Category: College Hockey Player

4th year center Sam Lafferty(18) gets a new start, as he is traded to Chicago Blackhawks from draft club, Pittsburgh Penguins (4th round, 2014, #113 overall) after appearing in only 10 NHL games with two assists and a 0 rating.

The former Brown University Bears‘ forward will likely find more room to continue to develop his game.

He has 94 games to his credit, scoring 6 goals and 15 assists.

The 26-year old is fairly prolific in the minors with 17 goals and 38 assists through 85 AHL games.

If he can catch on with his new team, there’s little doubt he’ll earn a new contract, but if that doesn’t happen, we expect him to pick up and leave for overseas.

After a solid 2021/2022 season, scoring 5 goals and 6 assists in 46 games, he picks himself up a healthy 2-year extension to continue.

He actually takes a trade travel path from scoring a best 10 goals and 11 assists in 53 games to being dealt to Toronto Maple Leafs near the end of that campaign, where he did ok in just 19 games, then 9 in the playoffs.

In the offseason, the unrestricted free agent signs with Vancouver Canucks and this turns out to be pretty successful with a new best 13 goals and 24 points in 79 games with a +4 rating.

He will need a new contract, but he returns to the Blackhawks in yet another transaction for the Hollidaysburg, PA native.

Buffalo Sabres step in and offer him 2 years for $2M AAV and he accepts.

He was maybe a bit off step with only 4 goals and 3 assists on a pretty horrible team and Chicago Blackhawks trade for him to hopefully spark a reignite in their fortunes.

6th year defenseman Ryan MacKinnon(4) has roughly been in Bridgeport Islanders and Worcester Railers‘ affiliation system since he started sans 1 year away, but signs for 2023/2024 with Belleville Senators to make the split once again.

Although the 6′ 201 lbs. blue liner doesn’t always show it, he definitely has the ability to put up points, mostly assists.

He started with 4 years in the QMJHL, but as soon as that wrapped with his biggest frame of 40 assists, seemed to know he was heading to University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers.

The 28-year old from Summerside, PE is definitely looking to play himself into a full AHL frame.

He actually does ok, maybe not scoring a lot and then really improves in the playoff run with good play to arrive at a new deal for 2024/2025 in the tough to play Slovak Extraliga, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves.

Hobart College Statesmen right wing Tanner Hartman(28) takes 2 solid seasons, scoring 20 goals and 21 assists in 31 games with a +42 rating and consecutive D3 Championships to a junior year at Brown University Bears, 2024/2025.

The 6′ 168 lbs. forward from Chicago, IL played his youth hockey in the Chicago Fury program before heading to a single, off-COVID season in USPHL Premier before graduating to NCDC, where he puts up point-per-game stats.

He’s the 22-year old brother of NHL player, Ryan Hartman.

Swedish-born center Gabriel Seger(11) decides to switch up 3 years at Union College Bobcats, heading to Cornell University Big Red for 2022/2023.

There was no hockey for his college team a couple of seasons ago, but he basically matched his freshman scoring totals with what he reached as a junior (7-14-21).

The towering 6’4″ 216 lbs. forward could easily put up more points with his new club, as he did in his only year of NAHL junior hockey, when he ran up 52 assists for Amarillo Bulls.

It’s quite possible if he can put up some good numbers as a senior, he will become a highly sought unrestricted free agent.

He would erupt on his new team in a graduate frame for 14 goals and 30 assists in 35 games with a +30 rating to sign a 1st pro deal with Grand Rapids Griffins for 2024/2025.

We think he is big enough, he could score right away in the AHL.

Boston College Eagles‘ Swedish-born, senior defenseman Jacob Bengtsson(15) takes a college high 40 games played, 3 goals and 11 assists with a best +21 rating to a 1st pro contract with Toronto Marlies for 2024/2025.

He transferred from 3 years at Lake Superior State University Lakers, where twice he had 20+ assists.

The 6’3″ 203 lbs. blue liner played 2 USHL seasons for Waterloo Blackhawks before school.

His size should definitely help the 25-year old in the AHL.

Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ graduate right wing Austin Alger(83) signs a 1st pro deal with Idaho Steelheads as he wraps up his Atlantic Hockey career and 5th year of school.

He originally transferred as a sophomore from one season at Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.

The 6′ 170 lbs. forward did pretty well scoring in his senior season as assistant captain with 11 goals and 10 assists.

He was voted USHS Michigan Mr. Hockey (Best Michigan High School Player) as a senior captain at Cranbrook Kingswood School.

64 points in 31 USHS-MI games might cinch that award.

The 24-year old from Livonia, MI should be able to light it up in the ECHL with this team.

He scored a 1st goal for the league in 5 games, but doesn’t stay around, instead signing a 1-year deal with Kansas City Mavericks for 2022/2023.

Somehow, he never quite dressed for them, but instead was skating for Fayetteville Marksmen lighting it up to become SPHL Rookie Of The Year.

For 2023/2024, he’s branching out and signs in Finland’s tier 2 league, Mestis, agreeing to terms with IPK.

He blows up scoring in the regular frame, then in the playoffs to earn MVP for the 2024 Championship and will take those stats to the tougher to play SlovakExtraliga, signing with HK Nitra.

Providence College Friars‘ sophomore right wing Bennett Schimek(23) takes a pair of good seasons with 19 goals and 18 assists over 73 games with a +15 rating to Arizona State University Sun Devils for his junior year.

The 6′ 186 lbs. forward played 2 successful junior frames for Sioux City Musketeers, winning the 2022 USHL Clark Cup Championship.

From Mendota Height, MN, the 21-year old will likely do well playing the independent schedule.