Category: Minor League Deal

28Jun

Scott Wilson (10)

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Charlotte Checkers‘ 8th year center Scott Wilson(10) is off to a good start with his new team, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 16 AHL games, while helping them win games.

Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 7th round pick in the 2011 draft (#209 overall), he was selected after a 2nd strong session for Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL.

The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward would then head to UMass-Lowell Riverhawks for three seasons.

He spent three years in the Pens’ system and played the entire 2016/2017 in the NHL en route of the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship, where he played 20 playoff matchups, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists.

The 29-year old should have some fun with his minor league deal this year and then look for a nice overseas contract for 2022/2023.

After scoring a career best 24 goals in 71 games, he decides at the last minute to head off and sign with Vityaz Podolsk, as we thought he might do, after initially thinking he was going to return.

He should be able to match up well in the KHL.

After a couple of good 20-goal scoring seasons, he was maybe off a bit in the current frame, so switches up allegiances to skate for Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the remainder of 2024/2025.

He has a pretty spectacular season with 9 goals and 14 assists in 30 games with a +13 rating, then added 16 points in 19 playoff matchups, but for 2025/2026, he will sign with a 5th league team, agreeing to terms for HC Sibir Novosibirsk for 2025/2026.

26Jun

Noah Carlin (62)

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Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior defenseman Noah Carlin(62) played a college high 37 games, scoring a new best 4 goals, despite having better assists 9 as a junior and 12 points twice in previous frames.

The 6′ 174 lbs. blue liner did the Honeybaked youth hockey system before 3 seasons of juniors previous to college.

From Marine City, MI, the 24-year signed a 1st pro deal with Kalamazoo Wings that saw him appear in his 1st 3 ECHL games.

23Jun

Adrien Bisson (8)

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Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ senior transfer from University Of Maine Black Bears, defenseman Adrien Bisson(8) looks to be heading for a conservative college career best assists with 4 already in 20 games, but has been able to stabilize his game into a +6 player.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. blue liner hasn’t really put up stats in school, but did have 2 straight 21 assists campaigns in CCHL for Ottawa Jr. Senators.

From Cornwall, ON, we’ll see whether the undrafted d-man does a graduate session.

He does add on another college frame, but as soon as that wraps, he signs a 1st pro contract with Florida Everblades.

In 9 games, he records an assist, then appears in 2 playoff games, as his team captures their 3rd straight Kelly Cup trophy.

He has 4 assists in just 10 games with a +3 in his rookie season, but Adirondack Thunder look to need him more and trade up some future considerations to get him to come north.

Through 23 ECHL games with his new team, he has 6 assists, but is a horrible -12 rating and despite it Tahoe Knight Monsters see room to add him.

Talk about landing spots: he pulls off 1 goal and 2 assists in 11 games with a +10 rating to head into a 1st ever playoffs.

For his sophomore season, he decides to take off and signs in Ligue Magnus with Diables Rogues de Briancon for 2025/2026.

22Jun

Garrett Roe (9)

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13th year center Garrett Roe(9) returns home to sign with Hershey Bears for 2023/2024 after playing in 4 different leagues overseas with the last 6 in the NL for ZSC Lions and EV Zug.

The 5’9″ 180 lbs. forward was in fact a Los Angeles Kings 7th round pick in the 2008 draft (#183 overall), but did not sign.

His 1st contract was with Adirondack Phantoms, where he scored 32 assists and he stuck there a 2nd season before leaving.

The Vienna, VA native initially went to Austria’s top hockey EBEL, signing with EC Salzburg and score points.

He left for Germany’s DEL, agreeing to terms with EHC Muenchen and he scored points.

His next stop would be for a pair of sessions in the SHL with Linkoping HC and yup, he scored points.

He would continue to do it in Switzerland and it’s expected the 35-year old, former St. Cloud State University Huskies will help out his new AHL team continue to score.

In 48 games, he bags 7 goals and 14 assists with a +15 rating, then through 12 in the playoffs, he nets another 6 goals and 4 helpers, which makes the now 36-year old and easy re-sign to continue being a Bears, 2024/2025.

He scored 4 goals and 14 assists in 38 games with a nice +16 rating of accountability.

In 4 playoff games, he grabs 2 assists with a +3 and that is plenty enough for the now 37-year old.

Chalk up 14 years, 226 games in the Swiss league, 215 in the minors and time spent in three other overseas leagues is a nice tally.

20Jun

Bryce Misley (9)

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Minnesota Wild 4th round pick in the 2017 draft (#116 overall) center Bryce Misley(9) must have jumped at the opportunity to sign his first deal, an ato with affiliate Iowa Wild to show a little of what he’s able to produce after coming off a piss poor COVID busted 2020/2021 University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ NCAA Hockey East schedule of only 14 games.

In 9 AHL games, the 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward has a goal and 2 assists with a multipoint spread.

While not scoring big numbers through 4 years of college, the Calgary, AB native did hit the score sheet hard as a point-per-game producer through 2 seasons of junior hockey with Oakville Blades of the OJHL (45-56 in 99).

The 21-year old has yet to sign his entry level deal and ends up inking a 1-year minor league deal to stay in the system.

He is reassigned down to affiliate Iowa Heartlanders, scoring 11 goals and 19 assists, but unfortunately was a bit of an abysmal -29 rating on a team that struggled.

For 2022/2023, he has decided to split the scene and sign with Asiago of IceHL and should find his scoring elevates nicely.

He posts 9 goals and 30 assists in 49 games to earn himself another 2-year deal to continue.

