Category: Minor League Deal

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.

09Aug

Ryker Killins (77)

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4th year defenseman Ryker Killins(77) will switch up overseas leagues and heads to DEL3, joining SC Riessersee after spending 2021/2022 with Esbjerg Energy.

The 5’9″ 181 lbs. small blue liner made an impact upon turning pro from 4 years at Ferris State University Bulldogs, signing an ato with South Carolina Stingrays and putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 ECHL games with a +7 rating.

He would parlay that into a 1-year AHL deal with Tuscon Roadrunners, but was mostly dispatched to affiliate Rapid City Rush to spend his rookie season.

It’s definitely possible the 25-year old finds a good fit in Germany’s tier 3 hockey.

As thought, he found it to be a decent enough place to play and got 3 goals and 13 assists in 25 games with a +15 rating to earn a contract up to DEL2 with Bietigheim Steelers for 2023/2024.

He does ok up, but maybe doesn’t really love it and signs back down in German pro hockey with some former rivals, EC Hannover Indians for 2024/2025.

09Aug

Quinn Preston (43)

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2nd year right wing Quinn Preston(43) returns from a very good EIHL season for Belfast Giants, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists with a +6 rating, to re-signing with Wichita Thunder, where in his 1st game back scores 1 goal and 1 assist.

The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward, former twice assistant captain at Ohio State University Buckeyes also racked up big numbers at juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints and at high school.

From Trenton, MI, the 26-year old could use a loan up to the AHL to see what gives.

After 17 games, scoring a fairly tidy 3 goals and 9 assists, he finds himself traded to another team that wants him, Kalamazoo Wings.

He gets 3 goals and 7 assists in 16 games with a +2 rating with his new club and is invited to return for a full season in a Wings‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

08Aug

Matt Wilkins (91)

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8th year left wing Matt Wilkins(91) will try yet another league to add to the notches on his belt overseas, joining Slovak Extraliga, signing a 1-year deal with HC Banska Bystrica, which will definitely take it up a big notch for the former Union College 2014 NCAA Division 1 Champion, as a sophomore.

Last season, the 5’11” 190 lbs. forward won the Swiss tier 2 2023 SL Championship with HC La Chaux-da-Fonds, had most points in one session and most assists the previous the 2-year he played AlpsHL for Gherdeina and even raised the 2012 AJHL Championship as a junior with twice holding down most assists.

The 32-year old from Kimberley, BC, who started with 2 ECHL years for Reading Royals, putting up big numbers, has to be happy with the results of his game, despite maybe not reaching for the highest levels.

In 49 games, he blows up scoring with 19 goals and 33 assists, but decides to leave for Ligue Magnus, signing with Les Ducs D’Angers.

08Aug

Jeremy Davidson (11)

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Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior right wing Jeremy Davidson(11) had a college best 12 goals and tied his sophomore point mark of 22 last season.

The 5’10” 177 lbs. forward signs with South Carolina Stingrays for his ECHL rookie season in 2024/2025.

He came up through the Honeybaked youth hockey system, then a pair of USHL seasons, scoring pretty well.

UMASS Minutemen was the 1st school he committed to, as a freshman, but maybe Hockey East didn’t work out the way he wanted and shifted college hockey closer to home in Kalamazoo, MI.

The 24-year old should do well.

08Aug

Jaxson Stauber (30)

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Providence College‘s undrafted, sophomore net minder Jaxson Stauber(30) picked up his 10th win of the season in a recent game vs. Northeastern University Huskies, 4-2.

The 6’3″ 175 lbs. goalie has posted a 11-7-5 record for 2020/2021 with 4 shutouts.

He spent two years with Sioux Falls Stampede and won the 2019 Clark Cup MVP honors with a 1.46 GAA and .941 SV@ and 11-1-0 record, then committed to Minnesota State University-Mankato started one game, won it, wasn’t getting enough ice time and went back to junior hockey.

After a 3rd stellar year in the USHL, the Wayzata, MN-native committed to attend college east and away from home.

As a still young 21-year old he’s definitely getting the looks and it will be interesting where his choice of school leads him.

He was even more stingy in his junior season than he was the year prior and has decided to sign a 2-year entry level deal with Chicago Blackhawks, foregoing his senior frame.

This does make sense for the now 22-year old.

He goes 5-1 in 6 NHL starts, but plays the lion share with affiliate Rockford Icehogs, then doesn’t receive a qualifying offer to continue.

Utah Hockey Club steps in to offer him a 1-year, 2-way deal for 2024/2025.