Category: College Hockey Player

26Dec

Anthony Nellis (19)

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Undrafted 3rd year left wing Anthony Nellis(19) is having a career year scoring a Trois Rivieres Lions‘ best 19 goals and 38 assists.

Last season he skated for Fort Wayne Komets and was a point-per-game player in the playoffs en route to the ECHL 2021 Kelly Cup Championship.

The former top scorer at Lake Superior State University Lakers had a 1 AHL game loan up to Manitoba Moose this session.

I think it depends if the Levis, QC native wants to stick around or goes for a better deal overseas on strong numbers.

He decides to leave for Slovakia after finishing last season with 22 goals and 39 assists and adding another 7 points in 7 playoff games.

The still young 27-year old signs with HK Spisska Nova Ves for 2022/2023.

He comes away with 12 goals and 10 assists in 37 games to earn himself a 1-year extension to stay at least through 2023/2024.

Leaving on a high note, getting 25 goals and 17 assists in 50 games with a +11 rating, he heads off to Tipsport Extraliga and agrees to term with HK Vitkovice Ridera.

Well, in 43 games, he has a tidy 20 goals and 15 assists to earn himself a 1-year contract extension to stay.

He’s almost a point-per-game player in the current frame and is offered a 2-year deal to continue on with Ridera through 2026/2027.

25Dec

Ian Shane (1)

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Cornell University Big Red senior goaltender Ian Shane(1) signed a 1st pro deal with Norfolk Admirals once tournament play concluded.

He posted a 3-0-2 record with them in 5 ECHL games.

For his rookie season, the 6′ 176 lbs. signs a 1-year deal with Kansas City Mavericks.

From Manhattanville, CA, the 24-year old did 2 years of juniors before college.

He posted a 66-32-16 through college with 11 shutouts, so think he will do pretty well in this league.

Through 8 games, he does ok, but Reading Royals need his help in net, so trade future considerations to grab him.

24Dec

Joe Leahy (4)

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Big 6’4″ 195 lbs. defenseman Joe Leahy(4) concludes 2 years at University Of Vermont Catamounts after transferring from 3 with Cornell University Big Red and signs a 1st pro deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

Other than maybe his junior year with 2 goals and 8 assists, he isn’t much of a point-getter, but does leave college hockey with a +12 rating.

We think the Waterloo, ON native makes a great stay-at-home style d-man.

He also won a 2017 BCHL Championship with Penctiton Vees in his 1st session of juniors.

The 25-year old should do quite well in the ECHL, but we don’t really expect him to stay around too long.

He gets 4 assists in 10 games for his new team and is impressive enough to want to have him return in a Swamp Rabbits‘ uniform for his rookie season.

For his rookie season, he skates 69 games, scoring 9 goals and 18 assists with a +18 rating to get him an easy invite to return and be a Swamp Rabbits for 2024/2025.

He actually leaves the team late season to try his hand at Czech Extraliga and signs with HC Vitkovice Ridera.

In 13 games, he scores no points, but adds 2 assists in 5 playoff matchups to earn an invite to return for 2025/2026.

With 3 goals, 7 assists in 28 games and a +3 rating, he is invited to stay with Ridera through 2026/2027.

24Dec

Quinn Ryan (53)

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Worcester Railers‘ 3rd year right wing Quinn Ryan(53) returns  for 2023/2024 after a successful 2nd year run, grabbing 15 goals and 25 assists in 49 ECHL games with a +4 rating.

He spent most of his rookie season with Utah Grizzlies, scoring 12 goals and 12 assists.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. spent 5 years at Liberty University Flames putting up 30+ assists twice, 43 as a senior and twice 20+ goals.

From Branchville, NJ, the 27-year old has to thinking about moving up overseas, if he continues to burst this league scoring .

Things are not quite zooming on the scoresheet the way they were in his first campaign with 2 goals and 3 assists in 14 games, so he decides to move on, signing with Rungsted Seier Capital for the remainder of the frame in Metal Ligaen.

His totals in Denmark are really good at 5 goals and 3 assists in 6 games with a +10 rating and he will maybe a bit oddly take those totals to Germany3, signing with Tilburg Trappers for 2024/2025.

Looks like he decided not to play in this session, but returns for 2025/2026 with a contract to Norfolk Admirals.

In 4 games, he scores a 1st goal, but is a -4 and is scratched from some appearances, so decides to head back overseas and signs with Dundee Stars, where we think his game elevates in the EIHL.

23Dec

Michael Kapla (3)

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7th year defenseman Michael Kapla(3) signs on for a 2nd season with Rogle BK and is off to a nice start with 2 goals and 9 assists in 12 SHL games.

He scored 7 goals and 21 assists with a +12 rating in 44 games last season.

After his junior and senior year as captain of UMass-Lowell Riverhawks, he signed as an unrestricted free agent with New Jersey Devils.

He played 5 NHL games upon signing.

The 6′ 201 lbs. blue liner from Eau Claire, WI is 29-years old and has to be pretty happy about his hockey career has worked out.

After 3 seasons in Sweden, he switches things up to head to Switzerland next, signing with HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the NL.

