Category: Minor League Deal

10Aug

Miles Gendron (10)

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4th year defenseman Miles Gendron(10) exchanges 2 contracts with Colorado Eagles, including 2 goals and an assist in 15 AHL games and 116 ECHL appearances to a new adventure for 2022/2023, signing with Storhamar of Fjordkraft-ligaen.

Originally an Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2014 draft (#70 overall), he only skated parts of his rookie season in the system before moving on.

The 6’2″ 181 lbs. blue liner skated only one year of juniors, winning the 2015 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, amassing 12 assists in 22 playoff games before heading off to school.

He did 4 years, including serving as senior captain at University Of Connecticut Huskies.

The still young 25-year old should do very well in Norway’s top league.

After 19 games with 3 goals, 5 assists and a +9 rating, he decides to return and signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2023.

He takes an impressive little run into the playoffs with his new club, but will look to branch out again and head over to the EIHL for 2023/2024, signing with 2 time champs, Belfast Giants.

08Aug

Carter Rowney (24)

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9th year center Carter Rowney(24) waits fairly deep into unrestricted free agency after a down season hampered by injury and the last of his 3-year deal with Anaheim Ducks for a new 1-year contract to Detroit Red Wings in 2021/2022.

The 6’1″ 208 lbs. forward started his 1st three seasons on AHL deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he was almost literally climbing the ranks.

By his 3rd year the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ 4-year skater was 100% with the team and took his scoring up to a new level with 24 goals and 32 assists with a +23 rating, then added another 12 points (4-8) in 10 playoff contests.

This earned him his first NHL contract with Pittsburgh Penguins, where you split time during the season between the two leagues, but were mostly up near the end and figured in 20 playoff games, scoring 3 assists and a +3 rating on the way to the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship.

An unrestricted free agent going into the next frame, he signed his three year deal worth $1.133,333 AAV.

Other than last season’s bit of a fiasco, he’s a pretty decent scorer, who earn the money he was getting on a team almost in constant rebuild.

The 32-year old should find good space with his new team to be a contributor on the scoresheet.

For his 10th season, he leaves for Germany’s top league DEL and signs for 2022/2023 with Lowen Franfort, already putting up 2 assists in his debut game.

Through 55 games, he had a career best 37 assists and 58 points to earn him easily another year to stay German.

03Aug

Nick Wolff (65)

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Boston Bruins‘ unrestricted free agent signing, consecutive NCAA Division 1 Champion, University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in 2018 and 2019, but was unavailable due to COVID shutting down hockey to finish 2020, defenseman Nick Wolff(65) signed a 1-year entry level deal just as the season was going belly up.

The Minnesota native who stands at a gigantic 6’5″ 224 lbs. was captain in his final year at college hockey.

Never the biggest scorer he finished up his senior year with 10 assists in 33 games.

He started his first pro season by heading over to Slovakia‘s top league joining DVTK Jegesvedmek and sort of came alive a little with 3 goals and 2 assists in 18 games.

The 24-year old has two assists in 24 AHL games on reassignment with Providence Bruins but we’re betting that as his career goes, goals are going to start to go with it.

For 2021/2022, he was fairly quickly retained on a 1-year 2-way deal, which we think could be counted as his rookie campaign.

He is currently in contract club, Black & Gold training camp.

After coming away from last season with 8 assists in 32 games with a +7 rating and adding his 1st league goal in 2 playoff appearances, he signs for 2022/2023 on another one year, two-way NHL deal.

Almost 3 years with one club out of college and it’s time to move on for the Eagan, MN native, who signs for 2023/2024 with San Diego Gulls, who could definitely use him to sure up their zone.

25Jul

Jake Lucchini (9)

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Undrafted 4th year center Jake Lucchini(9) signed with Montreal Canadiens for 2020/2021 and has agreed to continue in the system on a minor league deal to affiliate Laval Rocket.

The former Michigan Tech Huskies‘ senior captain jumped in quick upon signing his first deal on an ato with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, grabbing a quick 6 goals and an assist in 15 AHL games.

He had a similar breakout upon the trade, scoring 4 goals and 1 assist in 6 games after being obtained in a trade with Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 5’11” 183 lbs. forward will need to get back on the scoring tear but could easily play his way into another NHL contract.

A product of Trail, BC, he played for hometown juniors Trail Smoke Eaters popping the lid leading the team with 35 goals and 48 assists in 58 BCHL games.

The 26-year old is still climbing.

After 2 almost 20 goal (19) sessions with Belleville Senators and a 2nd 30+ assist frame, he signs as an unrestricted free agent for 2023/2024 with Minnesota Wild and will help their affiliate Iowa Wild climb into the rankings.

He also skated 11 games with Ottawa Senators and potted a 1st big league goal.

17Jul

Lukas Kaelble (27)

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Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ German-born, graduate defenseman Lukas Kaelble(27) is definitely glad he added a year of eligibility to his calendar, as he was able to come away with a college career high 7 goals in 32 NCAA Division 1 games.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner takes what he was able to earn in 2021/2022 to a 1st pro contract with Florida Everblades.

He did all his early junior/youth hockey close to home in Mannheim, but did come over for a year of USHL, skating a full schedule for Fargo Force.

Lake Superior State University Lakers liked what they saw of his US play and invited him aboard.

He was captain as a senior.

The 24-year will likely do well wherever he ultimately decides to play hockey

In 9 ECHL games, he scores 1 goal and 5 assists with a +10 rating, then strikes for exactly the same numbers in 20 playoff games en route to the 2022 Kelly Cup Championship.

This showing earns him a contract with the parent club, Charlotte Checkers for 2022/2023, which should see him need to elevate his game, but hold his own to start in the AHL.

