Morrisville State College Mustangs‘ senior left wing Colby Walters(17) leaves his college team after only 3 appearance in the 2025/2026 season and signs a contract with Indiana Sentinels for the 2nd half of 2025/2026.
He has appeared in 1 FPHL game.
The 6′ 165 lbs. forward had a successful 3rd EHL session after playing in the Chicago Mission youth hockey program.
From Aurora, IL, the 24-year old could produce better as a pro than he did in college.
4th year right wing Jake Raleigh(14) is released after scoring well for Danbury Hat Tricks, but is immediately picked up by Watertown Wolves for the remainder of 2025/2026.
The 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward has 2 assists in 10 FPHL games with his new team.
From Raleigh, NC, the 24-year old did 4 years at Post University Eagles, scoring best as a junior.
After a split season, playing pro hockey with Bridgeport Islanders and affiliate Worcester Railers, where he was a point-per-game player in the ECHL, Justin Gill(23) decides to commit to Merrimack College Warriors as a freshman for 2025/2026.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward also scored huge, as he was rounding up 5 years in the QMJHL.
In 18 games in college hockey, he is finding the net like he always has with 7 goals and 10 assists.
From St. Joseph-du-Lac, QC, the 22-year old twice draft passed, 2023 New York Islanders‘ 5th round pick (#145 overall) is likely in a good spot to set up his new future, but may need to be signed before he completes.
4th year defenseman Alex Cohen(21) joins Mayhem Macon for a 3rd straight season that also for a 2nd straight year includes loans up to Orlando Solar Bears.
The 6′ 192 lbs. blue liner has 5 goals and 5 assists in 26 SPHL games this season, which is a bit off his usual marks.
From Newton, MA, the 27-year old, 3-time Northeast Generals went to Union College Dutchmen, but left after little use through his junior frame.
Worcester Railers‘ 6’3″ 214 lbs. right wing Tyler Kobryn(20) skates 5 ECHL games of his 2nd season with the team, but gets traded to Indy Fuel after recording no points.
He had 9 goals in 25 games last year.
From Hillsborough, NJ, the Wesleyan University Cardinals‘ graduate 28-year old may look elsewhere, if this stops doesn’t pan out.
He only has 1 goal and 1 assist in 11 games, so gets traded to Orlando Solar Bears to hopefully increase his scoring fortunes.
2nd year Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate center Max Newton(10) looks to be on his way to blowing out any scoring he was able to managed at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks having already pocketed 7 goals and 8 assists in 14 games with a +3 rating to start the 2021/2022 session.
He was a good scorer through his first two years at the BCHL, but really popped on a shift to a new team, Cowichan Valley Capitals with 25 goals and 34 assists in 58 games.
The 5’10” 184 lbs. 25-year old will be an interesting watch to see what might materialize for this skater that plays with full-on compete next.
When his team pushed Hockey East playoffs as far as they would go, he quickly turned his attention to signing an spc with Worcester Railers to finish off the 2021/2022 season.
In his debut, he records an assist, then follows it up with his 1st ECHL goal in the next game to match his Merrimack pal he signed contracts with.
After scoring 3 goals and 5 assists in 13 games and getting a 2 game loan up to Providence Bruins, notching an assist, he signs for his official rookie session with rival Reading Royals, where scoring will continue to come for one of the hardest workers out there.
He exploded scoring in the league last season to the tune of 34 goals and 38 assists in 67 games, then added another 10 points in 10 playoff games.
For 2023/2024, the Vancouver, BC will take it up a notch, signing with HK Dukla Michalovce of Slovak Extraliga.
After scoring decently, he leaves for DEL2 and signs with Krefeld Pinguin, where his stats explode beyond goal-per-game numbers and he is doing it again for a 2nd straight season to earn himself a contract to stay 2 more through 2027/2028.
5th year right wing Jake Smith(24) doesn’t seem to be bothered finding the net, regardless of the ECHL team he may be paired with at the moment.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. took a bit of a weird path, starting with 2 QMJHL seasons, then switching to the OHL and heading to a year at Carlton University Ravens before turning pro.
