Category: Minor League Deal

Union College Dutchmen senior, captain defenseman Cullen Ferguson(14) signs a 1st pro deal with Fort Wayne Komets, which yields a 1st ECHL goal and 1 assist in 7 games with a +5 rating.

He had a college best 4 goals last season, but didn’t exceed his 15 assists and 18 points as a junior.

The 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner from Binbrook, ON did a couple seasons of juniors up north before heading to a solid NAHL session before college.

It looks like the 24-year old will need a new deal for his rookie year, 2025/2026, if he chooses to stay.

He almost oddly jumps ship and signs for his rookie season, 2025/2026 with Bloomington Bison.

Undrafted defenseman Ty Farmer(3) takes 4 years and a 2021 NCAA Division 1 Championship at UMass Minutemen to a new calling and start of a graduate program, maybe a little closer to home with University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for 2022/2023.

He doesn’t usually strike for a lot of points, but did have 5 goals and 13 assists as a freshman.

The 5’11” 174 lbs. blue liner had a huge run in his 4th USHL year of juniors scoring 9 goals and 30 assists with Fargo Force and winning his 1st title, the 2018 Clark Cup Championship.

We are  sure the one huge driving asset to come to a new school is his big +45 rating of on ice accountability.

The 24-year old from O’Fallon, MO will be a welcome addition to NCHC action.

After graduation, he signs an ato with Allen Americans, striking for 2 assists in 10 ECHL games with a +1 rating.

He is a good invite to return for his rookie season in 2023/2024 and should continue to do well.

For his rookie frame, he comes away with 5 goals and 5 assists in 48 games with a +9 rating, so he is an easy invite to return and wear an Americans‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

He actually suits up for Indy Fuel in the new frame, where he was quietly traded to, scoring a new best 7 goals and 20 assists with a +11 rating, which he will take to a new contract for 2025/2026 with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen.

Undrafted defenseman Quinn Wichers(5) signs a first pro contract for his rookie campaign 2021/2022 with Rapid City Rush.

The 6’4″ 217 lbs. blue liner has never been exactly the biggest point scorer through 4 years at Mercyhurst University Lakers, but did connect for a junior hockey high 19 assists and tying 24 points in 45 CCHL games in his 4th frame before heading to school with Kemptville 73s.

From Metcalfe, ON, the 24-year old should be able to elevate his game in the ECHL.

He will return to South Dakota for 2022/2023 after scoring 2 goals and 8 assists in 43 games with a +3 rating, then adding 4 assists through 11 playoff contests.

Multiple loans up to Tuscon Roadrunners, where he skated 16 games with no points, but was decently enough steady.

We expect everything to go just that much better in his 2nd year.

Through 50 games, he basically mirrors his rookie point production with the same club, but for 2023/2024, he gets himself traded to Wheeling Nailers and we shall see if that changes anything.

We think it might.

After 3 games with no points, he gets himself dished to a perfect location for the big forward, Utah Grizzlies.

In 52 games, his scoring pops some with 2 goals and a new best 14 assists, but he is looking for something new, different, so signs with Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL for 2024/2025.

After 38 games in England, he is next heading for Asia League and signs with Tohuko Free Blades for 2025/2026.

4th year center Marly Quince(28) will take his game up heading from last season with Coventry Blaze, scoring 15 goals and 30 assists with a +17 rating in 53 EIHL games to signing a 1-year deal with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas  of Slovak Extraliga for 2023/2024.

After graduating from 4 years at Clarkson University Golden Knights with a new college best 7 assists, he signed 1st in the SPHL with Fayettesville Markmen, but blew up scoring with 9 goals and 4 assists in 9 games to get permanently loaned up to the ECHL to maybe best skate for Reading Royals.

He started the next season down too, but was up quickly again and stuck for 40 games with Norfolk Admirals, scoring 12 goals and 12 assists with a +2 rating on a non-playoff team before heading overseas for the next frame.

The 29-year old from Sioux Lookout, ON should prove to do well in this league and may just play himself up yet again.

He performs really well through 2 seasons, serving as assistant captain in the current frame, but will head off to DEL, signing with Fischtown Pinguins, who he will help.

