10th year right wing Garnet Hathaway(19) didn’t much of a pay boost after signing the 4-year with Washington Capitals worth some $6M total, but he gets 1 on a 2-year deal with Philadelphia Flyers worth $2.375M AAV after a spectacular 25-game effort in a Boston Bruins‘ uniform after a trade sent him there.
The fairly big 6’3″ 207 lbs. forward 1st signed an AHL contract with Adirondack Flames for his rookie season and did well enough to catch the radar of the parent club, Calgary Flames, who signed him to a 2-year entry level deal.
He was in their system for 4 years.
The 31-year old, Brown University Bears‘ graduate from Naples, FL should work harder, but find space to score with his new team.
Doing decently for his new club, he gets 2 more years in a Flyers‘ uniform to continue his game.
Maine Nordiques‘ 1st year net minder Carter Richardson(73) maybe takes a moment, but commits to Lake Superior State University Lakers for 2024/2025.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs. goalie rode some pretty impressive regular season NAHL stats, but then even notched it up a bit in the playoffs with a 1.73 GAA and .950 SV%.
From Dartmouth, NS, the only 18-year old will be impressive when called upon.
Faced with the prospects of no senior year, it was a no brainer for Harvard University‘s defensive wunderkid Reilly Walsh(8) to sign his three-year entry level with New Jersey Devils, the team that drafted him 3rd round, 2017, #81 overall.
In his minor league debut with affiliate Binghamton Devils, he gets credited for the overtime 4-3 game-winner and his first pro AHL goal and currently has 2 goals and 5 assists in 12 games, which is impressing big at the struggling parent club.
The 6′ 185 lbs. 21-year old blue liner may have to spend some time honing his game at the stage lower than the show but look for him to get an opportunity.
And after scoring new career bests: 9 goals and a whopping 34 assists in 69 games with a +11 rating for affiliate Utica Comets, gets him the nod for his NHL debut.
In his 1st game, he skated 20 shifts for 14:23, got an assist, had 2 shots, 2 blocks and 1 giveaway in a 5-4 loss.
The Framingham, MA gets traded to his hometown Boston Bruins as free agency looms after 2 seasons of 30+ assists in the minors.
He strikes his 3rd straight season of 9 goals in the minors, but shows maybe a bit more focus in the playoffs with 2 assists in 4 games.
For 2024/2025, he signs a 1-year, 2-way deal with Los Angeles Kings.
Newfoundland Growlers‘ rookie center Grant Cruikshank(19) has really ignited his scoring when he was reassigned by AHL contract club, Toronto Marlies.
In 35 ECHL games, he has 21 goals and 22 assists with a +9 rating.
Undrafted, he cycled through 3 colleges, his 1st 3 years at Colorado College Tigers, then 1 apiece with University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers and a graduate frame for St. Cloud State University Huskies.
He twice had 10+ goals, but exploded for 23 in his final year.
From Delafield, WI, the 25-year old won a BCHL Championship in his 1st junior season and is turning out to be quite the pro.
With his team going belly up, he went back to his contract club, but didn’t figure in any playoff games.
For 2024/2025, he signs with Calder Cup Champions, Hershey Bears, where he should find himself a nice home to play some hockey.
We need to congratulate former Cornell University Big Red‘ captain Jeff Malott(39) on scoring a one-year two-way NHL deal from Winnipeg Jets for 2021/2022 after potting 14 goals and 6 assists, including 1 game-winner and 4 on the power-play in 34 AHL games with affiliate Manitoba Moose.
The big 6’3″ 204 lbs. left wing may just play his way onto the parents’ club radar as a sophomore skater and is easily headed in the right direction.
He’ll remember the date: 3/20-2022. He makes his big league debut skating a conservative 8 shifts for 4:06 ice time with 3 hits and 2 penalty minutes in a 6-4 victory.
Nice start.
After blowing out his rookie season scoring with 23 goals and 18 assists in 62 games with a +11 rating, then getting another tally in 5 playoff games, earns the 25-year old a new 2-year deal to stay.
He would score a career high 30 assists and 52 points in 70 games and signs a new 2-year deal with Los Angeles Kings, who could give him his 1st looks in the big league.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ Finnish-born freshman defenseman Tomi Leppanen(5) wins himself a 2022 USHL Clark Cup Championship in his 1st junior season with Sioux City Musketeers.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. blue liner doesn’t stick though, as he signs for 2024/2025 with IPK of the tier 2 Mestis.
He had 3 goals and 6 assists in 40 games with a +8 rating.
The 21-year old will no doubt be happier and should do well in this league back home.
7th year center Austin Czarnik(27) gets a new lease on pro hockey life as he’s claimed off waivers by Seattle Kracken, when he was to be reassigned back to Bridgeport Islanders from New York Islanders after 11 NHL games, scoring 2 goals and 3 assists with a +5 rating.
The small 5’9″ 175 lbs. veteran of 209 AHL had 15 points in 20 games with the affiliate this season.
He averaged 40 point campaigns at four years of Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks and was twice captain as a junior and senior.
The 29-year old Washington Township, MI native will likely get another chance to shine with his new club and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current session.
Barely a month in, after 6 games with his new club and a pair of assists, he was once again to be sent to the minors, but the Islanders have stepped back in and said, hope you didn’t sell you’re Long Island home yet, because…you’re back.
He would finish up the year a point-per-game guy, appeared in 11 more games with the big club, scoring 2 goals and 3 assists with a +5 rating.
An unrestricted free agent, Detroit Red Wings sees something in his game that could help out their club and inks him for 2-years on a very healthy 2-way deal.
For a 1st time in his career, he will take his game to a new place overseas, NL and signs with SC Bern for 2024/2025, where we are sure he will yield some great results for himself.
Undrafted towering 6’4″ 198 lbs. defenseman Cody Haiskanen(3) takes 5 years at Cornell University Big Red to a rookie contract with Idaho Steelheads for 2022/2023.
The Fargo, ND native did only 1 USHL frame with hometown, Fargo Force before heading to school.
At 25-years old, we’re thinking he has a good ECHL rookie season.
In 61 games the big d-man scores 5 goals and 24 assists with an absolutely monster +53, then keeps things steady through to the Kelly Cup Finals.
There’s little doubt, he will be back donning a Steelheads‘ jersey for 2023/2024.
He’s actually loaned up 3 times during last frame, but eyes a new opportunity, signing for 1-year with Nurnberg Ice Tigers of DEL.
New Jersey Devils‘ 4th year defenseman John Marino(5) was involved in a trade that sent him to the team from 3-year club Pittsburgh Penguins, where he twice notched 20+ assists, with a career high 24 last season.
The 6’1″ 181 lbs. blue liner is on the hook for another 5-years for the 6-year deal he signed a year and a half ago worth an average of $4.4M AAV through 2026/2027.
Originally an Edmonton Oilers‘ 6th round pick in the 2015 draft (#154 overall), but somewhat oddly traded before he ever got started.
The North Easton, MA native spent 3 years at nearby Harvard University Crimson, amassing an amazing +/- numbers before turning pro.
6th year d-man becomes the #1 for the new Utah Hockey Club, who pick him up for some draft options and he gets a 3-year deal moving forward.
Philadelphia Little Flyers‘ 2nd year right wing Nicholas Hussa(10) takes a junior EHL best 13 assists and 19 points to a 2024/2025 commit at Anna Maria College AMCATS.
From North Wales, PA, the fairly big 6’3″ 205 lbs. forward should definitely help the independent D3 score more.
We think the 20-year old has found a good, next hockey home.
