Category: College Hockey Player

15Aug

Ryan Mahshie (25)

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RPI Engineers‘ senior left wing Ryan Mahshie(25) is coming off a college career best 15 goals and 22 points to enter the transfer portal for a graduate season that he will spend with University Of Connecticut Huskies and put himself in the middle of Hockey East battle.

The 6’3″ 215 lbs. forward won the 2019 AJHL Championship in his 2nd junior season for Brooks Bandits.

Undrafted, the 24-year from Stony Creek, ON is already a welcome scoring addition to his new team.

After 21 games with only 2 goals and 3 assists, it’s maybe not moving as he had envisioned, so he leaves school to turn pro and signs for the remainder of 2024 with Orlando Solar Bears, where the big pivot will likely step right in to help the team win.

He gets 1 goal in 12 games and they offer him an ECHL contract for his rookie season, 2024/2025.

In 8 games, he scores no points and gets himself traded to Allen Americans, who are looking to put his size to their advantage.

He scores only 1 goal in 11 games, so gets dealt to Worcester Railers, where he may gel with their team better.

After 43 games in his first frame, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists, he had good size and plays almost exactly into the style of Railers to accept a 1-year deal to stick around 2025/2026.

He is actually traded to Wheeling Nailers, where he has his best pro season with 6 goals and 11 assists.

In the off season though, he is traded to Rapid City Rush for another new start, 2026/2027.

15Aug

Matt DeMelis (37)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ graduate left wing, assistant captain Matt DeMelis(37) signs with Worcester Railers for his rookie campaign, 2024/2025.

He missed a stretch of last season with injuries, but in 23 games, scored 2 goals and 6 assists, playing an effective checking forward style.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward from Hingham, MA played 1 year of NAHL junior hockey local then a similar scoring frame in the USHL before committing to school.

We’re sure the 25-year old is ready to going pro and will be playing in front of a lot of local friends and family.

In his rookie year, he scores 9 goals and 17 assists in 60 games to earn a new 1-year deal to return a Railers for 2025/2026.

He takes scoring up to a new best with 19 goals and 23 assists in 70 games and a +2 rating to easily gain another year in Worcester, 2026/2027.

In a full slate of 72 games, he scores more new bests, 19 goals and 23 assists with a +2 rating on a non-playoff team and he will return once more for 2026/2027 and be a Railers.

15Aug

Grant Loven (23)

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Undrafted center Grant Loven(23) had to jump around a few schools before finding the right home in his graduate season at Canisius College Golden Griffins, who went on to win the 2023 Atlantic Hockey title.

The 6′ 190 lbs. forward had a 2nd solid frame in NAHL juniors with Minot Minotaurus, scoring 13 goals, 35 assists and a +13 rating before committing to his 1st school Northern Michigan University Wildcats , where he actually seemed to be doing pretty decently before midseason decided to switch things up and maybe head to the closer to home University Of St. Thomas Tommies.

From East Grand Forks, MN, the 25-year old signs a 1st pro deal with Fayetteville Marksmen.

We think he’ll contribute well in the SPHL.

After blowing up scoring to 15 points in 13 games, he is loaned up to Adirondack Thunder, where he appears in 57 ECHL games, scoring 10 goals and 15 assists with a +6 rating.

It’s a very easy contract to hand out, if he wants to sign and he is back on to stay in Adirondack for 2025/2026.

In 2 less games, he scores exactly what he did the previous year, 10 goals and 15 assists and he is back for 2026/2027 as a Thunder.

15Aug

Ryan Richardson (6)

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Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ senior captain, Ryan Richardson(6) scored a college best 11 goals and 19 assists in 38 games with a +15 rating last season, which he takes to a 1st contract with new ECHL team Greensboro Gargoyles for 2025/2026.

The 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward from Stittsville, ON did 2 years of northern junior hockey before 1 at the USHL before college.

The 24-year old should find a good game of scoring.

In 61 games, he grabs 12 goals and 6 assists, which has him looking elsewhere for 2026/2027 and signs with Coventry Blaze of the EIHL.

15Aug

Casey Dornbach (77)

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University Of Denver Pioneers‘ graduate center Casey Dornbach(77) signs an ato with Iowa Wild for the remaining current frame, but more importantly has agreed to terms for an AHL deal heading into 2023/2024.

The 6′ 181 lbs. forward is likely chopping at the bit to get started after scoring a college career best 13 goals and a 3rd 20+ assist season.

