7th year center Jeff Kubiak(36) re-signs with the only team his ever agreed to a pro contract with Bridgeport Islanders for 2023/2024.
For a 3rd AHL frame, he was able to record 20+ assists last season.
The 4-year Cornell University Big Red forward twice had 10+ assists in college play and was a +19 rating.
At 6’3″ 212 lbs., the 29-year old is certainly a good guy to have around.
Undrafted rookie right wing Todd Goehring(29) signs with Worcester Railers for 2023/2024 after graduating 5 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, then signing an ato to start his pro work at Atlanta Gladiators, but in 6 games got no points.
The 5’11” 175 lbs. forward split junior seasons in the USHL and NAHL with Chicago Steel and New Jersey Junior Titans before reporting to school.
From Wayside, NJ, he should fit in well with his new ECHL team.
Wheeling Nailers re-sign Cornell University Big Red graduating senior defenseman Sebastian Dirven(6) after he joined the team on an ato after finishing up tournament play with 1 goal and 2 assists in 4 games.
The 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward is an easy re-sign for 2023/2024 to see what he has in a full 72 game frame.
From Bainsville, ON, he played 2 junior frames in the CCHL before heading to Central Illinois Flying Aces for 2 USHL seasons prior to college.
He should find the room he needs in the ECHL to be a big goal scorer as a rookie in 2023/2024.
Undrafted, 6th year goaltender Adam Carlson(31) makes the easy decision to return for another, third season to tend net for Rapid City Rush.
He had an ok enough campaign in 2020/2021, but we’re thinking the 6’3″ 190 lbs. back stop will look more like he did when he arrived in 2018/2019.
Originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal by Washington Capitals after coming off just one year of college at Mercyhurst University Lakers, he would mostly be reassigned to ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays.
The 27-year old may have found a pretty solid place to call his hockey home for awhile.
He would spend all of 2021/2022 on the injured reserve list and even ended up as assistant coach on the bench as the frame was wrapping up, but will return to the net for 2022/2023, his 4th in a Rush uniform.
After 35 Rush starts last season, posting an admirable 15-15-2 record with a 3.35 GAA and .897 SV% on a non-playoff team, he has decided maybe that is enough for suiting up for a pro hockey game again and onto a different path.
He was behind the bench when he was injured likely comes with some managerial smarts, so we do believe that’s where we will see him next.
Boston University Terriers‘ absolute tower of a 6’6″ 183 lbs. senior defenseman John Copeland(27) signs a 1st pro deal keeping it all close to his Wellesley, MA home with Worcester Railers of the ECHL for 2023/2024.
He’s only really skated 45 games, registering an assist, although he was a +4 rating player as a senior.
After 4 years at Belmont Hill USHS-Prep and an outstanding senior frame, he played on one year of CCHL juniors for Carleton Place Canadians before heading to school.
Big 6’5″ 218 lbs. right wing Dominic Franco(11) signed with Charlotte Checkers for 2022/2023, skated 49 AHL games, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists with a 0 rating, then added 2 points in 7 playoff matchups with a +3.
When reassigned down to affiliate Florida Everblades, he was essentially a point-per-game player and ran a 10-game point streak.
He first signed 2 minor league contracts with Rochester Americans after completing 4 years at the US Army West Point Black Knights, where he 3 times was good for 10+ goals and 10+ assists in frames.
We still the 27-year old from Scituate, MA is finding his way to the net with more frequency.
For 2023/2024, he signed a 1-year minor league deal with Chicago Wolves.
5th year net minder Charles Williams(1) in his 2nd term with Jacksonville Icemen is off to a good 2-2-1 start with a 2.16 GAA and .919 SV%.
He was decently solid in his first session with the team in 2020/2021.
The 4-year Ferris State University Bulldogs, then transfer portal entry to a graduate year at Canisius College Golden Griffins that really helped him shine with a 21-7-5 record and outstanding 1.82 GAA and .943 SV%.
He’s appeared in 164 ECHL games, posting a 91-53-13 record.
You have to wonder with one more good run, if the 29-year might look overseas for some different kind of ice.
After an overall solid season in net, going 13-14-1 on a win-some-lose-some team, but then holding down for a stellar 1.32 GAA and .952 SV% definitely has him eyeing a return to see if he can’t get the job done for a championship in northern FL.
The 31-year old from Detroit, MI has decided to turn his attention off the ice and agrees to become Goaltending Coach and Director Of Community Hockey Development for the Icemen.
6th year center Ryan Fitzgerald(13) re-signs with Lehigh Valley Phantoms to stay for a 3rd season, after spending all but 4 AHL on the injured reserve in the last frame.
Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#140 overall), the 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward spent 4 years in the system amassing points for their affiliate Providence Bruins.
A huge scorer as a junior at Boston College Eagles, amassing 24 goals and 23 assists in 40 NCAA Division 1 games, he definitely has it in his arsenal to score big as a pro.
The 27-year old from Boca Raton, FL will certainly be one to watch to see if he can play himself up to the highest level, where his dad Tom Fitzgerald played some 1097 NHL games to his credit.
He spent most of last season once again on the injured list, but did manage to appear in 13 games, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist with a +1 rating.
Teams must see the potential in his scoring though, as Utica Comets step in quickly to sign the unrestricted free agent for 2023/2024.
Orlando Solar Bears‘ rookie defenseman Luke McInnis(3) is playing for a club still fighting for their playoff berth in this oddball 2020/2021 ECHL hockey season.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. former Boston College Eagles‘ blue liner has appeared in more than half the games, skating 39, scoring his first pro goal and two assists.
He hasn’t really been able to put up really good numbers since his prep school days and then one year of the USHL with Youngstown Phantoms popping in 22 assists.
The 22-year old, Hingham, MA native, son of former NHL veteran of 794 games, Marty McInnis, who was also his long-time assistant coach at college, is looking to be more stay at home style with on-ice accountability to get noticed.
After scoring a new best 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points in 64 games, he is staying put for a third session in FL, where he’s easily put down roots.
In his 3rd season with his only pro team, he posts a new best 24 assists.
Moving on, he decides it’s time to look elsewhere and signs for 2023/2024 with Indy Fuel on a 1-year contract.
3rd year defenseman Austin Osmanski(6) already has a pretty interesting story in the path that has taken him to his 3rd AHL contract with Springfield Thunderbirds for 2023/2024.
The towering 6’4″ 216 lbs. blue liner from East Aurora, NY started his junior hockey with 4 years in the OHL after being picked in the draft and decided to head that route.
He followed that decent enough run of 258 games with 3 years at University Of Western Ontario Mustangs, where he played the entire 1st USports‘ year, then sat out a COVID interrupted campaign, but skated only 8 games his 3rd semester before deciding to turn pro.
Last season he played 30 games up and only 1 in the ECHL with affiliate Worcester Railers.
The still quite young 25-year old, former Buffalo Sabres‘ 7th round pick in 2016 (#189 overall) was almost oddly not signed, but for all he has done is an interesting watch going forward.
