Category: Minor League Deal

15Aug

Casey Dornbach (77)

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University Of Denver Pioneers‘ graduate center Casey Dornbach(77) signs an ato with Iowa Wild for the remaining current frame, but more importantly has agreed to terms for an AHL deal heading into 2023/2024.

The 6′ 181 lbs. forward is likely chopping at the bit to get started after scoring a college career best 13 goals and a 3rd 20+ assist season.

Almost shockingly, undrafted, he did 4 years at Harvard University Crimson, serving as team captain in his senior run.

The Edina, MN native did 2 USHL sessions with Lincoln Stars, coming close to point-per-game stats in his 2nd stint.

We believe the 25-year old plays himself into a position where he gains looks for the parent club.

As a rookie, he is mostly dispatched to ECHL affiliate Iowa Heartlanders, where he scored 13 goals and 29 assists in 55 games, which he will take to a new contract with Toledo Walleye, which we feel is only going to meet good things in 2024/2025.

He’s a decent prolific scorer with 3 goals and 17 assists in 37 games with a +2 rating, but Greenville Swamp Rabbits need his points punch more than his current club, so trade to get him.

Scoring isn’t a problem with his new team, as he pots 1 goal and 4 assists in 8 games with a +5 rating, but maybe wants a little more and branches out to sign in Liiga with Jukurit.

We do think this is a huge move for the player and this team.

In 13 games, he comes away with 7 assists, but maybe sees a better opportunity in IceHL for his next move and signs with Pioneers Vorarlberg for 2025/2026.

In 48 games, he grabs 7 goals and 25 assists, but decides to move on and signs with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen for 2026/2027.

15Aug

Craig Needham (13)

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Providence College Friars‘ graduate center Craig Needham(13) scored a college best 7 assists and 11 points last season.

The Medford, MA native was a point-per-game player in high school and scored decently in his 2nd USHL session as captain with Youngstown Phantoms before committing to school.

His team is knocked out of Hockey East tournament play immediately and he wastes little time to sign an amateur tryout with Florida Everblades.

In 11 ECHL games, he didn’t register points and has yet to appear in the postseason.

The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward is going to return for a full Everblades‘ rookie season, 2024/2025.

He has a full frame, 63 games scoring 8 goals and 10 assists with a +9 rating to earn an easy contract to return to Florida for a 2nd year.

In 71 games, he scores a new best 22 goals and 23 assists with a +22 rating, then adds another 9 points in the playoffs on the way to the 2026 Kelly Cup to easily get an invite back to continue an Everblades.

14Aug

J.D. Dudek (18)

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3rd year center J.D. Dudek(18) returned to these shores after spending 2020/2021 overseas with Bodens HF doing quite well with 7 goals and 4 assists in 16 HockeyEttan games with a +7 rating and re-signed to Worcester Railers, who he spent 27 ECHL games with as a rookie (2-10-12).

Originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in the 2014 draft (#152 overall), he signed an ato with affiliate Binghamton Devils upon graduating 4 years at Boston College Eagles, but that’s about how far it went.

The Auburn, NH native was quickly dished to Allen Americans after 1 game back in central MA.

Soon to be turning 26, he has to have his eye on what might be more possible for his playing career overseas.

He would get 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating in 62 games last season and decides maybe return as thought, signing for 2022/2023 with Tranas AIF, where once again he should put up strong numbers in Sweden’s tier 3 league.

After 14 games, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists with a +2 rating, he decides to head elsewhere, joining Coventry Blaze for the remainder of 2022/2023.

He walks away from last season with 9 goals and 8 assists in 29 games with a +5, which is favorable enough to score 2023/2024 to once again play in the EIHL.

After almost 2 seasons with the English team, he decides to head back home and signs with the Railers once again for a hopeful improved outcome.

He does decently in his time back close to home, but maybe misses the overseas action more and is a better payday for him to join Manchester Storm for 2025/2026.