Almost shockingly, undrafted, he did 4 years at Harvard University Crimson, serving as team captain in his senior run.

The Edina, MN native did 2 USHL sessions with Lincoln Stars, coming close to point-per-game stats in his 2nd stint.

We believe the 25-year old plays himself into a position where he gains looks for the parent club.

As a rookie, he is mostly dispatched to ECHL affiliate Iowa Heartlanders, where he scored 13 goals and 29 assists in 55 games, which he will take to a new contract with Toledo Walleye, which we feel is only going to meet good things in 2024/2025.

He’s a decent prolific scorer with 3 goals and 17 assists in 37 games with a +2 rating, but Greenville Swamp Rabbits need his points punch more than his current club, so trade to get him.

Scoring isn’t a problem with his new team, as he pots 1 goal and 4 assists in 8 games with a +5 rating, but maybe wants a little more and branches out to sign in Liiga with Jukurit.

We do think this is a huge move for the player and this team.

In 13 games, he comes away with 7 assists, but maybe sees a better opportunity in IceHL for his next move and signs with Pioneers Vorarlberg for 2025/2026.

In 48 games, he grabs 7 goals and 25 assists, but decides to move on and signs with Aalborg Pirates of Metal Ligaen for 2026/2027.

15Aug

Craig Needham (13)

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Providence College Friars‘ graduate center Craig Needham(13) scored a college best 7 assists and 11 points last season.

The Medford, MA native was a point-per-game player in high school and scored decently in his 2nd USHL session as captain with Youngstown Phantoms before committing to school.

His team is knocked out of Hockey East tournament play immediately and he wastes little time to sign an amateur tryout with Florida Everblades.

In 11 ECHL games, he didn’t register points and has yet to appear in the postseason.

The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward is going to return for a full Everblades‘ rookie season, 2024/2025.

He has a full frame, 63 games scoring 8 goals and 10 assists with a +9 rating to earn an easy contract to return to Florida for a 2nd year.

In 71 games, he scores a new best 22 goals and 23 assists with a +22 rating, then adds another 9 points in the playoffs on the way to the 2026 Kelly Cup to easily get an invite back to continue an Everblades.

14Aug

J.D. Dudek (18)

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3rd year center J.D. Dudek(18) returned to these shores after spending 2020/2021 overseas with Bodens HF doing quite well with 7 goals and 4 assists in 16 HockeyEttan games with a +7 rating and re-signed to Worcester Railers, who he spent 27 ECHL games with as a rookie (2-10-12).

Originally a New Jersey Devils‘ 6th round pick in the 2014 draft (#152 overall), he signed an ato with affiliate Binghamton Devils upon graduating 4 years at Boston College Eagles, but that’s about how far it went.

The Auburn, NH native was quickly dished to Allen Americans after 1 game back in central MA.

Soon to be turning 26, he has to have his eye on what might be more possible for his playing career overseas.

He would get 6 goals and 10 assists with a +4 rating in 62 games last season and decides maybe return as thought, signing for 2022/2023 with Tranas AIF, where once again he should put up strong numbers in Sweden’s tier 3 league.

After 14 games, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists with a +2 rating, he decides to head elsewhere, joining Coventry Blaze for the remainder of 2022/2023.

He walks away from last season with 9 goals and 8 assists in 29 games with a +5, which is favorable enough to score 2023/2024 to once again play in the EIHL.

After almost 2 seasons with the English team, he decides to head back home and signs with the Railers once again for a hopeful improved outcome.

He does decently in his time back close to home, but maybe misses the overseas action more and is a better payday for him to join Manchester Storm for 2025/2026.

In 53 games, he scores 14 goals and 10 assists, then adds another 2 points in the playoffs to secure an invite back for 2026/2027 as a Storm.

14Aug

Jordan Kaplan (47)

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3rd year right wing Jordan Kaplan(47) recently signed with Newfoundland Growlers after a somewhat inactive year in 2021/2022.

The 5’10” 170 lbs. forward already has a helper in a couple of appearances with his new club.

After graduating from University Of Vermont Catamounts, which followed up 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, he signed as a rookie with Adirondack Thunder, scoring 11 goals and 21 assists in 65 ECHL games, but also had a somewhat disastrous -32 rating.

From Bridgewater, NJ, we think the 25-year old will fit in nicely with his new club.

After 6 games with his new team, he gets released and claimed by Worcester Railers, but only lasts a couple of appearances before he’s on the move again, this time heading overseas to join Saale Bulls Halle for the remainder of 2023.

