) signs a 1st pro deal, an ato for the remainder of 2023 with Utica Comets.
In 2 AHL games, he has no points, as they head into the 1st round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
He scored a college career best 11 goals last season and twice had 20+ points.
The 6’2″ 180 lbs. forward from St. Louis, MO had a pair of solid junior campaigns in the BCHL for Victoria Grizzlies before committing to school.
He spent most of his rookie frame with affiliate Adirondack Thunder, scoring pretty well and signs with them for 2024/2025.
Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ senior defenseman Lincoln Erne(24) left school with new modest bests 1 goal and junior year tying 5 points, playing 41 games en route to a 2023 Atlantic Hockey Championship.
The very solid 6’2″ 201 lbs. blue liner, magically ascended to 29 assists in his 2nd NAHL frame as assistant captain for Minot Minotauros.
From Blaine, MN, the 24-year old signs a 1st pro deal with Tulsa Oilers for 2023/2024.
He actually ends up with Newfoundland Growlers and in 23 games has 6 assists, but Idaho Steelheads want him and trade to get him to reunite with a former college player on their team.
3 goals and 8 assists through 27 games is ok, but he once again finds himself on the trading block and is dealt to another team that allegedly want him, Jacksonville Icemen.
No points in 3 games and for 2024/2025 he will go to Iowa Heartlanders.
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Providence College Friars‘ senior right wing Patrick Moynihan(39) is a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in 2019 (#158 overall) and has decided, likely with the club’s oversight to extend school and head to University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish for a graduate year.
He maybe didn’t have the season he wanted to after scoring college bests as a junior (11 goals, 14 assists) in 38 games.
We do think the 22-year old, Millis, MA native could see his game improve in the Big Ten, but will have to skate for it, no doubt.
Upon losing the signing rights for him, he agrees on an ato with Chicago Wolves to get started as a pro.
He only appears in 1 AHL game with no points and for his rookie season, 2024/2025 signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
We think the 5’11” 183 lbs. forward will score in the ECHL.
Curry College Colonels‘ graduate defenseman Billy Roche(6) signed upon graduation with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, scoring a 1st SPHL goal for himself in 3 games with a +1 rating.
This has earned the 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner a 1-year 2-way ECHL deal with Rapid City Rush for 2023/2024.
He played his 1st 4 college hockey years at Suffolk University Rams and had his best scoring season as a senior captain with 3 goals and 13 assists in 20 games.
A Braintree, MA native, he played at BC High USHS-Prep before heading to a year of tier 3 juniors, then up to USPHL/NCDC with South Shore Kings before heading to school.
The 26-year old is likely very ready for his rookie season of pro hockey.
In 53 games, he scores 7 goals and 10 assists with a +9 rating to earn another look in a Yard Dawgs‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
Despite only appearing in 6 ECHL games last season, center Spencer Asuchak(26) will wear an Allen Americans‘ sweater for an 11th straight season, in one form or another.
The most games he’s ever dressed for is a full 72 schedule in 2018/2019.
He has amassed 465 games in the league.
The very big 6’6″ 230 lbs. forward has a career best 27 goals and 40 assists.
From Kamloops, BC, after 4 WHL frames, he went to a year of Mount Royal University Cougars before officially turning pro.
the 31-year old probably has roots in the Texas town now.
He left for a brief stint over in Erste Liga, playing for SC Csikszereda, but somehow didn’t have much luck and will return for 10th season with the now hometown boys, Allen Americans.
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