Category: Minor League Deal

Keene State College Owls‘ senior defenseman Declan House(18) signs a 1st pro deal with Blue Ridge Bobcats.

The 5’11” 170 lbs. blue liner had 1 goal and 10 assists last season.

He transferred from 2 years at Franklin Pierce University Ravens to the new program after scoring a college best 13 assists as a freshman.

From Roselle Park, NJ, the 24-year old had 2 strong EHL seasons before college.

After 1 FPHL game, with no points, but a +1 rating, he maybe is released and immediately picked up by rivals, Biloxi Breakers.

Undrafted 4th year right wing Nick Jones(8) is coming off a career AHL season, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists in 60 games to add a 3rd season with Manitoba Moose to his resume.

The 5’11” 186 lbs. forward had an interesting two year run through the AJHL before committing to Ohio State University Buckeyes for 2 years, after which he decided on a pair of BCHL sessions, scoring almost equal 60+ point totals and winning the 2017 Championship with Penticton Vees and then heading to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for a junior and senior frame.

From Edmonton, AB, the 26-year old may be off to a bit of a late start connecting with the net.

In 47 games last season, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating, but wants more and eyes an opportunity in the tough to play Tipos Extraliga, signs with Vlci Zilina for 2024/2025.

He explodes scoring to the tune of 24 goals and 21 assists in 41 games with a +7, but he decides to head off to close by Czechia Extraliga and signs with HC Dynamo Pardubice, where he may do even better.

In 9 games, he scores 3 goals and 3 assists, then in 16 playoff contests, grabs 2 goals and 9 assists.

For 2025/2026, he takes this success and signs with rivals HC Energie Karlovy Vary.

After scoring 13 goals and 18 assists in 46 games with a 0 rating, he is invited to return HC Energie for 2026/2027.

3rd year right wing Jordan Kaplan(47) recently signed with Newfoundland Growlers after a somewhat inactive year in 2021/2022.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward already has a helper in a couple of appearances with his new club.

After graduating from University Of Vermont Catamounts, which followed up 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, he signed as a rookie with Adirondack Thunder, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 ECHL games, but also had a somewhat disastrous -32 rating.

From Bridgewater, NJ, we think the 25-year old will fit in nicely with his new club.

After 6 games with his new team, he gets released and claimed by Worcester Railers, but only lasts a couple of appearances before he’s on the move again, this time heading overseas to join Saale Bulls Halle for the remainder of 2023.

Germany3 hockey should come pretty easy for him to score big for his new club.

He does almost exactly as we saw would happen, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during the regular frame, then adding another 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff matchups.

For 2023/2024, he will start his 3rd season in the league he’s mostly known with a 6th club, Indy Fuel and we think will find ways to put in points.

He actually played no games with who he initially signed and ended up bouncing around for a few games here and there, but lacking anything close to what he had as a rookie.

Playing maybe a bit of the waiting game, he decides to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates to help make an impact with the new team and scores 1 in his 2nd game.

A couple months prior to 2024/2025, he finds himself traded after 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games on a non-playoff team.

He returns to Worcester Railers, where he played 2 games and feel he will easily fit back into team mentality.

After 18 goals and 31 assists in an almost full run of 68 games, he re-signs to stay a Railers to see if he can help push this team further in 2025/2026, as they know they should be going.

As the new season approaches, he finds himself as part of a three team trade sending him to Wheeling Nailers, where we are sure he will be a big part of this team.

In 16 games with his new team, he has 1 goal and 5 assists with a +2 rating, but finds himself traded to a Cincinnati Cyclones, who maybe need him to score for them a bit more.

In 29 games, he gets 2 goals and 5 assists, but is a -9 rating, so gets waived then re-adopted for a 3rd time by Worcester Railers.

He did score league best here.

After posting a huge session for South Shore Kings, scoring a mammoth 34 goals and 15 assists in 45 USPHL/NCDC games, right wing Timothy Heinke(6) is ready to commit to Quinnipiac University Bobcats for 2022/2023.

The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward was always a decent scorer through USHS-Prep and 16U-18U AAA, but really found his footing in one year of junior hockey.

We’re making bets the 20-year old impacts the lineup as a freshman.

His use through 2 seasons is limited to just 16 games, which makes it tough to create momentum, but does come away with 3 assists and a +2 rating.

The Southington, CT native enters the transfer portal and will play his hockey next at Holy Cross College Crusaders and we are thinking Atlantic Hockey looks much different, better for the former junior hockey scorer.

He does score better, getting 12 goals as a junior and 11 assists in his senior frame that he takes to a 1st pro deal with South Carolina Stingrays.

We think he finds room with his style to score in the ECHL.

