Montreal Canadiens‘ 7th round pick in the 2018 draft (#190 overall), 2022 NCAA Division 1 University Of Denver Pioneers’ Champion center Brett Stapley(7) signs a 1-year AHL deal with affiliate Laval Rocket for 2022/2023.
The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward scored a college best 18 goals and tying 25 assists in 41 games with a +22 rating.
He was also a solid scorer in his 2nd and 3rd BCHL seasons with Vernon Vipers.
The 23-year old from Campbell River, BC may be an immediate impact player.
For his rookie season, he was shipped down to Trois-Rivieres Lions and has a tidy 9 goals and 36 assists in 49 ECHL games, playing a real energy role on the team.
He ends with 41 helpers, which gains the notice of Colorado Eagles, who sign him to bring him “home” to an AHL deal for 2023/2024.
For the entire season, he is sent to play for affiliate Utah Grizzlies and blows up scoring as a 2nd year league player with 24 goals and a monster 47 assists in 67 games.
He’s stretching and signs with HK Ducla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga to try his hand at a higher rung of hockey, just overseas.
University Of Connecticut Huskies‘ freshman right wing Joey Muldowney(8) scored 5 goals and 9 assists in 35 games.
The 5’9″ 160 lbs. forward is a San Jose Sharks‘ 6th round pick in the 2022 draft (#172 overall), selected after a monster senior year at Nichols School, worth 57 goals and 40 assists in 56 games.
He went onto 1 USHL season with Des Moines Buccaneers.
We definitely expect him to take up scoring as a sophomore.
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.
Undrafted rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany(3) signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 6’3″ 195 lbs. blue liner had two solid seasons at Boston College Eagles on transfer from Yale University Bulldogs and put up a college career high 20 assists and 24 points as a senior.
Not exactly known for recording points, he did post 30 assists in his 2nd USHL season for Sioux Falls Stampede.
Originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 4th round pick in the 2018 draft (#112 overall), the 23-year old from Manhattan Beach, CA went unsigned.
He should fit right in at the AHL level with affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and compete for a spot with the big club.
Through 63 games, he looks to be gaining comfort with 8 assists to his credit and earns a look from the top, skates 20 shifts for 12:28 ice time with 1 block shot and 1 hit dished in a 4-2 Penguins‘ loss.
He stays up for 14 games, recording 1 assist with a 0 rating, and then goes on to record 4 goals and 11 assists in 54 games with a +17 rating.
They are liking what they see and offer him a 3-year deal to stick around Pittsburgh with the 3rd year being on a 1-way deal at $750K.
16th year left wing Ryan Stoa(13) re-signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for a 4th season, where 3 times he has scored 10+ goals in a season.
The one-time University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers‘ senior captain, 40+ point player has done quite well overseas with 6 KHL campaigns and 3 in the SHL before heading to Germany.
Originally a Colorado Avalanche 2nd round pick in the 2005 draft (#34 overall), he has skated 40 NHL games, scoring 4 goals and 3 assists, but has 290 AHL games of experience.
The 6’3″ 223 lbs. from Bloomington, MN did 2 junior seasons with the USNTDP.
At 37-years old, he’s still having fun out there to sign.
Boston College Eagles‘ senior center Colby Ambrosio(11) will do a year of eligibility at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks 2024/2025 graduate season.
The Colorado Avalanche 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#118 overall) didn’t score quite as much as he is used to, playing a college best 40 games, but likely accepted a different, more checking oriented role on a very strong team.
From Welland, ON, the 24-year old did 2 USHL frames with Tri-City Storm before heading to school.
4th year center Brett Seney(62) was an unrestricted free agent coming off a 1-year extension with draft club, New Jersey Devils (6th round, 2015, #157 overall) to sign away on a two-way deal for a first time with Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 7 AHL games, he has 4 goals with a +2 rating, which has to have the parent club at least watching.
The small 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward was a sniper in four years at Merrimack College Warriors, striking for 26 points twice to start and finished with campaigns of 31 and 32 totals before graduating.
His 3 goals and 5 assists on 12 games signed to an ato after college was probably a good indicator of what could occur.
It will be interesting to see if the 25-year old gets anymore time in the show and what he does next.
In 2021/2022, the London, ON native would put up a new career best 42 assists and 59 points in 62 games with a +16 rating and also skated a pair of games in the big league.
For 2022/2023, he jumps ship for another 1-year, 2-way deal, this time from Chicago Blackhawks, where he could very put in more time at a higher level.
After an almost point-per-game season with affiliate, as MVP Rockford IceHogs and a 1st NHL goal for the team, he gets a 1-year deal to continue, then almost repeat performances through more games, he’s given more time in a ‘Hawks‘ jersey.
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.
University Of Denver Pioneers‘ 3rd year defenseman Sean Behrens(2) is wooed to leave 1 session of college on the table to sign a 3-year NHL entry level contract for the 2nd round pick in the 2021 draft (#61 overall) by Colorado Avalanche after he wins 2 NCAA Division 1 Championships.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward had 2 successful USNTDP sessions before school.
Signed to an ato to join affiliate Colorado Eagles, he scores a first assist in his 1 AHL game, then is a +2 in another playoff matchup.
The 21-year old is likely just ready to get started.
Boston College Eagles‘ senior right wing Jack Malone(13) transferred from 3 successful years at Cornell University Big Red to play a college best 41 games, scoring new highs 12 goals and 13 assists.
He really seemed to use that 6’1″ 190 lbs. frame to his scoring advantage last season.
The Danville, CA native played 3 USHL campaigns for Youngstown Phantoms, including 1 when the ECAC took the year off due to COVID.
He graduates and signs a 1st pro deal with Utica Comets to join the team on an ato, but will be under AHL contract through 2025/2026 and very much the watchful eye of parent club Vancouver Canucks, who selected him in the 6th round of 2019 (#180 overall).
