Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior center Jason Pineo(34) finishes up Atlantic Hockey play and signs a 1st pro deal with Wichita Thunder, a team fighting for their playoff existence.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward had his best college season last year with 9 goals and 13 assists in 40 games.
He had 2 solid frames in juniors and won the 2019 OJHL Championship with Oakville Blades, scoring point-per-game numbers in the playoffs.
In 11 ECHL games, the 25 year old from Toronto, ON has 2 goals and 3 assists.
He should do ok in this league if he decides to stay and try to play himself up.
Through 71 games, he scores 13 goals and 14 assists, but is a -10, which hurts a little, but not bad for a rookie.
For 2024/2025, he splits for Erste Liga and signs with DVTK Jegesmedvek and we do look for him to do well here.
Senior defenseman Tyler Heidt(7) decides to enter the transfer portal to do his final school year closer to home at University Of Regina Cougars after spending the last 3 seasons with Merrimack College Warriors.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner isn’t exactly the biggest point getter with his best showing in a 1st campaign of juniors for Melfort Mustangs, where he scored 7 goals and 14 assists in 54 SJHL games.
At just 22-years old, he may find the net a bit more often near his back yard.
After a 2nd super productive frame in Canadian college hockey, scoring 6 goals and 20 assists in 28 games before turning pro, signing with Reading Royals to close out 2023. grabbing 4 goals an 9 assists in 18 games with a +14 rating.
He easily re-signs for his official rookie season 2023/2024.
Appearing in only 8 ECHL games due to injury, he doesn’t score any points and looks elsewhere, signing with Fife Flyers of the EIHL for 2024/2025.
13th year center Rick Schofield(23) heads back to Austria’s top league IceHL, signing with his 5th team Pustertal/Val Pusteria Wolves for 2023/2024.
He comes off a year with Nurnberg Ice Tigers, scoring 13 goals and 13 assists in 38 DEL games.
Undrafted, the 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played 2 AHL seasons before heading overseas.
The former 2-time Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ captain and top scorer has almost maybe a bit oddly only won a championship in his 1st year away from home.
From Pickering, ON, the 36-year old is still finding good hockey to play.
He comes away with another fantastic season, but decides he wants to head back to Germany to play and signs with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL.
Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ extra large-sized (6’5″ 215 lbs.) graduate defenseman Cory Thomas(2) signs his 1st pro contract with Idaho Steelheads.
Not exactly the biggest scorer on the ice, he did pull off a collegiate best pair of goals last season in 34 NCAA Division 1 games, which matched all the tallies he had in 4 years at University Of Vermont Catamounts.
He was also a plus player for the first time in his college career.
The 24-year old from St. Brieux, SK will likely do well in the ECHL.
After 8 games on an ato, scoring 1 assist, the big d-man was going to return, but ultimately signed with rivals Utah Grizzlies for 2022/2023.
As a rookie, he skated 41 games, scoring 7 assists.
The big d-man has definitely been invited back for a 2nd look.
He is traded to Trois Rivieres Lions, where he does ok, getting 1 goal and 8 assists in 33 games with a +3 rating.
For 2024/2025, he is invited back under a 1-year contract.
4th year defenseman Ryker Killins(77) will switch up overseas leagues and heads to DEL3, joining SC Riessersee after spending 2021/2022 with Esbjerg Energy.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. small blue liner made an impact upon turning pro from 4 years at Ferris State University Bulldogs, signing an ato with South Carolina Stingrays and putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 ECHL games with a +7 rating.
He would parlay that into a 1-year AHL deal with Tuscon Roadrunners, but was mostly dispatched to affiliate Rapid City Rush to spend his rookie season.
It’s definitely possible the 25-year old finds a good fit in Germany’s tier 3 hockey.
As thought, he found it to be a decent enough place to play and got 3 goals and 13 assists in 25 games with a +15 rating to earn a contract up to DEL2 with Bietigheim Steelers for 2023/2024.
He does ok up, but maybe doesn’t really love it and signs back down in German pro hockey with some former rivals, EC Hannover Indians for 2024/2025.
