2nd year Norfolk Admirals‘ left wing Danny Katic(12) is flirting with new ECHL career highs or tying marks set as a rookie with 18 goals and 22 assists.
The tower of 6’3″ 220 lbs. forward has 6 goals and 10 assists in 36 games this frame with a +10 rating.
He did 3 years (1 no COVID) in the OHL with Saginaw Spirit, scoring well in his 3rd year.
From Porcupine, ON, the 23-year old did one year at University Of Toronto Varsity Blues after junior with point-per-game stats, but then turned pro.
On reassignment to Bloomington Bison, he scored 13 goals and 8 assists in just 24 games to earn a deal for 2025/2026 with Belleville Senators.
Saint Lawrence University Saints‘ senior captain defenseman Luc Salem(6) skated a college best 38 games last season before signing with Utah Grizzlies upon finishing up ECAC tournament play.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. blue liner had his best college year scoring as a junior, hitting 10 goals and 17 assists in 37 games with a +12 rating.
He was definitely able to load up assists through 2 NAHL junior seasons.
From Los Angeles, CA, the 24-year will need a new deal moving forward.
He signs with Indy Fuel for his rookie season, 2024/2025, where we think he will have good success.
With 3 assists in 16 games with a -3, he finds himself twice traded but is wanted by Kalamazoo Wings to help their d corps.
He doesn’t stay long, as he is dealt to Utah Grizzlies for 2025/2026.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ graduate, captain defenseman Kaelan Taylor(5) signs a 1st pro deal with Tahoe Knight Monsters, which he extends to a full 1-year ECHL contract for his rookie frame, 2025/2026.
The 6’2″ 195 lbs. blue liner was never a big scorer with a college best 1 goal and 6 assists in 39 games last season with a +15 rating.
From Oceanside, CA, the 26-year old played 3 years of juniors before college and went through Los Angeles Jr. Kings‘ system.
Arizona State University Sun Devils‘ senior scoring machine, left wing Ryan Kirwan(24) signs with Toronto Marlies on a 2-year AHL deal, starting 2025/2026.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward as a freshman and junior at Penn State University Nittany Lions scored 13 goals and 13 assists in a frame.
He also did 2 high point number USHL junior seasons before school.
From DeWitt, NY, the 23-year old should do well as a rookie.
UMASS Minutemen graduate defenseman Linden Alger(20) played a college best 40 games, scoring new highs 3 goals and 7 assists with a +5 rating.
The 6’3″ 194 lbs. blue liner signed a 1st pro deal with Tahoe Knight Monsters upon completion of tournament play.
He doesn’t score in 2 regular season ECHL games, but gets 1 assist in 4 playoff games with a +1 rating.
The Centerville, MA, 24-year old gets a new deal to stay a Monsters for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
Colorado College Tigers‘ senior net minder Matt Vernon(30) posts a college career best 2.57 GAA on a 4-6-1 record with 2 shutouts to a 1st pro deal with Reading Royals.
In 2 ECHL games, he is about equal to his last season school hockey stats.
The 5’11” 175 lbs. backstop had his best junior run in his 2nd NAHL season for Aberdeen Wings to win a 2018 Robertson Cup and pretty much collect all the goalie awards and MVP.
From San Jose, CA, the 25-year old will likely have to prove his game every step of the way.
For 2023/2024, he signs for his rookie season with Jacksonville Icemen, which should turn out to be a good landing spot for him to prove what he can do.
He does pretty well for his first year with a 25-10-3 record, 2.67 GA and .909 SV% to earn a new deal for the son of 1997 Stanley Cup Champion Mike Vernon in an Icemen sweater 2024/2025.
Another nice job done in the cage with a 24-8-6 record, but he is eyeing another opportunity and signs with HC Innsbruck Sharks of IceHL for 2025/2026.
9th year defenseman Josh Jacobs(41) helps Chicago Wolves win the 2022 AHL Calder Cup, while under contract to Carolina Hurricanes and moves along to sign a new deal for 2022/2023 with 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado Avalanche, but will likely skate for affiliate Colorado Eagles.
