Category: Minor League Deal

26Jun

Carter Savoie (8)

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

Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#100 overall), University Of Denver Pioneers‘ sophomore left wing Carter Savoie(8) is this close to knocking off first year totals in fewer games.

He already has a college best 12 assists and 22 points, with goal-scoring just one off his total from 2020/2021.

The small 5’9″ but stocky 190 lbs. forward has always been a heck of a point-producer through youth hockey, then blew up juniors with Sherwood Park Crusaders, notching a crazy 172 points (84 goals, 88 assists) in 112 AJHL games.

At just 19-years old, we’ll see what the parent club says about having him turn pro before his four years are up.

And just like that, as he finishes up a 2022 NCAA Division 1 Champion, he signs an at0 with affiliate Bakersfield Condors, which just may be the dawn of him officially signing an NHL entry level deal, turning pro.

After 2 years in the AHL, he gets a nice deal to leave and joins TPS of Liiga.

In 5 games in Finland’s top league, he records only 1 assist and decides to leave and return on a 1-year deal with Ontario Reign for 2024/2025.

Reassigned to Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he puts out a team leading 20+ goals and assists in 57 games and signs for 2025/2026 with Allen Americans.

He actually gets a trade right back to the Rabbits before the new season starts.

Through 22 ECHL games, he has 7 goals and 8 assists and maybe decides he would like a little more competition and heads off to Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves.

In 2 games, he has 1 assist.

After 21 games with 11 goals and 10 assists, he decides to jump to IceHL and signs with Ferencvarosi TC for 2026/2027.

26Jun

Chris Grando (6)

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

Arizona State University Sun Devils‘ 3rd year graduate left wing Chris Grando(6) signed with Jacksonville Icemen upon finishing up the current college frame.

The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward got an assist in his debut, then 4 ECHL games later scored a 1st goal.

His best college season was as a freshman at Boston College Eagles.

He has 3 times struck for 6 goals in a session.

The 24-year old from Islip, NY could possibly find more room to score in the pro league.

He had finished up his time after school with 4 goals and 5 assists in 15 games with a +5 rating, then as a rookie through 69 games, scored 15 goals and 31 assists with a +28 rating.

For 2024/2025, he will be back in an Icemen jersey.

After a league and team best 21 goals and 33 assists in 71 games played, he easily re-signs for a 3rd full season in a Jacksonville jersey.

Through only 28 games, he has scored 3 goals and 7 assists, but decides to head off for a new hockey experience in Germany3 with Lindau Islanders.

 

25Jun

Garnet Hathaway (19)

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

10th year right wing Garnet Hathaway(19) didn’t much of a pay boost after signing the 4-year with Washington Capitals worth some $6M total, but he gets 1 on a 2-year deal with Philadelphia Flyers worth $2.375M AAV after a spectacular 25-game effort in a Boston Bruins‘ uniform after a trade sent him there.

The fairly big 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward 1st signed an AHL contract with Adirondack Flames for his rookie season and did well enough to catch the radar of the parent club, Calgary Flames, who signed him to a 2-year entry level deal.

He was in their system for 4 years.

The 31-year old, Brown University Bears‘ graduate from Naples, FL should work harder, but find space to score with his new team.

Doing decently for his new club, he gets 2 more years in a Flyers‘ uniform to continue his game.

With 1-year left on his deal, he is traded to Florida Panthers to hopefully elevate his game again.

25Jun

Matt White (97)

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10th year left wing Matt White(97) re-signs for a two more sessions with Eisbaren Berlin through 2024 after putting up 28 goals and 31 assists with a +25 rating, then added another 14 points in 12 games to a 2nd straight 2022 DEL Championship.

He’s been playing in Germany’s top league for the past 4 seasons, except for a little year and a stint in the KHL, where he actually connected well with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Coming out of 3 years at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Huskers, he always scored well in 2+ ECHL campaigns before being elevating to almost two full runs at the AHL, in which he also was able to hit the net.

The 32-year old from Whittier, CA has to be pretty happy with the way his pro career has gone.

Despite doing pretty well for 3 seasons with new club Grizzlys Wolfsburg, the 36-year old decides to tick it down a notch to DEL2 and signs with EC Kassel Huskies for 2026/2027.

25Jun

Alex Green (6)

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Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#121 overall) defenseman Alex Green(6) was signed as his school, Cornell University was likely wondering with unlikely odds on whether or not to go for a 2020/2021 season.

They opted out of the ECAC campaign, as did a great many other teams in the division.

So foregoing his senior year, the decently sized 6’2″ 175 lbs. blue liner signed a two-year entry level deal to start his pro hockey experience immediately.

He was assigned to affiliate Syracuse Crunch and thus far has appeared in 11 of 16 AHL games for the club scoring a goal and 4 assists with a +6 rating.

Never exactly the biggest scorer, it’s possible his new status has awoken something and also a little wonder, he was maybe a little surprisingly selected after his freshman year post two runs of the USHL, where in his 2nd session notched 15 assists for Lincoln Stars.

The 22-year old Chicago, IL native started his career with a short stint for Orlando Solar Bears, likely as the ECHL had started before his league was set to resume.

After scoring 5 goals and 21 assists with a +6 in 73 games, it is decided to not qualify him, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

He didn’t sit on the shelf long before deciding to sign a 1-year minor league deal with Laval Rocket for 2022/2023.

Not sure, what occurred but after 5 games recording 1 assist, he switches up teams and heads to Chicago Wolves.

