Category: Minor League Deal

02May

Trevor Gooch (7)

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3rd year center Trevor Gooch(7) returns from an outstanding 2nd seasons overseas, 1st with MAC HKB Újbuda, scoring a 16 goals and 19 assists in just 21 Erste Liga games with a +21 rating to re-sign to his original team from graduating 4 years at Colorado College Tigers, Reading Royals.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward made his 1st ECHL game back memorable with a goal and a fight to re-introduce himself.

In 5 games he has 3 goals and 3 assists with a +4 rating to contribute.

He spent a couple of successful campaigns overseas, with the first for Sterzing/Vipiteno, scoring a 25 goals and 20 assists in 36 AlpsHL games with a +19 rating.

It may be a bit of a wonder why the Mantua, NJ native decided to return from mostly Austrian hockey, but he’s surely a welcome member back.

After putting up a career high 34 goals and 27 assists for 61 points with a +28 rating, he will head back overseas, signing for 2021/2022 with EHC Freiburg of DEL2.

He should run some more really good scoring totals in Germany’s 2nd tier league.

The 27-year old would tip the scoring scale with a career high 34 goals and 27 assists in 52 games with a +28 rating, then added another 12 points in 13 playoff matchups.

He’s taking these totals to a new experience overseas with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen and he should completely pop scoring in Denmark’s top hockey.

After putting up close to point-per-game numbers in the regular frame and then matching the output in the playoffs, he moves on for a higher league, signing with HK Olimpija Ljubljana of IceHL for 2023/2024.

He posts all career high stats his 1st year in the league and decides to sign with rivals, Graz99ers for 2024/2025.

30Apr

Ryan Schmelzer (26)

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Undrafted 4th year center Ryan Schmelzer(26) signs a new 1-year AHL deal with Utica Comets for 2021/2022 after spending the last three seasons skating for Binghamton Devils.

In 133 games he wracked up 23 goals and 32 assists.

The former four-year Canisius College Golden Griffiths standout got 40 goals and 66 assists in 143 NCAA Atlantic Hockey games with a quite massive +43.

Almost oddly, the Buffalo, NY native skated all his junior hockey at home for Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the Canadian OJHL and was a point per game player.

The 6’2″ 187 lbs. forward should be right at home playing his style for a new club, seeing as his team from New York went belly up after 2020/2021.

In 2021/2022, he becomes team captain and posts a new career best 18 goals and 32 points with a +6 rating, then comes away with another 2 points in 5 playoff games gets him a new deal to stay and keep grabbing points.

The word determination is definitely in his vocabulary, as he records a career high 29 assists and 35 points in his 2nd frame with the team and then goes on last season to score another 18 goals, adds new best 34 assists and 52 points with a +14 rating to earn himself a 2-year NHL deal with parent club, New Jersey Devils.

30Apr

Jack Riedell (1)

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Cortland College Red Dragons‘ senior goaltender Jack Riedell(1) signs an amateur tryout offer with Rapid City Rush after posting a 12-3-0 record with 2.20 GAA and .935 SV% in 2023/2024.

The 6’3″ 191 lbs. backstop came from 3 very strong USPHL Premier seasons with the top-rated Charlotte Rush, earning a league best 1.61 GAA and .940 SV% in his final frame on a 25-5-0 record.

We look for him to do really well in the ECHL, if given the chance.

29Apr

Ryan Scarfo (39)

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6th year left wing Ryan Scarfo(39) gets mid-season ECHL trade to Worcester Railers from Savannah Ghost Pirates as his plus/minus maybe becomes a bit of a problem, but has a team that wants to bring him in.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward has 4 assists in 11 games with his new team, fighting for a playoff spot.

He was a three-time assistant captain for Union College Dutchmen, scoring 20 goals and 16 assists in 39 games as a senior.

Just one season ago, he put up 12 goals and 22 assists for South Carolina Stingrays.

The 30-year old from North Chelmsford, MA is playing hockey close to home now and likely just needs a good team to continue his game with, but gets waived, only to be picked up quickly by Jacksonville Icemen, where he gets inserted immediately for a goal in his debut and now has 1 tally and 1 assist in 5 playoff games.

28Apr

Matthew Barbolini (14)

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Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks‘ senior center Matthew Barbolini(14) gets signed by Toronto Marlies to a 2-year deal, starting next season 2024/2025, but will join them on an ato to start.

In 3 games, the 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has 1 assist in his last outing.

He left school with a new best 11 goals and tied his 25 points mark he set as a junior.

In 3 years of junior hockey, he twice recorded 15 assists and left his USHL team Lincoln Stars, scoring 16 goals.

Undrafted, the 23-year from Williamsville, NY certainly has a nice contract start for himself.

22Apr

Everett Wardle (10)

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Skidmore College Thoroughbreds‘ senior center Everett Wardle(10) will play his 1st pro hockey on an amateur tryout for the team up the street from his college, Adirondack Thunder.

In his ECHL debut, he records an assist in a 6-2 losing effort.

The small-is 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward has 20+ points in each of the 3 seasons his school team played.

He was close to a point-per-game player last season with a +8 rating.

20Apr

Brad Malone (17)

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Edmonton Oilers‘ 12th year center Brad Malone(17) gets re-upped on a new 2-year deal worth some tidy sums regardless of where he plays.

He has served as captain of affiliate Bakersfield Condors for the past couple seasons and looks to return for that role in 2022/2023.

The 6’2″ 217 lbs. forward was actually playing under an AHL deal last season, when he was signed initially to come aboard.

He almost quietly has 207 NHL games to his credit, even appearing in 8 games last season with a goal and an assist, and 462 in the minors.

At 33-years old, the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate, Miramichi, NB native must have a huge smile on his face.

After a 4th season of being team captain, he decides his ice time is up and announces his retirement, but you can bet he won’t be traveling too far away from the game.

19Apr

Ryan Dzingel (80)

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10th year center Ryan Dzingel(80) waits until almost the end of the 2023/2024 season to sign, but does with Henderson Silver Knights and has 4 goals and 1 assist in 12 AHL games.

He played 22 games last season for Chicago Wolves.

The former Ottawa Senators‘ draft pick 3 times scored 20+ goals, twice 20+ assists.

He did 3 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes, serving as captain as a sophomore and junior year assistant.

From Wheaton, IL, the 32-year old spent the majority of 7 years in the NHL, so has done well and is playing out his string mostly it seems.

He should be a good player to have around for playoffs.

19Apr

Alex Jefferies (38)

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Merrimack College Warriors‘ senior left wing Alex Jefferies(38) is a New York Islanders‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#121 overall) and signs an ato with affiliate Bridgeport Islanders to get his pro game started.

He had an assists in his AHL debut and has skated 4 games.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward had a 3rd straight college frame of 10+ goals in his final year and 27 assists as a junior.

From Framingham, MA, the 22-year old played only 2 USHL games of junior hockey for Dubuque Fighting Saints, but that was while he was playing USHS-Prep.

As he minor league team is finishing up their season, he is reassigned to the parent club for their playoff push and signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal, starting 2024/2025.

18Apr

Gabriel Carriere (35)

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University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ senior goaltender Gabriel Carrier(35) takes a college career high 34 games to with a 2.77 GAA and .908 SV% to an ato with San Jose Barracuda.

The 6’2″ 185 lbs. backstop did 3 seasons of junior hockey, eventually making it to Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL.

From Ottawa, ON, the 23-year old will hopefully impress to score an AHL deal for 2024/2025 and he does.