Germany3 hockey should come pretty easy for him to score big for his new club.

He does almost exactly as we saw would happen, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during the regular frame, then adding another 7 goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff matchups.

For 2023/2024, he will start his 3rd season in the league he’s mostly known with a 6th club, Indy Fuel and we think will find ways to put in points.

He actually played no games with who he initially signed and ended up bouncing around for a few games here and there, but lacking anything close to what he had as a rookie.

Playing maybe a bit of the waiting game, he decides to sign with Savannah Ghost Pirates to help make an impact with the new team and scores 1 in his 2nd game.

A couple months prior to 2024/2025, he finds himself traded after 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games on a non-playoff team.

He returns to Worcester Railers, where he played 2 games and feel he will easily fit back into team mentality.

After 18 goals and 31 assists in an almost full run of 68 games, he re-signs to stay a Railers to see if he can help push this team further in 2025/2026, as they know they should be going.

As the new season approaches, he finds himself as part of a three team trade sending him to Wheeling Nailers, where we are sure he will be a big part of this team.

In 16 games with his new team, he has 1 goal and 5 assists with a +2 rating, but finds himself traded to a Cincinnati Cyclones, who maybe need him to score for them a bit more.

In 29 games, he gets 2 goals and 5 assists, but is a -9 rating, so gets waived then re-adopted for a 3rd time by Worcester Railers.

He did score league best here.

In 9 games, he picks up 1 goal and 5 assists with a +1 rating that easily gets him a contract to return for 2026/2027 and be a Railers.

14Aug

Anthony Rinaldi (21)

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After four solid seasons at Union College, scoring a collegiate career best 20 assists and 29 points in a COVID stopped 2019/2020, undrafted right wing Anthony Rinaldi(21) signed his first pro career with Kansas City Mavericks but after just 5 ECHL games with no points found the mix just didn’t fit and was traded to Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The 6′ 188 lbs. forward has found his nitch with the new club, scoring 6 goals and 5 assists in 30 games with a +2 as a rookie.

We think the 25-year old native of Pierrefonds, QC can put up numbers like he did in two years of juniors, first in the BCHL (22-16-38), then the OJHL (38-35-72) for Kingston Voyageurs as assistant captain.

Coming off a rookie campaign scoring 7 goals and 6 assists in 43 games with a +1 rating looks like numbers that can be increased thinks Greenville Swamp Rabbits, who re-ups him for a 2nd, full 2021/2022.

After a 2nd solid frame in the league, he decided to leave for an opportunity to sign for 1-year with Les Jokers De Cergy Pontoise of Ligue Magnus for 2022/2023 and recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 33 games, then added 7 points in 8 playoff matchups.

He’s moving over for 2023/2024 to the EIHL and agrees to terms with Dundee Stars, which should see him produce well.

After a first good season overseas, scoring a tidy 16 goals and 21 assists, he will take his game next to Germany3, where he signs with Tilburg Trappers for 2024/2025.

He had returned for most of 2025/2026, signing with the new Greensboro Gargoyles, but gets himself a late season trade to maybe help South Carolina Stingrays‘ playoff push.

In 8 games, he scores 5 goals and 4 assists and Allen Americans are watching and sign him for 2026/2027.

14Aug

Collin Graf (51)

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Collin Graf(51) has spent basically his entire career from youth hockey up through tier 2 juniors with Junior Bruins of the USPHL/NCDC scoring points.

He had a career campaign in last season’s weirdo run scoring 19 goals and 35 assists through 42 games for a team that took into the the final playoff rounds before conceding.

The 6′ 170 lbs. native of Lincoln, MA will take his show on the road next year as he commits to Union College for 2021/2022 and will be great in the ECAC.

He scores 11 goals and 11 assists in 37 NCAA Division 1 games and is switching schools to Quinnipiac University Bobcats for his sophomore year.

In 2 seasons at his new school he scored 42 goals and 55 assists in 75 games with a +54 rating.

No one expected him to stay for his full term of 4.

He signs a 3-year entry level deal as expected with top suitor, San Jose Sharks , where he is already out there and ready to dress for his 1st game on a team out of the playoff bubble.

In his 11th game of 2024/2025, he scores himself a 1st NHL goal.

He also has 2 assists.

In 81 games, his 1st full season up, he comes away with 21 goals and 25 assists and a +6 rating on a non-playoff team, which scores him a new 3-year extension at $4.25M AAV and he’s a Sharks.