Category: Minor League Deal

02May

Trevor Gooch (7)

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3rd year center Trevor Gooch(7) returns from an outstanding 2nd seasons overseas, 1st with MAC HKB Újbuda, scoring a 16 goals and 19 assists in just 21 Erste Liga games with a +21 rating to re-sign to his original team from graduating 4 years at Colorado College Tigers, Reading Royals.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward made his 1st ECHL game back memorable with a goal and a fight to re-introduce himself.

In 5 games he has 3 goals and 3 assists with a +4 rating to contribute.

He spent a couple of successful campaigns overseas, with the first for Sterzing/Vipiteno, scoring a 25 goals and 20 assists in 36 AlpsHL games with a +19 rating.

It may be a bit of a wonder why the Mantua, NJ native decided to return from mostly Austrian hockey, but he’s surely a welcome member back.

After putting up a career high 34 goals and 27 assists for 61 points with a +28 rating, he will head back overseas, signing for 2021/2022 with EHC Freiburg of DEL2.

He should run some more really good scoring totals in Germany’s 2nd tier league.

The 27-year old would tip the scoring scale with a career high 34 goals and 27 assists in 52 games with a +28 rating, then added another 12 points in 13 playoff matchups.

He’s taking these totals to a new experience overseas with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen and he should completely pop scoring in Denmark’s top hockey.

After putting up close to point-per-game numbers in the regular frame and then matching the output in the playoffs, he moves on for a higher league, signing with HK Olimpija Ljubljana of IceHL for 2023/2024.

He posts all career high stats his 1st year in the league and decides to sign with rivals, Graz99ers for 2024/2025.

30Apr

Jack Riedell (1)

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Cortland College Red Dragons‘ senior goaltender Jack Riedell(1) signs an amateur tryout offer with Rapid City Rush after posting a 12-3-0 record with 2.20 GAA and .935 SV% in 2023/2024.

The 6’3″ 191 lbs. backstop came from 3 very strong USPHL Premier seasons with the top-rated Charlotte Rush, earning a league best 1.61 GAA and .940 SV% in his final frame on a 25-5-0 record.

We look for him to do really well in the ECHL, if given the chance.

29Apr

Ryan Scarfo (39)

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6th year left wing Ryan Scarfo(39) gets mid-season ECHL trade to Worcester Railers from Savannah Ghost Pirates as his plus/minus maybe becomes a bit of a problem, but has a team that wants to bring him in.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward has 4 assists in 11 games with his new team, fighting for a playoff spot.

He was a three-time assistant captain for Union College Dutchmen, scoring 20 goals and 16 assists in 39 games as a senior.

Just one season ago, he put up 12 goals and 22 assists for South Carolina Stingrays.

The 30-year old from North Chelmsford, MA is playing hockey close to home now and likely just needs a good team to continue his game with, but gets waived, only to be picked up quickly by Jacksonville Icemen, where he gets inserted immediately for a goal in his debut and now has 1 tally and 1 assist in 5 playoff games.

28Apr

Matthew Barbolini (14)

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Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks‘ senior center Matthew Barbolini(14) gets signed by Toronto Marlies to a 2-year deal, starting next season 2024/2025, but will join them on an ato to start.

In 3 games, the 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward has 1 assist in his last outing.

He left school with a new best 11 goals and tied his 25 points mark he set as a junior.

In 3 years of junior hockey, he twice recorded 15 assists and left his USHL team Lincoln Stars, scoring 16 goals.

Undrafted, the 23-year from Williamsville, NY certainly has a nice contract start for himself.

22Apr

Everett Wardle (10)

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Skidmore College Thoroughbreds‘ senior center Everett Wardle(10) will play his 1st pro hockey on an amateur tryout for the team up the street from his college, Adirondack Thunder.

In his ECHL debut, he records an assist in a 6-2 losing effort.

The small-is 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward has 20+ points in each of the 3 seasons his school team played.

He was close to a point-per-game player last season with a +8 rating.

20Apr

Brad Malone (17)

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Edmonton Oilers‘ 12th year center Brad Malone(17) gets re-upped on a new 2-year deal worth some tidy sums regardless of where he plays.

He has served as captain of affiliate Bakersfield Condors for the past couple seasons and looks to return for that role in 2022/2023.

The 6’2″ 217 lbs. forward was actually playing under an AHL deal last season, when he was signed initially to come aboard.

