Category: Minor League Deal

4th year defenseman Charles Martin(47) signs with HK Spisska Nova Ves in 2026/2027, his 1st foray overseas for pro hockey.

The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner scored a pro best 14 goals and 27 assists in a full slate of 72 ECHL games last season, including winning the hardest shot competition at the 2026 All-Star Game.

He did 4 years at University Of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets, scoring a college best 3 goals and 15 assists as a senior.

From Blainville, QC, we look for the 28-year old to do well in Slovak Extraliga, 2026/2027.

Sacred Heart University Pioneers‘ graduate center Austin Magera(5) leaves his long-standing program with a college career best 20 assists and 28 points before signing a 1st pro deal with South Carolina Stingrays.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward is off to a nice start, in 7 ECHL games he has 2 goals and 3 assists with one multi-point outing.

He appeared in only 1 USHL session previous to heading to college, coming off a successful high school run at Lawrence Academy for the Suwanee, GA native.

The 24-year old appears to impress at the next level.

He is voted “rookie of the year” for his efforts scoring 29 goals and 45 assist for 74 in 70 games with a +21 rating.

After being top scorer (74 points in 70 games), the parent club says hey, come up here and Hershey Bears sign him for a 1st AHL contract in 2024/2025.

Another strong season with the affiliate, twice scoring 40+ assists, he leaves to sign with Fort Wayne Komets for 2025/2026.

He takes another season of quite good scoring to a new opportunity in DEL with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for 2026/2027.

11th year right wing Tyler Gron(7) decided to take a step back and do a year with Hannover Scorpions, but ended up scoring a career high 37 goals and 61 points in 48 Germany3 games, so will return to his 5th team in DEL2, joining Eispiraten Crimmitschau for 2022/2023.

It’s his 7th year in Germany tier 2 hockey league.

The 5’11” 201 lbs. forward actually left in his 1st season for Esbjerg Energy, where he won a 2016 Metal Ligaen Championship.

He also had one very successful season in Italy with Milano Rossoblu after coming over from mostly running up the scoresheet in the ECHL, but also did 14 AHL games on loan.

The Northern Michigan University Wildcats‘ graduate twice scored 17 goals and had 30+ points as a junior and senior.

At 32-years old, the Spruce Grove, AL native is likely just happy to still be playing at a very high level.

He has a bit of a trying season up last frame, so decides to return to 3 and signs for 2023/2024 with EC Hannover Indians and should pull his scoring right back up again.

After 2 decent years, especially in the playoffs, he decides to switch up teams and signs for 2025/2026 with rivals Hochstadter EC Alligators.

Once again, he blows up scoring with 29 goals and 25 assists in 52 games and for 2026/2027, he will move up once again to DEL2, signing with Blue Devils Weiden.

University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish senior captain, defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico(4) played a 35 games college high last season, scoring a new best 5 goals and for a 2nd time had 10+ points.

The 6′ 210 lbs. blue liner signed a 1st contract with Greenville Swamp Rabbits as tournament play wrapped up.

He scored a 1st ECHL goal and 2 assists in 6 games.

Upon finishing up, Ontario Reign are watching and sign him up to an AHL deal for 2026/2027.

From Kirkland, QC, the 22-year did 2 years USHL before college.

Undrafted senior center Carter Turnbull(98) takes a solid year as team captain, pushing his University Of Connecticut Huskies to its deepest Hockey East climb to the Finals and a loss in overtime to a 1st pro contract with South Carolina Stingrays.

The 5’8″ 181 lbs. forward took a few games to get situated, but finally popped in his 1st ECHL goal and a 2nd one a couple nights later to sit at 2 tallies in 6 games.

He had 30 goals and assists throughout his 3 years with Powell River Kings in 155 BCHL games.

The 23-year old from Nanaimo, BC should be able to light up the league and climb, if he sticks.

He would finish his first pro contract with 2 goals and 3 assists in 11 games to warrant a full look in North Charleston for his rookie season 2022/2023.

After lighting things up to the tune of 24 goals and 18 assists in 41 games, he decides to head off for an opportunity overseas, joining HKM Zvolen for their Slovak Extraliga playoff run.

He appears in 6 games during the end of the regular frame, then skates 7 in the postseason, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in 7 games.

Slovak rivals HC Banska Bystrica swoop in an sign him up for 2023/2024, and we should see his numbers improve.

He is well over a point-per-game player in the tough to play Slovak hockey, equaling 25 goals and 31 assists in 41 games, but heads of to IceHL for a new experience with Asiago Hockey that could put him back on the radar for a better deal back home.

While scoring isn’t an issue with his new club, on ice accountability is faltering, so he up and moves back to Slovakia, signing once again with HC Banska Bystrica to hopefully regain some glory.

He gets on board and is invited to return to the tune of 20 goals and 17 assists in just 22 games with a +17 rating and there is a desire to keep him around long-term on a 2-year extension through 2026/2027 with HC Banska.

In 51 games, he scores a league most goals, 31 and assists, 32 and ultimately decides to not stick for the 2nd year of his deal and signs with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL2.

