Big 6’4″ 214 lbs. net minder Michael Lackey(31) heads from a bit of an off-season with Orlando Solar Bears to a new ECHL 1-year deal with Indy Fuel for 2021/2022.
The former Providence College Friars backstop put up some amazing numbers in his one season after coming over as a portal transfer from Harvard University Crimson.
His 16-12-6 record was decent enough, but a 2.18 GAA and .922 SV% with 2 shutouts are solid.
He was maybe a tiny bit inconsistent coming up through the USNTDP program.
The 24-year old Washington, D.C. native should be able to get right back into it with his new club.
Springfield, MA native 2nd year defenseman Jake Ryczek(2) has definitely had an interesting little run prior to turning pro in 2019/2020 with Indy Fuel, but was traded recently a little closer to home to Adirondack Thunder for 2021/2022.
He was going to return to Indiana for 2020/2021 after a pretty successful rookie run, but the team ultimately shuttered, so he decided to not try to pursue a contract elsewhere.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner played 3 campaigns of junior hockey, ultimately landing with Waterloo Blackhawks, where he scored a best 8 goals and 21 assists with a +29 rating before heading to Providence College Friars.
That last all of 5 Hockey East games before he decided to split for Halifax Mooseheads, where he kind of produced some pretty big points for a couple of QMJHL sessions.
The 23-year old did well as a rookie with 4 goals, 17 assists and a +6 rating in 46 ECHL games, and we kind of expect him to take those numbers up and maybe even earn a loan up.
Undrafted rookie right wing Chase Zieky(12) took 2020/2021 off, but gets to it, signing a 1st pro contract with Idaho Steelheads for 2021/2202.
He was an RPI Engineers transfer from 2 trying seasons at Providence College Friars, and almost like magic when he arrived at ECAC, he was able to connect, leaving as a senior with 7 goals and new bests 16 assists for 23 points with a +4 rating.
The 5’10” 187 lbs. forward scored big in his one junior year, mostly skating with Salmon Arm Silverbacks, getting 28 goals and 26 assists in 55 BCHL games.
Not bad for the 25-year old, Avon, CT native, who it would be little surprise to see him connect in the ECHL.
7th year center Joel Lowry(14) switches it up overseas, heading from Iserlohn Roosters of DEL to Vienna Capitals IceHL for 2021/2022.
The 6’2″ 192 lbs. power forward was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#140 overall), spent 2 years in the system, but was left unqualified when his entry level deal expired.
His only other big league contract was a season signed by Florida Panthers, after producing high marks (10 goals, 20 assists) for their affiliate.
The Cornell University Big Red graduate had three 20+ point campaigns in college.
It will be little surprise to see the 29-year old detonate Austria’s collective league.
14th year right wing Chad Costell0(13) returns home after 4 years away (3 in DEL and last season in Get-ligaen with Stavenger Oilers), signing a 1-year ECHL deal to return with Allen Americans, who he left as 2-year captain, consecutive 2015 and 2016 Kelly Cup Champions, most assists and points 3 straight seasons and twice league MVP.
The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward is an awesome scorer in the league he’s skated 309 games in, grabbing an eye-popping 146 goals and 343 assists with a +92 rating.
At 35-years old it’s maybe a little question as to how much longer the 2-year Northeastern University Huskies plays, but if he continues to put up numbers, there may be no quit in sight for the player, who has appeared with 7 teams that are no longer active.
Former teammates: Northeastern University Huskies‘ portal transfer, senior Jakov Novak(10) hits the center dot for the 1st drop of a puck on the 2021/2022 NCAA Division 1 college hockey season vs. Bentley University Falcons‘ graduate student Brendan Hamblet(6).
10th year defenseman Dylan Olsen(91) returns to Wichita Thunder after taking 2020/2021 off.
He played 4 ECHL games with the team to end 2019/2020, scoring 3 assists.
The brick wall 6’2″ 223 lbs. blue liner returned from half a season with HK Nitra of Tipos Extraliga.
This was his 2nd session overseas, as he arrived the year before to skate for Nottingham Panthers, doing decently with 19 points in 46 EIHL games.
He is originally a 2009 1st round pick of Chicago Blackhawks (#28 overall) and has played 124 NHL games for draft club and Florida Panthers, scoring 5 goals and 17 assists.
The former 2-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, who he just so happened to get credited in their 2011 NCAA Championship, but had left to turn pro with Rockford Icehogs.
He’s set to turn 31-years old as the season gets fully underway, and has to be still doing because he purely still loves it.
7th year defenseman Patrick McNally(3) is coming off a career year for assists (24) and points (32) in the ECHL, but switches allegiances in a deal that sent him from Wheeling Nailers to Reading Royals for 2021/2022.
Originally drafted by Vancouver Canucks (4th round, 2010, #115 overall), he was traded to San Jose Sharks as he was getting his pro career started, after finishing up 4 years at Harvard University Crimson.
A decent scorer at school, he took it up to point-per-game numbers as a senior (6-15) in 21 ECAC games with a +16 rating.
He was left unqualified as his entry level deal was finishing up and signed with Worcester Railers, but that relationship lasted less than half a season before he decided to seek pro hockey elsewhere.
The Glen Head, NY native next left for 17 HockeyAllsvenskan games for Leksands IF.
He would leave there for a his most successful season for Eispiraten Crimmitschau, scoring 12 goals and 36 assists in 59 DEL2 games and followed it by almost equal success in Tipos Extraliga with a pair of different clubs.
The 29-year returned for 2020/2021 pandemic season and did what he normally does on the scoresheet, but we are a little surprised to see him return once again to continue his game in PA.
16-year net minder Curtis McElhinney(35) was snooping around for a new deal to play 2021/2022, but nothing seemed to break, as the 2-year deal at his best hit $1.3M AAV with Tampa Bay Lightning was expiring.
He is 38-years old.
The 6’1″ 210 lbs. goalie has 249 NHL games to his credit, posting a 94-95-20 record, mostly as a relief pitcher.
He started his pro career on an AHL deal to tend the cage for Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights before attracting the attention of Calgary Flames, who signed him to his one-year deal.
The Colorado College solid backstop (62-16-8) with a 2.32 GAA, .912 SV% and 8 shutouts, 2 WCHA Goaltending Champion was surprisingly overlooked to step right in, but the longevity that he’s built is pretty incredible.
He’s won a decent amount of awards in his run, but none sweeter than back-to-back 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup Championships.
6th year defenseman/right wing Dajon Mingo(10) signs with Cincinnati Cyclones for 2021/2022.
The former Bowling Green University Falcons‘ skater took 2020/2021 off, as did a lot of good players, but has 267 ECHL games of experience with 31 goals and 89 assists.
He’s only received one 3 game loan up to the AHL (no points).
The small 5’8″ 174 lbs. d-man/forward has definitely had seasons where his scoring increased nicely, like 2018/2019, his 2nd of three campaigns for Jacksonville Icemen (11 goals, 29 assists), sophomore year at college (8-14) and was almost a point-per-game guy with two teams in NAHL junior hockey.
At 31-years old, it’s a little surprising to not see the Canton, MI native take off from some overseas ventures, but he still has time.
