Maine Nordiques‘ 1st year center Aidan Coupe(29) had a buzzsaw of a final junior NAHL season, scoring 17 goals and 20 assists in 55 games with a +12 rating to commit 2023/2024 to Salve Regina University Seahawks.
The 5’11” 165 lbs. forward from Gilbert, AZ played last season with Old Grizzlys of the AJHL and previously skated for Islanders HC of the USPHL/NCDC division, as a 1st year player.
He should definitely help the team win some more CCC games.
Former 2-year University Of Vermont Catamounts‘ rookie center Ross Colton(79) pocketed the only goal, the game-winner in game 5, to help Tampa Bay Lightning win their 2nd straight Stanley Cup Championship.
The 6′ 191 lbs. forward had 4 goals and 2 assists through 23 NHL Playoff contests with a +4 rating, while playing only an average of just over 10 minutes per appearance.
He also had 4 tallies to win games throughout the 2020/2021 season.
The 24-year old is set to become a restricted free agent for the first time in his pro career and will likely expect a nice, healthy increased pay day for his next likely long-term contract.
As his contract is set to expire, off a season where he scored 16 goals and 16 assists, he gets dished to Colorado Avalanche, as he’s set to make too much money for his original club to be able to afford and grabs a nifty 4 year $4M AAV deal to step it up with his new club.
2nd year Metro Jets‘ French-born right wing Andreas Fleutot(16) struck gold in his 1st USPHL Premier frame with the team capturing 27 goals and 48 assists in 41 games, then in his 2nd outing had 26 goals and assists in 31 matchups.
For 2023/2024, he commits to Westfield State University Owls and will definitely be helpful as an incoming freshman.
He did a lot of his youth hockey back home and even played 1 France2 game for Mont-Blanc.
The 20-year is likely just happy to be headed to such a good school.
Undrafted, 6th year goaltender Adam Carlson(31) makes the easy decision to return for another, third season to tend net for Rapid City Rush.
He had an ok enough campaign in 2020/2021, but we’re thinking the 6’3″ 190 lbs. back stop will look more like he did when he arrived in 2018/2019.
Originally signed to a 2-year entry level deal by Washington Capitals after coming off just one year of college at Mercyhurst University Lakers, he would mostly be reassigned to ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays.
The 27-year old may have found a pretty solid place to call his hockey home for awhile.
He would spend all of 2021/2022 on the injured reserve list and even ended up as assistant coach on the bench as the frame was wrapping up, but will return to the net for 2022/2023, his 4th in a Rush uniform.
After 35 Rush starts last season, posting an admirable 15-15-2 record with a 3.35 GAA and .897 SV% on a non-playoff team, he has decided maybe that is enough for suiting up for a pro hockey game again and onto a different path.
He was behind the bench when he was injured likely comes with some managerial smarts, so we do believe that’s where we will see him next.
Boston University Terriers‘ absolute tower of a 6’6″ 183 lbs. senior defenseman John Copeland(27) signs a 1st pro deal keeping it all close to his Wellesley, MA home with Worcester Railers of the ECHL for 2023/2024.
He’s only really skated 45 games, registering an assist, although he was a +4 rating player as a senior.
After 4 years at Belmont Hill USHS-Prep and an outstanding senior frame, he played on one year of CCHL juniors for Carleton Place Canadians before heading to school.
Seacoast Spartans‘ 2nd EHL season right wing Kenny Maxwell(3) put up junior career high 20 goals and 22 assists in the last frame, then added another 4 points in 5 playoff matchups.
The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward will take his talents to Elmira College Soaring Eagles for a 2023/2024 freshman commit.
From Oakhurst, NJ, the 20-year old should do well in the UCHC and other D3 opponents they face.
Former Cornell University Big Red captain, center Morgan Barron(47) is steady as he goes with Hartford Wolf Pack.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward has points in 9 of 12 AHL appearances with a recent 2 goal effort.
He signed his 3-year entry level deal with draft club (6th round, 2017, #174) New York Rangers as he was likely becoming aware college hockey would be shutting down for 2020/2021 at his school and it looks to be a great decision.
The Canadian-born player already had 3 years of schooling at St. Andrews College in Ontario before committing to an American school to further his education and hockey goals.
Still only 22-years old we’d say he’s already lived a couple of lives and is on the radar to may even be pitched a look in the show this season.
Well, that most definitely happened, as late in 2020/2021, he was recalled, skated 5 games and even got a 1st NHL goal.
He was a point-per-game guy in the minors last session and did decently again this frame, but was again pulled back up for 13 games, getting an assist.
The deep selection is trade bait though, as is dished to Winnipeg Jets with one year left on his entry level contract.
After 70 games in a Jets‘ jersey, scoring 8 goals and 13 assists, he is offered up 2-years 1-way to stay through 2024/2025.
Big 6’5″ 218 lbs. right wing Dominic Franco(11) signed with Charlotte Checkers for 2022/2023, skated 49 AHL games, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists with a 0 rating, then added 2 points in 7 playoff matchups with a +3.
When reassigned down to affiliate Florida Everblades, he was essentially a point-per-game player and ran a 10-game point streak.
He first signed 2 minor league contracts with Rochester Americans after completing 4 years at the US Army West Point Black Knights, where he 3 times was good for 10+ goals and 10+ assists in frames.
We still the 27-year old from Scituate, MA is finding his way to the net with more frequency.
For 2023/2024, he signed a 1-year minor league deal with Chicago Wolves.
5th year net minder Charles Williams(1) in his 2nd term with Jacksonville Icemen is off to a good 2-2-1 start with a 2.16 GAA and .919 SV%.
He was decently solid in his first session with the team in 2020/2021.
The 4-year Ferris State University Bulldogs, then transfer portal entry to a graduate year at Canisius College Golden Griffins that really helped him shine with a 21-7-5 record and outstanding 1.82 GAA and .943 SV%.
He’s appeared in 164 ECHL games, posting a 91-53-13 record.
You have to wonder with one more good run, if the 29-year might look overseas for some different kind of ice.
After an overall solid season in net, going 13-14-1 on a win-some-lose-some team, but then holding down for a stellar 1.32 GAA and .952 SV% definitely has him eyeing a return to see if he can’t get the job done for a championship in northern FL.
The 31-year old from Detroit, MI has decided to turn his attention off the ice and agrees to become Goaltending Coach and Director Of Community Hockey Development for the Icemen.
6th year center Ryan Fitzgerald(13) re-signs with Lehigh Valley Phantoms to stay for a 3rd season, after spending all but 4 AHL on the injured reserve in the last frame.
Originally a Boston Bruins‘ 4th round pick in the 2013 draft (#140 overall), the 5’9″ 172 lbs. forward spent 4 years in the system amassing points for their affiliate Providence Bruins.
A huge scorer as a junior at Boston College Eagles, amassing 24 goals and 23 assists in 40 NCAA Division 1 games, he definitely has it in his arsenal to score big as a pro.
The 27-year old from Boca Raton, FL will certainly be one to watch to see if he can play himself up to the highest level, where his dad Tom Fitzgerald played some 1097 NHL games to his credit.
He spent most of last season once again on the injured list, but did manage to appear in 13 games, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist with a +1 rating.
Teams must see the potential in his scoring though, as Utica Comets step in quickly to sign the unrestricted free agent for 2023/2024.