In 53 games, he scores 14 goals and 10 assists, then adds another 2 points in the playoffs to secure an invite back for 2026/2027 as a Storm.

14Aug

Jordan Kaplan (47)

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3rd year right wing Jordan Kaplan(47) recently signed with Newfoundland Growlers after a somewhat inactive year in 2021/2022.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward already has a helper in a couple of appearances with his new club.

After graduating from University Of Vermont Catamounts, which followed up 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, he signed as a rookie with Adirondack Thunder, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 ECHL games, but also had a somewhat disastrous -32 rating.

From Bridgewater, NJ, we think the 25-year old will fit in nicely with his new club.

After 6 games with his new team, he gets released and claimed by Worcester Railers, but only lasts a couple of appearances before he’s on the move again, this time heading overseas to join Saale Bulls Halle for the remainder of 2023.

Germany3 hockey should come pretty easy for him to score big for his new club.

He does almost exactly as we saw would happen, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during the regular frame, then adding another 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff matchups.

For 2023/2024, he will start his 3rd season in the league he’s mostly known with a 6th club, Indy Fuel and we think will find ways to put in points.

He actually played no games with who he initially signed and ended up bouncing around for a few games here and there, but lacking anything close to what he had as a rookie.

Playing maybe a bit of the waiting game, he decides to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates to help make an impact with the new team and scores 1 in his 2nd game.

A couple months prior to 2024/2025, he finds himself traded after 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games on a non-playoff team.

He returns to Worcester Railers, where he played 2 games and feel he will easily fit back into team mentality.

After 18 goals and 31 assists in an almost full run of 68 games, he re-signs to stay a Railers to see if he can help push this team further in 2025/2026, as they know they should be going.

As the new season approaches, he finds himself as part of a three team trade sending him to Wheeling Nailers, where we are sure he will be a big part of this team.

In 16 games with his new team, he has 1 goal and 5 assists with a +2 rating, but finds himself traded to a Cincinnati Cyclones, who maybe need him to score for them a bit more.

In 29 games, he gets 2 goals and 5 assists, but is a -9 rating, so gets waived then re-adopted for a 3rd time by Worcester Railers.

He did score league best here.

In 9 games, he picks up 1 goal and 5 assists with a +1 rating that easily gets him a contract to return for 2026/2027 and be a Railers.

14Aug

Anthony Rinaldi (21)

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After four solid seasons at Union College, scoring a collegiate career best 20 assists and 29 points in a COVID stopped 2019/2020, undrafted right wing Anthony Rinaldi(21) signed his first pro career with Kansas City Mavericks but after just 5 ECHL games with no points found the mix just didn’t fit and was traded to Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The 6′ 188 lbs. forward has found his nitch with the new club, scoring 6 goals and 5 assists in 30 games with a +2 as a rookie.

We think the 25-year old native of Pierrefonds, QC can put up numbers like he did in two years of juniors, first in the BCHL (22-16-38), then the OJHL (38-35-72) for Kingston Voyageurs as assistant captain.

Coming off a rookie campaign scoring 7 goals and 6 assists in 43 games with a +1 rating looks like numbers that can be increased thinks Greenville Swamp Rabbits, who re-ups him for a 2nd, full 2021/2022.

After a 2nd solid frame in the league, he decided to leave for an opportunity to sign for 1-year with Les Jokers De Cergy Pontoise of Ligue Magnus for 2022/2023 and recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 33 games, then added 7 points in 8 playoff matchups.

He’s moving over for 2023/2024 to the EIHL and agrees to terms with Dundee Stars, which should see him produce well.

After a first good season overseas, scoring a tidy 16 goals and 21 assists, he will take his game next to Germany3, where he signs with Tilburg Trappers for 2024/2025.

He had returned for most of 2025/2026, signing with the new Greensboro Gargoyles, but gets himself a late season trade to maybe help South Carolina Stingrays‘ playoff push.

In 8 games, he scores 5 goals and 4 assists and Allen Americans are watching and sign him for 2026/2027.

