Category: Minor League Deal

28Sep

Spencer Kersten (41)

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Bowling Green State University Falcons‘ graduate right wing Spencer Kersten(41) signs with Orlando Solar Bears upon finishing up and scores 2 goals and 4 assists in 10 ECHL games with a +5 rating, then another 6, 3 in 11 with a +4 in the playoffs to easily get him wanted to return for his rookie frame in 2024/2025.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward came over from 4 years of always playing 31 games as senior captain for Princeton University Tigers and scoring decently.

From Waterloo, ON, the 24-year old looks to have found more space to connect for points as a pro.

He explodes scoring with 24 goals and 28 assists in 53 games with a +20 rating to get himself a loan up to Belleville Senators, where we feel he will do well, once he starts to gel.

Also, loaned to Syracuse Crunch, where he scores a 1st AHL goal, he is signed for 2025/2026.

26Sep

Riley Nash (20)

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12th year unrestricted free agent center Riley Nash(20) picks up a 1-year deal at the minimum with Winnipeg Jets for 2021/2022.

He was coming off a good money deal, but terrible fit with Columbus Blue Jackets that was eventually rolled to Toronto Maple Leafs for no games played.

A former Edmonton Oilers‘ 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#21 overall), he’s never quick displayed the offensive finesse he did in 2 seasons with Thompson Blazer U18 AAA, then 1 season for Salmon Arms Silverbacks, scoring 38 goals and 46 assists in 55 BCHL games before heading to Cornell University Big Red.

The 6’2″ 188 lbs. forward is a veteran of 578 NHL games, 63 goals, 109 assists with his best outing coming in the 2nd year of his 2-year deal with Boston Bruins, and he somehow tipped in career highs 15 goals and 26 assists with a +16 rating to earn him that 3-year deal with the Ohio club.

At 32-years old, we got to think he’s pretty happy just getting a contract and who knows what he’s still capable of putting together.

For 2022/2023, he will return on a 2-year AHL deal to where it all started 13 years ago in 2010 with Charlotte Checkers, and will likely be one of the happiest guys in the locker room (and a true leader).

His 1st time back in forever and he lights it up big with an easy minor league career best 24 goals and 35 assists.

For 2023/2024, he makes maybe a little of a strategic decision, signing for 2-year 2-way the 2nd campaign with New York Rangers.

He plays 41 games in the minors, scoring well, then shows nice increases in the Calder Cup playoffs, but sits for all of the 2nd year of his deal and after 628 NHL and 312 in the A, at 36-years old enough is enough due to nagging concussion issues.

We see what awaits him next.

26Sep

Colton Young (26)

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Colgate University Raiders‘ junior left wing Colton Young(26) is having a college career year with new bests of 11 goals and 19 points in 20 NCAA Division 1 games.

The 6′ 174 lbs. forward put up consecutive 60+ point numbers in two years of junior hockey for Canmore Eagles, finishing with 157 in 176 AJHL games.

At 23-years old, the forthcoming unrestricted free agent will definitely be one to see where he heads to start pro hockey, if he does.

And he does, signing a deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he has 1 goal and 3 assists in 4 ECHL games, heading into the playoffs.

He grabs 1 assist in 5 playoff games and is an easy sign to welcome back as a Swamp Rabbits for his rookie season 2023/2024.

Through 39 games, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists, but is loaned up to Ontario Reign for 19 AHL games, where he pots 2 goals and 2 assists.

For 2024/2025, he is invited back to wear a Swamp Rabbits‘ jersey, which he would do, but late in the game is invited back to the Reign for the upcoming session.

Mostly reassigned, he is traded to Norfolk Admirals, where he does pretty well, but is an unrestricted free agent, heading into 2025/2026 and signs with Kalamazoo Wings.

26Sep

Trevor LeDonne (57)

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Robert Morris University Pioneers‘ senior defenseman Trevor LeDonne(57) signs a 1st pro deal, an ato with Allen Americans after putting up a college best 3 goals and 2 assists last season.

The 6’1″ 192 lbs. blue liner came over following 2 full seasons at University Of St. Thomas Tommies.

From Stony Break, ON, he did 2 BCHL junior seasons before college.

The 25-year old has 1 assist in 7 ECHL games.

He grabs 1 goal and 3 assists in 15 games, but looks to Wheeling Nailers for his 1st official contract for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

25Sep

Alex Tonge (88)

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Undrafted 3rd year left wing Alex Tonge(88) returns from a short, three game stint in Poland’s top league for GKS Tychy to Norfolk Admirals, where he spent the last 20 ECHL games of the 2019/2020 season, scoring a tidy 9 goals and 7 assists.

The former solid three-year scorer at Robert Morris University Colonials had sophomore and junior campaigns with 44 points, then 39 points in 39 Atlantic Hockey games as a senior.

He spent 4 years in the OJHL with Kingston Voyageurs growing his game and was discovered by his college after a strong 3rd session, getting 29 goals and 43 assists.

The 26-year old will definitely be a top scorer in the league but still has to become more accountable on ice to round out his overall play.

After an easy season best campaign in 2021/2022, scoring a way high 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points in 66 games on a non-playoff team, he is set to leave for DEL2, signing a 1-year deal with Heilbronner Falken for 2022/2023.

