13th year goaltender Alex Stalock(32) sees his career come full circle as he returns to 2005 draft team San Jose Sharks (4th round, #112 overall) in a trade to have him back.
He was tending net with infrequency for Edmonton Oilers‘ affiliate Bakersfield Condors and existed on the team’s taxi squad last season after being picked up on waivers from 3 years with Minnesota Wild.
The 5’11” 170 lbs. net minder has appeared in 151 NHL games with a 61-48-18 record and 2.61 GA, .909 SV%.
He is a former USHL junior hockey Clark Cup Champion, playoff MVP, best SV% and Goaltender Of The Year recipient.
The 34-year old, 3-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs is likely just a little happy to return to where it all started.
As an unrestricted free agent, he heads to Chicago Blackhawks for 2022/2023 on a 1-way deal to help them shore up their crease.
He would actually play 27 games, striking a 9-15-2 with not terrible stats on a non-playoff team, but he unrestricted and signs a 1-year, 2-way deal with the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks for 2023/2024.
San Diego Gulls enjoy his presence for 15 games last season and now at age 37, it’s time for him to announce his retirement and he will immediately take that winning personality of his to the Sharks‘ broadcast booth, starting 2024/2025.
Undrafted rookie left wing Jade Miller(16) signed with South Carolina Stingrays over the summer after COVID busted any form of a 2019/2020 playoff run for his 4-year college team, University Of Minnesota-Duluth, where he won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2018 and 2019.
In 26 ECHL games, he has a first pro goal and an assist with a -3 rating, which is odd for a player that was very accountable through college.
The Minot, ND native played a pair of seasons for Austin Bruins of the NAHL and fully came out of his shell, busting for 29 goals and 22 assists in 60 games as a 2nd year skater.
Through just another game from when we 1st posted, 27, he was able to grab another goal for 2, but stayed at 1 assist.
The ‘Rays like what they see though and re-sign him to return for 2021/2022.
For 2022/2023 he decides to jump to Idaho Steelheads after posting 11 goals and 20 assists in a full slate of 72 games.
He records a new league best 16 goals and 33 points with a +28 rating, then adds 8 (3-5) points in 20 playoff match ups to cinch an invite to return to Idaho for 2023/2024.
Not quite making the same impression as a year ago, he is still wanted to return to wear a Steelheads‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
Miami University-Ohio Redhawks‘ senior center Chase Pletzke(28) is going to take on a graduate year at University of Michigan Wolverines.
The 5’11” 175 lbs. forward is a bit of a perplexing story.
In 20 games last season he had no points, but as a junior grabbed 7 goals only and his best college frame so far as a freshman with 6 goals and 8 assists in 28 appearances.
It will be a bit of a wonder if the close by Bay City, MI native makes the roster regularly.
He would play in 30 games with his new college club and get 1 goal and 1 assist with a +3 rating and he takes that to a 1st pro contract with relatively near to his hometown, Kalamazoo Wings for his rookie year, 2024/2025.
Savannah Ghost Pirates swoop in to claim big 6’3″ 194 lbs. defenseman Nick Parody(10) off waivers after being released by Rapid City Rush, where he spent 12 games, recording 1 assist.
He was loaned up from Fayetteville Marksmen of the SPHL.
The Harrisburg, PA native signed with them after his senior year at Elmira College Soaring Eagles.
He spent the 3 previous seasons at Canisius College Golden Griffins.
The 26-year did 2 USPHL/NCDC sessions with Islanders Hockey Club before school.
For 2024/2025, he signs with Fort Wayne Komets on a 2-way deal.
Merrimack College Warriors‘ junior left wing Devlin O’Brien(15) chooses to head to Stonehill College Skyhawks for his senior year, 2024/2025 after playing a college best 30 games, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward had failed to score through just 13 games in his 1st 2 years.
He barely played 1 session of juniors during the COVID crisis before heading to school, but did come off 2 really good seasons of St. Andrews College.
From Toronto, ON, the 22-year old will continue to work hard to earn points.
Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ senior defenseman Jack Lyons(77) signs a 1-year deal in the AlpsHL with HDD Jesenice for 2024/2025.
The fairly big 6’1″ 205 lbs. blue liner isn’t a big point scorer, but looks to hold his zone effectively.
From Mississauga, ON, he did 4 years of OJHL junior hockey before college.
We think the 25-year old does better as a pro.
Undrafted, left wing Zach Dubinsky(32) takes a fairly solid season for RPI Engineers, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists in 44 NCAA Division 1 games to a new adventure through the transfer portal for his junior year with Michigan State University Spartans.
The 5’8″ 185 lbs. forward agreed to head to his 1st school after a decent USHL campaign with Lincoln Stars was evolving, but decided to head back to juniors despite a decent campaign.
He definitely took scoring to another level, grabbing a point-per-game 14 goals and 20 assists in 32 games.
The 22-year old from Deerfield, IL will likely do very well at his new hockey home.
His dad Steve Dubinsky(18) played NHL hockey for 375 games, 9 years.
He finishes up a senior year at a 3rd school, University Of Vermont Catamounts, where as assistant captain, he has a decent enough frame.
For his rookie year, he signs a 1st pro contract with Iowa Heartanders, not too far from home.
Tulsa Oilers just grabbed 5th year left wing scorer Alec Butcher(11) from 2nd year team Reading Royals after tallying 4 goals and 3 assists in 15 ECHL games.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward has been putting up pretty great numbers in the league, so that will very likely continue with his new team.
He was a pretty good scorer at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, but seemed to come to life as a senior with University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.
The Anchorage, AK native did 2 years of NAHL juniors with “local” Kenai River Brown Bears.
As a 29-year old pro, he’s probably just looking for a consistently good team to play for.
He scores 18 goals and 16 assists in 56 games last season to earn another 1-year deal to return to the Oilers for 2024/2025.
Robert Morris University Colonials‘ graduate goaltender Francis Boisvert(31) signs a rookie tryout agreement with Fort Wayne Komets.
The 6’2″ 170 lbs. net minder did 4 years at St. Lawrence University Saints, but was used little after his freshman year.
From Blainville, QC, he played 2 years of CCHL before college.
The 25-year old may be just waiting for this ECHL opportunity to shine.
11th year center Chad Nehring(16) decided to head off for something new to start 2022/2023, signing with Grenoble of Ligue Magnus, but after popping 4 goals and 5 assists in just 6 games with a +8, heads back for his 5th DEL season, instead with fourth club Loewen Franfort.
A solid scorer, performer in the AHL, as a +10 player, he earned himself his only NHL contract with Ottawa Senators after scoring a career high 22 goals and 26 assists in the previous frame.
The 5’11” 201 lbs. former 4-year Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ forward left after that season.
At 35-years old, he’s still playing some excellent hockey and may not be eyeing an exit quite yet.
He grabs 12 goals and 10 assists back in Germany, which is good enough by their standards to keep him around and re-up him for another run.
You may think he should just transition straight into coaching where he is, but he has decided to wrap it up at age 37-years old, leaving behind 232 DEL games, 179 AHL, 130 ECHL and 147 NCAA, a really nice total and for his next role becomes a pro scout for Pittsburgh Penguins, starting 2024/2025. Smooth move.
