Brown University Bears‘ senior defenseman Brett Bliss(4) signs a 1st pro deal with Tahoe Knight Monsters.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner played only 1 ECHL game and will need a new contract, if he wants moving forward.
He played a college best 31 games and was a 1st time +3 rating player.
From Chelmsford, MA, he headed north for junior hockey, BCHL for 2 years before school.
Not sure where the 23-year old signs, but he plays a physical game and should be ok as a pro.
Buffalo Sabres‘ 6th year center Sean Malone(37) continues with Rochester Americans under a new 1-year deal from the team he’s skated 5 seasons for.
The former Harvard University Crimson senior scorer is coming off a career year, getting a new best 20 goals and 37 points.
He only has 2 NHL games to his credit, with an assist in his 2nd appearance with 1-year contract club, Nashville Predators.
A Buffalo, NY native, the 27-year old is definitely keeping his hockey close to home.
Following 6 years and 284 AHL games, the 28 year is heading off to Switzerland to skate in the NL with SCL Tigers in 2023/2024.
He has two good Swiss seasons and takes it to a new deal with Orebro HK of SHL for 2025/2026.
Former Arizona State University Sun Devils‘ undrafted 2 year team captain Tyler Busch(13) quite possibly was waiting to see where North American pro hockey was going to settle before agreeing to leave the country for his next pursuit and decided to sign on with Sweden’s tier 3 league HockeyEttan joining Tranas AIF.
He did sign with Cincinnati Cyclones during the summer but then decided to forego the 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions.
The 6’3″ 195 lb. power forward scored a healthy diet of four goals and 5 assists in 17 games before adding an assist in the playoffs.
He put up 21 points in two straight seasons before graduating with a career high 18 assists and +15 rating as a senior.
The Lloydminster, AB native played 3 years in the AJHL for Spruce Grove Saints and arrived at college after his best session as a more than point-per-game performer serving as captain.
What the 25-year old does next is up in the air but he could easily continue where he’s at and likely receive a look from the NL.
For 2021/2022, he was initially signed with the Cyclones return, but switched it up closer to the start of the frame and went with Fort Wayne Komets in 2021/2022, ending up getting 8 goals and 11 assists in 59 games, including a 4 game AHL loan to Henderson Silver Knights.
He re-signs to stay where he played as a rookie and we only see things improving for this young player.
Traded to Iowa Heartlanders early in the season, he managed to connect for 14 goals and 14 assists in 56 games.
He’ll take that ECHL experience to the EIHL next, signing for 2023/2024 with Cardiff Devils.
After 2 seasons, scoring decently, he will switch things up to sign with rivals, Guilford Flames for 2025/2026 and hopes to increase his play.
Brown University Bears‘ sophomore goaltender Mathieu Caron(30) will look to up his profile and his game with a transfer portal move to Boston University Terriers for his junior year 2023/2024.
The 6′ 190 lbs. back stop will definitely be eyeing the Hockey East starter’s job, having played 50 games, holding his own with a 2.61 GAA and .916 SV%.
From Abbotsford, BC, he appeared in 4 BCHL seasons for Chilliwack Chiefs, leaving them with a 67-38-11 record.
At 23-years old, he may be ready for what he’s accepted going forward for his college hockey career.
In 2 seasons in Boston, he has winning runs, maybe a little stronger with more games as a junior, but still very solid to help the team get to the 2025 Frozen Four final game.
To start his pro career, he signs an ato with Florida Everblades that could get him into some ECHL playoff action.
Seeing no action, he decides to make a move and heads off to Ligue Magnus, signing with Anglet Hormadi for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ senior 2-year captain, center Will Zapernick(16) took a college best 14 assists and 17 points in 35 games last season to a 1st contract with Wichita Thunder.
In 12 games, he recorded 2 ECHL goals and 1 assist, then got another helper in 4 playoff matchups.
From Edmonton, AB, he did 3 seasons of AJHL before committing to college.
The 25-year old needs a rookie contract for 2025/2026.
