Undrafted defenseman Quinn Wichers(5) signs a first pro contract for his rookie campaign 2021/2022 with Rapid City Rush.
The 6’4″ 217 lbs. blue liner has never been exactly the biggest point scorer through 4 years at Mercyhurst University Lakers, but did connect for a junior hockey high 19 assists and tying 24 points in 45 CCHL games in his 4th frame before heading to school with Kemptville 73s.
From Metcalfe, ON, the 24-year old should be able to elevate his game in the ECHL.
He will return to South Dakota for 2022/2023 after scoring 2 goals and 8 assists in 43 games with a +3 rating, then adding 4 assists through 11 playoff contests.
Multiple loans up to Tuscon Roadrunners, where he skated 16 games with no points, but was decently enough steady.
We expect everything to go just that much better in his 2nd year.
Through 50 games, he basically mirrors his rookie point production with the same club, but for 2023/2024, he gets himself traded to Wheeling Nailers and we shall see if that changes anything.
We think it might.
After 3 games with no points, he gets himself dished to a perfect location for the big forward, Utah Grizzlies.
In 52 games, his scoring pops some with 2 goals and a new best 14 assists, but he is looking for something new, different, so signs with Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL for 2024/2025.
4th year defenseman Willie Raskob(15) decides to leave again after a successful 2019/2020 in Metal Ligaen with Rungsted Seier Capital.
He’ll head to join HK Nitra of Tipos Extraliga for 2021/2022.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner started his pro career with 1 game for Worcester Railers, but got traded immediately afterwards to Quad City Mallards, where he struck for 3 goals and 34 assists.
Kind of maybe obvious, he would sign for his sophomore frame with Stockton Heat, but only managed to get into one dreadful game before being reassigned to Kansas City Mavericks, where he once again took it up a level to score a new best 9 goals and 40 assists in 69 ECHL games.
This would have him searching for a new endeavor, sending him to Denmark for a season.
He returned closer to home for the COVID staggered 2020/2021 and signed with Indy Fuel.
The 4-year University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ d-man, who always had 10+ assists per frame, struck for a new best 13 goals and 25 assists in 67 games, then added another 3 points in 4 playoff contests.
At 26-years old, he sure to find good game in Slovakia’s top league in the upcoming frame.
He completes a successful frame, getting 8 goals and 31 assists for 39 points, good enough for most by a d-man in the league and moves over to Czechia, signing with HK Vitkovice for 2022/2023 and once again finds good scoring fortune with 5 goals and 23 assists and a +8 rating to decide to stay put and re-sign for 2023/2024.
After a couple of successful years, he is 29-years old and leaves for an excellent opportunity with Vienna Capitals of IceHL.
2nd year Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ right wing Dante Sheriff(38) takes a college career best 8 goals and 17 assists with a +5 rating to a 1st pro contract to Orlando Solar Bears for 2022/2023.
The 5’11” 187 lbs. Woodbridge, ON native was a solid point-per-game guy in NAHL juniors with Austin Bruins.
It’s possible the 23-year old just got restless and wanted to play some official hockey.
He never actually got to skate any games in Florida, but instead ended up adopted by Tulsa Oilers and as a rookie puts up 13 goals and 17 assists in 51 games, although will need to clean up that -16 rating.
For 2023/2024, he receives an invite to return.
In his 2nd year with the team, he takes his game to another level, scoring 18 goals and 31 assists with a +8 rating in 62 ECHL games.
For 2024/2025, he actually finds himself traded to Cincinnati Cyclones, who will sign him for 2024/2025.
Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks‘ senior center P.J. Fletcher(8) scored a college best 11 goals last season, but had 16 assists and 24 points as a sophomore transfer from Quinnipiac University, where he attended as the ECAC chose to shutdown next session due to COVID and he went to be captain for Dubuque Fighting Saints and scored 16 goals and 18 assist in 44 USHL games before heading to his new school.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward from Dana Point, CA played his original junior hockey in the BCHL, where he really tilting scoring in the playoffs for 14 points in 18 games.
He signed a 1st pro contract, an ato with Florida Everblades and in 3 ECHL games has yet to connect, but could very well be a playoff contributor.
For his rookie season, he signs with Atlanta Gladiators for 2024/2025.
3rd year center Robbie Payne(23) took 2020/2021 off due to COVID protocols, just like his team did, but he circles back to re-sign Adirondack Thunder for 2021/2022.
The 5’11” 194 lbs. former Northern Michigan University Wildcats‘ senior captain scored 24 goals that season to put him on Dallas Stars‘ radar.