In 35 games, he has 9 goals and 14 assists with a +5 rating, which gets him re-upped to stay another 2 season in Friboug-Gotteron.

23Dec

Jordan Power (23)

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Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ junior defenseman, assistant captain Jordan Power(23) takes his game through the transfer portal and will arrive at Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks for his senior year 2023/2024.

He takes a college career best 11 assists and sophomore season tying 11 points to his new school.

The 6’1″ 187 lbs. blue liner produced 29 assists as captain of Lincoln Stars in his 2nd USHL session.

From Ottawa, ON, the 21-year should have fun playing hockey in the CCHA.

He signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits after tournament play is up and scores 1 assist in 6 games with a +2 rating and will be with them for his rookie season, 2025/2026, as he signs on to stay.

After maybe a bit of a slow start with 1 assist in 13 games, he decides to sign with Coventry Blaze to see if he can bring his game up in the EIHL.

22Dec

Matt Stief (27)

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Macon Mayem rookie defenseman Matt Stief(27) has maybe slightly conservative numbers with a goal and 6 assists with a +6 rating in 34 SPHL games for the number one team in the league.

He took a top scoring senior year, as assistant captain at Canisius College, grabbing new bests 3 goals, 23 assists and 26 points to his new gig.

The 5’10” 180 lbs. blue liner took an interesting route from his oddball hometown of Boca Raton, FL to a pair of campaigns up north in the BCHL before committing to college.

Originally signed to play for Idaho Steelheads in 2020/2021, until they decided they couldn’t go in a pandemic, the 25-year old still may have a good chance to play there next season.

It didn’t take too long for the Steelheads to step back in and re-up to have him enter into the fold for his rookie season.

In his 1st year, he gets no goals but 18 assists in 54 games to score an invite to return for a 2nd ECHL season.

He signs with Adirondack Thunder for 2022/2023 and does even better with 4 goals and 22 assists in 66 games.

Makes sense to have him back to see if he can add some to those numbers.

He was going to take his new best 31 assists and 35 points to a new deal for 2024/2025 with Orlando Solar Bears., but has maybe come away with a better deal to head over to the EIHL and sign with Glasgow Clan.

Coming back for 16 games on a deal with Worcester Railers, he maybe gets a big edgy to return overseas and signs with CSM Corona Brasov of Erste Liga, where we think he does really well for himself.

21Dec

Blake Humphrey (20)

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Providence College 2021/2022 commit, center Blake Humphrey(20) agreed to head to this college after an outstanding season, playing 106 games for Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U AAA, scoring 42 goals and 54 assists.

The 5’10” 161 lbs. forward looks to have played some of  the next year at Lawrence Academy, where he also popped the scoring bubble with 7 goals and 29 assists in 27 USHS-Prep games.

He would be selected in both 2020 drafts and reported to Sioux Falls Stampede but lasted just three USHL games with a goal and 2 assists and head to the other club he was selected by New Jersey Jr. Titans, where he played out the remainder of 2020/2021, getting a very decent 16 goals and 15 assists in 38 NAHL games.

The 19-year old will be an excellent addition to Hockey East action.

He actually recommits to Sacred Heart University Pioneers instead and spends 2 largely unspectacular years there, enters the transfer portal and will do his junior session at Lake Superior State University Lakers.

In 30 games as a junior he does reasonably well with 2 goals and 6 assists, but in 6 games in the current frame, he has yet to strike and decides to turn pro, signing a deal with Fayettesville Markmen.

We look for his scoring to take up as a pro in the SPHL 2nd half of 2025/2026.

20Dec

Odeen Tufto(26)

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After a four-year career at Quinnipiac University, finishing with a 2020/2021 season NCAA Division 1 best 39 assists, center Odeen Tufto(26) signs a 1-year entry level deal as an unrestricted free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning and will report to affiliate Syracuse Crunch to see if he can add to that helpers stat.

The small 5’7″ 175 lbs. forward has always connected with the scoresheet in college play, 3 times with 30+ assists and 40+ points.

A Minnesota-native he spent a year in the BCHL before heading back “home” to join the USHL and skated with three different club s in a campaign before heading off to school.

He’s small but we have a feeling he will find his space to grab numbers.

Mostly shipped as a rookie to ECHL affiliate Orlando Solar Bears, where he was close to point-per-game player.

In 2022/2023, he was signed by Tuscon Roadrunners, but played 13 games with Atlanta Gladiators before heading to DEL2, signing with Krefeld Pinguin, getting 15 points in 12 games, then 11 in 12 through the playoffs.

He’ll return in 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with Iowa Heartlanders.

Through 29 games, he managed 3 goals and 19 assists, but isn’t great with his plus/minus and maybe gets a little bored, looking elsewhere and signs with EHC Olten of the tier 2 Swiss League, SL.

He will return for 2024/2025 after a successful little run through Switzerland’s hockey and signs with Fort Wayne Komets.

A point-per-game player again during regular season, he returns for 2025/2026 and scores 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, but decides to head back to DEL2 and signs with Ravensburg Towerstars.