The fairly sizable 6’2″ 220 lbs. blue liner had an interesting climb from 2 USHL seasons for Indiana Ice, including a 2014 Clark Cup Championship, followed by a year at home state Michigan State University Spartans, but traded that to skate a campaign further up north in the OHL with Sarnia Sting.
An unrestricted free agent, he signed a 3-year NHL entry level deal with New Jersey Devils to start his pro career and stayed in that system for 5 years.
He is very successful with his new club, hitting for 4 goals and 6 assists in 43 AHL games with a +10 ratings, then put up another 4 points in 7 matchups through the playoffs.
For 2023/2024, he scores himself a 1-year 2-way contract with St. Louis Blues that could heed some playing time, but mostly will skate the line for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds.
He wasn’t able to add to his 341 games in the league due to an injury that sidelined him for the entire frame.
For 2024/2025, Laval Rocket takes a chance and signs him to a 1-year deal.
He only appears in 24 games, but scores 1 goal and 4 assists with a +3 rating and gets another 1-year deal to stay a Rocket for 2025/2026.
Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior right wing Casey Carreau(22) signs a 1st pro deal upon getting force out of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs with Kansas City Mavericks.
The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward scored a goal and an assist for a 5-2 win in his ECHL debut, then went on to grab assists in his next 4 games.
He’s played in 9 contests.
The Acushnet, MA native transferred after 3 what we view as decent campaigns at Boston College Eagles, leaving with a best 6 goals and 6 assist in 36 games.
In a college most games played 40, he had a new high 10 goals and 21 assists with a +2 rating.
A massive scorer through high school, the 24-year old may have found his footing once again, spurred on by a successful last year in school.
In his 2nd season, he scores a new best 3 goals and 14 assists with a +1 rating to earn another season skating for the Mavericks.
He blows up scoring with 21 goals and 36 assists in 64 games with a +32 rating, then adds 11 points in 15 playoff matchups.
For a 3rd season, he will live in Kansas City.
Providence Bruins‘ undrafted 4th year right wing Wayne Simpson(21) is having himself a career year and that’s after only being with the team on a pto to start.
Signed to an spc one month in, he already has 7 goals and 11 assists with a +10 rating in 22 AHL games, which is only one tally off his season high set last year with Portland Pirates and may even eclipse the 28 helpers he dished in 2015/2016.
The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward was a solid performer on the stat sheet in his final three years at Union College grabbing 30+ points per campaign and a pair of NCAA/ECAC Championships in 2012 and 2013.
He started his pro career with two seasons for South Carolina Stingrays playing 131 ECHL games, scoring 22 goals as a rookie and a best 39 assists, 55 points as a sophomore skater and a +19 rating.
In an almost unprecedented move, when postseason rolled around he blew the lid off the score sheet grabbing a league high 25 assists, 38 points and +20 rating losing the 2015 Kelly Cup Championship in game 7.
At 27-years old a guy that’s had to continuously prove himself and earn every inch he’s got looks to just be getting started and may even play his way into a first big league contract for 2017/2018.
After a 6th season with ERC Ingolstadt of continued scoring and some 276 games in DEL, he decides at age 35, it’s time to adopt a new role.
UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ graduate right wing Nick Granowicz(15) signs a 1st pro deal with Savannah Ghost Pirates after 4 goals and 4 assists in 25 games last season.
The 6’1″ 183 lbs. forward transferred from 4 years at University Of Michigan Wolverines, where he always seemed to put up similar numbers and played a college best 36 games as a senior.
He is also a +24 rating, so has good on ice accountability.
In 5 ECHL games, the Macomb, MI native has 3 goals (2 in his debut) and is a +3 rating.
The 26-year old should get re-signed by this non-playoff team for 2024/2025 in a second.
Yup, he’s going to return for his official rookie year to wear at Ghost Pirates‘ uniform.
He appears in a full slate of 72 games, scoring a nice 12 goals and 17 assists with a +4 rating to earn a new contract to stick around for more in 2025/2026 with Savannah.