After 35 games, recording 1 goal and 4 assists with a +3 rating, he is re-upped to stay on with him hometown team another year.

He would spend only this next season here before leaving to join Straubing Tigers of DEL for 2024/2025 and doing well, but took it up to another level last campaign with new best 8 goals and 14 assists in 51 games.

It’s little surprise he’s asked to return for a 3rd time.

25Jun

Patrick Holway (6)

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Detroit Red Wings‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#170 overall) defenseman Patrick Holway(6) signed an AHL ato with affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins as he was finishing up his last year of college hockey at Merrimack College.

I guess we’ll see if the parent club follows through to sign the very big 6’5″ 220 lbs. blue liner, but if that doesn’t materialize we feel that the Cohassett, MA native will become an irresistible unrestricted free agent signee.

After appearing in 6 games without registering a point and having his rights expire with the club that selected him, the 24 year old signs with South Carolina Stingrays to play his first full year of pro hockey and should do well in the ECHL.

The giant-sized forward was loaned up to San Jose Barracuda after a goal and 12 assists with his original contract team.

He finished the frame there, playing 43 AHL games, scoring 4 goals and 8 assists to grab a new contract with the team for 2022/2023.

Playing in only 27 games, scoring 2 assists with a -9 rating without being reassigned definitely has him searching where next and lands at Florida Everblades for 2023/2024.

He is playing well and scores a new best 7 goals and 9 assists in 31 games with a +2 rating, but maybe feels like he needs more and decides to leave, signing with HC Slovan Bratislava of Slovak Extraliga.

In 13 games, he records 7 assists, then scores a goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff matchups to make this journey a success.

For 2024/2025, he heads off to IceHL, signing with Villacher SV, which should continue to yield good results.

In 41 games, he yields 3 goals and 15 assists with a +7 rating, but decides to sign with Dragons de Rouen of Ligue Magnus for 2025/2026.

In 44 games, he scores 6 goals and 28 assists with a +23 rating, then adds another 5 assists in the playoffs.

For 2026/2027, he gets another year with de Rouen.

25Jun

Beni Halasz (35)

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UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Hungarian-born, junior goaltender Beni Halasz(35) signs a 1st pro deal with Idaho Steelheads after some fairly impressive college hockey numbers.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. net minder transferred after his sophomore frame from Northern Michigan University Wildcats.

He did youth hockey back home, appeared in a bunch of international play and even tended net 12 pro games in the AlpsHL before coming across.

In 2 NAHL frames, he showed outstanding growth his 2nd year before committing to college.

The 24-year old wasn’t having a tremendous amount of luck, so decides to head back, signing in IceHL with Fehervar AV19 for his rookie run, 2026/2027.

25Jun

Nolan Sargent (3)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Fitchburg State University Falcons‘ senior defenseman Nolan Sargent(3) wasn’t a big scorer through college hockey with his best season as a sophomore, scoring 1 goal and 8 assists in 27 games, but did conclude a +8 rating player.

Upon tournament completion, the 6’3″ 220 lbs. blue liner signs a 1st pro deal with Monroe Mocassins, but is released after 3 FPHL games and picked up by Pee Dee Ice Cats, where he picks up an assist in 2 appearances and gets into a playoff matchup that went through until the Finals.

From Littleton, CO, the 24-year old will need a new deal for 2026/2027.

25Jun

Tyler Hinam (20)

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2nd year right wing Tyler Hinam(20) re-signs to stay with Maine Mariners for 2022/2023 after a decent successful rookie season, scoring 8 goals and 13 assists in 31 ECHL games with a +7 rating.

The Cole Harbour, NS native played 4 successful season with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies winning both the 2019 QMJHL and Memorial Cup Championships.

At 6’1″ 194 lbs., he’s a bit of a power forward.

For the next two seasons, while COVID loomed, he decided to attend Arcadia University Axemen, but only managed to skate 3 USports‘ games.

The 23-year old should see some loans up to the AHL in his future if he can continue scoring.

He did get loaned up to Belleville Senators for 4 games, scoring 1 assist.

For 2023/2024, he branches out and signs with Manchester Storm of the EIHL, where he should see his game reach new heights.

He has wracked up 12 goals and 13 assists in 29 games with a +3 and is a fan favorite to earn him a new deal to stay in Manch through 2025/2026.

After 3 successful seasons with one team, he leaves for Ligue Magnus and signs with Les Gothiques d’Amiens for 2026/2027.

25Jun

Tyler Ward (73)

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Rookie left wing Tyler Ward(73) is lighting things up in Germany3 with Tolzer Lowen, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists and must be eyeing a call up to a higher level over there.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward played 2 years at University Of Denver Pioneers before transferring to 2 at University Of New Hampshire Wildcats, where as a senior he popped a college career high 11 goals and 16 assists in 34 games.

From Kamloops, BC, th 23-year is definitely off to a nice rookie start.

And like wow! did he run up scoring with 33 goals and 49 assists in 44 games with a +37 rating, which for 2023/2024 he will take to rivals, Blue Devils Weiden.

He goes on to score even more with 41 goals and 43 assists to earn offensive player of the year awards and is killer in the playoffs as well.

The team would climb to a DEL2 status for 2024/2025 and he continues to rip scoring to sign for a 3rd season with the Devils.

He scores once again, but gets wooed by rivals Eisbaren Regensburg for 2026/2027 and we expect scoring to continue.