2nd year right wing Quinn Preston(43) returns from a very good EIHL season for Belfast Giants, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists with a +6 rating, to re-signing with Wichita Thunder, where in his 1st game back scores 1 goal and 1 assist.
The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward, former twice assistant captain at Ohio State University Buckeyes also racked up big numbers at juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints and at high school.
From Trenton, MI, the 26-year old could use a loan up to the AHL to see what gives.
After 17 games, scoring a fairly tidy 3 goals and 9 assists, he finds himself traded to another team that wants him, Kalamazoo Wings.
He gets 3 goals and 7 assists in 16 games with a +2 rating with his new club and is invited to return for a full season in a Wings‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
8th year left wing Matt Wilkins(91) will try yet another league to add to the notches on his belt overseas, joining Slovak Extraliga, signing a 1-year deal with HC Banska Bystrica, which will definitely take it up a big notch for the former Union College 2014 NCAA Division 1 Champion, as a sophomore.
Last season, the 5’11” 190 lbs. forward won the Swiss tier 2 2023 SL Championship with HC La Chaux-da-Fonds, had most points in one session and most assists the previous the 2-year he played AlpsHL for Gherdeina and even raised the 2012 AJHL Championship as a junior with twice holding down most assists.
The 32-year old from Kimberley, BC, who started with 2 ECHL years for Reading Royals, putting up big numbers, has to be happy with the results of his game, despite maybe not reaching for the highest levels.
In 49 games, he blows up scoring with 19 goals and 33 assists, but decides to leave for Ligue Magnus, signing with Les Ducs D’Angers.
Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior right wing Jeremy Davidson(11) had a college best 12 goals and tied his sophomore point mark of 22 last season.
The 5’10” 177 lbs. forward signs with South Carolina Stingrays for his ECHL rookie season in 2024/2025.
He came up through the Honeybaked youth hockey system, then a pair of USHL seasons, scoring pretty well.
UMASS Minutemen was the 1st school he committed to, as a freshman, but maybe Hockey East didn’t work out the way he wanted and shifted college hockey closer to home in Kalamazoo, MI.
The 24-year old should do well.
Providence College‘s undrafted, sophomore net minder Jaxson Stauber(30) picked up his 10th win of the season in a recent game vs. Northeastern University Huskies, 4-2.
The 6’3″ 175 lbs. goalie has posted a 11-7-5 record for 2020/2021 with 4 shutouts.
He spent two years with Sioux Falls Stampede and won the 2019 Clark Cup MVP honors with a 1.46 GAA and .941 SV@ and 11-1-0 record, then committed to Minnesota State University-Mankato started one game, won it, wasn’t getting enough ice time and went back to junior hockey.
After a 3rd stellar year in the USHL, the Wayzata, MN-native committed to attend college east and away from home.
As a still young 21-year old he’s definitely getting the looks and it will be interesting where his choice of school leads him.
He was even more stingy in his junior season than he was the year prior and has decided to sign a 2-year entry level deal with Chicago Blackhawks, foregoing his senior frame.
This does make sense for the now 22-year old.
He goes 5-1 in 6 NHL starts, but plays the lion share with affiliate Rockford Icehogs, then doesn’t receive a qualifying offer to continue.
Utah Hockey Club steps in to offer him a 1-year, 2-way deal for 2024/2025.
Undrafted 4th year center Derian Plouffe(11) circles back after two years away with Indy Fuel to re-sign to Newfoundland Growlers for 2021/2022.
He was part of the championship team that claimed the 2019 Kelly Cup.
The former 4-year Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ junior captain originally signed an ato after graduation with Toronto Marlies, grabbing his first three AHL points, assists.
He would sign with them for his rookie season, but was reassigned down to the ECHL club for all but one game.
It’s almost a bit surprising that the 26-year old from Nepean, ON has explored hockey life overseas, but we’re betting he does.
He will return for a 3rd season in upper eastern Canada and we think could show the best totals of his 5 year career.
For 2023/2024, he decides to venture off to try something new, signing with Lillehammer of Norway.
He takes almost point-per-game numbers to a new deal with Herning Blue Fox of Metal Ligaen, where the 29-year old should continue to do exceedingly well.
