8th year defenseman Jeremy Beaudry(27) leaves 3 years at Slovak Extraliga, skating for HK Spisska Nova Ves, putting up decent stats in the tough to play league.
The 5’10” 194 lbs. forward has scored well as a rookie in the ECHL, Ligue Magnus, Metal Ligaen and the EIHL.
He will take his talents to DEL2 for 2024/2025, signing with Lausitzer Fuchse.
From Montmagny, QC, he did 4 years junior QMJHL before trying 4 games pro, but ultimately heading to 3 years at University Of Quebec-Trois-Riviere Patriotes.
We expect the 30-year old to light up Germany’s tier 2 league.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers‘ rookie center Jake Pivonka(37) was mostly sent down to the ECHL, where he exploded on the stat sheet for Worcester Railers to the tune of 21 goals and 24 assists through 60 games with a +5 rating on a non-playoff team.
A New York Islanders‘ 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#103 overall), he signed an AHL deal.
The 5’11” 198 lbs. forward from Olathe, KS came up initially through the Chicago Mission program before heading to 2 seasons of USNTDP.
He went to 4 years of University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the final frame as captain before taking on a year of eligibility with University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, where his scoring came alive with 10 goals and 8 assists in 37 games.
For 2024/2025, he signs with Dusseldorfer EG and will try his hand at DEL hockey.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ Swedish-born, graduate defenseman Jacob Nordqvist(12) sure picked the right school to go to after completing 4 fine years at Lake Superior State University Lakers, as he wins himself a 2023 NCAA Division 1 Championship with his new college club.
He finished 38 games with a college career tying his 3-time low 11 assist mark with a +15 rating.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. blue liner had 15 assists as a freshman and 12 as a junior, leaving with a +43 on the plus/minus side.
He did most of his junior hockey back home, but came across for a single USHL session with a couple different clubs, amassing yes, 11 assists.
The 25-year old signs a 1st pro contract for 2023/2024 and will skate for Kalamazoo Wings, which we think will lead to some more on ice success.
He does ok scoring 1 goal and 8 assists in 48 games with a 0 rating, but decides to play his hockey maybe a little closer to home, signing with Herning Blue Fox of Metal Ligaen for 2024/2025.
EV Landshut 3rd year defenseman Nick Pageau(24) signs on to return for his 6th DEL2 season.
It’s only his 2nd team in all his time in the tier 2 German league.
He came in from a single frame in HockeyAllsvenskan and 1 and playoffs in Norway with Frisk Asker.
The 6’1″ 185 lbs. blue liner did 4 OHL seasons with Belleville Bulls before heading to 4 years at St. Francis Xavier University Mice.
He played 3 campaigns in Bakersfield Condors‘ system after school.
At 36-years old, he still has to be having fun.
Boston College Eagles‘ graduate left wing Jamie Armstrong(25) basically mirrored scoring of his senior year at Commonwealth Ave. rival Boston University Terriers, scoring 13 then 12 points with plus ratings.
The 6’2″ 191 lbs. forward from Warwick, RI bounced around juniors, but when he arrived at Junior Bruins, he was able to get on his 1st school’s radar.
Never the biggest scorer earlier, the 24-year old has seemingly come to life some late college years and signs a 1-year, 2-way AHL deal with Charlotte Checkers.
Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 7th round pick in the 2017 draft (#217 overall), defenseman Will Reilly(8) finished up his fourth year as captain at RPI and was signed to a 2-year entry level deal.
In his final season he had a college career high of 8 goals, 14 assists for 22 points with a +14 rating.
The fairly big 6’2″ 197 lbs. blue liner was selected after his freshman campaign.
A Toronto, ON native he cycled through a couple junior leagues north of our border before committing for 2016/2017.
Through 19 AHL games with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has 2 goals and 3 assists but his size has to be getting him on the radar of the big club.
Left unqualified, he signed a minor league deal with Tuscon Roadrunners for 2022/2023, scoring 1 goal and 4 assists in 30 games.
