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.
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.
University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ senior 2-year captain, center Will Zapernick(16) took a college best 14 assists and 17 points in 35 games last season to a 1st contract with Wichita Thunder.
In 12 games, he recorded 2 ECHL goals and 1 assist, then got another helper in 4 playoff matchups.
From Edmonton, AB, he did 3 seasons of AJHL before committing to college.
The 25-year old needs a rookie contract for 2025/2026.
UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Swedish-born, graduate center Filip Fornaa Svensson(14) skated only 3 games with his 1st team, Fort Wayne Komets grabbing an assist, but is wanted for his 6’4″ 216 lbs. frame in Norfolk Admirals to continue.
He transferred to his new school as a senior, coming over from University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, where he scored his college best as a junior with 9 goals and 16 assists.
All of his junior hockey was played back home before coming over strictly for school and now for his pro game.
He takes a solid scoring ECHL season with 25 goals and 13 assists in 48 games with a +16 rating to a new deal in his homeland HockeyAllsvenskan with Vimmerby HC for 2025/2026.
SUNY Cortland Red Dragons‘ senior center Anthony Bernardo(20) signs a 1st pro deal with Binghamton Black Bears and starts scoring right away in 6 FPHL games has 1 goal and 5 assists, then added another helper in 1 playoff matchup.
The 5’11” 183 lbs. forward’s best college scoring season was as a junior with 10 goals and 9 assists in 29 games.
From Hauppauge, NY, the 24-year did all his youth hockey and juniors with PAL Jr. Islanders and seems to be a no-brainer to sign for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
Swedish-born senior left wing Jake Stella(28) leaves 3 years at American International College Yellowjackets for something maybe a bit more challenging in the 2022/2023 schedule of UMass-Lowell Riverhawks.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward skated his youth hockey and some juniors at home, but came over initially playing with South Shore Kings for a season before switching to Corpus Christi Ice Rays of the NAHL as assistant captain, where he picked up his college commit and some solid scoring (21-17-38).
He posted college career high marks in 2021/2022, potting 12 goals and 16 assists with a +10 rating in 37 NCAA Division 1 games.
The 23-year old should continue to improve, even with some very tough ice ahead of him.
He actually scored decently as a senior with 4 goals and 9 assists, playing Hockey East schedule and added a graduate session, as team captain.
Finishing up playoff hockey, he signs a pro contract with Rapid City Rush, where in 8 ECHL games he has 1 assist with a +1 rating.
He thanks for east for the hockey experiences, but is heading back home to sign Tingsryds AIF of HockeyAllsvenskan for 2024/2025.
For 52 games, he struggles with on-ice accountability, but rebounds nicely in the playoffs with 3 goals in 7 games and a +4 rating.
He will take this success to a new opportunity in Ligue Magnus, where he signs with Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise for 2025/2026.
St. Lawrence University Skating Saints‘ senior, captain defenseman Drake Burgin(26) signs a 1st pro contract with Kansas City Mavericks and in 10 ECHL games, nets 2 goals and 2 assists with a +2 rating.
The 6′ 181 lbs. blue liner scored best as a junior with 7 goals and 13 assists.
From Winnipeg, MB, he did 3 seasons of juniors up there.
The 24-year old has yet to appear in the playoffs and may have not made that roster, but will need a deal for 2025/2026.