He started as a rookie in the SPHL, but would eventually split for a short run in Germany3 with Starbulls Rosenheim, a team he oddly played a year of youth hockey with, considering his birth place is Pickering, ON.
Returning, he skated the COVID-busted season in the league and would do well enough to score a look in the higher league.
He started with Kansas City Mavericks, but failed to connect and took up with Iowa Heartlanders and the scoring wasn’t immediate, but eventually pulled in for 25 goals and 25 assists in 52 games.
There’s little doubt he can score in the league, but could definitely use more on ice accountability.
The 26-year old seems to have found a good spot with Reading Royals, good for 7 goals and 5 assists in 19 games, but a lowly -12.
It takes a little while, but he signs a 1-year deal to stay in a Royals’ jersey for 2024/2025.
With some good scoring, 16 goals and 21 assists, he decides to head back for another venture and signs with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen.
He’s a more than point-per-game, so will head to Mestis and signs with JoKP
Norfolk Admirals‘ 3rd year defenseman Lordanthony Grissom(3) won the 2022 SPHL Championship with Peoria Rivermen after completing 4 years, twice as captain at Aurora University Spartans.
He actually scored points in that league, raising his profile to score ECHL contracts moving forward.
The very large 6’4″ 229 lbs. blue liner had a league career best 3 goals and 7 assists last season for Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
From Detroit, MI, the 28-year old has 1 assist in 3 games in the current frame and could find his way to scoring more points when out there.
In 16 games, he only posts 1 assists, but is a +2 rating.
He is released and claimed off waivers by Jacksonville Icemen, who hope to do something with his great size.
Not really with a lot of luck last season, split between a couple of teams, Iowa Heartlanders see something they think they can turn into more of a scoring factor and bring him in for 2025/2026.
Released after 22 games with 3 assists, he is picked back up by Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he scored his best numbers.
Long Island University Lakers‘ graduate goaltender Vinnie Purpura(33) signs a 1st contract upon completing his 5th year with Adirondack Thunder and gets pressed into play his 1st ECHL game right away.
In his 2nd game, the 6’6″ 194 lbs. backstop pulls off a 1st 6-2 win after losing his debut effort in overtime.
He originally committed to Boston University Terriers , where he was used sparingly in 2 seasons, after a solid 2nd USHL frame with Omaha Lancers.
The 24-year from Lemont, IL may just find his game completely as he’s turned pro.
He would post a 2-0 record in 4 appearances, but he couldn’t have been happy with his numbers, so he signs to return for another look in a Thunder jersey for 2023/2024.
Through 25 starts, he posts a 15-4-4 record, but doesn’t have a new deal, so his rights are claimed by Reading Royals for 2024/2025.
After a decent season stopping pucks, he will returns a Royals for 2025/2026.
And yikes, he goes 3-0 to start with a .099 GAA and .967 SV%, but maybe playing time is a tiny bit of an issue here and he gets moved to Savannah Ghost Pirates, who can use them to bolster their claims.
He continues with his good game, posting a 4-2 record, 1.92 GAA and .939 SV% to score himself a 1-way AHL deal with Charlotte Checkers for the 2nd half of the 2026 season.
7th year defenseman Nolan Zajac(44) leaves a pair of seasons in the SHL for a new European adventure in 2022/2023, joining DEL‘s Grizzlys Wolfsburg.
He spent only a pair of seasons mostly in the ECHL scoring pretty big after graduating University Of Denver twice ascending to 20+ assists before deciding to head overseas.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner maybe started a little low in Sweden’s tier 2 Allsvenskan, where he detonated the scoresheet for most assists and most points by a d-man for IK Oskarshamn.
With his new German team, he manages 8 goals and 25 assists in 48 games with a +14 rating, then adds another 7 assists in a playoff run to earn himself another year to stay put.
After 2 good frames with the same team, he looks elsewhere to rivals Augsburger Panthers f0r 2024/2025.
He continues to move along for 2025/2026, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves, but maybe with only 3 assists in 17 games, he looks for a little more and leaves for Bruleurs De Loups of Ligue Magnus.
