Category: Minor League Deal

Former Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ defenseman Terrance Amorosa(2) took some time before signing any deal for 2020/2021 and recently hooked up with Laval Rocket on a pto.

The sizable 6’2″ 202 lbs blue liner got in his first career AHL game and left a 3-0 blanking with no points but a +1 rating.

He had signed a pair of deals previously in the league, but was reassigned down to ECHL affiliates and last season had a decent 6 goals and 12 assists for Kansas City Mavericks.

Originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ draft pick in the 5th round of 2013 (#132 overall), he never signed and was released to unrestricted free agency.

At 26-years old the big d-man could just be getting his footing but we shall see.

The Kirkland, QC native scored a rookie contract with Laval Rocket and wound up with 1 goal and 12 assists with a massive +22 rating in 35 games.

He has decided to head oversea for his 3rd season, signing a 1-year deal with Gherdeina of AlpsHL for 2022/2023.

After putting up 31 assists and 5 goals in 24 games with a +20 rating, he jumps to a higher league, joining HC Bolzano Foxes of IceHL, where he should continue his scoring success.

For 2023/2024, he will roughly stay put, but switch allegiances to rivals Rittner Baum.

He has been on a bit of a tear with assists in his “home” league, but decides after 2 years to switch things up and signs with Coventry Blaze of the EIHL for 2024/2025.

In 54 games, he scores 7 goals and 27 assists with a +3 rating, which he will take to Metal Ligaen, signing for a year with Herning Blue Fox for 2025/2026.

Undrafted rookie right wing Marc Johnstone(26) signs a 1-year ECHL deal with Newfoundland Growlers for 2021/2022.

He only managed to get in 6 games with South Carolina Stingrays, recording 2 assists for 2020/2021’s completely weirdo hockey season before being released.

This came after the former two-time captain of Sacred Heart University Pioneers‘ forward graduated, having potted point-per-game numbers (6-10-16) in 16 Atlantic Hockey games as a senior.

He was always a good scorer at school, coming in after a decent 2nd showing with Chicago Steel that exploded in playoff run for 3 goals and 12 assists in 14 USHL games en route to the 2017 Clark Cup Championship.

The Cranford, NJ native was also captain of this club.

At 25-years old and having seen him play, we feel he may just be getting started for some attention.

Through 46 games as a rookie, he has scored 7 and assisted on 13 for 20 points to earn notice and a recall from parent club, Toronto Marlies.

For 2022/2023, he doesn’t need to look far, as he’s given a new AHL deal to continue.

He scores 9 goals and 13 assists in 69 games and catches the attention of Pittsburgh Penguins, who sign him to a 2-year, 2-way NHL deal through 2024/2025.

In 21 games with the affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has 2 goals and 3 assists, but mostly we feel it’s his style of play earns him a 1st game in the big league for Christmas 2023.

He skated 10 shifts for 7:19 ice time, dished 2 hits and took 1 face-off successfully in a 3-1 loss.

Reassigned, he scores 3 goals and 6 assists, but is an unrestricted free agent and signs a 2-year minor league deal with Toronto Marlies.

Wheeling Nailers‘ rookie defenseman Louie Roehl(4) skates a full slate of 60 ECHL games, scoring 4 goals and 20 assists with a +4 rating, but with no playoffs, he lucks out and gets loaned up to Hartford Wolf Pack, who are chasing their own Calder Cup trophy.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner did 5 years at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, maybe not connecting as well as he has in his 1st frame.

He had a very solid 30 assists in his 1 NAHL session for Minnesota Wilderness.

The 25-year old from Eden Prairie, MN likely just wants to get some AHL under his belt.

He actually figures into no games in the upper ranks, but is signed for a 2nd season that doesn’t quite go as good as his 1st, but he is still wanted to return for a 3rd frame in a Nailers‘ jersey.

In his 3rd year with his new club, he scores a new best 5 goals and ties his 20 assists from his 1st season in a full slate of 72 games, but will take it overseas, signing with Pioneers Vorarlberg of IceHL for 2025/2026.

