Category: Minor League Deal

08Aug

Mitchell Gibson (35)

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Washington Capitals‘ 4th round pick in 2018 (#124 overall), goaltender Mitchell Gibson(35) finished up his 4 years at Harvard University Crimson with a stellar performance as a senior with a best record 18-7-2 with 3 shutouts.

He signs a very conservative at 23-years old 1-year NHL entry level contract.

The 6’1″ 187 lbs. net minder has certainly proven he can shoulder the load for a top-ranked team at college.

From Phoenixville, PA, he probably just a little excited to get started with pro hockey close to home for affiliate Hershey Bears.

He would work 1 more year under contract with the big club, but still was not getting the appearance despite some good play in the minors.

For 2025/2026, he signs an AHL contract to be a Bears.

07Aug

Aidan McDonough (25)

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Vancouver Canucks‘ 7th round pick in the 2019 draft (#195 overall), senior left wing Aidan McDonough(25) signs his 2-year entry level deal after finishing up 4 years at Northeastern University Huskies, including his last as team captain, scoring 1 point off his junior career high with a college best 18 assists, 39 points (25 goals, 14 assists).

He could join the parent club immediately.

The 6’3″ 190 lbs. is big on his skates and plays an effective power forward style.

In the only year of USHL junior hockey he skated, he scored 21 goals and 21 assists for Cedar Rapids Roughriders.

The 23-year old from Milton, MA has a bright future ahead of him and we bet he’ll be playing for it.

He does join the big league immediately with 6 games and gets a 1st NHL goal, but is reassigned for his entire rookie frame to affiliate Abbotsford Canucks, scoring 11 goals and 8 assists with a +2 rating.

Almost oddly maybe, he isn’t given a qualifying offer and signs an AHL deal for 2024/2025 with Charlotte Checkers that should heed great results.

He is a point-per-game player with his new club, but is a free agent and signs for 1-year with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where we think he will play under the parent’s club radar.

07Aug

Joel Hanley (44)

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10th year defenseman Joel Hanley(44) re-ups with Dallas Stars for another 2-years potentially putting him on track to 7 years of his pro career with one team.

They are the 1st team to give the 5’11” 190 lbs. blue liner a full-time role in the big league after a couple solid campaigns with affiliate Texas Stars to earn his stripes.

He started his pro career on a minor league deal with Portland Pirates, but after a solid rookie season caught the attention of Montreal Canadiens.

The former UMass Minutemen graduate, who always was good for 10+ assists through his college career next went on to sign with Arizona Coyotes, but was little used.

Even though the 32-year old from Keswick, ON earns just over the league, he still has to have a smile on his face from where he came from.

After 6 years with the same team, he moves on to sign with Calgary Flames after a trade set him up to record a career best 9 points in 53 games with a +12 rating last season to score a new 2-year extension to stay on.

 

07Aug

Mark Estapa (20)

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University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ senior left wing Mark Estapa(20) signed a 1st pro deal after tournament played was up with Laval Rocket, a pto.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. forward played only 1 AHL regular season game.

He left college hockey with a best 10 assists and sophomore tying 12 points.

We definitely think the size of the former Tri-City Storm has them thinking potential scoring.

From St. Clair, MI, the 24-year old will need a new contract going forward.

He gets his rookie contract to be a Rocket in 2025/2026.

06Aug

Connor Doherty (28)

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7th year ECHL, 3rd season Maine Mariners‘ captain, defenseman Connor Doherty(28) signs on to stay in upper New England after posting a mammoth +31 rating last season.

From Holden, MA he played all his junior hockey for Junior Bruins before heading off to Sacred Heart University Pioneers.

He left a year of college on the shelf before turning pro with the local Worcester Railers, where he stayed for his 1st 3 sessions.

The 6’2″ 195 lbs. blue liner left in 2020/2021, signing with Kansas City Mavericks, when some teams elected not to play.

When he arrived with his current club, the fit seemed very right and was worth 20 assists just 1 season ago.

For his 8th year of pro hockey, he decides to switch up teams and signs on with 3-time league champs, Florida Everglades for 2024/2025.

After a season of scoring 4 goals and 14 assists with a mammoth +30 rating, he will return to the Everblades‘ blue line in 2025/2026.

06Aug

Daniel Ciampini (12)

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7th year left wing Daniel Ciampini(12) started the season in Czech Extraliga, but failed to connect and split after 8 games with only a single goal and heads to IceHL, joining HC Bolzano for the remainder of 2021/2022.

In 7 games, he has 3 goals and 2 assists.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward has played 116 AHL games for 4 different clubs, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists with a +8 rating.

In the ECHL, he’s almost a point-per-game playing with 46 goals and 87 assists in 142 games.

