Category: Minor League Deal

Reading Royals 2nd year left wing Yvan Mongo(91) is off and running on the stat sheet with 15 goals and 15 assists in 44 ECHL games.

The 5’9″ 187 lbs. forward has well outpaced what he scored as a rookie.

He originally did 4 years in the QMJHL, continuing to take up his scoring as he went and then entered University Of Ottawa Gee Gees.

In 55 games, he records 17 goals and 21 assists to gain a 3rd invite to return and be a Royals.

He only appears in 15 games, but scores decently, then adds an assist in 4 playoff games.

There’s still the look of development, now in a 4th season, wearing a Reading logo.

Bentley University Falcons‘ senior and #1 goal scorer for the past two seasons (tied ’19/20), Jakov Novak(86) entered the college transfer portal to head somewhere new for his final season before he will likely be signed to an entry level deal by draft club (round 7, 2018, #177 overall) Ottawa Senators after a breakout campaign in USHL juniors with Janesville Jets.

His new college team is set to become right down the road Northeastern University Huskies for 2021/2022 and his 6’3″ 216 lbs. frame will be very welcome up front to what was sometimes a bit of a struggling club to score in the last frame.

The 22-year old Canadian hothead on ice will be missed in Waltham, but will fit in perfectly the Boston area playing Hockey East style.

He finished up a graduate year with a tied 8 goals in his 2 campaigns at the new school and 4 assists as assistant captain with a +4 rating.

To turn pro, he signs an ato with Allen Americans, who are the new ECHL affiliate of his draft team and has been turning it up with 7 goals and 5 assists in 14 games, heading into the postseason to hopefully continue to fall under their radar for a contract.

For 2023/2024, he signs a minor league deal with Laval Rocket to officially get started as a rookie.

He spends the majority of 2 seasons with affiliate Trois-Riveries Lions and won the 2025 Kelly Cup last season, as pretty much a point-per-game performer.

Coachella Valley Firebirds have him on their radar and sign him up for 2025/2026.

9th year right wing Rocco Grimaldi(28) was unable to chase down an NHL deal for 2022/2023, so has decided to sign a 1-year AHL deal with San Diego Gulls to keep his game going.

The small 5’6″ 160 lbs. forward surpasses the 300 games played mark in the league this season and is already on top of scoring with 6 goals and 11 assists in 15 games.

He once scored 30+ goals, once 20+ and 3 times 10+ and also struck for 10 goals in 2 seasons in the upper league and also had 21 assists in his best showing for Nashville Predators, where he spent 4 campaigns.

The 29-year old, 3-year University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks may not be done, but we’re a little surprised the Anaheim, CA native hasn’t left for some overseas action in say Sweden, instead of playing kind of close to home.

After putting up point-per-game numbers for his current out of playoff contention team, he gets a trade to Rockford Icehogs, who are in a battle for the last spot in their division.

For his 10th season 2023/2024, he signs a 1-year contract with Chicago Wolves, which should be a lot of fun for him.

Despite running up point-per-game numbers with 73 of them, he signs only a pto with Cleveland Monsters for 2024/2025.

Well, after 6 goals and 17 assists in 15 games, as the team leading scorer, they grace the 31-year old with a 1-year contract.

In 66 games, he records a career high 41 assists, but will take his game elsewhere for a 1st time in his pro career, signing a 1-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg for 2025/2026.

Undrafted, small 5’9″ 170 lbs. center Jonny Evans(67) is off to a fast start with 2 goals and 3 assists in 3 ECHL games, including 2 multi-point efforts for a slumping South Carolina Stingrays, since signing his first pro contract just barely a week ago upon graduating University Of Connecticut Huskies.

He didn’t have an explosive senior year on the scoresheet, but always brings a consistency and definitely helped his team to their deepest Hockey East run to the Finals this season.

At 24-years old, with 4 years of junior hockey for Powell River Kings, scoring pretty big especially in his last 3 BCHL sessions, he appears ready.

We think he gets a look at a higher level in someone’s training camp come next Fall.

After scoring 7 goals and 6 assists in 11 games, the Delta, BC native decides to stay and re-sign for 2022/2023.

He would grab 9 goals and 21 assists with a +1 rating in 41 games as a rookie.

They want him to return for 2023/2024, so he will don the Stingrays‘ jersey for a 3rd frame.

After a career setting 2nd frame, he scores himself an AHL tryout with parent club, Hartford Wolf Pack, we believe will stick for him 2024/2025.

He is actually passed down to Bloomington Bison, where in 30 games he scores 2 goals and 9 assists and is an easy ask to return for 2025/2026.

