Minnesota Wild 7th year center Steven Fogarty(29) signed a 2-year deal to come “home” as he is a native of right up the road, Edina, MN.
He has managed to skate NHL games in the last 6 seasons, but only scored 1 goal and 2 assists with Buffalo Sabres.
The 6’3″ 205 lbs. former New York Rangers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft (#72 overall), he off to a nice start with affiliate Iowa Wild, scoring 5 goals and 9 assists in 20 AHL games with a +7 rating.
A 2-year captain at University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the 29-year old always looks to be a leader in the locker room.
After his 8th pro season, 464 AHL games, 31 NHL and the all important 1st goal and 150 NCAA, he decides that’s enough and call it quits.
We could see him starting to coach somewhere this season.
10th year defenseman Andrew MacWilliam(4) switched up 2 years in DEL skating for EHC Munchen to signing with EC Salzburg for 2022/2023.
In 15 IceHL games, he has a goal and 3 assists with a +6 rating.
The fairly big 6’2″ 223 lbs. blue liner has 413 AHL games to his credit, scoring 9 goals and 53 assists with a +6 rating.
He has also played 12 NHL games with a draft team Toronto Maple Leafs (7th round, 2008, #188 overall), recording 2 assists.
A University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate, he may have not put up a lot of points, but left school a +37 player.
The 32-year old from Calgary, AB may just be starting a new chapter.
After just one year away from Germany, he missed it and returns to sign on for a 3rd frame with the Red Bull Munchen boys.
Finishing up with his team of mostly the last few seasons, he heads to his 3rd overseas league, EIHL and agrees to terms with Cardiff Devils, which should equal a good late career move.
Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior center Jason Pineo(34) finishes up Atlantic Hockey play and signs a 1st pro deal with Wichita Thunder, a team fighting for their playoff existence.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward had his best college season last year with 9 goals and 13 assists in 40 games.
He had 2 solid frames in juniors and won the 2019 OJHL Championship with Oakville Blades, scoring point-per-game numbers in the playoffs.
In 11 ECHL games, the 25 year old from Toronto, ON has 2 goals and 3 assists.
He should do ok in this league if he decides to stay and try to play himself up.
Through 71 games, he scores 13 goals and 14 assists, but is a -10, which hurts a little, but not bad for a rookie.
For 2024/2025, he splits for Erste Liga and signs with DVTK Jegesmedvek and we do look for him to do well here.
Boston Bruins sign hometown boy (Hanson, MA), 5th year defenseman Bill Sweezey(6) to a new 2-year, 2-way NHL deal after spending most of the last 3 years with Cleveland Monsters, under contract with Columbus Blue Jackets for the last 2.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. blue liner originally signed his 1st AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the COVID busted 2020/2021 after graduating Yale University Bulldogs before moving on to a similar deal in Ohio.
He only did 1 USHL junior run before college.
The 28-year old will likely spend most of his time with affiliate Providence Bruins, but that means hockey even closer to home.
Senior defenseman Tyler Heidt(7) decides to enter the transfer portal to do his final school year closer to home at University Of Regina Cougars after spending the last 3 seasons with Merrimack College Warriors.
The 6′ 190 lbs. blue liner isn’t exactly the biggest point getter with his best showing in a 1st campaign of juniors for Melfort Mustangs, where he scored 7 goals and 14 assists in 54 SJHL games.
At just 22-years old, he may find the net a bit more often near his back yard.
After a 2nd super productive frame in Canadian college hockey, scoring 6 goals and 20 assists in 28 games before turning pro, signing with Reading Royals to close out 2023. grabbing 4 goals an 9 assists in 18 games with a +14 rating.
He easily re-signs for his official rookie season 2023/2024.
Appearing in only 8 ECHL games due to injury, he doesn’t score any points and looks elsewhere, signing with Fife Flyers of the EIHL for 2024/2025.
6th year defenseman Jack Dougherty(5) heads back to Belleville Senators after only 1 AHL game with Providence Bruins.
He has signed with that team twice previous with decent enough results to stick.
