Category: Minor League Deal

Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ senior center Joey Cipollone(12) helps his team win a 2023 NCAA Division 1 Championship and signs a 1-year AHL deal to join Bridgeport Islanders for 2023/2024.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward put together 19 goals and 19 assists 107 games at the ECAC college.

He originally committed to University Of Vermont Catamounts, but left half way through his 2nd year to return to his USHL junior team Tri City Storm.

The 23-year old from Purchase, NY looks to be in a good position to start his pro career.

7 goals and 15 assists in 63 ECHL games and he will re-sign with affiliate Worcester Railers for 2024/2025.

He is actually released, but quickly inks with Atlanta Gladiators and will suit up for them this season.

Undrafted center Kyle Betts(61) signs a 1st pro deal with Utah Grizzlies after 5 years at Cornell University Big Red, where he took advantage of the year of eligibility to put up new bests 6 goals and 12 assists in 32 NCAA Division 1 games with a +6 rating.

In his ECHL debut, he pots a 1st goal.

The Flesherton, ON native spent two years in the BCHL, scoring 20+ goals and assists for Powell River Kings.

At 6’1″ 181 lbs., the 24-year old is definitely well-suited to do well in this league.

And just like that, he gets loaned up to the parent club, Colorado Eagles.

He signs for 2022/2023, but after 2 games is called by Belleville Senators and stays for 40 AHL games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists with a +1 rating before heading back to Maverick Center, where he hammers 6 assists in 5 games, then another 6 points (3-3) in 6 playoff match ups.

It’s a little surprising he signs for a 2nd season in Utah, but we think the same result will occur.

He maybe wakes up one morning with a bit of a surprise, as he’s traded for 2024/2025 to Florida Everblades, which should actually yield good results.

Anna Maria College Amcats‘ sole graduate student on the 2023/2024 roster is defenseman Cam Tobey(10), as seen in preseason play at the home arena, Horgan.

He had college career highs 8 goals and 10 assists as a senior.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. blue liner played 1 year junior hockey for Walpole Express, recording 10 goals and 13 assists in 38 EHL games after heading to Westfield State University Owls straight out of strong play at hometown Falmouth High School USHS-MA.

At 24-years old, he’s likely fully settled into his D3 hockey game and we look for him to help the team win.

Visiting him last season as he enters a year of eligibility, which he finishes 23 games with 12 points and a +8 rating, for his next move signs a 1-year deal with Knoxville Ice Bears and in his SPHL debut, he comes away with a goal.

6th year center Cameron Brown(9) steps away from a pair of seasons with SonderjyskE and a very solid 10 goals and 21 assists in 31 Metal Ligaen games last year with a +23 rating to a new adventure in Ligue Magnus, signing for 2022/2023 to Les Ducs d’Angers.

The small 5’7″ 157 lbs. forward has definitely found ways to score, leaving three ECHL campaigns averaging 10+ goals and 20+ assists.

He dished 35 assists in 34 NCAA Division 1 games as senior captain at University Of Maine Black Bears.

The 29-year old, Natick, MA native may be able to play his way up a bit from a good session in France.

17 games into his season abroad, he has 1 goal and 7 assists, and decides to make a move over to Metal Ligaen, joining Esbjerg Energy for the remainder of the frame.

He grabs 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 22 games with a +9 rating, which is pretty good, so he signs with league rivals, Herning Blue Fox for 2023/2024 and we expect him to do better.

For his 3 season, he will stay in Denmark, but returns to his original team in the country, SonderjyskE for 2024/2025.

7th year center Darik Angeli(18) re-signs with Kansas City Mavericks after putting up ECHL career highs 33 assists and 51 points.

He has played an almost eye-popping 357 games in the league.

The solid 6’3″ 203 lbs. forward has skated for 9 teams in the E, three times with Norfolk Admirals.

He has only agreed to terms in one season with an AHL team, Tuscon Roadrunners 2018/2019, but only stayed with them four games with an assist before being reassigned.

It would be little surprise to see the 30-year old, former Ohio State University Buckeyes to split for overseas for his next contract.

After a huge career year that saw him getting traded late to Florida Everblades and help them win the 2022 Kelly Cup Championship, where he scored 29 goals and 41 assists and another 3 goals and 3 assists with a +3 rating in the playoffs, he will take these fortunes overseas to another title winner, Belfast Giants in 2022/2023.

Almost oddly, following 24 games played, scoring 6 goals and 6 assists with a +9 rating with little word on why, he leaves to sign with Vienna Capitals for the balance of 2023 and should continue to score like a champ in IceHL.

He gets 3 goals and 2 assists in 11 games with a horrendous -9, but gets to the playoffs and adds 5 helpers in another 11 matchups.

For the remainder of 2024, the now 33-year old re-ups with Orlando Solar Bears, where he played some 5 or so years ago with good results.

He scores 31 points in 35 games, then 11 in 11 in the playoffs and is definitely wanted to return in a Solar Bears’ jersey, where he has to be a fan favorite.

Undrafted 4th year right wing Josh Kestner(62) takes a fantastic first season overseas at TPS, scoring 24 goals and 25 assists in 59 Liiga games with a +6 rating to a new contract with Admiral Vladivostok of the KHL for 2021/2022.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward had a very similar session for Newfoundland Growlers, grabbing another 49 points (22-27) in 61 ECHL games with a +8, then potted another 9 goals and 7 assists in 21 playoff contests en route to the 2019 Kelly Cup Championship.

He would next sign an AHL deal with Grand Rapids Griffins but was exclusively dished to Toledo Walleye, where he received accolades for Most Goals (33), Most Points (73) and League MVP.

The 27-year old Huntsville, AL native and graduate of University Of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers seems to be just getting started.

He would take a decent frame in Russia back to a less successful year in Switzerland and then branch out for Czechia Extraliga and will next arrive at the tough to play Slovakia Extraliga, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves for 2024/2025.

Undrafted third year defenseman Charlie Curti(3) somewhat returns home to Adirondack Thunder, where he had a breakthrough rookie campaign, scoring a career high 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 56 ECHL games.

He had to go away as a sophomore skater, signing for 2020/2021 with Rapid City Rush, as his upper state NY club was forced to sit due to COVID restrictions.

The 6′ 191 lbs., 26-year old, former 4-year Yale University Bulldogs‘ blue liner returns to his first year club and could very well set more bests point totals.

Instead of heading back to upper state New York for a 2nd season, the 25-year old has rethought that decision and accepts a contract with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen.

This may just be the start of his hockey life overseas as he could do very well in Denmark’s top league.

He would return after scoring nicely overseas and sign a 1-year ECHL deal with Toledo Walleye, where he ran up 25 points in 39 games with a +20 rating before adding 8 assists in 12 playoff matchups.

For 2023/2024, he is heading to play with 2-time EIHL Champs Belfast Giants, where he just may help them raise a 3rd straight trophy.

He maybe didn’t capture a title, but did nicely with 2 goals and 17 assists in 39 games with a +11 rating to sign with rivals, Guilford Flames for 2024/2025.

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.

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.