Montreal Canadiens‘ 7th round pick in the 2018 draft (#190 overall), 2022 NCAA Division 1 University Of Denver Pioneers’ Champion center Brett Stapley(7) signs a 1-year AHL deal with affiliate Laval Rocket for 2022/2023.
The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward scored a college best 18 goals and tying 25 assists in 41 games with a +22 rating.
He was also a solid scorer in his 2nd and 3rd BCHL seasons with Vernon Vipers.
The 23-year old from Campbell River, BC may be an immediate impact player.
For his rookie season, he was shipped down to Trois-Rivieres Lions and has a tidy 9 goals and 36 assists in 49 ECHL games, playing a real energy role on the team.
He ends with 41 helpers, which gains the notice of Colorado Eagles, who sign him to bring him “home” to an AHL deal for 2023/2024.
For the entire season, he is sent to play for affiliate Utah Grizzlies and blows up scoring as a 2nd year league player with 24 goals and a monster 47 assists in 67 games.
He’s stretching and signs with HK Ducla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga to try his hand at a higher rung of hockey, just overseas.
In maybe a bit of a surprise decision, he decides to head to HockeyAllsvenskan and signs with Sodertalje SK for 2025/2026 after recording very close to point-per-game numbers last season.
After 13 games with 1 goal and 5 assists, he is wooed by Pelicans of Liiga to come skate maybe a little more aggressively.
Augustus Magnus College Falcons‘ senior defenseman Charlie Risk(44) will take his game to France2 and signs with Mont Blanc for 2023/2024.
He had a college hockey best 5 goals last season, but had his best totals as a junior with 19 assists and 23 points.
The 5’9″ 165 lbs. blue liner from Medicine Hat, AB did a couple of junior seasons up north with some decent results.
At 24-years old, he may be ready for the next pro adventure and should do ok where he is heading.
He scores 1 goal and 10 assists in 23 games and decides to return to hockey a little closer to home, signing with Huntsville Havoc for 2024/2025.
With 5 goals and 33 assists in 53 games with a +3 rating, he earns the eyes of Maine Mariners, who sign him to a 2-way ECHL deal for 2025/2026.
He is reassigned back down and scores 3 assists in 5 SPHL games with a +7 rating and he eyes a new opportunity for maybe some better hockey overseas he wants to explore and signs with SC Riessersee of Germany3.
Returning to the Havoc mid-season, in 8 games he has 3 assists and we expect that to grow almost immediately and even still possibly play for a loan up.
Reading Royals‘ 2nd year center Devon Paliani(65) is scoring ECHL bests 16 goals, 25 assists and 41 points, but definitely needs to improve his -33 rating.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward from LaSelle, ON played 4 years OHL with a few teams before heading to Ryerson University Rams for 5 seasons, including the 2020/2021 no play COVID busted.
He did have 2 10+ goals and assists’ seasons in college.
The 27-year old show no signs his scoring would pop in his 1st frame with the team, but it did.
Just before the start of the new season, he finds himself involve in a trade that take his scoring to Savannah Ghost Pirates, where he will look to improve that +/-.
He scores a new best 32 goals and 27 assists in a full slate of 72 games, but decides to move on and sign with another 1st year team, Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2025/2026.
In 11 games, he has a moderate 1 goal and 2 assists.
8th year net minder Connor LaCouvee(1) is off to a hot start in his 2nd Tipsport Extraliga season for Vici Zilina, 2025/2026.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs. goalie is 9-3 in 12 games with a 2.03 GAA and .932 SV%.
From Qualicum Beach, BC, he did his senior year at Minnesota State University Mavericks and 3 at Boston University Terriers, going 23-6 in his final year with a 1.80 GAA through 31 games.
The 31-year old has spent the better part of 5 years in the league.
Holy Cross College Crusaders‘ senior goaltender Thomas Gale(33) signs a pro deal with close by Worcester Railers for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
He got a 1st start and looked good in a 4-2 loss.
The 6’1″ 181 lbs. net minder had impressive stats in his final college year with 39 starts, a 24-13-2 record and a 2.14 GAA, .927 SV%.