Charlotte Checkers like the looks of what they saw and swoop in to offer him a contract for 2023/2024.
Mostly reassigned to affiliate Florida Everblades, he’s able to connect for points bigger than ever with 10 goals, 28 assists and a +7 rating in 55 ECHL games and has run 9 points in 18 playoff matchups with a +9 rating.
He will take his efforts to the much tougher to play Tipsport Extraliga Czechia for 2024/2025 and signs with Motor Ceske’ Budejovice.
12th year, small 5’9″ 161 lbs. defenseman Chay Genoway(39) maybe wants to take the edge off playing for big squads in the KHL or SHL, as he’s been doing for the past 8 seasons.
For 2022/2023, he has signed with EC Salzburg of ICEHL and will definitely find some room to score big in Austria’s top hockey league.
In fact, in his 1st 2 games, the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks already has a goal and an assist.
Undrafted, he signed an entry level deal with Minnesota Wild, yet only skated 1 NHL game at the end of his rookie season, coming away with an assist.
The 35-year old from Morden, MB is likely still just having too much fun playing the game to quit.
He posts 10 goals and 17 assists in 45 games, then adds another 8 points in 16 playoff matchups en route to the 2023 ICEHL Championship to earn himself another year on the now 36-year old’s contract.
At 37-years of age, he continues to contribute for a 2nd league title in a row and he is to be kept on in a Red Bulls‘ uniform for a 3rd straight year, 2024/2025 (and another championship).
9th year defenseman Davis Vandane(55) will head back to IceHL, where he was for most of 2021/2022, before leaving at the end to help Lowen Frankfort win the DEL2 Championship, scoring 3 goals and 7 assists in 12 games.
The big 6’4″ 207 lbs. blue liner was rewarded with a 1-year move up to DEL with the same club, where he would score 7 goals and 20 assists with a +11 rating in 56 games.
He decides not to stay and return to Austrian hockey for 2023/2024, signing with HC Bolzano Foxes.
From Yorkton, SK, the 31-year old played 3 WHL seasons for Spokane Chiefs and Prince Albert Raiders before heading to 2 sessions at University Of Calgary Dinos.
He’s got to be pretty happy with the way things have turned out.
It looks like he’s in a habit of jumping back-and-forth in between Germany and Austria and heads back to the former for 2024/2025 with Krefeld Pinguine.
Cornell University Big Red center Zachary Tupker(51) will head to Quinnipiac University Bobcats for a graduate season 2023/2024.
The 3-time CCHL Carleton Place Canadians‘ 6’1″ 197 lbs. forward scored pretty big in his 2nd and 3rd frames for the team.
From Collingwood, ON, the 23-year old stays in the ECAC.
He finishes with another 6 goals and new best 15 assists and +20 rating to sign a 1st pro contract with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
In 3 ECHL games, he has 1 goal and 1 assist with a +4 rating, but will need a new deal for 2024/2025.
2nd year defenseman Max Balinson(8) up and leaves for DEL2 to skate for Eispiraten Crimmitschau in 2023/2024 after bouncing around with 3 ECHL teams as a rookie, but ultimately landing at least decently successfully with Orlando Solar Bears, scoring 4 goals and 11 assists in 24 games.
The 6’1″ 198 lbs. blue liner from Ancaster, ON played 3 seasons of GOJHL junior hockey with hometown team, Ancaster Avalanche before committing to 1st school, Arizona State University Sun Devils.
He transferred after not playing during his junior campaign to Long Island University Sharks and served as assistant captain during his graduate session.
We think the 26-year old of split Canadian/German descent will do well in Germany tier 2 league.
He must have felt right at home, as he connected for 21 goals and 23 assists through 51 games with a +15 rating, then added another 3 points in the playoffs.
For his efforts, he has been elevated to DEL and signs with Dusseldorfer EG for 2024/2025.
