Category: Minor League Deal

14Aug

Brennan Kapcheck (5)

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Former AIC captain, undrafted defenseman Brennan Kapcheck(5) graduates and signs and 2-year AHL deal with Toronto Marlies to get his pro career started.

The small 5’9″ 170 lbs. defenseman is very mobile and knows how to move and head man the puck.

He may have failed to tally a goal in this last frame but did put up 18 assists, which basically gave him an average of 20 helpers per season throughout his college career with a combined +41 rating.

The Illinois native can also score goals, as he did in his second session with Aston Rebels of the NAHL, where he struck for 17 goals and left the program with a huge +59.

There’s a lot of upside to this young signing, who should be able to contribute positively right away.

To start 2023/2024, he started in Slovakia Extraliga with HKM Zvolen, but through 10 games only recorded 1 assist and returns under contract to the only ECHL team he has played games for, Newfoundland Growlers, where he had 25 assists last season.

After 34 games, the team collapses and he waits to sign his next contract.

The new Tahoe Knight Monsters sign him up for 2024/2025.

13Aug

Andrew MacWilliam (4)

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10th year defenseman Andrew MacWilliam(4) switched up 2 years in DEL skating for EHC Munchen to signing with EC Salzburg for 2022/2023.

In 15 IceHL games, he has a goal and 3 assists with a +6 rating.

The fairly big 6’2″ 223 lbs. blue liner has 413 AHL games to his credit, scoring 9 goals and 53 assists with a +6 rating.

He has also played 12 NHL games with a draft team Toronto Maple Leafs (7th round, 2008, #188 overall), recording 2 assists.

A University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate, he may have not put up a lot of points, but left school a +37 player.

The 32-year old from Calgary, AB may just be starting a new chapter.

After just one year away from Germany, he missed it and returns to sign on for a 3rd frame with the Red Bull Munchen boys.

Finishing up with his team of mostly the last few seasons, he heads to his 3rd overseas league, EIHL and agrees to terms with Cardiff Devils, which should equal a good late career move.

12Aug

Jason Pineo (34)

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Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior center Jason Pineo(34) finishes up Atlantic Hockey play and signs a 1st pro deal with Wichita Thunder, a team fighting for their playoff existence.

The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward had his best college season last year with 9 goals and 13 assists in 40 games.

He had 2 solid frames in juniors and won the 2019 OJHL Championship with Oakville Blades, scoring point-per-game numbers in the playoffs.

In 11 ECHL games, the 25 year old from Toronto, ON has 2 goals and 3 assists.

He should do ok in this league if he decides to stay and try to play himself up.

Through 71 games, he scores 13 goals and 14 assists, but is a -10, which hurts a little, but not bad for a rookie.

For 2024/2025, he splits for Erste Liga and signs with DVTK Jegesmedvek and we do look for him to do well here.

12Aug

Bill Sweezey (6)

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Boston Bruins sign hometown boy (Hanson, MA), 5th year defenseman Bill Sweezey(6) to a new 2-year, 2-way NHL deal after spending most of the last 3 years with Cleveland Monsters, under contract with Columbus Blue Jackets for the last 2.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner originally signed his 1st AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the COVID busted 2020/2021 after graduating Yale University Bulldogs before moving on to a similar deal in Ohio.

He only did 1 USHL junior run before college.

The 28-year old will likely spend most of his time with affiliate Providence Bruins, but that means hockey even closer to home.

12Aug

Tyler Heidt (7)

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Senior defenseman Tyler Heidt(7) decides to enter the transfer portal to do his final school year closer to home at University Of Regina Cougars after spending the last 3 seasons with Merrimack College Warriors.

The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner isn’t exactly the biggest point getter with his best showing in a 1st campaign of juniors for Melfort Mustangs, where he scored 7 goals and 14 assists in 54 SJHL games.

At just 22-years old, he may find the net a bit more often near his back yard.

After a 2nd super productive frame in Canadian college hockey, scoring 6 goals and 20 assists in 28 games before turning pro, signing with Reading Royals to close out 2023. grabbing 4 goals an 9 assists in 18 games with a +14 rating.

He easily re-signs for his official rookie season 2023/2024.

Appearing in only 8 ECHL games due to injury, he doesn’t score any points and looks elsewhere, signing with Fife Flyers of the EIHL for 2024/2025.

12Aug

Jack Dougherty (5)

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6th year defenseman Jack Dougherty(5) heads back to Belleville Senators after only 1 AHL game with Providence Bruins.

He has signed with that team twice previous with decent enough results to stick.

The 6’1″ 211 lbs. blue liner was originally a Nashville Predators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2014 draft (#51 overall) selected after a solid USNTDP showing, then only one year at University Of Wisconsin Badgers before bolting to put up 41 assists with Portland Winterhawks.

He spent two years in the system before getting dished to Buffalo Sabres to play out his entry level deal.

It wouldn’t be entirely out of the possibility that soon the 25-year old from St. Paul, MN looks overseas for something a little more lucrative.

