Category: College Hockey Player

06Aug

Gianfranco Cassaro (23)

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RIT Tigers‘ sophomore defenseman Gianfranco Cassaro(23) looks to be happy to have made the portal transfer to arrive at his current club from a pair of seasons with UMass Minutemen.

In 26 NCAA Division 1 games, he has no goals but a new best 4 assists and points.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner had a couple of seasons in juniors, where he amassed 20+ assists, but has mostly not been known for scoring.

We do expect the 22-year old d-man from Nobleton, ON will continue to take up his ECAC numbers.

He signed a 1st contract with Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but was mostly reassigned to affiliate Reading Royals, where in 66 games got 13 goals and 25 assists.

An unrestricted free agent, he signs with Florida Everblades and we think that will be a really good move for his game.

06Aug

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.

06Aug

Mason Emoff (17)

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3rd year center Mason Emoff(17) will take his game over to Italy2, signing with Pergine Sapiens for 2025/2026.

The 5’10” 171 lbs. forward did pretty well, intially with Fayetteville Marksmen before loans called him up most successfully with Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he had 2 goals and 4 assists in 10 ECHL games.

He went back to SPHL for playoffs.

After successful climbing the EHL junior program, he would head to Mahattanville College Valiants, where he struck for a best 11 goals and 13 assists in 26 games as a senior captain.

From Orangeville, ON, we think the 27-year old excels where he is heading.

05Aug

Dakota Mermis (5)

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9th year defenseman Dakota Mermis(5) re-signs to stay within Minnesota Wild organization for a 4th straight year after posting a career high 3-time tying 21 assists in a frame for affiliate Iowa Wild.

The 6′ 194 lbs. blue liner took a somewhat odd path up through junior hockey starting a year with the USNTDP before moving on to 1 season for Lincoln Stars, where he won the 2012 USHL Clark Cup, then committing to University Of Denver Pioneers.

That was 19 games short-lived, as he went on to join London Knights and win the 2013 OHL Championship, then 2 years later would pull the same feat, plus the 2015 Memorial Cup for Oshawa Generals.

He has 426 AHL games to his credit and 27 in the NHL with a 1st goal coming from his time with New Jersey Devils.

Undrafted, the 29-year old from Alton, IL continues to pull big contracts and that has to make him feel pretty good.

He actually plays more time with the main club, 47 games, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists, which is good enough to net him a new 1-year deal with Toronto Maple Leafs, but could find himself more with their affiliate Toronto Marlies.

After 3 games with his new team, scoring 1 assist and a +2 rating, he is recalled and waived only to be claimed by Utah Hockey Club.

He skates on game with his new club, only to be waived and reclaimed by the Leafs, then sent back down.

Liked within the organization, he is signed to a 2-year extension through 2026/2027 in Toronto.

05Aug

Anthony Greco (28)

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6th year right wing Anthony Greco(28) receives the nod from 2nd year club New York Rangers to come up and skate an NHL game.

In his debut (2nd overall all game in the league), he played 14 shifts for 9:44 ice time with 5 shots on net, 1 block and 1 giveaway.

He was the leading goal scorer in 2018/2019, while under a 2nd contract to Florida Panthers, for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, getting 30 goals and 59 points.

The 5’10” 172 lbs. forward originally signed a minor league deal with this team, but was up to a 2-year entry level contract, when he produced as a rookie.

He had a good 4 years at Ohio State University Buckeyes, leading them as a senior captain.

The 28-year old has 93 goals and 108 assists in 320 AHL games and sure would love to play himself into a spot up.

After putting up a career best 39 assists and tying his 59 points from a few years ago, he isn’t waiting around to see if he be re-signed as a ufa and signs a 1-year deal with Frolunda HC.

He is easily the type of player that could put up huge numbers in the SHL.

In his 2nd season with HC Linkoping, he does reasonably well, but gets an opportunity to play the KHL and signs with HC Lada Togliatti for 2024/2025.

