Category: Minor League Deal

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Union College Dutchmen senior left wing Ethan Benz(32) figured into his most games, 22 scoring 2 goals and 2 assists with a 0 rating.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward signs a 1st pro contract with Tulsa Oilers upon completion of tournament play.

In 11 ECHL games, he scores a 1st goal and 3 assists.

From Shakopee, MN, the 25-year old did 3 NAHL years of juniors, scoring almost point-per-game numbers in his final session.

He will need a contract for 2026/2027.

4th year defenseman Charles Martin(47) signs with HK Spisska Nova Ves in 2026/2027, his 1st foray overseas for pro hockey.

The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner scored a pro best 14 goals and 27 assists in a full slate of 72 ECHL games last season, including winning the hardest shot competition at the 2026 All-Star Game.

He did 4 years at University Of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets, scoring a college best 3 goals and 15 assists as a senior.

From Blainville, QC, we look for the 28-year old to do well in Slovak Extraliga, 2026/2027.

Sacred Heart University Pioneers‘ graduate center Austin Magera(5) leaves his long-standing program with a college career best 20 assists and 28 points before signing a 1st pro deal with South Carolina Stingrays.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward is off to a nice start, in 7 ECHL games he has 2 goals and 3 assists with one multi-point outing.

He appeared in only 1 USHL session previous to heading to college, coming off a successful high school run at Lawrence Academy for the Suwanee, GA native.

The 24-year old appears to impress at the next level.

He is voted “rookie of the year” for his efforts scoring 29 goals and 45 assist for 74 in 70 games with a +21 rating.

After being top scorer (74 points in 70 games), the parent club says hey, come up here and Hershey Bears sign him for a 1st AHL contract in 2024/2025.

Another strong season with the affiliate, twice scoring 40+ assists, he leaves to sign with Fort Wayne Komets for 2025/2026.

He takes another season of quite good scoring to a new opportunity in DEL with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for 2026/2027.

11th year right wing Tyler Gron(7) decided to take a step back and do a year with Hannover Scorpions, but ended up scoring a career high 37 goals and 61 points in 48 Germany3 games, so will return to his 5th team in DEL2, joining Eispiraten Crimmitschau for 2022/2023.

It’s his 7th year in Germany tier 2 hockey league.

The 5’11” 201 lbs. forward actually left in his 1st season for Esbjerg Energy, where he won a 2016 Metal Ligaen Championship.

He also had one very successful season in Italy with Milano Rossoblu after coming over from mostly running up the scoresheet in the ECHL, but also did 14 AHL games on loan.

The Northern Michigan University Wildcats‘ graduate twice scored 17 goals and had 30+ points as a junior and senior.

At 32-years old, the Spruce Grove, AL native is likely just happy to still be playing at a very high level.

He has a bit of a trying season up last frame, so decides to return to 3 and signs for 2023/2024 with EC Hannover Indians and should pull his scoring right back up again.

After 2 decent years, especially in the playoffs, he decides to switch up teams and signs for 2025/2026 with rivals Hochstadter EC Alligators.

Once again, he blows up scoring with 29 goals and 25 assists in 52 games and for 2026/2027, he will move up once again to DEL2, signing with Blue Devils Weiden.