From Kirkland, QC, the 25-year old is set to do well once he gets situated with a good spot to become a starter.
Ohio State University Buckeyes‘ graduate, captain defenseman Will Riedell(24) played a couple of AHL games with Lehigh Valley Phantoms after graduating, but signs for his rookie season 2022/2023 with the brand new Savannah Ghost Pirates.
He didn’t put up many points last season, but was always good for at least getting on the scoring sheet every other game or so, as a junior and senior with Lake Superior State University Lakers.
At 6’2″ 194 lbs., the blue liner plays a shut down style and left college as a +22 player.
The 26-year old from Greensboro, NC should find plenty of room to play his game and contribute points in the ECHL.
After 15 games, recording 4 assists with a +4 rating, the fairly sizable d-man gets loaned up to San Jose Barracuda and in 20 games only grabs 1 tally, but the team likes what they see and recently sign up for the remainder of the frame.
He moved onto Calgary Wranglers in the next frame and split time with Rapid City Rush.
In his 3rd season, he would re-sign with the Ghost Pirates, but leave late, signing with EHC Munchen.
Despite recording no points, he is wanted for the upcoming season, 2025/2026 with Fischtown Pinguins.
He actually decides to play his hockey closer to home and signs with Savannah Ghost Pirates.
3rd year left wing Jared Christy(5) accepts a deal with Monroe Mocassions for 2025/2026.
The University Of New England Nor’easters‘ 5’10” 190 lbs. graduate cycled through a couple pro leagues and 2 in France, only settling for 21 SPHL games last season with Birmingham Bulls.
We think the Cypress, CA native strikes well for points in the FPHL.
SPHL rookie defenseman Dalton Skelly(72) had himself a bit of a career season in his 1st outing scoring a new overall best 3 goals and tying his Holy Cross Crusaders‘ senior year high 13 points.
The 5’10” 175 lbs. d-man skated for a couple of different clubs, starting the split time for Knoxville Ice Bears before eventually finishing up with Huntsville Havoc with 10 assists overall and a tidy overall +9 rating.
He played for three different teams through two campaigns in the NAHL pushing a little offense with good assist numbers, but arriving at Lone Star Brahmas must have been the right fit as he elevated for 7 goals, 20 assists and 27 points with a +11 and 3 more helpers in 4 playoff games.
It’s basically an open shot where the 25-year old goes next.
He would start his 2nd season with Huntsville Havoc and put up 5 assists in 6 games to score a loan to Wichita Thunder that turned into him staying for his ECHL rookie season of 51 games with 3 goals and 8 assists.
Allen Americans see something they want to use on their blue line for 2022/2023 and sign him up to a 1-year deal.
The Keller, TX native scores 11 assists in 54 games last season, then adds another 4 helpers in 6 playoff matchups.
His performance merits a sophomore season in an Americans‘ sweater.
He would do ok, but returned on contract for 2024/2025 with Knoxville that got him a loan up to Rapid City Rush.
For 2025/2026, he signs with the new squad, Greensboro Gargoyles and has 1 assist in 6 games.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate center Jack Ricketts(28) takes some college highs scoring 20 goals to a 1st pro contract with Utah Grizzlies for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
In his 1st 9 ECHL games, he has 4 goals and 1 assist with a 0 rating.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward came over from top scoring at Holy Cross College Crusaders, where he had 35 points in 39 games with a +18 rating.
From Oakville, ON, the 26-year old is off to a great start and looks good for a loan up.
Merrimack College Warriors‘ senior goaltender Zachary Borgiel(29) will do a year of eligibility at rival Providence College Friars to start a graduate program, 2024/2025.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. net minder initially started youth hockey through the Honeybaked system before doing a split junior frame and heading north, where his game came together nicely in the BCHL, starting 44 games for Cowichan Valley Capitals.
After 12 Hockey East games with some college best marks, including 2 shutouts he signs a 1st pro contract with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2025/2026, but we do feel he gets dealt due to the glut in that net.