Orlando Solar Bears‘ 2nd year left wing Tanner Schachle(17) will return for 2024/2025 after scoring 4 goals and 12 assists in 50 games with a +8 rating.

The 6’4″ 218 lbs. forward has still been looking for that spark to affect his ECHL scoring.

He was never much of a scorer with 7 goals and 7 assists as a sophomore at University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves before transferring to Long Island University Sharks, where he wasn’t used much.

From Wasilla, AK, the 27-year old would love to see another breakout, like his 2nd NAHL frame with Fairbanks Ice Dogs.

After just 2 games into his 2nd season with 1 team, he traded to Worcester Railers, where he only figures into 11 games, but manages to score 1 goal and 4 assists with a +1 rating and signs for 2025/2026 with his brother Porter, giving his team a very menacing look.

Providence College Friars‘ graduate center Craig Needham(13) scored a college best 7 assists and 11 points last season.

The Medford, MA native was a point-per-game player in high school and scored decently in his 2nd USHL session as captain with Youngstown Phantoms before committing to school.

His team is knocked out of Hockey East tournament play immediately and he wastes little time to sign an amateur tryout with Florida Everblades.

In 11 ECHL games, he didn’t register points and has yet to appear in the postseason.

The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward is going to return for a full Everblades‘ rookie season, 2024/2025.

He has a full frame, 63 games scoring 8 goals and 10 assists with a +9 rating to earn an easy contract to return to Florida for a 2nd year.

Colgate University Raiders‘ senior left wing Alex DiPaolo(41) signs a 1st pro deal with Maine Mariners, as tournament play is up.

The 6’1″ 192 lbs. forward puts up 10 ECHL games, gaining 4 assists with a +4 rating.

He was coming off a college best 15 assists and 26 points.

It was his 3rd straight season of 10+ goals and assists.

From Oakville, ON, the 24-year old did 3 BCHL seasons with 3 different teams before college.

He looks like a good skater to stick around for his rookie frame, 2025/2026 and stays a Mariners.

4th year goaltender Cam Johnson(33) split his playing time between the AHL with Cleveland Monsters and ECHL for Florida Everblades, while under NHL contract for a 2nd season to parent club, Columbus Blue Jackets.

He started most of the season in the lower league, but played most of the latter part with the direct affiliate.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. net minder was loaned down when the upper team’s year was up, he joined them to backstop their playoff run.

He would finish with a 15-2-1 mark and 1.90 GAA and .933 SV% on the way to being declared MVP of the 2022 Kelly Cup Champions.

The 27-year old from Troy, MI, who also won the 2016 NCAA Division 1 Championship with University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, needs a new contract for 2022/2023, but this seems like almost a 2-year lockup.

An unrestricted free agent, he wasn’t retained, but fairly quickly into free agency signs a 1-year deal with Charlotte Checkers, which seems like it will be a perfect fit.

After guiding the Everblades to a 2nd straight Kelly Cup and grabbing MVP honors, he is rewarded with a 1-year deal with parent club Charlotte Checkers for 2023/2024.

An unrestricted free agent, he signs with Springfield Thunderbirds and hopes to become their #1 net minder, returning him specifically to the league for the 1st time in a few seasons.

He is reassigned and plays a crazy 47 games with a league best 1.92 GAA and .921 SV% and a 37-6-4 record to win MVP.

For 2025/2026, he re-signs with the Thunderbirds and we shall see.

Boston University Terriers‘ freshman defenseman Jack Page(19) is still working his way into the lineup, only appearing in 4 wins thus far with the team this season, recording no points yet, but stands at a +1 rating.

The big 6’4″ 194 lbs. blue liner joined the team for 1 appearance coming off 15 NCDC/USPHL games in his 2nd run for New Jersey Rockets, where he had 19 assists just 1 season earlier.

From West Chester, PA, the 21 year old looks like he is going to make moves to become a roster regular for his sophomore run.

He plays a college best 23 games as a senior and records 2 assists, which he takes to a 1st pro contract with Reading Royals for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior assistant captain, center Jake Schmaltz(9) finished up with 6 goals and 10 assists in 38 games with a +2 rating that he took to a 1st contract with Providence Bruins after tournament play concluded.

A Boston Bruins‘ 7th round pick in the 2019 draft (#192 overall), he signed a 1-year 2025/2026 AHL deal with the affiliate for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

He scored a 1st pro goal in his 2nd appearance.

From McFarland, WI, the 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward, 24-year old should catch on.