14th year left wing, Justin Vaive(46) signs with Cincinnati Cyclones for a 9th ECHL season, 2024/2025.
He’s served as team captain 3 times.
The big 6’6″ 238 lbs. forward was originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#92 overall), but never signed.
He did however sign an NHL contract a few years later with New York Islanders, which had him spend his entire time with affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
From Buffalo, NY and son of former NHLer Rick Vaive, the 35-year old, who did 4 years at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks may not score like he once did, but he will certainly bring himself back up to a + player.
Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ graduate defenseman Owen Norton(26) signs with Maine Mariners as soon as his team is knocked out of Atlantic Hockey tournament play.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. blue liner has skated 4 ECHL games with no points, but is always fully involved in the action.
While not exactly the biggest point-getter, he did do well in his 2nd GOJHL frame and only BCHL campaign.
From Ancaster, ON, the 24-year looks to establish himself well once he gets some more game under his belt.
They seen something in there to develop and sign him to stay in a Mariners‘ uniform for 2023/2024.
He is actually released from his deal and signs fairly quickly with Norfolk Admirals, which should be a pretty good landing spot for him.
Finds little traction with this club, only scoring 2 assists in 14 games, so is waived and picked up by Newfoundland Growlers to give a kick at the wares.
He’d only record 1 assist in 12 games before the team disintegrated.
For 2024/2025, he signs with Wheeling Nailers, which should continue to help his game.
University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks‘ sophomore center Cade Neilson(25) enters the transfer portal to skate for Michigan Tech Huskies for 2024/2025.
The 6′ 189 lbs forward took up scoring last season to the tune of 5 goals and 14 assists in 31 games with a +8 rating.
He did 3 NAHL frames for Aberdeen Wings, blowing up scoring in his final year.
The Lafayette, LA native won a MJAHL Championship his 1st year of juniors after playing most of his youth hockey in England.
He actually decides to return home and signs with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL for the new season.
After just 4 games overseas, he decides to return and signs with Utah Grizzlies for 2024/2025.
Union College Dutchmen senior defenseman Nathan Kelly(26) signs an amateur tryout contract with Norfolk Admirals upon completion of ECAC hockey.
In a college high 35 games, he scored his only goal and 7 assists for 8 points with a +1 rating.
The 6′ 185 lbs. South Delta, BC native skated 3 BCHL seasons of junior hockey.
In 2 ECHL games he doesn’t have any points, but is a nice +2 rating.
For his rookie season, he will don the Admirals‘ jersey to skate his rookie season, 2024/2025 with the team.
Plymouth State University Panthers‘ senior center Myles Abbate(7) does what everyone expected the 2-time MASCAC Player Of The Year to do, signs a 1st pro deal with decently close by Worcester Railers for 2023/2024.
In the 5’10” 170 lbs. forward’s final college frame he had a best 24 assists, missed his goals by 2 and points by 1 at 39 instead of 40, but had a massive combined +36 rating.
The 23-year old from Norwell, MA played no junior hockey, heading from Proctor Academy USHS-Prep straight to college.
He actually ended up skating with Evansville Thunderbolts for all of last season and scored 15 goals and 17 assists in 44 games with a +7 rating to gain a new deal with the team for 2024/2025.
Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#100 overall), University Of Denver Pioneers‘ sophomore left wing Carter Savoie(48) is this close to knocking off first year totals in fewer games.
He already has a college best 12 assists and 22 points, with goal-scoring just one off his total from 2020/2021.
The small 5’9″ but stocky 190 lbs. forward has always been a heck of a point-producer through youth hockey, then blew up juniors with Sherwood Park Crusaders, notching a crazy 172 points (84 goals, 88 assists) in 112 AJHL games.
At just 19-years old, we’ll see what the parent club says about having him turn pro before his four years are up.
And just like that, as he finishes up a 2022 NCAA Division 1 Champion, he signs an at0 with affiliate Bakersfield Condors, which just may be the dawn of him officially signing an NHL entry level deal, turning pro.
