Category: Minor League Deal

30Aug

Carson Gicewicz (15)

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UMass Minutemen undrafted center Carson Gicewicz(15) missed most of 2019/2020, as he was readying to skate his fourth campaign at St. Lawrence University Saints, so he decided to take his extra year of eligibility for another season and enter the transfer portal, which saw him show up in western MA.

It was a great decision as he simply burst on the score sheet with his new club, striking for new highs 17 goals (a team best) and 24 points with a +8 rating.

The very decently sized forward 6’3″ 212 lbs. also won himself a piece on a 2021 NCAA National Championship.

With his new hardware and heightened profile, he signs a first pro contract with Rockford IceHogs of the AHL that will extend through the 2022/2023 campaign.

We think the huge question that will need to get answered is will the 24-year old play himself onto the radar of the parent club, Chicago Blackhawks to score himself an NHL contract.

After over 100 games in the midwest, he is dealt to Rochester Americans at the deadline to finish up last season there.

For 2023/2024, Milwaukee Admirals, who had their own deep playoff push last round, see something in the big frame they can use.

He gets reassigned to Atlanta Gladiators for most of last frame, despite doing decently for the contract club.

In 43 ECHL games, he scores 6 goals and 21 assists, but will next play his game for Florida Everblades in 2024/2025.

29Aug

Jake Durflinger (14)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ graduate center Jake Durflinger(14) signs a 1st pro deal with 2022 Champs‘ Florida Everblades for 2022/2023.

The small-ish 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward only reached 10 points twice in college sessions and only had 10+ goals and  15+ assists through 3 USHL years with a couple different clubs.

He skated 4 years at University Of Denver Pioneers before arriving east.

The 24-year old from Walnut Creek, CA may find some room to score in the ECHL.

Not exactly sure what transpired yet, but he just signed with the new Iowa Heartlanders instead.

After a rookie season of 10 goals and 10 assists, he re-signs in Iowa to show everyone he can do more.

He ups his scoring in his 2nd frame to 18 assists and 27 points and will take that over to the EIHL for 2024/2025, signing with Manchester Storm.

28Aug

Jeff Solow (12)

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2nd year defenseman Jeff Solow(12) decides to switch things up, kind of dramatically after 16 ECHL games for Worcester Railers, scoring 5 assists with a -3 rating to a new ride, signing to Glasgow Clan for the remainder of 2023.

The 6′ 194 lbs., who left a last season of juniors for Amarillo Bulls, where he ran up 7 goals and 20 assists in 33 NAHL games with a +9 rating to finishing up that frame with Merrimack College Warriors.

He would eventually leave that school and finish up his college career at SUNY-Oswego State Lakers.

The Naples, FL native will likely find some light in the EIHL and potentially move on to higher levels of hockey overseas as he goes.

He almost oddly only got 2 assists in 18 games, but then grab a 1st league goal in 2 playoff matchups.

In a not so surprising summer move, he leaves for Skycity Stampede and completely blows the lid off NZIHL scoring with 10 goals and 19 assists with a +28 rating in just 16 games, then added another 5 points (1-4) in 2 playoff battles en route to the 2023 Birgel Cup victory.

He catches the eye of Wheeling Nailers, who sign him to a 2-way contract for 2023/2024.

Ultimately, he would start the season with Birmingham Bulls and be loaned up to Jacksonville Icemen, who signed him.

After a 7 game spell, getting 1 assist with a +3 rating, he is waived and claimed by Maine Mariners, where we feel he will see more success.

He gets only 1 goal in 14 games with his new team and for the summer takes off to the AIHL and signs with Melbourne Ice to regain the fun in his game.

In 23 games, he scores 5 goals and 24 assists to hopefully turn a corner and agrees to terms with Tahoe Knight Monsters for 2024/2025.

28Aug

Chase Berger (8)

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Undrafted 4th year center Chase Berger(8) leaves HC Banska Bystrica with a solid one-year impression, scoring a career high 21 goals and 39 points in 46 Tipos Extraliga games.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward signs with Bietigheim Steelers of DEL for 2022/2023.

He was always a good scorer through 4 years at Penn State University Nittany Lions with 10+ goals and 10+ assists in each session.

The St. Louis, MO native started his pro career with a pair of seasons for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but seemed a little stilted on the scoresheet in the AHL.

At 27-years old, he may be starting to climb overseas a little on the late side.

He takes a fairly solid frame for his German team, getting 8 goals and 25 assists in 51 games to another new experience, agreeing with HC Kosice of Slovak Extraliga for 2023/2024.

In 37 games, he scores 10 goals and 17 assists with a +11 rating, but will add another league to his belt, signing in the IceHL with Fehervar AV19 for 2024/2025.

