Colgate University Raiders‘ junior left wing Colton Young(26) is having a college career year with new bests of 11 goals and 19 points in 20 NCAA Division 1 games.
The 6′ 174 lbs. forward put up consecutive 60+ point numbers in two years of junior hockey for Canmore Eagles, finishing with 157 in 176 AJHL games.
At 23-years old, the forthcoming unrestricted free agent will definitely be one to see where he heads to start pro hockey, if he does.
And he does, signing a deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he has 1 goal and 3 assists in 4 ECHL games, heading into the playoffs.
He grabs 1 assist in 5 playoff games and is an easy sign to welcome back as a Swamp Rabbits for his rookie season 2023/2024.
Through 39 games, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists, but is loaned up to Ontario Reign for 19 AHL games, where he pots 2 goals and 2 assists.
For 2024/2025, he is invited back to wear a Swamp Rabbits‘ jersey, which he would do, but late in the game is invited back to the Reign for the upcoming session.
Mostly reassigned, he is traded to Norfolk Admirals, where he does pretty well, but is an unrestricted free agent, heading into 2025/2026 and signs with Kalamazoo Wings.
Undrafted 3rd year left wing Alex Tonge(88) returns from a short, three game stint in Poland’s top league for GKS Tychy to Norfolk Admirals, where he spent the last 20 ECHL games of the 2019/2020 season, scoring a tidy 9 goals and 7 assists.
The former solid three-year scorer at Robert Morris University Colonials had sophomore and junior campaigns with 44 points, then 39 points in 39 Atlantic Hockey games as a senior.
He spent 4 years in the OJHL with Kingston Voyageurs growing his game and was discovered by his college after a strong 3rd session, getting 29 goals and 43 assists.
The 26-year old will definitely be a top scorer in the league but still has to become more accountable on ice to round out his overall play.
After an easy season best campaign in 2021/2022, scoring a way high 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points in 66 games on a non-playoff team, he is set to leave for DEL2, signing a 1-year deal with Heilbronner Falken for 2022/2023.
He blows up tier 2 German scoring to the tune of 19 goals and 40 assists in 52 games, then another 8 points in the playoffs.
Scoring would continue with his new league team EV Landshut, but he decides to look elsewhere and signs with Sweden’s tier 2 HockeyAllsvenskan and does alright.
For 2024/2025, he will head to the EIHL and signs with Dundee Stars, where we think he will become a very popular player.
The injury bug hits him and he is only able to skate 10 games last season, which was almost still equal to a point-per-game outcome.
He returns “home” for 2025/2026 and signs with Orlando Solar Bears.
University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ junior goaltender Kyle McClellan(33) transfers in for 2022/2023 after 2 seasons at Mercyhurst University Lakers.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. net minder had almost identical NAHL, then USHL seasons before committing to school.
From Manchester, MO, the 23-year old will definitely help his new Big Ten team win games.
In his 2nd season at his new school, he was able to show very impressive marks with a 1.94 GAA and .931 SV% that he took to a 1st deal with Iowa Wild, but was reassigned to Iowa Heartlanders.
He did ok, but is moving onto another ECHL team for 2025/2026, Cincinnati Cyclones.
UMass Minutemen graduate center Matt Koopman(36) came over from 4 decent seasons at Providence College Friars.
His team is eliminated in the opening round of Hockey East playoffs, so he quickly pivots to sign a 1st pro deal with Wheeling Nailers and he’s off and running.
The 5’10” 180 lbs. forward has 3 times scored 5 goals in a college season, including this past one, but always seems like he puts up more points with his style of play.
Considering he left his 2nd season with Waterloo Blackhawks to join his 1st college team, the expectation may have been higher.
The 24-year old Marblehead, MA native could find more opportunities to hit the stat sheet as a pro, but we’ll watch to see.
In 14 ECHL games, he managed a 1st goal and 6 assists with a 0 rating on a non-playoff team.
He likes his experiences as he re-signs to stick for his official rookie season.
16 goals and 18 assists in 71 games with a +4 rating, then 4, 4 and a +4 in 9 playoff matchups and he will be back for another ride in a Nailers‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
He maybe scores a little less in his 2nd frame, but is definitely wanted to continue in Wheeling for 2025/2026.
Utah Grizzles‘ 2nd year right wing Dakota Raabe(22) re-ups after a successful rookie run, scoring 11 goals and 25 assists in 55 ECHL games last season.
He was never really a scorer through school with a sophomore best of 5 goals and 9 assists at University Of Michigan Wolverines and didn’t even do as well in a graduate season at Sacred Heart University Pioneers.
Upon finishing up though, has found the net in his 1st run where he is, connecting for 3 goals and 4 assists in 10 games with a +6 rating, then adding 6 points in 14 playoff matchups.
The 5’9″ 170 lbs. speedy forward from Capistrano Beach, CA has to be on a short list of guys that need a look at a higher level.