2nd year defenseman Owen Gallatin(20) got a trade to Maine Mariners at the beginning of 2025/2026 and things really couldn’t have worked out better for the small-ish 5’8″ 168 lbs. blue liner, scoring 2 goals and 15 assists in 42 ECHL games with a +5 rating.

The 4-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ blue liner had college best scoring as a junior, in 37 games got 7 goals and 23 assists.

From Hugo, MN, the 23-year did 2 years of USNTDP before 1 year USHL, then school.

Albertus Magnus College Falcons‘ senior defenseman Connor Bertamini(6) takes some college best scoring with a third frame of 3 goals and 19 assists in 26 games with a +8 rating to a 1st pro contract with Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, but was recently placed on 14-day ir.

From Calgary, AB, the 25-year did almost 4 years of AJHL junior with Calgary Canucks before school.

In 6 SPHL games, he has 0 points with a 0 rating, which is still good.

Stonehill College Skyhawks‘ freshman center Frankie Ireland(6) had quite a first campaign, recording a career best 27 assists to go along with 17 goals and 44 points in 25 games.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward was a more than point-per-game player, serving as captain for Junior Bruins in 42 NCDC/USPHL games.

He would leave for a run with Lone Star Brahmas that gave him 11 goals and 12 assists in 41 NAHL games, but the Longmeadow, MA native would return to his “home” team before leaving for college.

For his junior and senior seasons, he becomes team captain and very much has the team on his back most of the time.

Finishing up a little indie tournament play, he signs a 1st pro deal with Knoxville Ice Bears.

In 3 SPHL games, he has 3 assists and is a +2 rating.

5th year center Scott Pooley(12) trades in a 1st good season overseas for Lukko, scoring 18 goals and 16 assists in 55 Liiga games for a new experience with HockeyAllsvenskan, signing for 2022/2023 to IF Bjorkloven.

The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward has signed 3 times with Toronto Marlies and played 63 AHL games, while being reassigned down to the ECHL Newfoundland Growlers, where he was a point-per-game player and helped them win the 2019 Kellly Cup.

He had 34 points in 36 NCAA Division 1 games as a senior at Holy Cross College Crusaders and 20+ points each previous frame.

The 28-year old from Granger, IN was never much of a point getter in 2 years of junior, one north in the AJHL, but definitely figured out how to connect at the higher levels.

He would spend 2 years scoring for his tier 2 Swedish hockey team and decides to trade it in for a contract with rivals AIK for 2024/2025.

After another very successful season with the most league points, 59, he signs on for another 2 seasons to stay AIK through 2027/2028 and we’d say is pretty happy.

Long Island University Sharks‘ junior center Noah Kane(92) decides he wants a switch it up after 2 years at Mercyhurst University Lakers and commits to the new school for 2022/2023.

The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward played a season high 26 games, scoring new college bests 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points.

He spent 3 years in juniors, but really came alive when he joined Maine Nordiques before agreeing to school.

As the first team captain ever, he would produce 20 goals and 44 assists in 54 NAHL games.

The 22-year old will likely continue to take his scoring up.

And he did, collecting a 2nd round of 8 goals per frame, but his assists popped to a by-a-mile best 22.

He graduates and signs a 1st pro contract with Cincinnati Cyclones.

In 16 ECHL games, the Buffalo, NY native comes away with 2 goals and 4 assists on a non-playoff team.

For 2024/2025, he steps out to sign with JoKP of Mestis.

He is doing ok overseas with 7 goals and 11 assists in 28 games, but maybe misses home and will return to Cincinnati.

In 12 games, he records only 1 assist and is traded to a team that wants him, Allen Americans, who give up a player to obtain him.

He plays 19 game with his new team, scoring 2 goals and 8 assists, but signs with Bloomington Bison, who trade him to Kalamazoo Wings after just 1 skate.

Not skating much, he sees an opportunity with Lindau Islanders of Germany3 and explodes scoring for 11 goals and 21 assists in 30 games with a +7 rating, then adds another 5 points in the playoffs.

His play earns him a new contract for 2026/2027.

University Of Maine Black Bears‘ sophomore left wing Felix Trudeau(77) enters the transfer portal to next skate at Sacred Heart University Pioneers as a junior in 2024/2025.

The 6’2″ 190 lbs. Terrebonne, QC native will likely better connect for scoring in Atlantic Hockey.

He scored huge at Northwood School USHS-Prep and 1 BCHL junior frame for West Kelowna Warriors before school.

We’re not so sure he will double his scoring totals, but we think he will find his better footing.

In his 2 seasons of Atlantic Hockey play, he absolutely blows up scoring with a senior year of 25 goals and a 2nd season of 23 assists with a +10 rating through 39 games all the way to a Finals‘ game before bowing out.

He signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal with St. Louis Blues that starts in 2026/2027, but will join affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds on a pto to start.