Category: Minor League Deal

Albertus Magnus College Falcons‘ senior left wing Caden Pattison(21) takes college best scoring 11 assists and 15 points to a 1st pro contract with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs.

The big 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward has played 3 SPHL with no points, but is a +1 rating.

He did most of 3 NAHL seasons with Maine Nordiques.

From Lake Stevens, WA, the 24-year old should show signs of life scoring points as a pro.

Newfoundland Growlers‘ rookie center Grant Cruikshank(19) has really ignited his scoring when he was reassigned by AHL contract club, Toronto Marlies.

In 35 ECHL games, he has 21 goals and 22 assists with a +9 rating.

Undrafted, he cycled through 3 colleges, his 1st 3 years at Colorado College Tigers, then 1 apiece with University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers and a graduate frame for St. Cloud State University Huskies.

He twice had 10+ goals, but exploded for 23 in his final year.

From Delafield, WI, the 25-year old won a BCHL Championship in his 1st junior season and is turning out to be quite the pro.

With his team going belly up, he went back to his contract club, but didn’t figure in any playoff games.

For 2024/2025, he signs with Calder Cup Champions, Hershey Bears, where he should find himself a nice home to play some hockey.

In his 1st full season in the league 2025/2026, he posts a high 9 goals and 5 assists in 52 games to secure a spot on the Bears‘ roster for 2026/2027.

Keene State College Owls‘ senior left wing Payton Jones(88) signs a 1st pro deal with Biloxi Breakers after his 2025/2026 college season came to a close.

The 6′ 205 lbs. forward has skated 2 FPHL without any points yet.

He only played 8 games in his final frame.

As a junior, he had a college best 6 assists and 8 points after he came over to the new D3 program from 2 years at Franklin Pierce University Ravens.

From Cedar Park, TX, the 24-year old came up through the junior ranks, ending with 2 New Jersey 87’s EHL sessions before college.

UMASS Dartmouth Corsairs‘ sophomore left wing Tyler Stewart(44) finished 2023/2024 with a team leading 17 goals and new high 27 points in 25 games.

This sets a new marks in tallies, eclipsing the 10 he posted last season.

The 6′ 181 lbs. forward is going to miss the mark set as a freshman for assists, as he had 13 and rounded out with 10.

From Pittsburgh, PA, the 22-year had two successful NAHL seasons for Fairbanks Ice Dogs.

His college team is playing pretty impressively this season and we think he continues to take his scoring up.

He takes phenomenal senior scoring, 21 goals and 24 assists in 25 games to a 1st pro contract with Knoxville Ice Bears, where in 3 games, he has a 1st SPHL goal and 2 assists.

South Carolina Stingrays‘ 2nd year center Jack Adams(24) arrived at the ECHL and did something he didn’t do with the clarity he was doing at college, scoring big.

The 6’6″ 209 lbs. forward scored 27 goals and 35 assists in 71 games.

His best scoring at University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish came as a senior with 7 goals and 10 assists in his junior year.

The Boxford, MA native also did 3 years at Union College Dutchmen and 1 with Providence College Friars, but played little games at both.

There is little doubt the 27-year old is emerging.

For 2024/2025, he decides to head to the new team in the league and signs with Bloomington Bison and should explode the stat sheet again.

Not even a few days with his new team (we’re not sure he reported) and he gets scooped up by Orlando Solar Bears, who want his stick in their lineup.

He works well in their lineup to the tune of 15 goals and 29 assists through 61 games, then added another 6 points (1-5) in 11 playoff matchups with a +4 rating.

For 2025/2026, the Solar Bears want him back in the lineup.

He is once again scoring at pretty much the same clip as he did just a season ago, but his +/- is garbage, so Idaho Steelheads work a double deal to pull him into their lineup, where he will do even better.

After a four-year career at Quinnipiac University, finishing with a 2020/2021 season NCAA Division 1 best 39 assists, center Odeen Tufto(26) signs a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning and will report to affiliate Syracuse Crunch to see if he can add to that helpers stat.

The small 5’7″ 175 lbs. forward has always connected with the scoresheet in college play, 3 times with 30+ assists and 40+ points.

A Minnesota-native he spent a year in the BCHL before heading back “home” to join the USHL and skated with three different club s in a campaign before heading off to school.

He’s small but we have a feeling he will find his space to grab numbers.

Mostly shipped as a rookie to ECHL affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he was close to point-per-game player.

In 2022/2023, he was signed by Tuscon Roadrunners, but played 13 games with Atlanta Gladiators before heading to DEL2, signing with Krefeld Pinguin, getting 15 points in 12 games, then 11 in 12 through the playoffs.

He’ll return in 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with Iowa Heartlanders.

Through 29 games, he managed 3 goals and 19 assists, but isn’t great with his plus/minus and maybe gets a little bored, looking elsewhere and signs with EHC Olten of the tier 2 Swiss League, SL.

He will return for 2024/2025 after a successful little run through Switzerland’s hockey and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

A point-per-game player again during regular season, he returns for 2025/2026 and scores 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, but decides to head back to DEL2 and signs with Ravensburg Towerstars.

With 8 goals and 17 assists in 25 games, including a nice +12 rating, he is asked to return for 2026/2027 as a Towerstars.

Assumption University Greyhounds‘ senior defenseman John Woernle(7) had a best 3 goals and 2nd 16 assists in his final frame that he took to a 1st pro deal with Evansville Thunderbolts for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

In 13 games, the 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner has 3 assists with a -2 rating.

He scored 22 assists as a junior.

From Wellesley, MA, the 25-year old did 2 productive EHL years with New England Wolves that he worked up from EHLP.

With 4 assists in 32 SPHL games, he gets traded to Fayettesville Marksmen, who look to use his size maybe a little more effectively.

JYP left wing C.J. Smith(29) quickly signs up for a 1-year extension after 1 goal and 4 assists through 5 games looks like a lock for him to score goals in Liiga after starting the season late with the team.

After 3 years at UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks, the 5’11” 183 lbs. forward signed an NHL entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Buffalo Sabres and stayed in their system for 4 years.

The 29-year old from Des Moines, IA is said to be coming back from surgery due to an injury, so this is a nice landing spot for him to re-stake his game.

He comes away with 8 goals and 12 assists in 33 games, which gains interest from Barys Astana of the KHL for 2024/2025.

So much for the tryout in Germany, as he will head home under contract to Charlotte Checkers, where he should do well and help.

He definitely help his new team win games, going into the playoffs, but waits a moment before signing 2025/2026 and agrees to terms with Bridgeport Islanders.

After 17 AHL games with 8 assists, he decides to head of to DEL and signs with Fischtown Pinguins for the 2nd half of 2025/2026.