The 6’1″ 211 lbs. blue liner was originally a Nashville Predators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2014 draft (#51 overall) selected after a solid USNTDP showing, then only one year at University Of Wisconsin Badgers before bolting to put up 41 assists with Portland Winterhawks.
He spent two years in the system before getting dished to Buffalo Sabres to play out his entry level deal.
It wouldn’t be entirely out of the possibility that soon the 25-year old from St. Paul, MN looks overseas for something a little more lucrative.
He has a pair of tough seasons through the COVID shuffle, but decides to stick around and signs his 1st ECHL deal with Orlando Solar Bears for 2022/2023.
This will likely be a very good decision for the now 26-year old.
He actually leaves for DEL near the end of this session, then signs with Nurnberg Ice Tigers for 2023/2024.
Doing just ok wasn’t good enough, so he takes his game to IceHL for 2024/2025, signing with Vienna Capitals, which should equal a lot of fun for him.
6th year defenseman Dan Renouf(77) circles back to sign with Detroit Red Wings, the team he played a first NHL game for in his rookie season, 2016/2017, and returns with 18 games experience in the big league and 3 assists.
He has appeared in 279 AHL games, netting 10 goals and 62 assists with a +44 rating, and won the 2017 and 2019 Calder Cup Championships, first with Grand Rapids Griffins, then Charlotte Checkers.
The former University Of Maine Black Bears‘ blue liner signed his entry level deal after his third year at school.
We think the 27-year old could be in line for more time in the show with his “new” club.
The Pickering, ON native maybe did come away with as many points as he would have liked last season, but his +14 rating of on ice accountability makes him a cinch to secure a deal and Boston Bruins take that bet, inking him to a 2-year, handsome payout 2-way contract through 2023/2024.
He looked good on the final year of his deal, scoring a career best 5 goals and 16 assists with new high +34 rating in 63 games.
For 2024/2025, he signs a 1-year minor league contract to join Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2024/2025.
13th year center Rick Schofield(23) heads back to Austria’s top league IceHL, signing with his 5th team Pustertal/Val Pusteria Wolves for 2023/2024.
He comes off a year with Nurnberg Ice Tigers, scoring 13 goals and 13 assists in 38 DEL games.
Undrafted, the 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played 2 AHL seasons before heading overseas.
The former 2-time Lake Superior State University Lakers‘ captain and top scorer has almost maybe a bit oddly only won a championship in his 1st year away from home.
From Pickering, ON, the 36-year old is still finding good hockey to play.
He comes away with another fantastic season, but decides he wants to head back to Germany to play and signs with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL.
Railers Jr. Hockey 1st year right wing Austin Jerzak(20) scores 8 goals and 15 assists in 43 games, but it’s the playoffs, helping his team win the 2024 EHL Championship, where he gets 7 goals and 2 assists in 9 games.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward commits to Elmira College Soaring Eagles for 2024/2025, where we look for him to do well.
From Wellberg, NY, the 20-year old will head back closer to home to play his college game.
Straubing Tigers‘ 7th year center Travis St. Denis(74) re-ups to return to the German club, his 2nd year in DEL.
He scored 22 goals and 17 assists in 51 games last season.
The 5’7″ 170 lbs. forward was twice a 40+ point scorer in the AHL for Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while under contract to New York Islanders for at least one of those sessions.
He spent 4 seasons at Quinnipiac University Bobcats, always increasing his totals to leave as a senior with 49 points in 43 NCAA Division 1 games.
The Trail, BC native played his junior hockey up north and won a 2012 BCHL Championship with Penticton Vees, scoring 37 goals and 51 assists in 54 games, then adding 13 more points in the playoffs.
At 29-years old, he is likely to be happy still playing hockey at a very high level.
After spending 2 years with the same club, recording just about exact excellent numbers, he reaches out and signs with rivals, ERC Ingolstadt for 2023/2024.
His season with a new German team doesn’t go maybe as planned and he heads right back, where he scored 22 goals in each of his 2 frames, the Tigers for 2024/2025.