He almost quietly has 207 NHL games to his credit, even appearing in 8 games last season with a goal and an assist, and 462 in the minors.

At 33-years old, the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate, Miramichi, NB native must have a huge smile on his face.

After a 4th season of being team captain, he decides his ice time is up and announces his retirement, but you can bet he won’t be traveling too far away from the game.

19Apr

Ryan Dzingel (80)

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10th year center Ryan Dzingel(80) waits until almost the end of the 2023/2024 season to sign, but does with Henderson Silver Knights and has 4 goals and 1 assist in 12 AHL games.

He played 22 games last season for Chicago Wolves.

The former Ottawa Senators‘ draft pick 3 times scored 20+ goals, twice 20+ assists.

He did 3 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes, serving as captain as a sophomore and junior year assistant.

From Wheaton, IL, the 32-year old spent the majority of 7 years in the NHL, so has done well and is playing out his string mostly it seems.

He should be a good player to have around for playoffs.

17Apr

Nick Huard (40)

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7th year center Nick Huard(40) switches up 4 unreal, good years with Dresdner Eislowen, producing a fantastic 90 goals and 120 assists with a +23 rating in 198 DEL2 games.

The small-ish 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward is heading to Erste Liga, signing a 1-year deal with ASC Corona Brasov Wolves for 2021/2022.

He originally started his junior hockey in the QMJHL, but had little success as a rookie.

Almost oddly, he came out of the gate strong with 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 games in the next session for Lewistown Maineiacs, but maybe had already made the decision to move on to skating for Woodstock Slammers of the MJAHL and took scoring once again to a completely different level (97-126=223) in 139 games before deciding to attend University Of Guelph Gryphons.

Once again he would detonate the score sheet in CIS games before agreeing to terms on an ato upon graduation with Cincinnati Cyclones, where he potted his first 3 goals and 3 assists in 13 ECHL games and also was loaned up to Adirondack Flames for his only AHL game.

The 30-year will no doubt light up the Hungary/Romanian league and probably have a lot of fun in the process.

He detonates scoring in a couple leagues over there, then last season heads back to Deutschland, but signing with Tolzer Lowen of Germany3, where he had a very easy time scoring 27 goals and 48 assists with a +18 in 41 games.

The now 9th year vet must be getting some decent money to go where he goes, because his next stop is AlpsHL on a 1-year deal with EK Zeller Eisbaren for 2023/2024.

He explodes the stat sheet with 20 goals and 28 assists in just 36 games with a +28 rating to get a big invite to return.

17Apr

Ethan Haider (31)

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Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ junior net minder Ethan Haider(31) takes his game into the transfer portal to come out to guard the cage for University Of Connecticut Huskies in 2023/2024.

He moves on after playing 80 NCAA Division 1 games, posting a handy 36-31-12 record on a team that always played hard for his 2.36 GAA and .910 SV%.

A St. Louis Park, MN native, he had a good high school run before agreeing to play for his 1st NAHL junior team, close to home, Minnesota Magicians.

The big 6’3″ 203 lbs. goalie next played in the USHL before heading to school.

At 21-years old, this is a great team for him to play for to have draft team Nashville Predators (5th round, 2019, #148 overall) to see him compete.

He starts 21 games with a 7-11-2 record and a 2.91 GAA and .906 SV%, mostly splitting time with another draft pick.

Finishing up Hockey East play without a tournament start, he signs an ato with Milwaukee Admirals that will turn into an AHL deal for 2024/2025, where he will be under the watchful eye of the parent club, affiliate.

15Apr

Hunter McDonald (41)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ sophomore defenseman Hunter McDonald(41) agrees to a pto to join 6th round, 2022 draft club Philadelphia Flyers (#165 overall) AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The 6’4″ 205 lbs. blue liner has 3 pro games experience under his belt already with no points, but is a +4 rating, which says something about his zone.

Never exactly the biggest point-getter, although he did amass 13 assists as a freshman, he’s been very accountable on ice with an overall +24 through his short time in college hockey and was a +29 in 2 USHL junior seasons for Omaha Lancers.

In 9 games with the affiliate he has 2 assists and is a +5 rating, with the parent club out of the playoff push, he is signed to a 2-year NHL entry level deal and will skate 1 game before maybe getting returned for minor league playoffs.