Category: College Hockey Player

Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ 2022/2023 commit, 2nd year Johnstown Tomahawks‘ defenseman Dustin Geregach(26) is definitely on his way to junior high marks, already grabbing a best 5 goals and 19 points with a +9 rating in just 28 NAHL games.

The 6′ 181 lbs., 20-year old blue liner has definitely put up points in the past through high school and youth hockey clubs, so may restart that in a bigger way as he heads into Atlantic Hockey play, but staying accountable is huge as well.

He signs a deal with Greenville Swamp Rabbits upon tourney completion and goes on to score 2 goals and 11 assists in 18 ECHL games.

This is easily good enough to earn an invite to join the team for his official rookie season, 2025/2026.

An early trade last season sent him to Orlando Solar Bears and the result is points like he score late in college hockey, thus getting a new deal to stay for 2026/2027.

In 54 games, he scores 5 goals and 14 assists with a +1 rating that gets him dealt and signed to a new 1-year deal with Wheeling Nailers for future considerations.

 

St. Michael’s College Purple Knights‘ sophomore left wing AJ Sacco(16) scored 10 goals and 8 assists in 29 games with a +7 rating last season.

The 5’8″ 165 lbs. forward was a good scoring through USHS-Prep and did only 1 year USPHL/NCDC, scoring 11 goals and 11 assists before school.

From Middleton, MA, we look for the 20-year old to continue to increase play.

He is the son of former NHL-er David Sacco.

Reading Royals‘ 2nd year center Jacob Frasca(19) considered a college career after a pretty successful rookie ECHL season, signing with Merrimack College Warriors.

The 6’4″ 216 lbs. forward played 3 games, scoring no points and has decided to return to the Royals for 2026/2027.

From Brampton, ON, he did 4 years of OHL junior hockey, including a dead COVID 2020/2021 frame.

The 23-year old is likely to pick up where he left off as a pro.

 

12th year center Nick Shore(73) swaps close to 2 years, scoring good numbers with HV71 for 1 at Linkoping HC 2024/2025.

The 3rd round Los Angeles Kings‘ draft pick in the 2011 draft (#82 overall)

He initially left North American hockey after his 3rd straight year in the NHL and left for 1 year in the KHL.

Wooed back for another spin in the biggest league, taking his total up to 299 games, he didn’t really put up the numbers and next found the net on multiple occasions in Slovakia Extraliga, but swapped that quickly for hockey in Switzerland, signing with EV Zug.

The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward would help his team win the 2021 NL Championship.

He returned to Russia, but the former 3-year University Of Denver Pioneers went back before switching to Sweden, where he stays.

The 31-year old from Denver, CO has made a neat little journey out of playing pro hockey for himself.

For 2026/2027, he signed a short term contract in NL with HC Lugano that turns into a full fledged deal, as he scores 2 goals and 11 assists in 14 games to stay.

Rivier University Raiders‘ junior right wing Matt Horan(12) left school to sign a 1st pro contract for 2025/2026 with Columbus River Dragons, where in 5 FPHL games he has 1 goal and 1 assist with a +1 rating.

The 5’11” 170 lbs. forward played New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs‘ program mostly through youth hockey before ultimately latching on with their USPHL Premier team for his best scoring output.

From Methuen, MA, the 24-year old did 2 successful years at Franklin Pierce University Ravens before leaving.

He splits time between 3 teams as a rookie, but for his 2nd season in the league was picked up in a dispersal draft by Blue Ridge Bobcats and signed to a pto for the 2026/2027 frame.

New Jersey Devils‘ 12th year goaltender Connor Hellebuyck(37) came over recently after 11 seasons in net with draft team, Winnipeg Jets.

The 6’4″ 207 lbs. net minder did 2 absolutely stellars years at UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks before signing his NHL entry level contract.

From Commerce, MI, the 33-year old gets a 1st start and wins it 5-1 against a good team is right where we figured it for the 7-year $59.5M guy to win them another Cup.

New York Islanders‘ 1st round pick in the 2016 draft (#19 overall), left wing Kieffer Bellows(81) signs a 1-year deal as a restricted free agent to stay.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward play the entire 2020/2021 session up with the big club, but only skated 14 games, scoring 3 goals, so was either a healthy scratch or reassigned to the taxi squad.

As a 2nd year player, he would score an AHL best 22 goals and 9 assists for 31 points for affiliate Bridgeport Islanders (Sound Tigers).

The former Edina High School, MN native was selected to head to Boston University Terriers and went onto 2 very successful USHL seasons before heading to college, but only lasted there for one year before deciding to split for Portland Winterhawks.

In 56 WHL games, he scored 41 goals and 33 assists with a +40 rating.

The 23-year old is son of former NHL player of 1188 games, Brian Bellows.

He would end up playing his 1st full frame in the big league, skating a healthy 45 games, scoring a not so bad 6 goals and 13 assists that would lead to his new 1-year, 1-way deal worth a tidy $1.2M AAV.

For 2022/2023, he would start on the roster, but it was decided to waive with the intention of reporting to the minors, but Philadelphia Flyers didn’t let him sit long and pulled him in.

He’s played 3 games with his new team, and although all loses, he’s kept it simple in his 10+ minutes of play and is only a -1.

We think the now 24-year old finds his footing, sticks and starts to make an impression.

He actually doesn’t really find his footing with 3 goals through 27 games.

For 2023/2024, he signed a pto with Toronto Marlies, is scoring big, not looking back and gets a deal for the current season.

Nashville Predators see something for their weighted 2024/2025 lineup that may start with affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, but could get a call up for the 1st time in a couple of frames.

He takes some solid regular season play and point-per-game playoff looks to something new on his pro hockey playing career, a deal overseas with Brynas IF of the SHL, which should heed good results for him.

In 43 games, he has 7 goals and 7 assists with a +3 rating to earn himself an invite to be with Brynas again through 2027/2028.

He starts 2026/2027 pretty hot with 7 goals and 2 assists in 12 games with a +4 rating to earn another year that now runs into 2028/2029 to stay with Brynas IF.

Norfolk Admirals‘ 2nd year Russian-born left wing Denis Smirnov(8) is looking to up his totals from his 1st year with the team, when he scored 9 goals and 12 assists in 39 ECHL games.

The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward already has 7 goals and 9 assists, so things are looking quite positive.

He came over pretty quickly to play youth hockey, displaying amazing numbers to get drafted into juniors and wins the USHL Clark Cup Championship in his 1st of 3 years in the league.

Penn State University Nittany Lions‘ 4-year scorer took a couple of years after college hockey through COVID to establish his game as a pro.

He is an exciting player to watch.

In 51 games, he scores 14 goals and 32 asssists with a +3 rating to earn an easy invite back in an Admirals‘ jersey for 2024/2025.

He’s a high scoring free agent heading into 2025/2026 and a powerhouse team, Toledo Walleye step in to offer him a 1-year deal.

In a league high 54 games, he scores 15 goals and 20 assists, but gets a trade to Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he will very likely just continue.

He scores 2 goals and 3 assists in 13 games that Cleveland Monsters are eyeing and sign him to a 2-way deal that has him going to new affiliate Wheeling Nailers for 2026/2027.