He has a pair of tough seasons through the COVID shuffle, but decides to stick around and signs his 1st ECHL deal with Orlando Solar Bears for 2022/2023.

This will likely be a very good decision for the now 26-year old.

He actually leaves for DEL near the end of this session, then signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for 2023/2024.

Doing just ok wasn’t good enough, so he takes his game to IceHL for 2024/2025, signing with Vienna Capitals, which should equal a lot of fun for him.

11Aug

Rick Schofield (23)

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13th year center Rick Schofield(23) heads back to Austria’s top league IceHL, signing with his 5th team Pustertal/Val Pusteria Wolves for 2023/2024.

He comes off a year with Nurnberg Ice Tigers, scoring 13 goals and 13 assists in 38 DEL games.

Undrafted, the 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played 2 AHL seasons before heading overseas.

The former 2-time Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ captain and top scorer has almost maybe a bit oddly only won a championship in his 1st year away from home.

From Pickering, ON, the 36-year old is still finding good hockey to play.

He comes away with another fantastic season, but decides he wants to head back to Germany to play and signs with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL.

10Aug

Travis St. Denis (74)

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Straubing Tigers‘ 7th year center Travis St. Denis(74) re-ups to return to the German club, his 2nd year in DEL.

He scored 22 goals and 17 assists in 51 games last season.

The 5’7″ 170 lbs. forward was twice a 40+ point scorer in the AHL for Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while under contract to New York Islanders for at least one of those sessions.

He spent 4 seasons at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, always increasing his totals to leave as a senior with 49 points in 43 NCAA Division 1 games.

The Trail, BC native played his junior hockey up north and won a 2012 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, scoring 37 goals and 51 assists in 54 games, then adding 13 more points in the playoffs.

At 29-years old, he is likely to be happy still playing hockey at a very high level.

After spending 2 years with the same club, recording just about exact excellent numbers, he reaches out and signs with rivals, ERC Ingolstadt for 2023/2024.

His season with a new German team doesn’t go maybe as planned and he heads right back, where he scored 22 goals in each of his 2 frames, the Tigers for 2024/2025.

10Aug

Cory Thomas (2)

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Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ extra large-sized (6’5″ 215 lbs.) graduate defenseman Cory Thomas(2) signs his 1st pro contract with Idaho Steelheads.

Not exactly the biggest scorer on the ice, he did pull off a collegiate best pair of goals last season in 34 NCAA Division 1 games, which matched all the tallies he had in 4 years at University Of Vermont Catamounts.

He was also a plus player for the first time in his college career.

The 24-year old from St. Brieux, SK will likely do well in the ECHL.

After 8 games on an ato, scoring 1 assist, the big d-man was going to return, but ultimately signed with rivals Utah Grizzlies for 2022/2023.

As a rookie, he skated 41 games, scoring 7 assists.

The big d-man has definitely been invited back for a 2nd look.

He is traded to Trois Rivieres Lions, where he does ok, getting 1 goal and 8 assists in 33 games with a +3 rating.

For 2024/2025, he is invited back under a 1-year contract.

10Aug

Tim Doherty (37)

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Wheeling Nailers‘ center Tim Doherty(37) was recently claimed off waivers after being released by Allen Americans, where he played 12 ECHL games scoring a pair of assists.

In his debut with his new team, he scored a goal and has already surpassed what he did previously, popping in 3 goals, an assist, including a multi-point effort and +3 rating.

The Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ graduate spent the previous four seasons at University Of Maine Black Bears, where he produced his best numbers as a fourth year player (although he didn’t play in his freshman frame), scoring 14 goals and 23 assists with a +14 rating.

He definitely did ok at his new school during a very COVID busted 2020/2021, but did pick up an additional 8 goals and 10 assists in 22 games.

The 6′ 190 lbs. actually originally committed to Brown University Bears after two sessions with Junior Bruins Premier but then added another year.

At 25-years old, the Portsmouth, RI native may find himself a good hockey home for the time being in West Virginia, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens after the season concludes.

As it turns out, he had such a good run after the trade to Wheeling Nailers, scoring 7 goals and 2 assists, he re-signs to stay for 2021/2022.

He would have great totals in his 2nd frame, scoring 17 goals and 28 assists in 65 games.

As 2022/2023 is set to get started, he’s involved in a trade that sends him a little closer to home, Maine Mariners.

In a no brainer move, Chicago Wolves sign him to an AHL contract for 2023/2024 after he absolutely blew up scoring with 21 goals and 52 assists with a +15 rating in 69 games.

We definitely predict he does well at the higher level.

Not sure why, but he spends his 1st 10 games of the new session back in northern New England, running up 8 assists in the process before getting himself traded for future considerations to Hartford Wolf Pack.

He is reportedly heading to their affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones.

Through 21 games, he pots 5 goals and 9 assists with a +1 rating and maybe gets a little bored, so signs with SG Cortina of AlpsHL in maybe a little oddball of a move to potentially set something up bigger over there later.

He does well through a short regular season run, then extremely well in the playoffs, but is heading to the EIHL for 2024/2025, signing with Nottingham Panthers.