UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ freshman center Diego Buttazzoni(90) enters the transfer portal with his older brother, Mirko and will play next season as a sophomore at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, 2026/2027.
The 5’9″ 183 lbs. forward had 6 goals and 6 assists in 29 games last season.
He did 3 WHL junior seasons with Portland Winterhawks before committing.
UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ sophomore left wing Mirko Buttazzoni(17) had a college best 5 goals and 14 assists as a freshman that he takes into the transfer portal to go play at Sacred Heart University Pioneers in his junior year, 2026/2027.
The 5’11” 190 lbs. forward had 2 strong scoring BCHL seasons before committing.
From Langley, BC, the 21-year old should play better Atlantic Hockey style.
Providence Bruins‘ undrafted rookie Latvian-born forward Eduards Tralmaks(34) scored his first pro goal in the first period of his AHL debut.
He spent 4 years at University Of Maine as a fairly consistent scorer grabbing 39 goals and 43 assists in 119 NCAA games with a solid +22 rating.
Arriving as a 14-year old, he got right to the stat sheet in 3 sessions of youth hockey before starting his 1st campaign for the Boston Bandits (now Bridgewater Jr. Bandits) of the EHL, where once again he ran up scoring totals and was scouted by the college and sent to the USHL Chicago Steel.
There he won the 2017 Clark Cup Championship and was named MVP before arriving at school the following year.
At 6’4″ 209 lbs. he’s a big power forward, great around the net, who may get himself a look from an NHL club to see if he has what it takes to make the next step up.
The 24-year old accomplished 2 goals and 2 assists in 8 games with a +1 rating in his pro debut.
It looks as though he is set to return to Rhode Island for a rookie season, as he is fully in training camp with parent club, Boston Bruins.
After 2 seasons of decent enough scoring, he decides to move on and signs a 1-year deal with Rytiri Kladno and will skate the very decent level of game in Czechia Extraliga.
He scores 21 goals and 11 assists in 52 games, but is a horrible -20 rating, yet is wanted to return to Kladne crew for 2024/2025.
In 2 years, he proves there’s no doubt he can put up big points, 23 goals and 28 assists in 48 games last season to score a new deal with Detroit Red Wings for 1-year on a 2-way contract that will see him at least 1st with affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, where we expect him to do well.
Through 64 games, he scores a new best 26 goals and 16 assists with a +29 rating that catches the attention of Edmonton Oilers, who sign him up on a 1-year deal for 2026/2027.
Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ freshman center Andrew Leblanc(14) has to transfer to a new school, as his school stops it’s commitment to D1 Hockey, so heads to Lindenwood University Lions for his sophomore season, 2026/2027.
The 6′ 186 lbs. forward scored 4 goals and 7 assists in 25 games last season.
From George Town, CYM, the 22-year old did 4 years of OHL juniors, twice 10+ goals and always 10+ assists before committing to college with his twin brother, Jacob.
Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ freshman defenseman Jacob Leblanc(18) was forced to pick a new school for 2026/2027, his sophomore season and has chosen Lindenwood University Lions.
The 6’1″ 187 lbs. blue liner had 1 goal and 15 assists in 36 games last season.
From George Town, CYM, the 22-year old has a twin brother Andrew, who plays with him, did 4 years OHL juniors, posting 40+ assists in the last 2 before committing.
Undrafted 4th year center Ryan Schmelzer(26) signs a new 1-year AHL deal with Utica Comets for 2021/2022 after spending the last three seasons skating for Binghamton Devils.
In 133 games he wracked up 23 goals and 32 assists.
The former four-year Canisius College Golden Griffiths standout got 40 goals and 66 assists in 143 NCAA Atlantic Hockey games with a quite massive +43.
Almost oddly, the Buffalo, NY native skated all his junior hockey at home for Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the Canadian OJHL and was a point per game player.
The 6’2″ 187 lbs. forward should be right at home playing his style for a new club, seeing as his team from New York went belly up after 2020/2021.
In 2021/2022, he becomes team captain and posts a new career best 18 goals and 32 points with a +6 rating, then comes away with another 2 points in 5 playoff games gets him a new deal to stay and keep grabbing points.
