Colgate University Raiders‘ graduate, captain defenseman Reid Irwin(43) scored a new college best 6 goals and 17 points in 32 games last season, which he took to a 1st pro contract with Wichita Thunder and scored a 1st ECHL goal and assist in 9 games.
The 6’1″ 198 lbs. blue liner decides to sign with Belfast Giants of the EIHL for his official rookie year, 2025/2026.
From Victoria, BC, the 25-year old transferred from 2-years at University Of Denver Pioneers.
He did 3 years of junior hockey.
UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ graduate goaltender Henry Welsch(41) plays a 2nd season of 20+ games that he takes to a 1st pro contract with Adirondack Thunder for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. net minder had 1 amazing NAHL season before heading to school.
From Lakeville, MN, the 25-year old will have to work for the starter’s job.
Providence College Friars‘ graduate center Jamie Engelbert(18) scores 7 goals for a 2nd time in his college career and will take that to a 1st pro contract with the new Bloomington Bison of the ECHL for his rookie season, 2024/2025.
The big 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward should find the net better in his upcoming 1st season.
From Coburg, ON, he played 2 strong frames for local Cobourg Cougars of the OJHL before committing.
The 24-year old is likely ready for the next challenge.
After 2 games and 1 assist with a +1 rating, he finds himself maybe a little fortunately heading to South Carolina Stingrays to complete an earlier trade transaction.
He scores 17 goals and 14 assists in 38 games with a +13 rating and also gets loaned to Manitoba Moose for 3 games to get a 1st AHL goal and a +1 rating.
For 2025/2026 Rockford Icehogs pick him up on their radar and sign him to a 1-year deal.
Alvernia University Golden Wolves‘ senior defenseman Logan vande Meerakker(46) takes a college best 14 goals and 19 assists in 27 games with a +24 rating to a contract for his rookie season, 2024/2025 with Evansville Thunderbolts.
He joined them upon graduation and didn’t register a point in 3 SPHL games, but then popped for 2 goals and 1 assists in 5 playoff matchups with a +1 rating.
The 6′ 209 lbs. solid blue liner from Dieppe, NB should do well in a full frame and it’s possible the 24-year old gets loaned up.
After an outstanding frame, scoring 18 goals and 19 assists in 54 games with a +4 rating, then another 7 points (4-3) in 7 playoff matchups, he will take these numbers over to the NIHL and signs with Swindon Wildcats for 2025/2026.
7th year defenseman Sam Jardine(21) leaves for overseas hockey a 2nd time, this time signing with Bratislava Capitals of IceHL for 2021/2022.
Originally a 6th round pick by Chicago Blackhawks in 2011 (#169 overall), he initially signed a one-year minor league deal with affiliate Rockford IceHogs to stay in the system but was sent further down for most of his rookie campaign.
The almost deceptively built 6’2″ 209 lbs. d-man has played 228 ECHL games and won a pair of Kelly Cups: 2017 and most notably 2019 in a great run with Newfoundland Growlers.
He’s also had 4 AHL contracts and played 71 games.
The Lacombe, AB native spent 2019/2020 overseas with Cardiff Devils of the EIHL, not scoring a load of points (15) but was a nice +24 rating for on-ice accountability.
He decided to spend 2020/2021 a little closer to home after confirming a return to England, and, inked with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he exploded for a personal best 41 assists and 44 points in 67 games.
The 29-year old, former 3-year, 10+ assist man at Ohio State University Buckeyes will likely do well in Austria’s 6 nation league.
As said, he excelled pretty well with a pair of goals and 4 assists in 14 games with a +2 rating to gain a look from HIFK of Liiga, so will head to Finland.
For 2022/2023, he went to skate in England’s top league for another spell with Cardiff Devils and although he may have not scored a ton of points, was an accountable +7.
He decides to return to the states for 2023/2024 and will come back to the Swamp Rabbits, where he recorded his greatest assist total.
Spending a bit more time on loan to Calgary Wranglers, he finishes up the year and has decided to return to Austria to sign with Fehervar AV19 for 2024/2025.
He actually has a change of attitude and signs in the Senior AAA Alberta league with Lacombe Generals, probably to just play some hockey somewhere to keep in shape.
For 2025/2026, he’s making a big return and signs with Idaho Steelheads.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ senior right wing, assistant captain Riley Hughes(19) will take his game into the transfer portal for one more year at Ohio State University Buckeyes before hopefully signing an NHL entry level contract with draft team (7th round, 2018, #216 overall), New York Rangers.
The 6’1″ 172 lbs. forward’s numbers at Hockey East don’t match up with what he was able to do in high school, then one BCHL season with Victoria Grizzlies, notching more than point-per-game numbers in the regular campaign, then playoffs.
