Category: Minor League Deal

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)

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

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

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.

25Jun

Ryan Smith (28)

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University Of Maine Black Bears‘ graduate, right wing Ryan Smith(28) was never a big goal scorer through his college career or in two years of juniors with Green Bay Gamblers but struck for a quick goal and pair of assists in his debut with Macon Mayhem through 6 SPHL games.

His play earned him a loan up to Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL, where he appeared in three games with no points and was  returned to increase his totals in the lower league to 5-9-14 in 25 appearances.

It seems like the 6′ 195 lbs. forward could start striking the stat sheet with more frequency to possibly, more permanently put him at a higher level of play.

He was actually signed by Adirondack Thunder to start 2020/2021, but they decided to sit it out due to COVID concerns, so he’s on the radar.

The 24-year old does finally sign on with the Glens Falls, NY club and will skate 2021/2022 for them.

He records 11 goals and 16 assists in 70 games as a rookie, but was a bit of a woeful -22 rating.

His play scored him a 2 game AHL loan to Springfield Thunderbirds.

For 2022/2023, he re-signs to stay where he skated his 1st season.

He blows up his scoring last season with 16 goals and 26 assists in another 70 game rack to easily score himself an invite to return yet again to Cool Insuring Arena.

Last season he post more goals, 27 and points, 60 than he has in the past and will stay for a 3rd straight run in a Thunder jersey and maybe get more loans up, where he got a 1st goal in 2023/2024.

He has basically changed the type of player his is since turning pro.

In 18 games, he scores 6 goals and 6 assists, but is heading off to DEL2, signing with Selber Wolfe for the balance of the frame.

He did extremely well and decided to take his game to Belfast Giants for 2025/2026 and continued to score with a +14 rating through 50 EIHL games.

For 2026/2027, he looks to head back and sign with Germany3, agreeing to terms with Hannover Scorpions.

25Jun

Jack Collins (5)

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UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ senior center Jack Collins(5) was never a regular in the lineup and had his best season as a sophomore with 3 goals and 2 assists in a high 20 games.

The big 6’4″ 220 lbs. forward did 2 CCHL and 2 NAHL junior sessions, the last one he popped scoring to 15 goals and 22 assists in 58 games with a +19 rating before school.

From Canton, NY, the 24-year old signed a deal with Iowa Heartlanders and scored his 1st ECHL goal in 4 games with a +1 rating.

He will need a new deal for 2026/2027.