New England College Pilgrims‘ freshman defenseman Casey Sturm(20) has been trying to work himself into the lineup on a regular basis and has played 9 games with 2 goals and 2 assists with a +1 rating to prove his worth.
The 5’9″ 170 lbs. blue liner did most of 3 years in juniors, twice hitting 14 assists.
He even had 3 points in 2 playoff games with New Jersey Bears in his 1 EHL season.
From Lake In The Hills, IL, the 20-year old should continue to do better.
Trois-Rivieres Lions‘ 2nd year defenseman Wyatt McLeod(2) had 22 assists and 23 points last season, a new high for all of his playing career.
In 23 ECHL games in 2025/2026, he has 1 goal and 6 assists with a +10 rating.
The 6’3″ 204 lbs. blue liner did 5 years of WHL, but left his final season to join Utah Grizzlies.
Through 15 games, he had 2 goals and 2 assists.
He next decided to head to University Of Alberta Golden Bears for 3 campaigns before the 25-year old turned pro again.
In 40 games, he has 2 goals and 9 assists with a +6 rating, but decides to head for a bit of a trickier hockey to play and heads for Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Poprad for the rest of 2025/2026.
Undrafted, 2nd year left wing Blake Christensen(27) takes a weirdo COVID run rookie season with Bakersfield Condors, but only appearing in a limited 10 AHL games, getting a pair of tallies, including a game-winner.
The small 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward signs a new deal to play in the exact rink he spent his college days at, the Mass Mutual Center, inking for 2021/2022 with Springfield Thunderbirds.
He had four solid years, graduating with 48 goals, 71 assists, 119 points, while skating for an outstanding America International College Yellowjackets team in 142 Atlantic Hockey games.
The Coral Springs, FL native spent two seemingly uninspired campaigns in the USHL before leaving to the BCHL to finish up before school and produced pretty well with Wenatchee Wild.
He was also given a nice chance to play a little hockey in Fjordkraftligaen for Manglerud, connecting for a nice 4 goals and 5 assists.
We think the 25-year old is still getting his wheels on the cart.
After scoring 18 goals and 10 assists on loan to Worcester Railers, he signs a 1-year ECHL deal for 2022/2023 to stick around and pot more tallies.
He records a career best 15 assists in his 2nd frame through 35 games, but gets an offer to join HC Thurgau for their SL playoff run and jumps at the opportunity.
In 4 contests, he has a goal and 2 assists with a +2 rating, but could have suffered an injury.
For 2023/2024, he decides to return to the Railers and hopes to build on what he established with them early.
He maybe doesn’t quite score as much as he did in his rookie campaign, but has a new high assists with 15.
New league club Tahoe Knight Monsters see the upside in his game and sign him for 2024/2025.
He is actually traded to Kalamazoo Wings, where he continues scoring, but in his 2nd run with the team isn’t going quite as well and he is waived only to be picked up quick by Rapid City Rush to see if they can find those points in his game again.
Johnson & Wales University Wildcats‘ freshman right wing Tommy Jacques(17) has 2 assists in 19 games this season.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward played 2 USPHL/NCDC seasons for Ogden Mustangs.
From Louisville, KY, the 21-year old did a couple seasons of Honeybaked youth hockey system.
UMASS-Boston Beacons‘ freshman defenseman Rhett Kodsi(2) has a 1st college hockey goal and 6 assists in 20 games.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner came in from 2 NAHL seasons, where he was able to put up 10+ assists.
From Boca Rotan, FL, the 22-year old plays like a leader out there.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate defenseman Griffin Mendel(77) had his best college scoring season with his new school, almost equaling 4 years of totals he had at his initial one, University Of Denver Pioneers.
He takes his game to the pro level upon finishing up a 5th year of school and signs with Chicago Wolves for the rest of the AHL 2021/2022.
The towering 6’6″ 220 lbs. blue liner played a couple years of junior hockey, sort of close to home in Kelowna, BC for Penticton Vees and skated an equal 52 games, en route to a 2017 BCHL Championship in his 2nd session.
We think it’s his NCAA Division 1 +53 rating that gets the 23-year old the most notice.