The word determination is definitely in his vocabulary, as he records a career high 29 assists and 35 points in his 2nd frame with the team and then goes on last season to score another 18 goals, adds new best 34 assists and 52 points with a +14 rating to earn himself a 2-year NHL deal with parent club, New Jersey Devils.
Considering he has been their captain for the last 5 years, they play on adding a 6th to his Comets‘ portfolio.
Tampa Bay Lightning were rumored to have interest in Merrimack College Warriors‘ junior defenseman Declan Carlile(3) and they confirm the news, signing him to a 2-year NHL entry level deal that will see him report to affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
The 6’2″ 192 lbs. blue liner had a college career year with a best 7 goals, 24 points and +14 rating in 35 NCAA Division 1 games.
For juniors, he first headed north and won a 2018 OJHL Championship with Wellington Dukes, passing ahead an impressive 33 helpers, then added 5 goals and 8 assists in 25 playoff games before committing to school and likely agreeing to a year in the USHL before school.
He split time between a couple of different clubs, but was able to access 15 assists.
The Flint, MI native got to school and as a freshman ran up 18 assists as a freshman, so that had to get the now still young 21-year old on the radar screen.
He would stay in the system and played 42 NHL games last season.
For 2026/2027, the unrestricted free agent signs for 2 years with Pittsburgh Penguins.
Binghamton Devils‘ undrafted 3rd year defenseman Jacob McDonald(23) is having some kind of career year with 12 goals and 20 assists in 42 AHL games.
His tallies are first in the league for his position and 2nd overall in points.
He’s in the 2nd year of a two-year deal with the team, signed near the end of 2016/2017 after a mid-season loan up from Toledo Walleye of the ECHL that obviously stuck.
The 6′ 208 lbs. d-man was chosen to be in the 2018 AHL All Star game and had a solid showing with an impressive tricky shoot out goal that should easily put him on the radar of an NHL team.
A former Waterloo Blackhawks standout before heading to four years at Cornell University there’s little doubt he’s starting to blossom, big.
At 24-years old he’s definitely on track for a 2-year entry level contract.
Not bad for a player who started as a rookie with a season for the ill-fated Elmira Jackals.
He would score his 1st NHL deal the following season and played full campaigns at least 3 times.
For 2026/2027, the now 33-year old gets a 1-year deal from Washington Capitals.
Calgary Flames‘ 8th year center Kevin Rooney(21) gets re-upped for a 1-year extension, as his 2-year deal was set to expire.
He signed for the same money $1.3M.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward has skated for 3 different teams, originally signed by New Jersey Devils after 4 years and an 2015 NCAA Division 1 national title with Providence College Friars.
He almost ironically seemed to do best in 2 seasons with New York Rangers before heading to his current club.
The 30-year old from Canton, MA has to be pretty happy how things have turned out.
After adding training camp look that didn’t quite settle, Utah Mammoth step in and offer him a 1-year 2-way deal for 2025/2026.
He spent most of last season, aside from 1 game with 1 goal with affiliate Tuscon Roadrunners and the 33-year is comfortable to signs an AHL contract to stay on for 2026/2027.
University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ graduate defenseman Logan Britt(29) had a college career best 7 goals last season.
He came over to likely prove his game even further from a pair of years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers that followed 2 with Quinnipiac University Bobcats.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played a full docket of games in each frame and had 18 assists as a junior, playing Atlantic Hockey.
From Crystal Lake, IL, he signs with Greenville Swamp Rabbits and got 1 assist in 5 games and equaled his mark in the playoffs, as they push.
Sort of a no-brainer to bring him back for his rookie season, 2024/2025 in a Rabbits‘ jersey.
Just before the new season starts, he finds himself involved in a trade that sends him to Reading Royals, where he should continue to do ECHL well.
Signed with Orlando Solar Bears for 2025/2026 and scored a new best 18 assists, 20 points.
For 2026/2027, he decides to leave and signs in the IceHL with Pioneers Vorarlberg.