After 19 games without much pop, he decides to head to the much friendlier NL for his next hockey and signs with EHC Biel-Bienne.

He does pretty nicely in Swiss hockey, but wants to continue to move along and signs with Adler Mannheim of DEL for 2025/2026, another league we feel he’ll do well in.

05Aug

Wyatt Bongiovanni 5)

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Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduating senior, captain center Wyatt Bongiovanni(5) had a college career year scoring next bests 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 assists with a +27 rating in 42 NCAA Division 1 games and takes that to his next adventure: a 2-year NHL entry level deal with Winnipeg Jets.

He twice had 10+ goals (14, 15), as a freshman and sophomore and 9 and 10 assists.

The 6′ 184 lbs. forward was twice a 30+ point scorer in USHL juniors.

At a still young 22-years old, he may spend some time in the minors working on his game, but should surely get the recall.

He is traded mid-season to Ottawa Senators, who see some usefulness in his game for their future.

After career high numbers, goal 22 and assists 11 with a +3 rating, Bonjo is an easy invite for another 1-year deal with the Senators for 2025/2026.

05Aug

Daniel Ebrahim (46)

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Sacred Heart University Pioneers‘ senior left wing Daniel Ebrahim(46) signed a 1st pro deal with Adirondack Thunder.

The 6′ 181 lbs. forward played 33 games last season, scoring 3 goals, then in 9 ECHL games, he scores the same amount.

From Brooklin, ON, he started in OJHL juniors, but was scoring maybe a little too well and switched it up to the USPHL/NCDC with Jersey Hitmen for a couple seasons, running up points.

The 24-year old will need a new contract for his rookie run, 2025/2026.

And he receives his new deal to stay a Thunder.

05Aug

Logan Drevitch (22)

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Savannah Ghost Pirates‘ 2nd year left wing Logan Drevitch(22) will take a rookie 13 goals and 24 assists in 69 ECHL games and look to increase those numbers in a return engagement for 2023/2024.

The 5’9″ 170 lbs. forward started juniors with 2 USHL sessions, but wasn’t fully connecting.

He returned for a final season with Boston Jr. Bandits, the team he committed to Merrimack College Warriors, as a youth skater and detonated USPHL/NCDC scoring with 21 goals and 34 assists in 42 games before heading to school.

From Middleboro, MA, the 25-year old has to be liking the way things are developing and his brother joins him on this team this season.

He does manage to increase those numbers to 19 goals and 33 points for another return visit to the Ghost Pirates for 2024/2025.

A third year captain, he once again explodes scoring with a new best 40 assists and tied last year’s 52 point mark, so he will be an easy return for a 4th year in Savannah.

05Aug

Sam Colangelo (64)

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Northeastern University Huskies‘ sophomore right wing Sam Colangelo(64) picks up his 1st NCAA Division 1 goal in the 2021/2022 home opener.

He had 8 Hockey East shots at it as a freshman, but managed only 3 assists.

The 6’2″ 207 lbs. Anaheim Ducks‘ 2nd round pick in the 2020 draft (#36 overall) was selected by his school as an entering junior, then took off to for one round of junior action with Chicago Steel.

In 44 USHL games, he detonated the scoresheet with 28 goals and 30 assists with a +32 rating.

It would be zero surprise to see the 19-year old finish up all four years of college before turning pro.

The Stoneham, MA native will head to Western Michigan University Broncos for his senior year, then we feel will likely be given his NHL contract.

After playing a college career high 39 games, scoring a new double best 24 goals, 3-time 10+ assists (19) and 43 points with +19 rating, he signs a pto to affiliate San Diego Gulls to play out the remainder of the season and scores a 1st AHL goal and adds 3 assists in 4 games.

And just like that, the Ducks step in and ink him to a 2-year entry level deal, starting this season to play out the final games of 2023/2024.

He’s a point-per-game player in the minors and pops in 10 goals in the big league to earn himself a nice new 2-year deal that will be a 1-way contract for 2026/2027 to remain a Ducks.