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.
Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ extra large-sized (6’5″ 215 lbs.) graduate defenseman Cory Thomas(2) signs his 1st pro contract with Idaho Steelheads.
Not exactly the biggest scorer on the ice, he did pull off a collegiate best pair of goals last season in 34 NCAA Division 1 games, which matched all the tallies he had in 4 years at University Of Vermont Catamounts.
He was also a plus player for the first time in his college career.
The 24-year old from St. Brieux, SK will likely do well in the ECHL.
After 8 games on an ato, scoring 1 assist, the big d-man was going to return, but ultimately signed with rivals Utah Grizzlies for 2022/2023.
As a rookie, he skated 41 games, scoring 7 assists.
The big d-man has definitely been invited back for a 2nd look.
He is traded to Trois Rivieres Lions, where he does ok, getting 1 goal and 8 assists in 33 games with a +3 rating.
For 2024/2025, he is invited back under a 1-year contract.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ senior defenseman Matt Rickard(6) enters the transfer portal to skate the start of a graduate program at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks for 2024/2025.
The 6′ 170 lbs. blue liner skated 2 years juniors before college with similar numbers from the BCHL to the NAHL.
From Coventry, RI, the 25-year old should do well playing the schedule his new college team has for the upcoming frame.
4th year defenseman Ryker Killins(77) will switch up overseas leagues and heads to DEL3, joining SC Riessersee after spending 2021/2022 with Esbjerg Energy.
The 5’9″ 181 lbs. small blue liner made an impact upon turning pro from 4 years at Ferris State University Bulldogs, signing an ato with South Carolina Stingrays and putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 ECHL games with a +7 rating.
He would parlay that into a 1-year AHL deal with Tuscon Roadrunners, but was mostly dispatched to affiliate Rapid City Rush to spend his rookie season.
It’s definitely possible the 25-year old finds a good fit in Germany’s tier 3 hockey.
As thought, he found it to be a decent enough place to play and got 3 goals and 13 assists in 25 games with a +15 rating to earn a contract up to DEL2 with Bietigheim Steelers for 2023/2024.
He does ok up, but maybe doesn’t really love it and signs back down in German pro hockey with some former rivals, EC Hannover Indians for 2024/2025.
2nd year right wing Quinn Preston(43) returns from a very good EIHL season for Belfast Giants, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists with a +6 rating, to re-signing with Wichita Thunder, where in his 1st game back scores 1 goal and 1 assist.
The 5’11” 188 lbs. forward, former twice assistant captain at Ohio State University Buckeyes also racked up big numbers at juniors with Dubuque Fighting Saints and at high school.
From Trenton, MI, the 26-year old could use a loan up to the AHL to see what gives.
After 17 games, scoring a fairly tidy 3 goals and 9 assists, he finds himself traded to another team that wants him, Kalamazoo Wings.
He gets 3 goals and 7 assists in 16 games with a +2 rating with his new club and is invited to return for a full season in a Wings‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
USNTDP‘s 2nd year left wing Austin Baker(9) is big enough and scores decently to earn himself a Detroit Red Wings‘ 7th round pick in the 2024 draft (#203 overall) and will take his game to a 2024/2025 commit at Michigan State University Spartans.
8th year left wing Matt Wilkins(91) will try yet another league to add to the notches on his belt overseas, joining Slovak Extraliga, signing a 1-year deal with HC Banska Bystrica, which will definitely take it up a big notch for the former Union College 2014 NCAA Division 1 Champion, as a sophomore.
Last season, the 5’11” 190 lbs. forward won the Swiss tier 2 2023 SL Championship with HC La Chaux-da-Fonds, had most points in one session and most assists the previous the 2-year he played AlpsHL for Gherdeina and even raised the 2012 AJHL Championship as a junior with twice holding down most assists.
The 32-year old from Kimberley, BC, who started with 2 ECHL years for Reading Royals, putting up big numbers, has to be happy with the results of his game, despite maybe not reaching for the highest levels.
In 49 games, he blows up scoring with 19 goals and 33 assists, but decides to leave for Ligue Magnus, signing with Les Ducs D’Angers.
Michigan State University Spartans‘ senior right wing Jeremy Davidson(11) had a college best 12 goals and tied his sophomore point mark of 22 last season.
The 5’10” 177 lbs. forward signs with South Carolina Stingrays for his ECHL rookie season in 2024/2025.
He came up through the Honeybaked youth hockey system, then a pair of USHL seasons, scoring pretty well.
UMASS Minutemen was the 1st school he committed to, as a freshman, but maybe Hockey East didn’t work out the way he wanted and shifted college hockey closer to home in Kalamazoo, MI.
The 24-year old should do well.
Providence College‘s undrafted, sophomore net minder Jaxson Stauber(30) picked up his 10th win of the season in a recent game vs. Northeastern University Huskies, 4-2.
The 6’3″ 175 lbs. goalie has posted a 11-7-5 record for 2020/2021 with 4 shutouts.
He spent two years with Sioux Falls Stampede and won the 2019 Clark Cup MVP honors with a 1.46 GAA and .941 SV@ and 11-1-0 record, then committed to Minnesota State University-Mankato started one game, won it, wasn’t getting enough ice time and went back to junior hockey.
After a 3rd stellar year in the USHL, the Wayzata, MN-native committed to attend college east and away from home.
As a still young 21-year old he’s definitely getting the looks and it will be interesting where his choice of school leads him.
He was even more stingy in his junior season than he was the year prior and has decided to sign a 2-year entry level deal with Chicago Blackhawks, foregoing his senior frame.
This does make sense for the now 22-year old.
He goes 5-1 in 6 NHL starts, but plays the lion share with affiliate Rockford Icehogs, then doesn’t receive a qualifying offer to continue.
Utah Hockey Club steps in to offer him a 1-year, 2-way deal for 2024/2025.
Northeast Generals‘ 2nd year defenseman Owen Locke(2) will take his game with his brother Michael Locke to a 2024/2025 commit at Manhattanville University Valiants.
The 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner takes 2 NA3HL seasons recording 15 assists with a mighty combined +58 rating with him.
From Wakefield, MA, the 20-year old seems very ready.