7th year defenseman Connor Clifton(75) found himself flipped from the only team he’s known, Boston Bruins to Buffalo Sabres before becoming an unrestricted free agent and signs himself a very handsome 3-year $10M deal to help his new team’s blue line execute their end.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. blue liner was originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 5th round pick in the 2013 draft (#133 overall), but failed to sign, so entered into an AHL agreement with Providence Bruins to start his pro career before signing a 2-year NHL entry level deal with the big club.

He did 4 years at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, including his last as senior captain.

A Long Branch, NJ native, he played his way up through junior hockey finally arriving at a pretty excellent USNTDP frame before heading to school.

The 28-year old may be only first arriving at his 1st big deal.

He has 2 seasons of almost equal decent enough stats to get himself traded to Pittsburgh Penguins with a year remaining on his current deal.

 

Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ graduate right wing Mathieu Gosselin(63) was a 3 time 10+ goals and twice 10+ assists and once more than 20 in a frame scorer and will next take his game to the ECHL, joining Newfoundland Growlers for the rest of the season.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward on 4 occasions played 30+ games.

From Quebec, QC, he did 2 BCHL sessions with Merritt Centennials, scoring more than point per game numbers in his 2nd year.

The 24-year old will likely find room to score in the league and does with 2 goals and 3 assists, but now has to find himself a new team to play for, as his ceased operations.

Parent club Toronto Marlies step right in and offer him an amateur tryout to see what he might do in the AHL, which turns into a full deal for 2024/2025.

He spends most of his time, running up numbers for affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones that he decides to take across the way to a deal with Guilford Flames, 2025/2026, where we think he will do very well for himself in the EIHL.

6th year center Anthony Beauregard(92) signs a 1-year deal with Trois-Rivieres Lions after spending most of last season with the team, running new ECHL high totals with 26 goals.

He didn’t quite eclipse the massive 49 assists he put up with Wichita Thunder.

The 5’7″ 165 lbs. forward has twice gone overseas and shot 10+ goals and 20+ assists in seasons with Dundee Stars and HC Sierre.

He has twice earned AHL looks from Laval Rocket, once after completing 2 USports years at Concordia University Stingers.

From St-Damase, QC, the 27-year old would love to likely earn some more looks from the upper level, but in the meantime may just blow the lid off the league he’s in, scoring.

He may have not had quite the season he was hoping for, but is still a point producer and he becomes the 1st league player to re-sign with his club for what will become 3 years in a Lions‘ jersey.

Finishing up his 3rd frame with the team, skating a new best 67 games, scoring point-per-game numbers 25 goals and 42 assists, he will return once again as a team favorite for 2025/2026 after helping them win the 2025 ECHL Championship with 18 points in 21 games.

University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior center Jackson Kunz(89) signs a 1-year AHL deal with draft team Vancouver Canucks (4th round, 2020, #113 overall) affiliate Abbotsford Canucks for 2025/2026.

He joined the team for 1 game and recorded an assist, but play in no playoff games en route to the 2025 Calder Cup Championship.

The 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward blew up USHS-Prep scoring, then took that to 1 off the hook USHL frame before college.

 

University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish graduate left wing Jackson Pierson(19) signs a 1st pro deal and doesn’t go far from school with Fort Wayne Komets, which should lend him some valuable experience out of the gate.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward only put up 1 goal and 8 assists in 31 games, but managed 4 10+ assist seasons for University Of New Hampshire Wildcats.

From Zionsville, IL, the 23-year old barely played but 2 games of USHL hockey before heading to college.

We think he’s on the right team to find some footing out of the gate.

After 6 ECHL games with no points, he signs for 2023/2024 with Atlanta Gladiators, where he is likely to find his footing to score.

And he does score some points, 17 goals and 26 assists in a full slate of 72 games, the rookie assistant captain will return in a Gladiators‘ jersey to work on that horrible plus/minus, which we are sure happens on a better team.

He is taking 2 seasons of 26 assists to a new adventure for himself, signing with Herforder EV Ice Dragons of Germany3 for 2025/2026.

Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate defenseman Cooper Moore(3) left his 2 years at the school with a +36 rating.

He transferred as a junior from University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

The 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner from Greenwich, CT did only 1 very strong BCHL session before college.

He was very successful at USHS-Prep.

The 24-year old signed a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack for his rookie season 2025/2026.

He was originally a Detroit Red Wings‘ 5th round pick in 2019 (#128 overall).

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.