He actually gets moved to Iowa Heartlanders to hopefully energize their scoring and could find new energy with a different club.
In 12 games, he grabs 4 goals and 4 assists to earn himself an invite to return in a Heartlanders‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
After a very decent full frame, in 44 games scoring 9 goals and 15 assists, he next decides to head off to Ligue Magnus, signing with Rapaces de Gap for 2025/2026.
Undrafted 5th year defenseman Matt Petgrave(22) takes 200 ECHL games of experience to a new venture for 2021/2022 with HK Spisska Nova Ves of Tipos Extraliga.
The solid 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner posted 32 and 26 assists for Brampton Beast, and has definitely shown he can be a big assist guy, like he was dishing 40 helpers in his overage OHL year for Oshawa Generals.
Without a pro team holding his playing rights, he next decided to head to school at University Of New Brunswick Reds, where he won back-to-back CIS, then USports Championships.
The 29-year old will likely take to pro hockey in Slovakia well and could put up new career high stats.
He would put up 9 goals and 20 assists in 34 games with a +11, but decided to leave near the end of the season for the Czech League, signing with HC Dynamo Pardubice.
For 2022/2023, he heads to the EIHL, where he is sure to become a hugely popular player and run the scoresheet with Sheffield Steelers.
9 goals and 39 assists in 54 games with a +41 rating, means he will don the Steelers‘ jersey for a 2nd straight season.
He would only manage 7 games due to injury and then decided to sit 2024/2025 out, but is back for 2025/2026 and signs a 1-year deal with Indy Fuel that should work well.
University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ Russian-born, senior right wing Timofei Spitserov(18) signs an ato with Norfolk Admirals to get his pro game on.
He played 33 games last season, scoring a new best 12 goals and 18 points.
The 6′ 176 lbs. forward played only 2 games of USHL juniors before heading to college right after blowing up scoring at USHS-Prep.
He played 2 ECHL games and will need a new contract for 2025/2026.
It’s getting close to the start of the new season and I think most folks knew, he would be returning for his rookie frame as an Admirals.
Undrafted, center Justin Young(21) finished up a 2nd, graduate year with American International College Yellowjackets, scoring a college career high 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points with a +18 rating in 36 NCAA Division 1 games and took it to a 1st pro contract with Allen Americans.
In 7 ECHL games, the 6′ 183 lbs. forward has an assist with a +2 rating.
He has yet to appear in a Kelly Cup Playoff game.
The Leduc, AB native played 3 seasons in the local AJHL, scoring very decent numbers.
At 24-years old, we’re sure the one-time University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks pivot can turn his start into a full year’s contract, if he wants one.
He would actually skate in 5 playoff games, grabbing an assist and was a +1 rating.
For his efforts on an ato, he is given a 1-year contract to stay in Texas.
In 2023/2024, he decides to change sweaters and signs a 1-year deal with Norfolk Admirals, which he’ll have to work harder for, almost certainly.
He would take off for Germany3, signing with Herner EV 2007 and do fairly well in 14 games scoring, but for 2024/2025 wants to come back, so re-signs with the Admirals.
After scoring 12 goals and 16 assists in 54 games with a +11 rating, he is invited back for a 2nd season as an Admirals in 2025/2026.
Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior left wing Shane Ott(27) ran up a college high 25 goals and 34 points.
The 6’1″ 181 lbs. forward did 3 years of junior hockey with his last in the NAHL.
From Centennial, CO, the 25-year old signed with Bloomington Bison and scored 12 assists in 14 ECHL games, but needs a new contract to return.
It’s an absolute no-brainer for him to return for his rookie slate in a Bison jersey.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ graduate center, assistant captain Chris Dodero(26) heads off for his 1st pro contract in IceHL with HK Olympija Ljubljana for 2022/2023.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward scored his college best last season, getting 13 goals and 16 assists in 36 NCAA Division 1 games.
He spent 5 campaigns in junior hockey, initially in the USHL, but switching to the BCHL for a year, then NAHL for the session before heading to school.
The 26-year old, West Chicago, IL native will definitely do well in Austria’s top league.
After a decent frame, scoring 10 goals and 20 assist in 39 games, he signs for 2023/2024 with a rival, Grazz99ers.
He maybe couldn’t get it started with 2 assists in 8 games and a woeful -8 rating, so pulls up the stakes and signs for the remainder of 2023/2024 with Starbulls Rosenheim of DEL2 for a new German start.
After some good seasons to start pro hockey away, he decides to return “home” and signs with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2024/2025.
He gains 3 goals and 3 assists in 15 games, but gets dished to the struggling Cincinnati Cyclones, who need some scoring.
With an ECHL high 6 goals and 12 assists through 39 games with a +1 rating, he is once again dealt, this time heading to Idaho Steelheads for 2025/2026.
