6th year center Drew Wallin(77) signs on for a 4th straight season with Springfield Thunderbirds, 2024/2025 mostly because he really seems to fit with team mentality well.
His 6’3″ 203 lbs. size definitely has some AHL bearing.
He had 2 20+ assist seasons at Bentley University Falcons.
In 2 junior NAHL sessions with Janesville Jets, he was a 30+ point scorer.
From Madison, WI, we think the 29-year old smiles as he goes.
University Of Denver Pioneers‘ Swedish-born, senior goaltender Magnus Chrona(30) signs a 2-year entry level deal with San Jose Sharks after being picked up in a trade with draft team Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was selected in the 5th round of 2018 (#152 overall).
The absolutely massive 6’6″ 216 lbs. net minder has always done well at school, winning the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Championship in what was his best season as a junior with a 28-8-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .911 SV%.
He would likely be best to sign an ato with affiliate San Jose Barracuda, as they fight to make the last playoff spot.
In his rookie year, he plays the full gambit of pro hockey leagues from the ECHL, AHL and NHL, but definitely looks to be working out the some kinks for consistency.
A big offseason trade sends him to Nashville Predators to continue and he’ll likely get the nod in net for affiliate Milwaukee Admirals to start. .
University Of Massachusetts‘ senior defenseman Colin Felix(26) signs with Lehigh Valley Phantoms to start his pro career at the AHL level.
He would leave school a 3-time Hockey East Champ and 2021 NCAA Division 1 title too.
The 6’1″ 203 lbs. blue liner was a +27 player in college, so has good accountability.
He played a pair of junior seasons, first in the NAHL, then was drafted, ended up with Madison Capitals and somehow exploded for 8 goals and 19 assists in 56 USHL games.
The 23-year old from nearby Camden, NJ will likely find success in the league and will score another look in Philadelphia Flyers‘ camp.
Unfortunately he wasn’t even given a look at the higher level and reassigned to affiliate Reading Royals, where he spent all of last season scoring 8 goals and 19 assists, putting up a mammoth +29 rating, then adding another 2 points in 11 playoff matchups.
For 2023/2024 Utica Comets saw something they like and step in to sign him.
He is mostly dispatched to affiliate Adirondack Thunder and does well enough to grab a 2024/2025 look with a 1-year contract from Rockford IceHogs.
3rd year left wing Lincoln Griffin(44) has skated most of his first two years in the SPHL, but on a pair of loans he scored 3 goals and 2 assists in 13 ECHL games as a rookie.
For 2021/2022 he agrees to terms on a new deal with Indy Fuel.
The former Northeastern University Huskies‘ forward was a decent scorer at college, taking his totals up to new highs as a senior (7-14-21) with a +20 rating.
He was a big scorer through 4 years at Thayer Academy.
The 24-year old from Walpole, MA should be able to elevate his game in the higher league.
He would actually end up playing the entire 2021/2022 frame with Cincinnati Cyclones, scoring an almost bananas, best by a mile 21 goals and 25 assists in 57 games.
There’s little doubt he would be invited back to try to win the whole league thing.
He is taking a very good 2nd frame with the team from Ohio to a new adventure, signing a 1-year deal with HK Nitra to play his next games in Slovak Extraliga 2023/2024.
Only managing to get into 12 games over there, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist, he decides to return home to the team he knows and obviously likes a lot, having spent more than 100 games with in the Cyclones for 2023/2024.
Another solid season of getting points and he is back for a 3rd swing through Cincinnati and may be searching for a home.
Long Island University Sharks‘ senior right wing Nolan Welsh(17) signs a 1st pro deal after wrapping up the team’s independent schedule.
The 6′ 185 lbs. forward inks with Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL.
He wasn’t exactly the biggest scorer through 4 college years, getting a best 12 assists as a junior and six goals his senior frame.
The Burnaby, BC native played 4 BCHL junior seasons before school.
At 24-years old, he is likely ready for that next step.
For his rookie season, he signs with Reading Royals 2024/2025 and should score much like he did in juniors.
UMass Minutemen undrafted center Carson Gicewicz(15) missed most of 2019/2020, as he was readying to skate his fourth campaign at St. Lawrence University Saints, so he decided to take his extra year of eligibility for another season and enter the transfer portal, which saw him show up in western MA.
It was a great decision as he simply burst on the score sheet with his new club, striking for new highs 17 goals (a team best) and 24 points with a +8 rating.