28Aug

Reggie Millette (16)

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2nd year center Reggie Millette(16) signs with Fayetteville Marksmen for 2024/2025.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward scored 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 games with a +4 rating for Pensacola Ice Flyers last season.

He was actually under contract with Tulsa Oilers, where he got 2 assists in 34 games.

From Jacksonville, FL, he only played 2 years at American International College Yellowjackets before turning pro.

It would be little surprise to see him try to do well in this league, then leave for somewhere else to go skate his game.

27Aug

Ryan Conroy (72)

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Yale University Bulldogs‘ senior defenseman Ryan Conroy(8) takes a new college best 2 goals and 11 assists to a 1st pro deal with Adirondack Thunder.

The 5’9″ 171 lbs. blue liner scored a 1st ECHL goal in his 2nd game and has appeared in 5.

From Chestermere, AB, the 23-year old did 4 years of the AJHL, committing after a huge 21 assist campaign before doing 1 USHL season doing well for Omaha Lancers.

He scores some for his new team, even in the playoffs and they are going to sign him up for his rookie season, 2024/2025 back in a Thunder sweater.

26Aug

Dominic Dockery (44)

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University Of Maine Black Bears‘ portal transfer graduate student from 4-years at Merrimack College Crusaders, defenseman Dominic Dockery(44) decides after 17 NCAA Division 1 games to turn pro, signing for the remainder of 2021/2022 with Wheeling Nailers.

He’s already played his first ECHL game, a crushing 7-1 defeat of a good club, where he unfortunately left with a -2 rating.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward has never really been much of a point guy on the back end, but there is occasional glimmers of offense through juniors, even 13 assists in 60 USHL games with Youngstown Phantoms before he hit college.

At just 24-years old, the Lockport, NY native will likely take to the pro game pretty well and contribute.

He’s actually traded late to Indy Fuel for 3 games, putting up an assist after notching 5 helpers in 29 earlier in the frame.

For his 2nd outing in 2022/2023, he inks with Wichita Thunder, another good city for him to help out.

Through an almost full slate of games as a rookie, 71, he scores 2 goals and 8 assists, which is definitely worthy of another look in a Thunder uniform.

He is comfortable in a Thunder jersey, so will return a 3rd season after scoring 9 assists and needs to repair a better +/- with hopefully a team that competes for the playoffs a little better in 2024/2025.

26Aug

Willie Raskob (15)

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4th year defenseman Willie Raskob(15) decides to leave again after a successful 2019/2020 in Metal Ligaen with Rungsted Seier Capital.

He’ll head to join HK Nitra of Tipos Extraliga for 2021/2022.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner started his pro career with 1 game for Worcester Railers, but got traded immediately afterwards to Quad City Mallards, where he struck for 3 goals and 34 assists.

Kind of maybe obvious, he would sign for his sophomore frame with Stockton Heat, but only managed to get into one dreadful game before being reassigned to Kansas City Mavericks, where he once again took it up a level to score a new best 9 goals and 40 assists in 69 ECHL games.

This would have him searching for a new endeavor, sending him to Denmark for a season.

He returned closer to home for the COVID staggered 2020/2021 and signed with Indy Fuel.

The 4-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ d-man, who always had 10+ assists per frame, struck for a new best 13 goals and 25 assists in 67 games, then added another 3 points in 4 playoff contests.

At 26-years old, he sure to find good game in Slovakia’s top league in the upcoming frame.

He completes a successful frame, getting 8 goals and 31 assists for 39 points, good enough for most by a d-man in the league and moves over to Czechia, signing with HK Vitkovice for 2022/2023 and once again finds good scoring fortune with 5 goals and 23 assists and a +8 rating to decide to stay put and re-sign for 2023/2024.

After a couple of successful years, he is 29-years old and leaves for an excellent opportunity with Vienna Capitals of IceHL.

26Aug

Dante Sheriff (38)

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2nd year Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ right wing Dante Sheriff(38) takes a college career best 8 goals and 17 assists with a +5 rating to a 1st pro contract to Orlando Solar Bears for 2022/2023.

The 5’11” 187 lbs. Woodbridge, ON native was a solid point-per-game guy in NAHL juniors with Austin Bruins.

It’s possible the 23-year old just got restless and wanted to play some official hockey.

He never actually got to skate any games in Florida, but instead ended up adopted by Tulsa Oilers and as a rookie puts up 13 goals and 17 assists in 51 games, although will need to clean up that -16 rating.

For 2023/2024, he receives an invite to return.

In his 2nd year with the team, he takes his game to another level, scoring 18 goals and 31 assists with a +8 rating in 62 ECHL games.

For 2024/2025, he actually finds himself traded to Cincinnati Cyclones, who will sign him for 2024/2025.