UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ graduate, twice captain, defenseman Ben Meehan(12) initially signed with Iowa Wild after tournament play, but agrees to Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a 2-way deal for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
The 6′ 187 lbs. blue liner had a college best 14 assists last season and tied his 17 points from his junior year.
From Boston, MA, the 24-year old did only 1 year of USHL before school.
University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ senior, assistant captain center Cameron Berg(12) signs to a 1-year AHL contract under the guide of draft club (4th round, 2021, #125 overall), New York Islanders.
The 6′ 192 lbs. transferred from 2 years at University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, where he was a good scorer.
He did 3 years of USHL juniors before college.
From West Fargo, ND, the 23-year old will probably score decently in the AHL with contract club, Bridgeport Islanders.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft (#81 overall) defenseman Seth Barton(49) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal after completing his third season at UMass-Lowell Riverhawks in a very COVID cut short 2020/2021.
The very decently sized 6’3″ 185 lbs. blue liner from Kelowna, BC played a year in Canadian juniors for Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL putting up 27 assists in 49 games before reporting to college.
It looks as though the 21-year old reports first to affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, but his play could gain him a look early from a team that has struggled in 2020/2021.
He skates most of his 2nd season in the system up, but gets reassigned late to Toledo Walleye, finishes the season strong with 8 points in 10 ECHL games, then adding another 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) in 13 games in the playoffs.
With no qualifying offer to stay, he becomes an unrestricted free agent, signing a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack for 2023/2024.
He starts the new season with Cincinnati Cyclones, but after just 1 game spies a new deal he is going after, a 1-year deal to sign with KooKoo and play his hockey in Liiga for the near future.
In 10 games, the big back liner scores his 1st Finnish goal and adds 5 assists with a +8 rating to earn a +1 next to his contract for 2024/2025.
After 1st full season, in 55 games scoring 6 goals and 13 assists with a +6 rating and next he will head to the SHL and signs with Malmo Redhawks for 2025/2026.
Detroit Red Wings‘ 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#135 overall), Michigan State University Spartans‘ transfer, center Red Savage(19) from 2 decent seasons at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks will likely add to his game under more scrutiny, better competition in the Big10 Division.
The 5’11” 181 lbs. forward isn’t quite the scorer he was in 2 years of USNTDP, when he ran point-per-game stats.
From the unlikely hub of Scottsdale, AZ, the 19-year old will likely see his game totals improve as a junior.
After his 2nd season as senior captain, scoring 5 goals and 6 assists in a low 20 games with a +6 rating, he signs a 2-year AHL contract with Rochester Americans that we feel is under radar of the parent club as well.
University Of Michigan Wolverines‘ 2022/2023 commit, center Frank Nazar(91) hasn’t put up the USHL numbers he did in his 1st USNTDP season, but has skated only half the games and is still a point-per-game player.
His numbers are very similar in U.S. National U18 Team season.
The 5’10” 174 lbs. forward from Mt. Clemens, MI emerged out of a couple Honeybaked campaigns, exploding the scoresheet as a 15U AAA with 49 goals and 78 assists in 55 games.
That came after he agreed to his college after 14U AAA.
The 18-year old was selected in the 1st round of the 2022 draft, #13 overall by Chicago Blackhawks.
He blows up scoring in his 2nd year to the tune of point-per-game numbers with 41 (17-24) in 41 games to get to the NCAA Division 1 Frozen Four matchups.
His team is eliminated and on the next day, he has a contract from draft club in hand to leave 2 years at school on the table and turn pro.
In his debut, he scores the opening strike of the night, a 1st NHL goal and is welcomed to the show, but his team suffers another loss in the process with only a couple games left to skate.
After point-per-game numbers with the affiliate Rockford Icehogs and 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games with the parent club gets him a huge increase to stay on with a 7-year, $46.13M contract, worth $6.59M AAV to stay a Blackhawks.