The very decently sized forward 6’3″ 212 lbs. also won himself a piece on a 2021 NCAA National Championship.
With his new hardware and heightened profile, he signs a first pro contract with Rockford IceHogs of the AHL that will extend through the 2022/2023 campaign.
We think the huge question that will need to get answered is will the 24-year old play himself onto the radar of the parent club, Chicago Blackhawks to score himself an NHL contract.
After over 100 games in the midwest, he is dealt to Rochester Americans at the deadline to finish up last season there.
For 2023/2024, Milwaukee Admirals, who had their own deep playoff push last round, see something in the big frame they can use.
He gets reassigned to Atlanta Gladiators for most of last frame, despite doing decently for the contract club.
In 43 ECHL games, he scores 6 goals and 21 assists, but will next play his game for Florida Everblades in 2024/2025.
Colgate University Raiders‘ big 6’4″ 226 lbs. graduate center Ethan Manderville(14) signs a 1st pro contract with Indy Fuel for 2024/2025.
He scored a new best 9 goals and 19 points in 36 games last season.
From Philadelphia, PA, the 24-year old is likely to do well in the ECHL.
Worcester Jr. Railers‘ 1st year center Marcus Chrisafidelis(7) commits to the new D3 team at Keene State College Owls for 2024/2025.
The small 5’6″ 150 lbs. forward actually played 4 games with Westfield State University Owls in 2022/2023 after high school.
He scored 24 goals and 20 assists through 38 games last season, then added 5 goals and 5 assists in 10 playoffs games en route to the 2024 EHL Championship.
The 20-year old from Marlborough, MA will do well playing the independent schedule.
Kansas City Mavericks‘ rookie defenseman Noah Delmas(24) is having a season that maybe exists a little below the radar as he’s on a team that’s still in the hunt but currently at the bottom of their division and he has only tallied a goal and 3 assists through 26 ECHL games.
The 6′ 195 lbs. blue liner was named team captain for Niagara University Purple Eagles, but failed to connect as he did as a sophomore and junior, when he scored 25 assists in both frames and even potted 15 goals in his third year.
He was a 2018 invite to Toronto Maple Leafs‘ development camp.
Playing most of his junior hockey with close to home club Aurora Tigers of the OJHL, the Newmarket, ON native did come down for 17 USHL games with Bloomington Thunder after committing to college, it didn’t last and he headed back for a bit of a playoff push with his former team.
It’s likely the 25-year old will continue in the league he accepted but also wouldn’t be out of the question for him to get a few nods at AHL life.
He signed on for another tour with his 1st pro club and in 32 games, had new best marks of 2 goals and 7 assists with a +2 rating, but he decided to head off to the EIHL, signing for the remainder of 2021/2022 with Manchester Storm.
In 18 games over in England, he grabbed 2 goals and 2 assists, but was a bit of a lowly -8 rating.
He is welcome “home” though, signing a 1-year deal with Worcester Railers for 2022/2023 that will likely see him achieve his best results.
After a decent enough 3rd frame in central MA, scoring 2 goals and 16 assists, but with a horrible plus/minus signs for 2023/2024 with GKS Katowice of Polska Hokej Liga.
In 40 games, he scores 3 goals and 10 assists and will next take that to the EIHL and signs with Fife Flyers for 2024/2025.
Undrafted, 3rd year 6’6″ 195 lbs. defenseman David Drake(8) decided to take 2020/2021 off, as did his team of the past couple seasons, Reading Royals, despite them both being ready to re-up.
For 2021/2022 though, he is set to rejoin them and becomes one of the initial signings.
The former two year University Of Connecticut Huskies assistant captain actually signed for his rookie and sophomore sessions to their parent club, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but only played 9 AHL games, with 7 being after college graduation, gaining 2 assists.
Never the biggest scorer in college or a couple of years of junior hockey with Des Moines Buccaneers, he actually had 13 assists in ’19/20.
The 26-year old has found himself a nice home for hockey in PA.
He would last only 18 games in 2021/2022 before being sent to Wheeling Nailers, where he spent most of the season, but was also loaned up on a pair of occasions.
In his 4 games for Rochester Americans, he had an assist and was a +3.
For 2022/2023, he heads back to West Virginia, which might lead to his best success.
4 goals and 15 assists (both clearly career bests) and he has to return to continue wearing that Nailers‘ jersey.
He runs a best 18 assists and 20 points with a +18 rating in 65 ECHL games to be welcome back for 2024/2025.