The former Union College, 2014 NCAA Division 1 Champion, was a great scorer, especially as a junior and senior before turning pro with Worcester Sharks.

At 31-years old, he’s likely still just happy to be playing hockey at a high level.

After a decent little frame in Austria, he leaves to sign with Sheffield Steelers, which proves to be great landing ground, as he stays for 3 seasons, signing on 2024/2025, winning the 2024 EIHL Championships and walking away with a career high 34 assists last frame.

He plays a 3rd successful frame scoring in the league, but maybe at 34-years old, he thinks it’s time to move on from the ice, so retires a Steelers.

06Aug

Gianfranco Cassaro (23)

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RIT Tigers‘ sophomore defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro(23) looks to be happy to have made the portal transfer to arrive at his current club from a pair of seasons with UMass Minutemen.

In 26 NCAA Division 1 games, he has no goals but a new best 4 assists and points.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner had a couple of seasons in juniors, where he amassed 20+ assists, but has mostly not been known for scoring.

We do expect the 22-year old d-man from Nobleton, ON will continue to take up his ECAC numbers.

He signed a 1st contract with Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but was mostly reassigned to affiliate Reading Royals, where in 66 games got 13 goals and 25 assists.

An unrestricted free agent, he signs with Florida Everblades and we think that will be a really good move for his game.

06Aug

Casey Dornbach (77)

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University Of Denver Pioneers‘ graduate center Casey Dornbach(77) signs an ato with Iowa Wild for the remaining current frame, but more importantly has agreed to terms for an AHL deal heading into 2023/2024.

The 6′ 181 lbs. forward is likely chopping at the bit to get started after scoring a college career best 13 goals and a 3rd 20+ assist season.

Almost shockingly, undrafted, he did 4 years at Harvard University Crimson, serving as team captain in his senior run.

The Edina, MN native did 2 USHL sessions with Lincoln Stars, coming close to point-per-game stats in his 2nd stint.

We believe the 25-year old plays himself into a position where he gains looks for the parent club.

As a rookie, he is mostly dispatched to ECHL affiliate Iowa Heartlanders, where he scored 13 goals and 29 assists in 55 games, which he will take to a new contract with Toledo Walleye, which we feel is only going to meet good things in 2024/2025.

He’s a decent prolific scorer with 3 goals and 17 assists in 37 games with a +2 rating, but Greenville Swamp Rabbits need his points punch more than his current club, so trade to get him.

Scoring isn’t a problem with his new team, as he pots 1 goal and 4 assists in 8 games with a +5 rating, but maybe wants a little more and branches out to sign in Liiga with Jukurit.

We do think this is a huge move for the player and this team.

In 13 games, he comes away with 7 assists, but maybe sees a better opportunity in IceHL for his next move and signs with Pioneers Vorarlberg for 2025/2026.

06Aug

Mason Emoff (17)

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3rd year center Mason Emoff(17) will take his game over to Italy2, signing with Pergine Sapiens for 2025/2026.

The 5’10” 171 lbs. forward did pretty well, intially with Fayetteville Marksmen before loans called him up most successfully with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he had 2 goals and 4 assists in 10 ECHL games.

He went back to SPHL for playoffs.

After successful climbing the EHL junior program, he would head to Mahattanville College Valiants, where he struck for a best 11 goals and 13 assists in 26 games as a senior captain.

From Orangeville, ON, we think the 27-year old excels where he is heading.

05Aug

Anthony Greco (28)

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6th year right wing Anthony Greco(28) receives the nod from 2nd year club New York Rangers to come up and skate an NHL game.

In his debut (2nd overall all game in the league), he played 14 shifts for 9:44 ice time with 5 shots on net, 1 block and 1 giveaway.

He was the leading goal scorer in 2018/2019, while under a 2nd contract to Florida Panthers, for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, getting 30 goals and 59 points.

The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward originally signed a minor league deal with this team, but was up to a 2-year entry level contract, when he produced as a rookie.

He had a good 4 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes, leading them as a senior captain.

The 28-year old has 93 goals and 108 assists in 320 AHL games and sure would love to play himself into a spot up.

After putting up a career best 39 assists and tying his 59 points from a few years ago, he isn’t waiting around to see if he be re-signed as a ufa and signs a 1-year deal with Frolunda HC.

He is easily the type of player that could put up huge numbers in the SHL.

In his 2nd season with HC Linkoping, he does reasonably well, but gets an opportunity to play the KHL and signs with HC Lada Togliatti for 2024/2025.

After 19 games without much pop, he decides to head to the much friendlier NL for his next hockey and signs with EHC Biel-Bienne.

He does pretty nicely in Swiss hockey, but wants to continue to move along and signs with Adler Mannheim of DEL for 2025/2026, another league we feel he’ll do well in.