He was never quite able to appear in games at the upper level, as he was reassigned at the start of last frame to toil the zone for the lower affiliate, but he responded.

In 63 games, he posted 4 goals and 26 assists with a +19 rating, then added another 4 helpers in the playoffs, en route to another 2023 Kelly Cup Championship.

He has decided for his next step, he will take his game back home to DEL and signs a 1-year deal with Fischtown Pinguins to guard their territory.

12Jul

Connor McCarthy (2)

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3rd year extra large 6’7″ 239 lbs. defenseman Connor McCarthy(2) is heading to Slovakia’s top hockey, signing 1-year with HC Banska Bystrica for 2023/2024.

He is mostly a stay at home style blue liner, who was twice signed by Bridgeport Islanders, but skated mostly for affiliate Worcester Railers.

The former Clarkson University Golden Knights senior assistant captain should do very well where is headed.

27Jun

Joel Lowry (17)

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8th year center Joel Lowry(17) has switched leagues each of the three seasons he’s been away.

He started scoring well in DEL, then moved over to Austria’s top league IceHL to sign with Vienna Capitals before returning for 2022/2023 to Germany, but going down a rung to DEL2, joining EC Kassel Huskies, where he’s basically a point-per-game player.

The big 6’2″ forward played 208 AHL games with good marks, including a +11 rating.

A former 4-year Cornell University Big Red graduate, it will be interesting to see how and where the 31-year old, son of NHL great Dave Lowry from Calgary, AB will go.

In the 2nd tier German league, he puts up almost point-per-game numbers, then adds more in the playoffs with a combined +30 rating to rightly earn himself another season to stay with the Huskies, but he could also be in line for a promotion is what we are seeing.

24Jun

Derek Nesbitt (17)

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16th year veteran left wing Derek Nesbitt(17) will have his career culminate with his 1000th pro game played for 9th ECHL season club, Atlanta Gladiators, 5th as captain.

He has skated games in 4 different leagues, including 7 playoff matchups for Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the CHL (Central Hockey League) and one season overseas for HC Bolzano in EBEL.

The 6′ 195 lbs. forward has 372 AHL games to his credit, appearing in 4 full frames in the league, but also a pair of years, where he was playing more games closer to the NHL than not.

He has played for 5 teams that don’t exist anymore and the native of Egmondville, ON won a 2007 Kelly Cup in his one season with Idaho Steelheads.

The 39-year old, former graduate, almost point-per-game player at Ferris State University Bulldogs has to have a little smile on his face for the achievement, but also taking in as much of the game as he’s been able to in his time on ice.

At the conclusion of 2021/2022, he closes the door on 615 games played, 538 points scored in the E, 372, 225 points in the A and 154 games, 142 points NCAA.

His no. 17 is retired to the rafters and he assumes duties as the team’s assistant coach.

1 year later and he is named the 6th Head Coach in the team’s history and everyone in Gladiatortown is completely happy.

22Jun

Nick Hutchison (37)

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Undrafted 3rd year center Nick Hutchison(37) circles back to Adirondack Thunder, the team he started his pro career with 1 ECHL game after finishing up 4 years at Canisius College Golden Griffins.

In his debut he scored a first goal, got an assist too and left the game a +3 rating.

The 6’3″ 201 lbs. forward would have circled back sooner but the team decided to suspend 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions, so he branched out, inked a deal with Indy Fuel, scored 6 goals and 13 assists in 47 games.

He was a strong scorer in college, amassing 60 goals and 53 assists in 140 Atlantic Hockey games with a +16 rating for on-ice accountability.

The 26-year old, Hicksville, NY native will likely light it up big in 2021/2022 is what we’re thinking.

Needing more help on the back end, the former Salmon Arms Silverbacks pivot gets traded for a defenseman to Wheeling Nailers just before the new session is readying.

The far above a point-per-game guy in the league, he gets loaned up with no success through 5 AHL games to upper affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but a month later heads off to Manitoba Moose, where in his 8th game he gets his 1st and a night later follows it up with a 2nd to go along with an assist.

It’s likely he stays in this uniform for as long as possible on a pto.

He would finish up 2021/2022 scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in 27 games with a -3 rating and also appeared in 4 playoff games.

For 2022/2023, he gets a bit of a change of scenery and signs a 1-year deal with Utica Comets.

After 31 games, good for 4 goals and 5 assists, he gets acquire by the team he played only 1 game for Adirondack Thunder and is right to business, getting 3 goals and 2 assists in 3 games.

It’s doubtful he stays.

For 2023/2024, he’s off and signs with Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan and should do well in Sweden’s tier 2 hockey league.

19Jun

Michael Huntebrinker (37)

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5th year center Michael Huntebrinker(37) takes his point-per-game numbers for HC Innsbruck through 45 IceHL games with a +6 rating to a new adventure midseason to Switzerland tier 2 SL, joining HC La Chaux-de-Fonds for the remainder of 2021/2022.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward is a 4-time 40+ point scorer in the ECHL, ascending to a high last season with Florida Everblades to 46.

He spent four years at Minnesota State University (Mankato) Mavericks, leaving them with a college career high 18 assists and 22 points.

The 29-year old may just play himself up the ladder overseas.

His 34 assists were a league most last season and he helped his 2nd team to a deep playoff run, and for it decides to head to the competitive SlovakExtraliga, signing with HKM Zvolen for 2022/2023.

After a point-per-game season, getting 13 goals and a league high 37 assists in 50 games, he is quickly thought to re-up for 2023/2024 and continue with that scoring putting up career best numbers.

Apparently, the now 30-year is rethinking his path forward and has decided to retire.