In 10 games, he gets 2 assists with a +5 rating and then gets into 1 playoff contest, but leaves a +2.
The Kelowna, BC native is staying put for what will be his rookie season, 2022/2023
With 9 goals and 10 assists in his 1st frame, the big d-man earns himself a handsome 1-year NHL entry level deal from parent club Carolina Hurricanes.
He wasn’t really scoring, until he was reassigned down to Norfolk Admirals, where he finally struck for 3 goals and 3 assists in 8 games with a +3 rating
For 2024/2025, he takes his game to Czech Extraliga and signs with Rytiri Kladno.
In 52 games, he gets 1 goal and 5 assists with a -1 rating to get himself a new deal for 2025/2026.
He continues to do well and is offered a 1-year extension to continue with Kladno.
Salve Regina University Seahawks‘ senior left wing Damon Zimmer(17) scored 6 goals in 3 of his 4 college seasons and also recorded 11 assists in his 1st two frames.
The 6’2″ 196 lbs. forward started junior hockey in the AJHL, but moved down to the NAHL before heading to school.
He started the SPHL with Peoria Rivermen, but transferred to Birmingham Bulls, where he has skated 25 games for 3 assists.
From Heisler, AB, the 25-year old should hit the net for more points, as he goes.
After 28 games, he is released and quickly picked up by Knoxville Ice Bears for the rest of 2025/2026.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ freshman goaltender Emmett Croteau(70) has only received 5 starts in 2023/2024, good for a 2-3 record with maybe below what he calls for 3.38 GAA and .851 SV%, but that should improve lots as he spends more time in the net.
6’4″ 209 lbs. big, the 3 USHL season Waterloo Blackhawks‘ back stop was pretty good through 79 games with 2.91 GAA and .904 SV%.
The Bonnyville, AB native is a Montreal Canadiens‘ 6th round pick in the 2022 draft (#162 overall).
He enters the transfer portal for his sophomore year to go tend net at Dartmouth College Big Green and through 18 games, the results are vastly improving.
In his junior frame, he has 10-3 record with a 1.71 GAA and .929 SV% on a team that has entered top 10 best teams.
8th year right wing Riley Barber(11) signs a 1-year deal with Dallas Stars for 2022/2023, as an unrestricted free agent, coming out of 2 years of contracts with Detroit Red Wings.
The 6′ 194 lbs. forward is off to another quick start this season, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 AHL games for affiliate Texas Stars.
He once had north of 30 goals and 4 times passed the 20+ tally mark and on 3 occasions had 20+ assists.
Originally a Washington Capitals‘ 6th round pick in the 2012 draft (#167 overall), he stayed in their system for 4 years after burning a hole through the college score sheet with Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.
The 28-year old has somehow skated in 16 NHL games but not registered a point.
You have to think he’ll get another opportunity where he is this season.
He manages a very good, career high 32 goals and 32 assists in 69 games for the Cedar Park team and will next take his scoring abilities to the KHL, signing a 1-year deal with Barys Astana for 2023/2024.
While scoring 10 goals and 13 assists in 28 games, he still finds himself on the move and will head to AK Bars Kazan for the rest of the season.
He does ok, but signs with his 3rd team, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, where he scores well with 16 goals and 14 assists, but lacks a little with a -13 on ice accountability.
For 2025/2026, he decides to move to Germany and ERC Ingolstadt step right in to ink him to a DEL deal.
He absolutely blows up scoring to the tune of 27 goals and 29 assists in 46 games with a +24 rating to conservatively only signing for another year in 2026/2027, Ingolstadt.
Rookie center Tanner Andrew(28) was a senior graduate, captain at RIT Tigers and signed with Norfolk Admirals after tournament play.
The 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward played 2 ECHL games in the 2025/2026, but was maybe released and quickly signed to a league contract by Wheeling Nailers.
He has 3 goals and 5 assists in 26 games with a +3 rating.
In college, he had 10 goals as a sophomore and in his junior year, scored 15 assists.
From Virden, MB, we look for the 25-year old to continue doing well with a good team.