Scoring no goals in Germany, he is next headed to IceHL to sign with HK Olimpija Ljubljana Dragon for 2025/2026.

UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ graduate, twice captain, defenseman Ben Meehan(12) initially signed with Iowa Wild after tournament play, but agrees to Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a 2-way deal for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

The 6′ 187 lbs. blue liner had a college best 14 assists last season and tied his 17 points from his junior year.

From Boston, MA, the 24-year old did only 1 year of USHL before school.

University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior, assistant captain center Cameron Berg(12) signs to a 1-year AHL contract under the guide of draft club (4th round, 2021, #125 overall), New York Islanders.

The 6′ 192 lbs. transferred from 2 years at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, where he was a good scorer.

He did 3 years of USHL juniors before college.

From West Fargo, ND, the 23-year old will probably score decently in the AHL with contract club, Bridgeport Islanders.

Detroit Red Wings‘ 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft (#81 overall) defenseman Seth Barton(49) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal after completing his third season at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks in a very COVID cut short 2020/2021.

The very decently sized 6’3″ 185 lbs. blue liner from Kelowna, BC played a year in Canadian juniors for Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL putting up 27 assists in 49 games before reporting to college.

It looks as though the 21-year old reports first to affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, but his play could gain him a look early from a team that has struggled in 2020/2021.

He skates most of his 2nd season in the system up, but gets reassigned late to Toledo Walleye, finishes the season strong with 8 points in 10 ECHL games, then adding another 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) in 13 games in the playoffs.

With no qualifying offer to stay, he becomes an unrestricted free agent, signing a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack for 2023/2024.

He starts the new season with Cincinnati Cyclones, but after just 1 game spies a new deal he is going after, a 1-year deal to sign with KooKoo and play his hockey in Liiga for the near future.

In 10 games, the big back liner scores his 1st Finnish goal and adds 5 assists with a +8 rating to earn a +1 next to his contract for 2024/2025.

After 1st full season, in 55 games scoring 6 goals and 13 assists with a +6 rating and next he will head to the SHL and signs with Malmo Redhawks for 2025/2026.

3rd year defenseman Tristan Thompson(72) is looking good in his beginnings with new club Adirondack Thunder.

He posted an ECHL career best 8 goals and 34 assists last season.

The 5’9″ 180 lbs. blue liner needs to clean up his -27 rating, but we believe is on the right team to improve that number by a lot.

A native of Cranmore, AB, he did his college hockey at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, contributed points over 35 games.

We think the 26-year old is looking at a nice new start.

He does rather nicely through 38 games with 5 goals and 14 assists and a +9 rating, but maybe gets a little antsy for some better, different kind of hockey, so signs up with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas of Slovak Extraliga and will be an interesting watch in this league.

Going on to sign in Ligue Magnus for 2024/2025, he does pretty well, but decides to return a little closer to home, signing with Maine Mariners.

He scores 1 goal and 24 assists in 39 games and will return on a 1-year deal to stay a Mariners for 2025/2026.

Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ graduate Mickey Burns(10) takes a college best 11 assists and 21 points, 10 goals only off his 11 total as a junior, to a 1st pro contract with Atlanta Gladiators.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward did 1 season at University Of Vermont Catamounts, figuring into only 5 games with no points to transfer.

He was a huge point-getter in 2 seasons of USPHL/NCDC juniors with NJ Titans, grabbing 45 goals in 50 games in his 2nd frame.

From Wayne, NJ, the 25-year old had 1 goal and 2 assists in 13 ECHL games, but needs a contract for 2025/2026.

He quickly agrees to return for his rookie season, 2025/2026 as a Gladiators.

University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ graduate, assistant captain right wing Luke Loheit(16)  takes a college best 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) to a 1st pro deal with Kansas City Mavericks for 2024/2025.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward stuck close to his Minnetoka, MN home for college.

After connecting as a senior in USHS-MN, he went to one BCHL season, where he continued to do pretty well.

The 24-year old is likely very ready for that next step, signing a first ECHL pro contract.

15 goals and 19 assists in 64 games with a +6 rating and he is an easy return to be a Mavericks for 2025/2026.