14Aug

Brenden Datema (57)

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Giant 6’5″ 220 lbs. Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ graduate defenseman Brenden Datema(57) finishes up his studies and turns pro, signing for the remainder of the season with Atlanta Gladiators.

The senior year transfer from Michigan Tech Huskies, but played little there.

He’s not exactly the biggest point getter and through 3 ECHL has no points yet.

We think he can come away as a big presence on the blue line and someone that can generate offense.

He grabs 2 assists in 12 games and they like what they are seeing to invite him to return for his rookie season, 2024/2025 in a Gladiators‘ sweater.

With 2 goals and 5 assists in 48 games, he is invited to return for a 2nd full year with Atlanta.

He was maybe all set to go and in at the last minute he is traded and joins Bloomington Bison for 2025/2026.

After appearing in 65 games, scoring a new best 4 goals and 12 assists with a +19 rating, then 2 points in the playoffs, he is an easy return for 2026/2027 as a Bison.

13Aug

Brad Hunt (39)

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13th year defenseman Brad Hunt(39) signs with Hershey Bears for 2024/2025.

The small 5’9″ 176 lbs. blue liner was twice captain for Colorado Eagles previously.

Undrafted, he has 288 NHL games to his credit and 381 in the AHL.

From Maple Ridge, BC, the former Bemidji State University Beavers 35-year old is still a good guy to have on your team.

For a 1st time he decides to head overseas to play a little different kind of hockey and signs with Vaasan Sport of Liiga.

He has 2 goals and 9 assists in 16 games.

Finishing up with 53 games played, he scores 7 goals and 18 assists, but his 14th year in pro hockey wraps up, he decides it’s time to retire.

13Aug

Will MacKinnon (27)

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Former University Of New Hampshire Wildcats‘ senior captain, defenseman Will MacKinnon(27) signs a 1st pro deal with Lehigh Valley Phantoms after graduating, but is mostly reassigned to affiliate Reading Royals.

The 5’11” 201 lbs. blue liner played two seasons of junior hockey, including one for the USNTDP.

At just turning 22-years old, the college graduate is still very young and although may have never been the biggest scorer may just find his ECHL game to be a stay-at-home style d-man.

In 17 games, he managed 1 assist with a +2 rating to be re-signed and stay in Pennsylvania for his rookie season.

He stayed in their system for a couple seasons before heading to Utica Comets.

Late in the season, he was traded to Cleveland Monsters, who wanted him for future considerations.

They re-sign him for 2025/2026 to stay a Monsters.

After spending most of the season with affiliate Toledo Walleye, he decides to move on and signs in the IceHL with EC-KAC for 2026/2027.

13Aug

Cam McDonald (27)

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Providence College Friars‘ graduate captain defenseman Cam McDonald(27) takes a new best college 6 assists and tying 7 points to a 1-year AHL deal with Bridgeport Islanders for 2024/2025.

The 5’9″ 174 lbs. Eagle River, AK native started his junior hockey in the NAHL close to home with Kenai River Brown Bears, committed, but moved along to the USHL for Muskegon Lumberjacks before heading to school.

He’s likely at 23-years old itching to turn pro.

In 35 ECHL games on reassignment, he pots 14 assists, but only 1 assist with contract club.

For 2025/2026, his sophomore season, he re-signs to be a Worcester Railers.

In 63 games, he scores a 1st league goal and 12 assists with a +9 rating and re-signs for 2026/2027 to stay a Railers.

13Aug

Rider McCallum (55)

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Plymouth State University Panthers‘ senior assistant captain defenseman Rider McCallum(55) turns pro after scoring pretty well through college, signing an ato with Greensboro Gargoyles.

The 6’1″ 174 lbs. forward had 2 successful AJHL junior frames before school.

From Langley, BC, the 24-year old has 1 assist in 5 ECHL games.

For 2026/2027, he elects to try something different, signing in the new Japanese hockey league, XHL with Tokyo Wilds.