He blows up tier 2 German scoring to the tune of 19 goals and 40 assists in 52 games, then another 8 points in the playoffs.

Scoring would continue with his new league team EV Landshut, but he decides to look elsewhere and signs with Sweden’s tier 2 HockeyAllsvenskan and does alright.

For 2024/2025, he will head to the EIHL and signs with Dundee Stars, where we think he will become a very popular player.

The injury bug hits him and he is only able to skate 10 games last season, which was almost still equal to a point-per-game outcome.

He returns “home” for 2025/2026 and signs with Orlando Solar Bears.

25Sep

Kyle McClellan (33)

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University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ junior goaltender Kyle McClellan(33) transfers in for 2022/2023 after 2 seasons at Mercyhurst University Lakers.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. net minder had almost identical NAHL, then USHL seasons before committing to school.

From Manchester, MO, the 23-year old will definitely help his new Big Ten team win games.

In his 2nd season at his new school, he was able to show very impressive marks with a 1.94 GAA and .931 SV% that he took to a 1st deal with Iowa Wild, but was reassigned to Iowa Heartlanders.

He did ok, but is moving onto another ECHL team for 2025/2026, Cincinnati Cyclones.

25Sep

Matt Koopman (36)

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UMass Minutemen graduate center Matt Koopman(36) came over from 4 decent seasons at Providence College Friars.

His team is eliminated in the opening round of Hockey East playoffs, so he quickly pivots to sign a 1st pro deal with Wheeling Nailers and he’s off and running.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has 3 times scored 5 goals in a college season, including this past one, but always seems like he puts up more points with his style of play.

Considering he left his 2nd season with Waterloo Blackhawks to join his 1st college team, the expectation may have been higher.

The 24-year old Marblehead, MA native could find more opportunities to hit the stat sheet as a pro, but we’ll watch to see.

In 14 ECHL games, he managed a 1st goal and 6 assists with a 0 rating on a non-playoff team.

He likes his experiences as he re-signs to stick for his official rookie season.

16 goals and 18 assists in 71 games with a +4 rating, then 4, 4 and a +4 in 9 playoff matchups and he will be back for another ride in a Nailers‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

He maybe scores a little less in his 2nd frame, but is definitely wanted to continue in Wheeling for 2025/2026.

24Sep

Dakota Raabe (22)

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Utah Grizzles‘ 2nd year right wing Dakota Raabe(22) re-ups after a successful rookie run, scoring 11 goals and 25 assists in 55 ECHL games last season.

He was never really a scorer through school with a sophomore best of 5 goals and 9 assists at University Of Michigan Wolverines and didn’t even do as well in a graduate season at Sacred Heart University Pioneers.

Upon finishing up though, has found the net in his 1st run where he is, connecting for 3 goals and 4 assists in 10 games with a +6 rating, then adding 6 points in 14 playoff matchups.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. speedy forward from Capistrano Beach, CA has to be on a short list of guys that need a look at a higher level.

He actually gets moved to Iowa Heartlanders to hopefully energize their scoring and could find new energy with a different club.

In 12 games, he grabs 4 goals and 4 assists to earn himself an invite to return in a Heartlanders‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

After a very decent full frame, in 44 games scoring 9 goals and 15 assists, he next decides to head off to Ligue Magnus, signing with Rapaces de Gap for 2025/2026.

23Sep

Matt Petgrave (22)

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Undrafted 5th year defenseman Matt Petgrave(22) takes 200 ECHL games of experience to a new venture for 2021/2022 with HK Spisska Nova Ves of Tipos Extraliga.

The solid 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner posted 32 and 26 assists for Brampton Beast, and has definitely shown he can be a big assist guy, like he was dishing 40 helpers in his overage OHL year for Oshawa Generals.

Without a pro team holding his playing rights, he next decided to head to school at University Of New Brunswick Reds, where he won back-to-back CIS, then USports Championships.

The 29-year old will likely take to pro hockey in Slovakia well and could put up new career high stats.

He would put up 9 goals and 20 assists in 34 games with a +11, but decided to leave near the end of the season for the Czech League, signing with HC Dynamo Pardubice.

For 2022/2023, he heads to the EIHL, where he is sure to become a hugely popular player and run the scoresheet with Sheffield Steelers.

9 goals and 39 assists in 54 games with a +41 rating, means he will don the Steelers‘ jersey for a 2nd straight season.

He would only manage 7 games due to injury and then decided to sit 2024/2025 out, but is back for 2025/2026 and signs a 1-year deal with Indy Fuel that should work well.

23Sep

Denis Smirnov (8)

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Norfolk Admirals‘ 2nd year Russian-born left wing Denis Smirnov(8) is looking to up his totals from his 1st year with the team, when he scored 9 goals and 12 assists in 39 ECHL games.

The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward already has 7 goals and 9 assists, so things are looking quite positive.

He came over pretty quickly to play youth hockey, displaying amazing numbers to get drafted into juniors and wins the USHL Clark Cup Championship in his 1st of 3 years in the league.

Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ 4-year scorer took a couple of years after college hockey through COVID to establish his game as a pro.

He is an exciting player to watch.

In 51 games, he scores 14 goals and 32 asssists with a +3 rating to earn an easy invite back in an Admirals‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

He’s a high scoring free agent heading into 2025/2026 and a powerhouse team, Toledo Walleye step in to offer him a 1-year deal.