For his rookie campaign, he would sign with affiliate Texas Stars and split time with their ECHL club Idaho Steelheads, where he was a point-per-game player.
The 28-year old last ignited the scoresheet in his 1st two years of juniors with Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings, running 119 points in 116 NAHL games.
It’s easily possible the Gaylord, MI native finds the route to the net on a more often basis.
He took another season off last year after 2 good sessions for Cleveland Monsters.
Next he will take his game to Erste Liga and signs with Ferencvarosi TC for 2024/2025.
Undrafted 4th year right wing Nick Jones(8) is coming off a career AHL season, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists in 60 games to add a 3rd season with Manitoba Moose to his resume.
The 5’11” 186 lbs. forward had an interesting two year run through the AJHL before committing to Ohio State University Buckeyes for 2 years, after which he decided on a pair of BCHL sessions, scoring almost equal 60+ point totals and winning the 2017 Championship with Penticton Vees and then heading to University Of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for a junior and senior frame.
From Edmonton, AB, the 26-year old may be off to a bit of a late start connecting with the net.
In 47 games last season, he scores 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating, but wants more and eyes an opportunity in the tough to play Tipos Extraliga, signs with Vlci Zilina for 2024/2025.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate defenseman Jayden Lee(15) signs a 1st pro deal with Hershey Bears for his rookie season, 2024/2025.
The small 5’9″ 165 lbs. blue liner scored a college best 23 assists and 26 points last season.
He leaves the program a remarkable +74 player.
From North Vancouver, BC, the 23-year old did 2 sessions of BCHL before committing to school.
Undrafted left wing Luke Santerno(25) re-signs to stay with Greenville Swamp Rabbits after joining them upon finishing up his graduate year at Clarkson University Golden Knights.
The big 6’3″ 201 lbs. forward scored only an assist in 5 ECHL games on an ato, but could definitely light up this league, much like he did Atlantic Hockey with assists for Bentley University Falcons.
He scored nicely in his 3rd and final season of junior hockey in the BCHL for Trail Smoke Eaters. as a more than point-per-game scorer.
The 26-year old from Smithers, BC should find some room to pocket points in his official rookie season.
After just 2 games, recording 1 assist, he gets dished to Wheeling Nailers, where in 15 games he scored 2 goals and 3 assists and now is on the move a 2nd time as a 1st year player to Kansas City Mavericks, where he may find better footing to score.
Decently effective with 1 goal and 5 assists in 14 games with a +1 rating, he’s invited to return to Missouri for hopefully a full season with one team.
He’s actually doing pretty decently in a full round with the team, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists in 34 games with a +2 rating on a very good team, but finds himself traded to another good club Florida Everblades to continue.
Once again, he scores well with his new team, 4 goals and 6 assists in 19 games with a +4 rating, but finds himself dealt to Cincinnati Cyclones and continues to score with 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games with a +2.
He would play for 3 different teams last season and scored decently with good accountability.
For 2024/2025, he is looking for something new to his game and signs with MAC HKB Újbuda.
Montreal Canadiens‘ 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft (#71 overall), Northeastern University Huskies‘ senior captain Jordan Harris(22) signs his 2-year entry level deal upon finishing up the Hockey East season.
Tying a career high 39 NCAA Division 1 games played, the 5’11” 179 lbs. blue liner had a new best 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points with a +11 rating as a senior captain.
The Haverhill, MA, former Kimball Union Academy defensive stud played only 5 USHL junior games before committing to school.
At just 21-years old, with the 4 seasons of hockey he just came from, maybe has readied him for the big time.
In his 10th game, he picks up his 1st NHL tally and ends the 2021/2022 with a +3 rating.
A forthcoming restricted free agent with 3 goals and 12 assists in his rookie frame in the offseason, he was fairly quickly inked to stay on another two seasons for $1.4AAV per, which is a nice fee to get him started.
After 2 seasons of doing well on their blue line, he is traded in a big 2024/2025 deal to Columbus Blue Jackets, who will definitely welcome him into a full-time top 6 role.
University Of New England Nor’easters‘ goaltender Billy Girard(1) will take a step up, enter the transfer portal and do a graduate frame at Boston University Terriers for 2024/2025.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs. net minder was actually the EHL goalie of the year in his 2nd season with Boston Jr. Rangers with a 28-6-1 record.
He will no doubt fight for playing time, but we feel he could step in and steal some as well.
From Boca Raton, FL, this is a great, maybe a bit unlikely D3 development for the 25-year old.