6th year right wing Matt Berry(19) decided to take the COVID season off last year and only skated one ECHL game for Kalamazoo Wings in 2019/2020, so must have been anxious to sign a contract and elected to go with the high powered offense of Toledo Walleye for 2021/2022.

He’s off to a blazing hot start, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists in 7 games with a +9 rating.

The 5’10” 176 lbs. forward started his pro career after 4 years at Michigan State University Spartans, where he averaged around 20+ points, 31 as a sophomore, in the AHL with 5 games for Norfolk Admirals.

He didn’t get any points, but for his rookie season, San Diego Gulls gave him a contract.

Through 15 games, he had 3 goals and an assist, but was mostly reassigned to affiliate Utah Grizzlies, where he was putting up point-per-game numbers.

He would head off for a couple of campaigns with Florida Everblades, putting up a best 24 goals and 44 assists for 68 points in his first year there.

The Canton, MI native once again moved west to Utah, but was quickly scooped to head back to Southern California, only to put up 4 goals and 14 assists with a +6 rating, but can’t seem to garner any real respect from the league.

At 29-years old, he’s likely just accepted his path.

He was loaned up to Grand Rapids Griffins for 19 games, grabbing 2 goals and 4 assists with a +1, but really lit it up big in the lower league with 24 goals and 37 assists in 44 games with a +30, then added another 14 (5-9) points in 21 playoff matchups.

For 2022/2023, he signs a 1-year deal with Cincinnati Cyclones and could be on the move for his best session yet.

After basically point-per-game numbers last season, matching his exact output in the previous frame 61 points, he has decided to go exploring.

For 2023/2024, he is heading to the tougher to play Slovak Extraliga and signs a 1-year deal with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas.

He does pretty well in Slovakia, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with a +3 rating and 4 points in 5 playoff matchups, but wants something different and ultimately signs with Glasgow Clan, where he must have been given some good incentives.

For 2025/2026, he switches allegiances and signs with rivals Dundee Stars, where he scores pretty well, but decides to head back and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

He is scoring ok, but gets dished and returns to Kalamazoo Wings, who maybe need him to score a little more for them in the 2nd half.

Not likely seeing results he is used to seeing, he once again decides to leave and heads to Ligue Magnus, signs with Rapaces De Gap for 2026/2027.

6th year center Kevin Roy(12) signs for 2021/2022 with Laval Rocket.

It’s his 2nd contract in the league, as he skated for Tuscon Roadrunners, getting 11 goals and 19 assists in 35 AHL games last season.

Originally an Anaheim Ducks‘ 4th round pick in the 2012 draft (#97 overall), he played for 3 years on 2 contracts in their system and appeared in 28 NHL games over a pair of years, scoring 6 goals and an assist.

The 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward has 56 goals and 97 assists through 218 games in the farm league.

In his one campaign of junior hockey for Lincoln Stars, he got voted USHL Player Of The Year, Most Points, Most Goals, Most Assists, Best Plus/Minus and Forward Of The Year with his 54 goals and 50 assists in 59 games.

He was easily set to go to Northeastern University Huskies, where he twice struck for 19 goals and averaged 26 assists as a sophomore then junior before being named team captain as a senior.

The 28-year old should put up good numbers for his Montreal Canadiens‘ affiliate club and may even spark some notice.

After a very solid frame in Quebec, scoring 13 goals and 20 assists, he decides to split for Sweden, joining Brynas IF of the SHL late, but after 6 games with little pop, leaves for Liiga, and signs with HIFK.

Only getting 1 goal and 5 assists in 19 games, has him looking for a good next stop and he has found it, signing with HC Innsbruck of IceHL f0r 2023/2024.

He posts an almost silly 25 goals and 33 assists with a +20 rating in 47 games, and next will skate for rivals Graz99ers in 2024/2025.

After a 2nd 39 point season, which included the 2026 IceHL Championship, he’s an easy invite back for a 3rd term with Graz99ers in 2026/2027.

Junior center Matt Hubbarde(81) will take 2 years at Dartmouth College Big Green to continuing his education and hockey with Providence College Friars.

The 6’1″ 190 lbs. scored fairly equally in his 1st 2 seasons at school.

From Pickering, ON, he played most of his junior hockey in Canada and had a most impressive bit of a shortened frame in the BCHL with Langley Rivermen.

The 23-year old will be taking on a new challenge playing Hockey East.

He would only figure in 13 games, scoring 1 goal, so no surprise he will do his senior year at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks for 2024/2025 and will likely give him the room he needs.

In a ties for college high 30 games played, he scores new best 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points playing the independent schedule.

With no postseason, he signs a 1st pro deal with Iowa Heartlanders and scores a 1st ECHL goal in his debut.

He would sign for 2025/2026 with them, but traded to Rapid City Rush after just 6 games, then he is moved again to Bloomington Bison.

After a rookie season with 3 different clubs, he looks elsewhere and signs Ringerike Panthers of Norway for 2026/2027.