Category: College Hockey Player

14Feb

Mick Messner (87)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

Merrimack College Crusaders‘ senior left wing Mick Messner(87) is having a breakout campaign in his 2nd year with the team since being a portal transfer from 2 seasons at University Of Wisconsin Badgers.

In just 7 NCAA Division 1 games, he has a goal and 4 assists with a +4 rating.

The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward had mostly always connected for points through close to home high school in Madison, WI and 2 and a half USHL seasons for the Capitals.

At still just 22-years old looks poised to post Hockey East college career highs in 2021/2022, making him a nice unrestricted rookie pick up, if he decides to turn pro.

He spends a graduate season at the school and posts 5 goals and 4 assists in 35 games with a +6 rating on the way to a Hockey East Finals bout.

It takes him little time to agree to a pro deal, signing with Utah Grizzlies, where he has no points through 6 games with a +1 rating.

His efforts earn him an ECHL contract for 2023/2024 to wear that Grizzlies‘ jersey as a rookie.

He had a nice full frame, scoring 15 goals and 23 assists in a full slate of 72 games, gets him wanted back to continue wearing that Utah shirt.

As an assistant, he scores a new pro best 16 goals and 24 assists in another complete 72 game schedule and will return for his 3rd season as Grizzlies‘ team captain.

After 3 games, he has a change of attitude, sees an opportunity overseas to sign with HC Banska Bystrica for 2025/2026 in Slovak Extraliga and has an assist in his debut.

With 4 goals and 4 assists in 28 games, we don’t think it’s such a bad showing, but maybe he’s not as happy as he wants to be and shifts his game to sign with Glasgow Clan of the EIHL for the remainder of 2025/2026.

14Feb

Michael Bullion (50)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

4th year goaltender Michael Bullion(50) was a free agent heading into 2025/2026 after a decent season with Worcester Railers.

The 6′ 198 lbs. net minder signed with Jacksonville Icemen.

He has played 15 games with a winning record so far.

After 4 campaigns in the WHL, the Anchorage, AK native went to University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology 3 years, then 1 at the name change Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks before turning pro.

The 28-year old started in the SPHL and has been loaned up to the AHL, but we think he looks elsewhere next.

14Feb

Kevin Conley (20)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

4th year center Kevin Conley(20) has played most of his time in the AHL under contract to teams in the league and this year signed with Manitoba Moose for a 2nd season, but after 2 goals in 5 games has been mostly reassigned to affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

The 6’1″ 205 lbs. has 9 goals and 8 assists in 28 games in the ECHL and maybe got a little bored, so is off to find some better hockey and signs with Graz99ers of the IceHL for what’s remaining of 2025/2026.

From Wassua, WI, he did 1 year with University Of Denver Pioneers, but was maybe a little unhappy as to how it turned out despite scoring ok and returned to the USHL for a year before signing up with University Of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks for 4 seasons.

The 28-year old, twice captain of his college team should find some good hockey over there.

13Feb

Luke Pavicich (30)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

Rookie goaltender Luke Pavicich(30) has had a hard time settling with a team, but has played 8 games with 4th club, Cincinnati Cyclones, so could be settling.

The 6’3″ 194 lbs. net minder was a senior at Arizona State University Sun Devils and did good with a 13-9 record.

He was also at UMASS Minutemen 2 seasons doing pretty well before heading to UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks for his junior year.

From Clarence Center, NY, the 23-year did many years in the Buffalo Jr. Sabres youth hockey system.

13Feb

Keith Smilowitz (34)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Juniors, Transfers | Leave a comment

Express Hockey Club 2nd year center Keith Smilowitz(34) takes an EHL best 7 goals and 18 assists to a 2024/2025 commit at Post University Eagles.

The 6′ 194 lbs. forward has definitely been able to score as he has come up.

From Sarver, PA, the 20-year old will definitely help this Northeast-10 club score more.

He gets very little playing time, only 3 games, which easily has him wanting more, so he enters the transfer portal to head to the new D3 program at Hiram College Terriers for 2025/2026.

In 18 games, he has 4 goals and 2 assists on a very young team.

13Feb

Casey Sturm (20)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors | Leave a comment

New England College Pilgrims‘ freshman defenseman Casey Sturm(20) has been trying to work himself into the lineup on a regular basis and has played 9 games with 2 goals and 2 assists with a +1 rating to prove his worth.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. blue liner did most of 3 years in juniors, twice hitting 14 assists.

He even had 3 points in 2 playoff games with New Jersey Bears in his 1 EHL season.

From Lake In The Hills, IL, the 20-year old should continue to do better.

12Feb

Wyatt McLeod (2)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Trois-Rivieres Lions‘ 2nd year defenseman Wyatt McLeod(2) had 22 assists and 23 points last season, a new high for all of his playing career.

In 23 ECHL games in 2025/2026, he has 1 goal and 6 assists with a +10 rating.

The 6’3″ 204 lbs. blue liner did 5 years of WHL, but left his final season to join Utah Grizzlies.

Through 15 games, he had 2 goals and 2 assists.

He next decided to head to University Of Alberta Golden Bears for 3 campaigns before the 25-year old turned pro again.

In 40 games, he has 2 goals and 9 assists with a +6 rating, but decides to head for a bit of a trickier hockey to play and heads for Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Poprad for the rest of 2025/2026.

12Feb

Blake Christensen (27)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Undrafted, 2nd year left wing Blake Christensen(27) takes a weirdo COVID run rookie season with Bakersfield Condors, but only appearing in a limited 10 AHL games, getting a pair of tallies, including a game-winner.

The small 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward signs a new deal to play in the exact rink he spent his college days at, the Mass Mutual Center, inking for 2021/2022 with Springfield Thunderbirds.

He had four solid years, graduating with 48 goals, 71 assists, 119 points, while skating for an outstanding America International College Yellowjackets team in 142 Atlantic Hockey games.

The Coral Springs, FL native spent two seemingly uninspired campaigns in the USHL before leaving to the BCHL to finish up before school and produced pretty well with Wenatchee Wild.

He was also given a nice chance to play a little hockey in Fjordkraftligaen for Manglerud, connecting for a nice 4 goals and 5 assists.

We think the 25-year old is still getting his wheels on the cart.

After scoring 18 goals and 10 assists on loan to Worcester Railers, he signs a 1-year ECHL deal for 2022/2023 to stick around and pot more tallies.

He records a career best 15 assists in his 2nd frame through 35 games, but gets an offer to join HC Thurgau for their SL playoff run and jumps at the opportunity.

In 4 contests, he has a goal and 2 assists with a +2 rating, but could have suffered an injury.

For 2023/2024, he decides to return to the Railers and hopes to build on what he established with them early.

He maybe doesn’t quite score as much as he did in his rookie campaign, but has a new high assists with 15.

New league club Tahoe Knight Monsters see the upside in his game and sign him for 2024/2025.

He is actually traded to Kalamazoo Wings, where he continues scoring, but in his 2nd run with the team isn’t going quite as well and he is waived only to be picked up quick by Rapid City Rush to see if they can find those points in his game again.