While we don’t expect the 22-year old Westwood, MA native to be a scoring machine once he arrives at Big Ten hockey, we do think he’ll connect with better frequency, and continue to play as he always does with a spark plug of energy out there.
He knew as he was entering the new season that he would not be signed, but still goes on after graduating to get a 1st pro deal with Iowa Heartlanders, where we feel once he reaches the ECHL will find the scoresheet with more frequency and came away with 3 goals and 1 assist in 12 games.
Charlotte Checkers are watching and sign him up for a 2-way AHL contract in 2024/2025.
After 31 games with the team and 20 reassigned to the ECHL, where he was a more than point-per-game performer, he receives another 1-year deal to continue being a Checkers.
UMass Minutemen undrafted freshman defenseman Aaron Bohlinger(25) has 15 assists in the 2020/2021 frame but no goals.
Well, not until the NCAA Championship Final vs. St. Cloud University Huskies, where he nets the opening tally and that might be enough to close the door on the title and also be a game-winner.
The small 5’9″ 165 lbs. blue liner early in his tenure with Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL but was probably put on the radar after playing a year north in the BCHL for Alberni Valley Bulldogs, where he made a 7 goal and 27 assists in 55 games impression.
The 20-year old may be small but motors and can head man the puck with ease, so might garner some looks as he continues at school.
He becomes captain as a senior, but decides to add a year of eligibility and enters the transfer portal to skate for Quinnipiac University Bobcats, as a graduate.
ECAC was a nice switch up, as he scores a new best 3 goals and 11 assists with a +11 rating in 32 games.
He is set to turn pro and signs a 1st ECHL contract with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2025/2026.
8th year, big, very big 6’6″ 220 lbs. defenseman Jaycob Megna(24) gets rewarded by parent club San Jose Sharks for signing a minor league deal with their affiliate San Jose Barracuda for the weirdo run that was 2020/2021 with a new 1-year NHL 2-way contract for 2021/2022.
He has played 346 AHL games and 43 in the big league all with draft club Anaheim Ducks, who selected him in the 7th round 2012 (#210 overall).
The 3-year University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks‘ d-man was picked after his rookie season, but did also have a nice lead in with Muskegon Lumberjacks, dishing 17 assists in 55 USHL games.
It looks as though the 28-year old is set to resume his duties as team captain of the farm club, but we’re thinking he may get a look or two up in the show.
Playing his 1st full set of games in the big league, he has skated a new best 48 appearances for 2022/2023, scoring a goal and new best 11 assists with a +6 rating and finds himself traded to a rival, Seattle Kracken to help round out their blue line for a playoff pump.
He plays only 6 games up and is put on waivers to be claimed by Chicago Blackhawks, who throw the big man straight into the lineup and he records an assist in his debut.
Finishing up with a tied for 2nd most games in the big league at 44, and unrestricted free agent, the Plantation, FL native next signs with hometown team, Florida Panthers, where he figures into 8 games en route to a 2025 Stanley Cup trophy.
He signs a 2-year deal with Vegas Golden Knights that looks to be on a one-way value.
Reading Royals 2nd year captain, defenseman Garrett McFadden has decided to take his game to SlovakExtraliga for 2023/2024, signing a 1-year deal with HK Poprad.
He had 6 goals and 35 assists in 71 ECHL games with a +13 rating last season.
The 5’11’ 181 lbs. blue liner skated 5 years in the OHL, 2 as captain of Guelph Storm and even signed an ato with Laval Rocket, grabbing an AHL assist.
He would next head off to a degree program at Acadia University Axemen, where he stayed for the next 4 years.
With 1 goal and 18 assists, he decides to leave for Czech Extraliga, joining HC Energie Karlovy Vary.
He would go to IceHL last season, but he maybe would do quite as well as he wanted and will head to a team, where he will likely be very useful, Belfast Giants for 2025/2026.
University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ graduate center Harrison Blaisdell(24) accepts a 1st contract with Fort Wayne Komets for his rookie season, 2024/2025, but as the frame approaches gets shipped to Allen Americans.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward had a college high 11 goals last season.
He was a Winnipeg Jets’ 5th round pick in the 2019 draft (#134 overall), but not signed.
From Sheffield, GB, their isn’t a lot of English players selected, but his 2nd BCHL frame for Chilliwack Chiefs with 33 goals and 25 assists put him on radar.
We expect the 25-year old, who initially started school at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for 2 years to do well in the ECHL.
Through 50 games, he scores 4 goals and 6 assists and is asked to return a 2nd year to be an Americans again.