After 2 years in the AHL, he gets a nice deal to leave and joins TPS of Liiga.
In 5 games in Finland’s top league, he records only 1 assist and decides to leave and return on a 1-year deal with Ontario Reign for 2024/2025.
4th year defenseman Mackenzie Dwyer(10) has arrived at a good place, under a 1-year ECHL deal with Maine Mariners after arriving at Jacksonville Icemen late last season to put up some solid numbers with 1 goal and 6 assists in 32 games with a +5 rating and then getting traded.
In 11 games, the big 6’3″ 201 lbs. blue liner has 1 goal and 2 assists.
He signed as a rookie and last campaign in the SPHL with Birmingham Bulls, but found his team on the 2nd loan up to help solidify his spot.
The Winnipeg, MB native played a mix of MJHL for Portage Terriers and WHL for junior hockey before heading to 1 year of school at University Of Manitoba Bisons.
No doubt, the 26-year old knows what it is to work for his contract.
Almost maybe a little out of nowhere, he finds himself involved in a 4-player deal that sends his playing rights to Fort Wayne Komets.
After just 6 games and an assist with a -1 rating, he heads back to Jacksonville Icemen, where he is liked and had success.
4 games with no points, but a +2 rating and he is asked to return to be an Icemen again for 2024/2025.
8th year center Michael Mersch(28) accepts a two-year AHL contract from Rochester Americans to stay with the club he skated for last season.
The 6’2″ 215 lbs. power forward has almost oddly only played 17 NHL games with draft club Los Angeles Kings (4th round 2010, #111 overall), scoring a goal and 2 assists with a +1 rating.
As a rookie, he was a huge part of then affiliate Manchester Monarchs almost fantasy-like run that ended capturing the 2015 Calder Cup trophy and him getting the nod for most playoff points (22).
The former 4-year University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ had three 30 point campaigns in college and currently holds 4-40+ marks as a pro.
His only other big league contract was with Dallas Stars, leaving initial team as a UFA to sign the 2-year, one-way deal.
It would be easy to see the 28-year old leave North American hockey for his next venture before he decides to retire.
Even before the 2nd year of his contract has started, he gets himself extended for yet another year through 2023/2024 to not go anywhere and stay on as captain for the Amerks.
Not quite sure why he never got more than a handful of games in the highest league of hockey, but 597 games in the lower league later, at 31-years old he’s hanging up those skates and has yet to name where he lands next to offer someone a great experience.
UMass Minutemen senior left wing Cal Kiefiuk(8) will do a graduate season at Hockey East rival Providence College Friars in 2023/2024.
He had a college career best 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points last season.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward did 2 decently productive USHL seasons with Central Illinois Flying Aces.
From Macomb, MI, he comes out of the Honeybaked hockey system.
We think the 23-year old will have fun competing for the enemy.
He maybe scored a little better for his former club, but still did decently enough to score a 1st contract with Wheeling Nailers.
With no points in a few games, since joining the team from school, he is traded and signs for 2024/2025 with the new Tahoe Knight Monsters as a rookie.
Undrafted, Czech Republic-born left wing Michal Stinil(14) decides after just one game in his 2nd season with American International College Yellowjackets to turn pro, signing for the remainder of 2021/2022 with Wichita Thunder.
The 5’11” 192 lbs. forward has been a very decent scorer on his way up through junior hockey, twice performing for more than point-per-game play and twice coming up just short of the mark.
He played all his youth hockey close to home with Pirati Chomutov U16-18 before coming over.
The 22-year old, former Springfield Jr. Pics of the USPHL Premiere League will be an interesting watch.
He would absolutely blow up scoring to the tune of 2-30+ goals and this has earned him an AHL contract for 2024/2025 with San Jose Barracuda, but is sent to affiliate Wichita Thunder to start the new campaign.
