Category: Minor League Deal

Merrimack College Warriors‘ Swedish-born senior center Filip Forsmark(19) signs a 1st ato deal with Allen Americans.

The 5’11” 176 lbs. forward 3 times had 10+ assists and once 10+ goals in college.

We think he finds more room to score in the ECHL.

The 25-year old did 2 USHL years of juniors with Tri City Storm and was drafted after the 1st campaign, but ended up posted 38 assists with a +37 rating a year later.

He plays only 2 games to finish out last season and for 2024/2025 and signs with Atlanta Gladiators to get his pro career started.

After 4 game, he isn’t finding his footing and gets waived to sign a new pro contract to start his pro game in Sweden’s tier 3 Hockeyettan, signing with IF Troja Ljungby.

4th year center Nick Master(89) returns to Maine Mariners for a 3rd season after scoring new bests 16 goals and 37 assists in 57 ECHL games.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward 4 times had 10+ assists at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks.

In the 1 season he didn’t play in Maine, because COVID knocked the entire frame out, he signed with Knoxville Ice Bears and grabbed 8 goals and 18 assists in 36 SPHL games and that seemed to help propel his game.

The 27-year old from Broomall, PA should continue his scoring streak.

He signs for 2023/2024 in DEL2 with EHC Freiburg and scores well, tying a career best 16 goals and 27 assists in 42 games with a +14 rating.

We think he may have been courted to head to Esbjerg Energy of Metal Ligaen for 2024/2025.

With little pop, 1 assist in 8 games, he decides to head to Ligue Magnus, signing with Anglet Hormadi Pays Basque.

9th year right wing Danny Kristo(79) has not really lasted long with many teams after his 76 NL games spent with SC Rapperswill-Jona Lakers, scoring 46 points.

He’s definitely managed to score pretty well, whether he was in the KHL, DEL or SHL, but maybe has found a niche with Rytiri Kladno, where he has 3 goals and 7 assists in 34 Tipsport Extraliga games.

The 6′ 194 lbs. Montreal Canadiens‘ 2008 2nd round draft pick (#56 overall) forward is a three time 20+ goal scorer in the AHL.

You have to think the former two-time 26 assist, senior assistant captain at University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 32-year is happy to still be playing for decent enough money.

He will head to his 7th country for pro hockey in 2022/2023, signing a 1-year deal with HK Dukla Michelovce, which should be some very decent games to jump into after finishing up in Sweden’s tier 2 last frame.

After starting the frame with 6 games in Slovakia, he decides to move on, signing with Sheffield Steelers for the remainder of the season.

He will strike well in the EIHL.

And he did, through 47 games, he posted 12 goals and 18 assists with a +7 rating, then came alive more in 4 playoff matchups, striking for 2 goals and 3 assists.

For 2023/2024, he pulls the traitor move and takes his numbers to a rival, Coventry Blaze.

He would have a similar scoring season and considers 11 years to be a good term, so decides it’s time to leave the ice to a yet named next step, but could easily transition into coaching in a second.

271 AHL games and 157 at NCAA Divison 1 were mosts.

8th year defenseman Kodie Curran(5) takes 2-years under contract to Anaheim Ducks, worth $1M per season and the only NHL contract he has ever signed to a new adventure with Metallurg Magnitogorsk for 2022/2023.

After starting his pro career with Hartford Wolf Pack following 4 years at University Of Calgary Dinos, he struck decently quickly for an assist in a pair of AHL games, but was only retained for 18 games as a rookie before being dispatched to affiliate Greensville Swamp Rabbits.

The 6’2″ 201 lbs. blue liner would leave for his 1st away contract with Esbjerg Energy and helped them to win the 2016 Metal Ligaen Championship.

He next joined Storhamar as team captain and yet again saw his club ascend to the 2017 Norway Championship and he easily came away with MVP awards.

The Calgary, AB native would be awarded a new deal with Rogle BK and once again blow up a league with assists for the next 2 SHL sessions, which easily got him the look from the highest league.

At 32-years old, he has to be pretty happy to be still playing hockey at such a high level.

He plays a career high 65 games last season for Dinamo Minsk, scoring 20 assists.

For 2024/2025, he takes off for the easier to play NL and signs with HC Ambria-Piotta.

He may have been on a tryout and after 11 games with 1 goal and 3 assists, he becomes official.

Union College Dutchmen graduate left wing Chaz Smedsrud(26) finishes up and signs an ato with Allen Americans that may get switched quickly.

The 6’2″ 195 lbs. gets a 1st ECHL goal and assist in his debut, a 6-3 losing effort, but somehow comes away with a +1 rating.

He scored a best (by a mile) in his final year at college with 14 goals, 8 assists and new high 22 points.

The Luverne, MN blew up scoring in his high school, then did the same in the AJHL for 2 seasons before coming back to life in the USHL for 1 frame before school.

At 25-years old, he is very much ready to get pro started.

Through 9 games, with 3 goals and 4 assists, he’s looking good for an invite to return for his rookie run in 2024/2025 in an Americans‘ sweater.

After just 3 games into his rookie frame with no points, Rapid City Rush are seeking his services and acquire him in a trade for future considerations.

Undrafted rookie center Nick Campoli(19) signs a 1st pro contract with Iowa Heartlanders for 2022/2023 after graduating 4 years at Clarkson University Golden Knights.

He was a solid scorer in his 3rd and final season of OJHL, where he was more than a point-per-game player, but also achieved 20+ assists in each of the frames.

The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward wasn’t as lucky in Atlantic Hockey, getting a best 5 goals as a senior.

We think that the ECHL could be a different story for the 23-year old Toronto, ON native’s scoring fortune.

1 goal and 2 assists in 12 games to start him off and they want another look to return to the new Iowa team for 2023/2024.

Through 30 games, he scores a decent 9 goals and 4 assists, but decides he wants a little more, so splits for AlpsHL and signs with Sterzing/Vipiteno Broncos, 2024/2025.

Sacred Heart University Pioneers‘ graduate net minder Justin Robbins(31) takes 17 games played with a 2.95 GAA and .895 SV% and 6-91 record to a 1st pro contract with Tahoe Knight Monsters for his rookie frame, 2024/2025.

The 5’10” 161 lbs. goalie earlier played 28 games as a junior transfer from Arizona State University Sun Devils.

From Alpine, NJ, the 24-year old did 44 USHL games as part of Chicago Steel, his thus far high water mark.

UMass Minutemen senior center Joshua Nodler(20) will take on a 3rd school, heading to Bowling Green State University Falcons for 2023/2024.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward started his college career with 3 seasons at close by Michigan State University Spartans, where he scored his best 7 goals and 8 assists as a junior.

From Oak Park, MI, the Calgary Flames‘ 5th round pick in the 2019 draft (#150 overall) first played the Honeybaked system before ultimately doing 1 USHL season at Fargo Force.

The 22-year old will likely doing ok for his graduate year in the CCHA.

He plays a college tying best 36 games, scoring 5 goals and 10 assists and unsigned by the team that selected him.

An unrestricted free agent, he signs a nice 1-year deal with Toledo Walleye to get started as a rookie, 2024/2025.

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.