In his time, he does pretty well on the scoresheet, but definitely could up his on-ice accountability, but will head next to skate for the “hometown” Italian team in the league, HC Bozen-Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

20Jun

Josh Nixon (16)

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Maryland Black Bears‘ undrafted right wing Josh Nixon(16) commits to Lake Superior State University after what has looked like a pretty fun tour through junior hockey starting with Mississauga, ON native’s close by OJHL club Georgetown Raiders for most of two sessions, then heading to America for a stint with Sioux City Musketeers, which went decently for 8 goals and 17 assists in 48 USHL games.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has similar numbers in less outings through the current frame for his new NAHL team.

He plays with loads of energy and will be a great addition to WCHA play.

In 37 games, he scores pretty well, but decides to change things up and heads for Union College Dutchmen to do his sophomore frame.

As a junior he has a college best 18 assists and in his senior year scores a new best 14 goals.

To start his pro career, he signs can ato with a non-playoff team, Maine Mariners.

After 4 ECHL games with 1 assist and a +1 rating, he decides for his rookie season that he is heading over to the EIHL and signs with Guildford Flames to help rebuilding.

19Jun

Jarrod Gourley (60)

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Undrafted defenseman Jarrod Gourley(60) takes three good seasons at University Of Arizona Sun Devils to the transfer portal and comes out the other side as a senior with University Of Connecticut Huskies for 2021/2022.

The big 6’2″ 210 lbs. blue liner has played all of his youth hockey and juniors close to home and was selected by his first college in his initial campaign for Brooks Bandits.

He won a pair of AJHL Championships in 2016 and 2018 with Spruce Grove Saints.

In his last year with CBHA Rangers U16 AAA, he put up some of his best numbers, potting 9 goals and 23 assists in 29 AMMHL games before committing.

The 22-year finished up tying his 3 goal college season high and was a +5 player on a team that went all the way to the Hockey East Final before losing in OT.

He finishes up school and signs a 1st pro deal with Adirondack Thunder and should be an impact player in the ECHL right away.

At the end of his 1st little run, he is loaned up to the AHL and scores a goal in his debut through 4 appearances.

For his efforts, Utica Comets extend an offer to bring him up a level, which makes pure sense to us.

He somehow only plays 8 games with 1 goal and 1 assist and a +3 rating but is reassigned down to affiliate the Thunder, where he grabs 4 goals and 9 assists in 38 games with a +9 to scoring a look from the hot Calgary Wranglers for 2023/2024.

Somehow seemed to get under-used through 2 years in North American hockey, so leaves for the EIHL and signs with Cardiff Devils for 2024/2025 and will likely heed a much looser game for him.

In 51 games, he records 3 assists and 9 goals with a 0 rating, but something isn’t adding up over here and he maybe sees something else to go for a retires from the game a Devil.

19Jun

Jordan Murray (4)

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8th year defenseman Jordan Murray(4) signs on for his 4th year, 3rd DEL team, Schwenninger Wild Wings, 2024/2025.

He’s shown stronger numbers earlier in his career, but could still be worth something as a 31-year old pro.

The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner did 3 seasons with Belleville Senators, signing with the team after finishing up 4 years at University Of New Brunswick Reds.

This followed 3 QMJHL junior frames.

Undrafted from Riverview, NB, he is likely happy to be still playing.

After 4 seasons in Germany, he decides to move on, signing in IceHL with EC-KAC for 2025/2026.

16Jun

Shane Gersich (10)

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Washington Capitals‘ 4th year center Shane Gersich(10) grabs another one-year, two-way deal to stick around in the prospect system.

The University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ 3-year forward has consistently put up respectable numbers for affiliate Hershey Bears.

He started his pro career with 3 NHL games fresh off his junior year at school, grabbed an assist and even skated a pair of playoff appearances en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship.

The 24-year old has to be fairly happy with the way things are turning out for this 5th round pick in the 2014 draft (#134 overall).

For 2022/2023, he re-signs on a minor league deal to stay where he is after recording a career high 14 goals and 20 assists with a +4 rating.

After a 5th season where he’s been and a brand new 2023 Calder Cup Trophy to bear, he decides to look on and signs a 1-year deal with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, where he should do very well.

We pretty much thought what has occurred would, he takes a good frame in Sweden’s tier 2 league, scoring 19 goals and 13 assists in 48 games to a higher level of hockey next, signing with Iserlohn Roosters of DEL for 2024/2025.

He does ok with 16 goals and 21 assists in 51 games, but decides to look for another opportunity and signs with HC Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

15Jun

Philip Samuelsson (34)

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12th year, Swedish-born defenseman Philip Samuelsson(34) left 3 seasons of playing in his home country’s top league, SHL for a new adventure, signing for 2022/2023 with Fischtown Pinguins.

In 22 DEL games, he has 12 assists, so is on pace for a big first season in Germany.

The former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#61 overall) has played 512 AHL games, scoring 27 goals and 124 assists with a massive +76 rating.

He’s also appeared in 13 NHL games.

Because his dad, Ulf Samuelsson(5) was playing hockey in the US, he did his high school and junior hockey here.

The 6’2″ 194 lbs. blue liner even did 2 years at Boston College Eagles before turning pro on a 3-year entry level deal.

At 31-years old, he is still able to pull down good contracts, so must have at least a little smile on his face.

He finishes up his debut frame in Germany with 4 goals and 27 assists in 47 games only to be wooed by rivals Straubing Tigers to stay in the country and sign for 2023/2024.

After an exceptionally strong year, scoring 4 goals and 12 assists with a +5 rating through 49 games, then adding another 4 points in 11 playoff matchups, it’s a no brainer to keep him in a Tigers‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

3 seasons in Germany is all good and is heads of to IceHL and signs with HC Bolzano Foxes for 2025/2026.

We think the 33-year old will do well and discover a few more years remaining.