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.
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.
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.
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.
Cleveland Monsters sign unrestricted free agent, University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ graduating senior, left wing Roman Ahcan(37) to a pto for the remainder of 2022 and an spc for 2022/2023.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward wasn’t the biggest scorer as an assistant captain last season but did post a pair of 20+ point campaigns as a sophomore and junior.
He committed after his final year at Burnsville High USHS-MN, then went onto one session of USHL junior hockey for Cedar Rapids RoughRiders before heading to school.
The 22-year old will hopefully help his new team win some games.
In his 3rd year with the same club, he once again signs a tryout, but after 11 games with 7 goals and 1 assist is quickly snapped up for the full 2024/2025 session with the Monsters.
He had his best season in the minors, scoring 18 goals and 11 assists 67 AHL games with a +4 rating, then added another 3 points (1-2) in 6 playoff matchups with a +2.
His awesome play earns him a 2-year contract to stay in a Monsters‘ jersey.
In his year of eligibility, right wing graduate student Tyler Welsh(44) chose to attend Long Island University Lakers after completing four years at Yale University Bulldogs with a drop season due to COVID.
He made a good choice, because he came away tying his career high 23 points, while managing a career best 16 assists in only 25 NCAA games.
The 5’10” 174 lbs. forward was a point-per-game guy in his 2nd year of BCHL for Victoria Grizzlies, where he first committed to school.
It will be interesting to watch what the 25-year old, Whistler, BC native will do next.
Newfoundland Growlers sign him for the remainder of 2021/2022 and he’s already appeared in one absolute 9-4 ECHL drubbing, so hopefully has that kind of game worked out of his system for a bit.
He would end up with 1 goal and 2 assists in 9 games with a +4 rating, so obviously fortunes changed.
For his official rookie season, he decides to leave for Ligue Magnus, signing for 2022/2023 with Scorpions Mulhouse.
He takes essentially point-per-game numbers (36 points, 12-24 in 36 games) in France to a new adventure, agreeing to 1-year with Nottingham Panthers, which will likely see him to just as good in the EIHL.
After just one season in England, he’s heading back to France, but signs with rivals, Les Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise for 2024/2025.
He scores close to point-per-game totals, but once again next inks with rivals Spartiates de Marseilles for 2025/2026.
Former two-time Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ center captain Derek Barach(19) signs himself a nice tw0-year deal to head to Finland’s top hockey Liiga, joining Assat starting 2021/2022.
He skated 31 AHL games last season for Texas Stars, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists.
The small 5’8″ 165 lbs. forward has always been a good scorer and hard player on ice but probably no period was better than when he scored 38 points in 37 Atlantic Hockey games as a junior, then in his senior frame grabbed 37 points in 38 contests.
That’s just math.
The 26-year old native of Glenmont, NY will likely find enough open space to become a big scorer in the league.
In 2 seasons playing the highest hockey in the Finnish culture, he pots 33 goals and 27 assists in 114 games, then adding another 6 in 8 during the playoffs last frame.
He is rewarded for his efforts with a contract to play his game in the KHL with Vityaz Moscow Region for 2023/2024.
Through 68 games he scores 10 goals and 25 assists, yet is a horrible -21 rating, but is wanted back.
After a 2nd solid session of increased scoring even, he decides to switch ranks, joining up with rivals, Metallurg Magnitorgorsk for 2025/2026 and will likely just continue.
Colgate University Raiders‘ senior defenseman Tommy Bergsland(25) signs a 1st pro deal, an ato to join Texas Stars for their AHL playoff run.
In 6 regular season games, he had no points, but recorded an assist in 5 playoff matchups and had a 0 rating throughout.
The 6’3″ 204 lbs. left college hockey with 2-20+ assist seasons.
From Wyzata, MN, he had a couple really good high school hockey years before heading to the USHL, where he had less luck.
He next went to the NAHL, where he was able to elevate his game nicely before college.
The 24-year will need a contract for his rookie run, 2025/2026.
University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ graduate defenseman Andrew Lucas(6) turns pro and signs an ato with San Diego Gulls.
He scored a new college best 5 goals, but didn’t equal those 22 assists and 24 points he set as a senior.
The very solid 6′ 179 lbs. blue line played only 1 season of junior hockey, bouncing from the BCHL quite successfully to Brooks Bandits, where he won the 2019 AJHL Championship before committing.
He started with 3 seasons at University Of Vermont Catamounts and became team captain for 2 years as a sophomore.
The 25-year old from Alexandria, VA already looks like a pro has 3 assists in 6 AHL games, so just needs a permanent jersey.
It’s an absolute no brainer to have him return for his rookie season for the Gulls, 2024/2025.
He was mostly reassigned down to Tulsa Oilers, where he blew up scoring a bit with 6 goals and 23 assists in 39 ECHL games.
For 2025/2026, he will challenge himself further by signing in the Slovak Extraliga with HC Banska Bystrica.
Brown University Bears‘ senior defenseman Brett Bliss(4) signs a 1st pro deal with Tahoe Knight Monsters.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner played only 1 ECHL game and will need a new contract, if he wants moving forward.
He played a college best 31 games and was a 1st time +3 rating player.
From Chelmsford, MA, he headed north for junior hockey, BCHL for 2 years before school.
Not sure where the 23-year old signs, but he plays a physical game and should be ok as a pro.
