Johnstown Tomahawks‘ 2nd NAHL season right wing Chase Sandhu(25) takes a junior best 15 goals to his 2024/2025 college commit, York University Lions.
The 6’2″ 194 lbs. forward from Langley, BC heads closer to home for college, which you don’t always see coming out of US juniors.
He played 3 BCHL sessions with a deep playoff run in his 3rd frame.
The 21-year old is likely so ready to get onto the next phase in his hockey and schooling.
Brown University‘s 2nd year Finnish-born defenseman Samuli Niinisaari(7) leaves college for hockey season to head back home and play in tier 3 league Suomi-sarja for Kotkan Titaanit and already has a nice 3 goals and 10 assists in 17 regular season games and has added another pair of helpers in the playoffs.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. blue liner took spent most of his early game in his home country but did stretch out for one campaign of juniors in Saskatoon and then agreed to a year with Lincoln Stars of the USHL before making the college commitment.
It would be surprising to not see the 22-year old return to school as soon as the coast is clear.
He does return for the 2021/2022, recording a new best 11 assists and 12 points, then appeared in 30 games last season with 8 helpers to his credit.
For his senior year, he has decided to go for some new frozen waters, enters the transfer portal and comes out a member of the 2023/2024 UMass Minutemen.
He ups his challenge to take on Hockey East.
Through 27 games, he takes up his scoring to 3 goals and 9 assists with a +2 rating for possibly his best college frame.
He takes it back home to sign a 1+ year deal with Saipa and will skate his games in Liiga for 2024/2025.
South Shore Kings‘ 2nd year captain, 2024 USPHL/NCDC Champion center Aiden Lindley(19) commits to Stevenson University Mustangs for 2024/2025.
From Carmel, IN, the 5’10” 170 lbs. forward won’t be playing hockey any closer to home, as has been usually the case.
He actually did almost half a USPHL Premier season with Charlotte Rush, but then played a final high school frame at Frederick Gunn School before arriving where he is.
The 20-year old is likely for the next phase of hockey and education.
5th year center Scott Pooley(12) trades in a 1st good season overseas for Lukko, scoring 18 goals and 16 assists in 55 Liiga games for a new experience with HockeyAllsvenskan, signing for 2022/2023 to IF Bjorkloven.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward has signed 3 times with Toronto Marlies and played 63 AHL games, while being reassigned down to the ECHL Newfoundland Growlers, where he was a point-per-game player and helped them win the 2019 Kellly Cup.
He had 34 points in 36 NCAA Division 1 games as a senior at Holy Cross College Crusaders and 20+ points each previous frame.
The 28-year old from Granger, IN was never much of a point getter in 2 years of junior, one north in the AJHL, but definitely figured out how to connect at the higher levels.
He would spend 2 years scoring for his tier 2 Swedish hockey team and decides to trade it in for a contract with rivals AIK for 2024/2025.
Cornell University Big Red center Zachary Tupker(51) will head to Quinnipiac University Bobcats for a graduate season 2023/2024.
The 3-time CCHL Carleton Place Canadians‘ 6’1″ 197 lbs. forward scored pretty big in his 2nd and 3rd frames for the team.
From Collingwood, ON, the 23-year old stays in the ECAC.
He finishes with another 6 goals and new best 15 assists and +20 rating to sign a 1st pro contract with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
In 3 ECHL games, he has 1 goal and 1 assist with a +4 rating, but will need a new deal for 2024/2025.
Boston University Terriers‘ senior center Luke Tuch(17) put up a college best 10 goals and 20 assists in 39 games this past season and signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal with draft team Montreal Canadiens (2nd round, 2020, #47 overall) and played a couple AHL games with affiliate Laval Rocket to get his feet wet.
The 6’2″ 203 lbs. forward scored a college high 10 goals, 20 assists for 30 points with a +17 rating through 39 games.
From Syracuse, NY, the 22-year old did 2 years at USNTDP, impressing in his 2nd session to get selected before college.
12th year left wing Mike Connolly(22) will spend an 8th season in a Straubing Tigers‘ uniform.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward had his best year scoring 19 goals and 53 points in 2021/2022.
He has 5 times put up 30+ assists for this team.
The top scorer in his 3 campaigns at University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, hitting 54 points in 42 NCAA Division 1 games as a senior.
He only played 2 sessions in the AHL and did appear in 2 NHL games with Colorado Avalanche after a rookie trade sent him away from San Jose Sharks‘ system.
At 33-years old, the Calgary, AB native has to be pretty happy about how his pro hockey life is still going.
He scores 16 goals and 22 assists in 50 DEL games last season and yup, will return for a 9th season in a Tigers‘ jersey.
2024/2025 will be his 10th season in a Straubing uniform, coming after a 34 assist, 45 point season.
Trois Rivières Lions‘ 3rd year center James Phelan(14) played almost an entire frame with 1 team for a 1st time in his pro career, skating 62 games, scoring 5 goals and 18 assists with a +3 rating.
He originally signed a 1-year AHL deal with Texas Stars, following 5 sessions in the QMJHL.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward would follow that up one an ECHL contract, but split time with 2 teams not figuring into every game.
Next, the Laval, QC native went to 2 years of University Of New Brunswick Reds through the COVID period.
The 26-year old could stick where he’s at, as he seems to fit in nicely, but could go exploring for what’s next.
He takes a pretty good rookie frame scoring 5 goals and 18 assists with a +3 rating on a non-playoff team to his next hockey adventure, heading to the EIHL for 2023/2024, signing a 1-year deal with Dundee Stars.
His numbers aren’t huge, but not bad in his 1st year overseas, but he’s going to explore for 2024/2025 and signs with Gothiques d’Amiens to skate Ligue Magnus.
Stonehill College Skyhawks‘ sophomore big 6’4″ 205 lbs. defenseman Greg Japchen(2) commits to his 3rd college through the transfer portal and will next lace up for University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks as a junior 2024/2025.
He played in a college high 30 games last season, scoring 3 goals and 11 assists.
From Doylestown, PA, he played his youth hockey with Philadelphia Jr. Flyers before eventually doing well in 2 NAHL frames before first heading to Union College.
We’ll see how the 22-year old responds to the new schedule.
Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ Czech-born, senior defenseman Josef Mysak(24) will do a year of eligibility with Merrimack College Warriors in 2024/2025.
The 6’3″ 216 lbs. blue liner, who twice recorded 10+ assists will definitely help shore up the Hockey East zone for his new college club.
After youth hockey back home, he came over for 3 NAHL seasons with Austin Bruins, always increasing his game.
The 24-year old’s brother Jan Mysak plays for San Diego Gulls.