Undrafted 4th year right wing Nick Jones(8) is coming off a career AHL season, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists in 60 games to add a 3rd season with Manitoba Moose to his resume.
The 5’11” 186 lbs. forward had an interesting two year run through the AJHL before committing to Ohio State University Buckeyes for 2 years, after which he decided on a pair of BCHL sessions, scoring almost equal 60+ point totals and winning the 2017 Championship with Penticton Vees and then heading to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for a junior and senior frame.
From Edmonton, AB, the 26-year old may be off to a bit of a late start connecting with the net.
In 47 games last season, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating, but wants more and eyes an opportunity in the tough to play Tipos Extraliga, signs with Vlci Zilina for 2024/2025.
He explodes scoring to the tune of 24 goals and 21 assists in 41 games with a +7, but he decides to head off to close by Czechia Extraliga and signs with HC Dynamo Pardubice, where he may do even better.
In 9 games, he scores 3 goals and 3 assists, then in 16 playoff contests, grabs 2 goals and 9 assists.
For 2025/2026, he takes this success and signs with rivals HC Energie Karlovy Vary.
UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Swedish-born, graduate center Filip Fornaa Svensson(14) skated only 3 games with his 1st team, Fort Wayne Komets grabbing an assist, but is wanted for his 6’4″ 216 lbs. frame in Norfolk Admirals to continue.
He transferred to his new school as a senior, coming over from University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, where he scored his college best as a junior with 9 goals and 16 assists.
All of his junior hockey was played back home before coming over strictly for school and now for his pro game.
He takes a solid scoring ECHL season with 25 goals and 13 assists in 48 games with a +16 rating to a new deal in his homeland HockeyAllsvenskan with Vimmerby HC for 2025/2026.
Yale University Bulldogs‘ senior, captain left wing Will Dineen(26) signs an ato with Laval Rocket and in 9 games has a 1st AHL goal and 1 assist with a -2 rating.
He doesn’t figure in the playoffs.
The 6’2″ 194 lbs. forward had a college best 12 assists and 18 points last season.
From Hinsdale, IL, he did 2 USHL years for Sioux Falls Stampede.
The 24-year old gets a 1-year deal for 2025/2026.
SUNY Cortland Red Dragons‘ senior center Anthony Bernardo(20) signs a 1st pro deal with Binghamton Black Bears and starts scoring right away in 6 FPHL games has 1 goal and 5 assists, then added another helper in 1 playoff matchup.
The 5’11” 183 lbs. forward’s best college scoring season was as a junior with 10 goals and 9 assists in 29 games.
From Hauppauge, NY, the 24-year did all his youth hockey and juniors with PAL Jr. Islanders and seems to be a no-brainer to sign for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
Swedish-born senior left wing Jake Stella(28) leaves 3 years at American International College Yellowjackets for something maybe a bit more challenging in the 2022/2023 schedule of UMass-Lowell Riverhawks.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward skated his youth hockey and some juniors at home, but came over initially playing with South Shore Kings for a season before switching to Corpus Christi Ice Rays of the NAHL as assistant captain, where he picked up his college commit and some solid scoring (21-17-38).
He posted college career high marks in 2021/2022, potting 12 goals and 16 assists with a +10 rating in 37 NCAA Division 1 games.
The 23-year old should continue to improve, even with some very tough ice ahead of him.
He actually scored decently as a senior with 4 goals and 9 assists, playing Hockey East schedule and added a graduate session, as team captain.
Finishing up playoff hockey, he signs a pro contract with Rapid City Rush, where in 8 ECHL games he has 1 assist with a +1 rating.
He thanks for east for the hockey experiences, but is heading back home to sign Tingsryds AIF of HockeyAllsvenskan for 2024/2025.
For 52 games, he struggles with on-ice accountability, but rebounds nicely in the playoffs with 3 goals in 7 games and a +4 rating.
He will take this success to a new opportunity in Ligue Magnus, where he signs with Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise for 2025/2026.