New Jersey Devils‘ 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#96 overall) right wing Tyce Thompson(29), selected after his first season at Providence College grabs the 5th fastest 1st NHL point in a debut in team history with an assist at 4:22.
The 6’1″ 178 lbs. forward was basically a point per game player in NCAA Hockey East, leaving a year behind to sign his two-year entry level deal.
His dad is Brent Thompson was a Los Angeles Kings‘ choice and has guided Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the last 8 years or so and brother Tage skates for Buffalo Sabres, so the 21-year old comes from lineage.
He opened his rookie season with new affiliate Utica Comets and was absolutely lighting it up, when he was recalled.
In a pair of games, he didn’t registered any more points, but was awkwardly hit and has to undergo shoulder surgery, so will miss the next couple months.
In 15 games, he has 5 assists and finds himself involved in a trade sending him to New York Islanders.
He has 3 goals and 11 assists through 51 games, but is a horrible -21 and he is wanted to return to continue to work for Bridgeport on that game.
Through 65 AHL games, he scores new best marks 8 goals and 13 assists that he will take to a new deal with Barys Astana of the KHL for 2025/2026.
Providence College Friars‘ junior defenseman Guillaume Richard(4) has 1 goal and 8 assists in 17 games, looking to eclipse earlier marks set as a freshman that saw him net 3 goals and 11 assists.
A Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2021 (#101 overall), he did only 1 full USHL season of juniors with Tri-City Storm before committing to school.
The 6’2″ 179 lbs. blue liner from Quebec, QC easily plays his size.
Upon finishing up tournament play, he signs a 2-year deal to join the team who selected him a few years ago and reports to affiliate Cleveland Monsters on an ato, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in 8 games, then 1 goal and 1 assist in 6 playoff matchups with a +4 rating.
He will be an easy look to pull up.
9th year defenseman Josh Jacobs(41) helps Chicago Wolves win the 2022 AHL Calder Cup, while under contract to Carolina Hurricanes and moves along to sign a new deal for 2022/2023 with 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado Avalanche, but will likely skate for affiliate Colorado Eagles.
The fairly sizable 6’2″ 220 lbs. blue liner had an interesting climb from 2 USHL seasons for Indiana Ice, including a 2014 Clark Cup Championship, followed by a year at home state Michigan State University Spartans, but traded that to skate a campaign further up north in the OHL with Sarnia Sting.
An unrestricted free agent, he signed a 3-year NHL entry level deal with New Jersey Devils to start his pro career and stayed in that system for 5 years.
He is very successful with his new club, hitting for 4 goals and 6 assists in 43 AHL games with a +10 ratings, then put up another 4 points in 7 matchups through the playoffs.
For 2023/2024, he scores himself a 1-year 2-way contract with St. Louis Blues that could heed some playing time, but mostly will skate the line for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds.
He wasn’t able to add to his 341 games in the league due to an injury that sidelined him for the entire frame.
For 2024/2025, Laval Rocket takes a chance and signs him to a 1-year deal.
He only appears in 24 games, but scores 1 goal and 4 assists with a +3 rating and gets another 1-year deal to stay a Rocket for 2025/2026.
University Of Michigan sophomore center William Whitelaw(8) takes a new college best 11 goals and 18 points to a new NHL entry level contract with draft team Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward scored crazy point-per-game numbers in his only full USHL year before school.
From Rosemount, MN, the 20-year old, freshman at University Of Wisconsin Badgers seems ready to go pro.
Cornell University Big Red senior defenseman Hank Kempf(26) is a New York Rangers‘ 7th round pick in the 2021 draft (#208 overall) and could use a contract once the season concludes.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. blue liner plays with explosive power, consistently breaking up plays down low.
From Wilmette, IL, the 22-year old has come up nicely through the Chicago Mission youth hockey system.
He goes unsigned, but agrees to an ato once tournament play is up with Colorado Eagles that yields a pair of assists in regular season and playoff games to earn him a 1-year AHL deal to skate his rookie season, 2025/2026, which we think will keep eyes of the parent club on him as well.
