Undrafted right wing Eric Cooley(27) signs a 1st pro contract with last year’s AHL champs, Chicago Wolves for 2022/2023.
The small-ish 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward played a graduate season at Ohio State University Buckeyes after finishing up 4 years at Niagara University Purple Eagles.
He played only a single NAHL season in junior hockey for Amarillo Bulls.
The 24-year old from Pittsburgh, PA should find a little more room to score.
He was also a recent invite to Carolina Hurricanes’ Development Camp.
For most of last season, he would spend with affiliate Norfolk Admirals, skating 42 ECHL games, scoring 9 goals and 10 assists.
He played 7 games with his contract club, recording 1 assist.
Utica Comets see something they can use and sign him up to a 1-year deal for 2023/2024.
9th year defenseman Jake Chelios(7) continues to have luck with 4th year KHL team, Kunlun Red Star.
The 6′ 198 lbs. blue liner had decent success through 296 AHL games, getting 17 goals and 91 assists with a 0 rating.
In 24 games this season, he has 1 goal and 7 assists.
The former Michigan State University Spartans had a nice 19 assists as a senior and does have a 5 NHL appearances to his credit.
At 31-years old, the son of former great Chris Chelios(24) is likely happy to still be playing at a high level of hockey.
In the last frame, he recorded a Russian league tying 3rd goal and new best 17 assists and 20 points in 51 games, so pretty obviously he needs to stay put under a new 2-year deal and continue on his China-based team.
Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ graduate netminder Tyler Harmon(30) concludes his college career and signs a 1st pro deal with Atlanta Gladiators, then is pressed into action immediately to score himself a 1st 2-1 win against a better Greenville Swamp Rabbits‘ team.
The 6’2″ 205 lbs. goalie did 5 years at University Of Vermont Catamounts, but only twice saw more than 10 appearances in a frame.
A Jonesville, MI native, it looks that he came east for most of his youth and junior hockey before committing.
No doubt someone said, give the 25-year old the game puck for the debut victory.
It’s basically a no-brainer to want him back in a Gladiators‘ uniform for his official rookie season 2023/2024.
Trinity College Bantams 2023/2024 commit, defenseman Joe Harney(3) put up some pretty great NAHL numbers in his 1st year in the junior league with New Jersey Jr. Titans.
The 6′ 165 lbs. blue liner put up a quite impressive 7 goals and 25 assists over 58 games with a +16 rating.
A Needham, MA native, he initially went north and settle on playing for Backfalds Bulldogs of the AJHL.
The 21-year old is likely going to contribute as an incoming freshman.
11th year retired defenseman Nate Guenin(2) accepts the job as Assistant Head Coach at his former school of 4 years, where he was a captain as a senior with Ohio State University Buckeyes.
A former 2002 4th round pick (#127 overall) by New York Rangers but never signed and ultimately inked with Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent.
He retired from pro hockey after playing for San Diego Gulls in 2016/2107, at age 35 years old with 521 AHL and 205 NHL games to his credit.
There is little doubt, the Aliquippa, PA native will do fine in his new role.
10th year defenseman Matthew Maione(18) signs with his 9th overseas team and 7th different league for 2023/2024, agreeing to terms with AIK of HockeyAllsvenskan.
He had one really successful run in the KHL for Dinamo Riga, grabbing 11 goals and 35 assists and won the 2017 Slovak Extraliga Championship with the famous HC Banska Bystrica.
The small 5’9″ but stocky 191 lbs. blue liner twice had most points by a defenseman in Liiga and the ECHL.
A Toronto, ON native, he played 3 OHL seasons before heading to 4 years at University Of Prince Edward Island Panthers before turning pro.
The 32-year old is bound to do well in Sweden’s tier 2 league and may even get a loan up.
Boston Bruins‘ 11th year, former 2-year University Of Wisconsin Badgers‘ captain, center Craig Smith(12) has twice accumulated 50+ points, once 40+, 5 time 30+ including 32 last season, his first with his new NHL team after 9 for draft club Nashville Predators (4th round 2009, #98 overall).
The 6′ 207 lbs. power forward is in the 2nd year of a 3-year deal he signed in unrestricted free agency and the relationship has certainly been a healthy one.
A bit hard to believe the 32-year old skated 3 seasons for Waterloo Blackhawks, blowing the lid off scoring and getting everyone’s attention in that final frame.
It’s got to be nice still getting really good deals.
Traded to Washington Capitals as his contract was set to expire, he went to a non-playoff team, but fit in decently, getting 5 goals and an assist in 22 games with a +1 rating to grab a new deal from Dallas Stars worth $800,000 AAV with a $200,000 signing bonus.
Good beans.
9th year center Carter Rowney(24) waits fairly deep into unrestricted free agency after a down season hampered by injury and the last of his 3-year deal with Anaheim Ducks for a new 1-year contract to Detroit Red Wings in 2021/2022.
The 6’1″ 208 lbs. forward started his 1st three seasons on AHL deals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he was almost literally climbing the ranks.
By his 3rd year the former University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks‘ 4-year skater was 100% with the team and took his scoring up to a new level with 24 goals and 32 assists with a +23 rating, then added another 12 points (4-8) in 10 playoff contests.
This earned him his first NHL contract with Pittsburgh Penguins, where you split time during the season between the two leagues, but were mostly up near the end and figured in 20 playoff games, scoring 3 assists and a +3 rating on the way to the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship.
An unrestricted free agent going into the next frame, he signed his three year deal worth $1.133,333 AAV.
Other than last season’s bit of a fiasco, he’s a pretty decent scorer, who earn the money he was getting on a team almost in constant rebuild.
The 32-year old should find good space with his new team to be a contributor on the scoresheet.
For his 10th season, he leaves for Germany’s top league DEL and signs for 2022/2023 with Lowen Franfort, already putting up 2 assists in his debut game.
Through 55 games, he had a career best 37 assists and 58 points to earn him easily another year to stay German.
Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ 2023/2024 commit, 3rd year Northeast Generals‘ defenseman captain Jackson McCarthy(2) is a sizable 6’2″ 205 lbs. wall in the zone, who is tough for offenders to get around.
Extending a year from what he was originally set to do, he left with career high in juniors of 4 goals, but his 2nd year assists at 19 in 60 NAHL games with a +5 rating was his best in that category.
The 19-year old from Senaca, NY will be a nice freshman entry into Atlantic Hockey play.
11th defenseman Mark Borowiecki(90) is in the 2nd year of his deal he signed as an unrestricted free agent with Nashville Predators after spending his first 375 NHL games with draft club Ottawa Senators (5th round, 2008, #139 overall).
Through 40 games in the current frame, the 6’2″ 204 lbs. blue liner has a pair of assists and is a +2 rating to earn a midseason 1-year extension worth $900K AAV to stay on in music city.
The Ottawa native attended Clarkson University Golden Knights for 3 seasons, including serving as captain in his junior year.
He was a huge part of Binghamton Senators’ 2011 Calder Cup Championship after finishing up school and signing an entry level contract.
The 32-year old has to wearing a huge smile on his face looking back over his huge career.
Limited to only 4 games last season, he has to rethink his position moving forward and decides it’s time to leave the game for a different look and quickly is hired up by his last team to become NHL Pro Development Coach, a role he will be perfect in.
