Rochester Jr. Americans‘ 2nd year center Jaden Dyke(29) put up more NAHL numbers with 20 goals and 35 assists with a +25 rating in 56 games, then added another 7 points (5-2) in 12 playoff matchups.
The big 6’4″ 205 lbs. forward commits to Long Island University Sharks for 2025/2026.
From St. John’s, NL, the 20-year old is going to be a nice add for the independent college team.
Mercyhurst University Lakers‘ senior defenseman Josh McDougall(23) wasted little time signing a pro contract once his team was eliminated from tournament play and agreed to an ato with Wichita Thunder.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. blue liner took a college career best 3 goals and 15 points to 5 ECHL games with no points, but a +1 rating.
A Prince Albert, SK native, he skated two junior seasons with Nipiwin Hawks and had most points by a defenseman (74), was voted best defenseman and won the 2018 SJHL Championship before heading to school.
The 23-year old should be able to set himself up nicely with a new deal for 2022/2023.
He comes off his 1st pro experience, fresh out of college at the end of last season, and signs a new 1-year deal with Indy Fuel.
After 19 games and 3 assists with a +2 rating, he gets traded and then traded again to end up with Norfolk Admirals.
27 games into his stint with his new club, he gets a first goal in the league for a puck keeper.
Through 41 games, he would score 3 and pick up 7 assists, which is enough to invite him back to put on the Admirals‘ sweater for 2023/2024.
As a 3rd year d-man his scoring exploded to the tune of 6 goals and a monster 39 assists with a +24 rating to re-sign to return for a 4th year in Norfolk.
14th year defenseman Bobby Raymond(21) is trying his hand at a new league for 2022/2023, signing for 1-year with Grenoble of Ligue Magnus.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. blue liner spent the last 3 seasons in DEL2 last winning the 2022 Championship with Loewen Franfort and DEL the previous two, as captain and assistant for Iserlohn Roosters, his 2nd stint with the team.
Almost oddly, his one title in Germany’s top league came during his one campaign for Adler Mannheim.
He also played 3 seasons for EC Salzburg in the old EBEL, where he ran his best point totals.
The RIT Tigers‘ graduate had a good run there, in his 2nd run with Florida Everblades and helped them capture the 2012 ECHL Kelly Cup trophy.
At 35-years old, he’s likely happy to be playing at the level his is and still contributing big.
He starts the new frame 2023/2024 playing in the OEHL, but gets wooed to enter the fray once again at 38-years old, signing with 2023 Erste Liga Champs, Gyergyoi HK.
In 8 games, he scores 1 goal and 3 assists, then through 10 playoff matchups, he adds another goal and 2 assists with a +3 rating to very much be wanted back in a Bears‘ jersey for 2024/2025.
A 40-year old, Raymond will return to the team he is still connecting with for 2025/2026.
UMass Minutemen senior right wing Reed Lebster(13) is going to extend college for another year and will attend Michigan State University Spartans for the start of a graduate program.
Last season the 6′ 187 lbs. forward had a college career best 14 assists and 22 points.
He was on the team, who won the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Championship.
A Grand Rapids, MI native, he had a strong 2nd frame of USHL junior hockey with Des Moines Buccaneers.
The 24-year old will likely do pretty good in Big Ten Conference play.
He holds his own at his new school, scoring 6 goals and 13 assists with a +11 rating to signing a 1st pro contract with Florida Everblades, where he has only been able to figure in 1 playoff game on the reserved list.
Appearing in 5 playoff games for some experience en route to the team’s 3rd straight Kelly Cup Championship, he is liked enough for his contributions to sign up for his rookie season, 2024/2025.
As he is to get started on a pro career, a pitfall occurs almost immediately, as he is traded to Utah Grizzlies, where he will definitely be a valued team member.
After skating in 67 games as a rookie, scoring 17 goals and 27 assists on a non-playoff team, he is well-liked invite to score a return to the Grizzlies for 2025/2026.
Rookie right wing Matt Tugnutt(29) signs his first pro contract with Idaho Steelheads 2021/2022.
He played for Providence College Friars in 2020/2021 after transferring from 3 years at Sacred Heart University Pioneers, who did not skate last season.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward spent 5 campaigns in junior hockey all with Kemptville 73’s, , who happened to be coach by his dad of 537 NHL games, Ron Tugnutt, running up big points (83-127) in 261 CCHL games.
He’ll have to work for it, but the 25-year old could run up some good numbers in the ECHL.
Traded after 49 games, he winds up with Greenville Swamp Rabbits heading down the stretch, and in 4 games managed to put up 5 assists with a +4 rating, but was unable to find space on the playoff roster before the season came to an end.
The Portland, ME native should easily sign where he wants for 2022/2023.
He decides to head off to see how hockey life will be on the other side of the ocean as a pro and signs a 1-year deal with Chamonix Mont-Blanc Pionneers of Ligue Magnus and should do extremely well in France’s top league.
Through 37 games, he grabs 13 goals and 16 assists with a +5 rating, but will return home to sign a 1-year deal with South Carolina Stingrays for 2023/2024.
After 12 games, recording 2 goals and 1 assist, he decides to head back across the pond and signs in the EIHL with Guildford Flames for the remainder of the season.
In 32 games, he scores 6 goals and 8 assists, but it’s the 3 helpers in 4 playoff matchups with a +3 rating that we were mostly eyeing.
For 2024/2025, he will take his game back to France’s highest Ligue Magnus and it’s an easy choice, who to sign with as he returns to the Pionneers for more.
He is having fun, skating well for this team and will come back for a 3rd season, 2025/2026 in Chamonix.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats‘ graduate defenseman Jayden Lee(6) 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.
Reassigned to affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, he basically explodes scoring with 8 goals and 24 assists in 48 ECHL games with a +36 rating, then does pretty well in the playoffs too.
For his efforts, hometown team Abbotsford Canucks were keeping track and sign him for 2025/2026.
6th year center Brian Pinho(28) gets signed relatively quickly in unrestricted free agency by New York Islanders for 2023/2024.
He had a best 17 assists, but his 20 goals in his 2nd season with Hershey Bears, under contract to draft club Washington Capitals, 6th round 2013 (#174 overall) are tops in that category, which suggests he can score at this level.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward had 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 6 playoff games with Utica Comets last season.
He did 4 years at Providence College Friars, serving as senior captain, twice getting 12 goals and 20+ assists.
The 28-year old from Beverly, MA is in a good spot moving forward.
After a season best point totals, he joins Charlotte Checkers on a 2-year AHL pact.
Arizona Coyotes‘ 7th year center Travis Boyd(72) is putting behind him a by a mile NHL career best campaign, scoring 16 goals and 18 assists to earn a nice two-year extension.
The former Washington Capitals‘ 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#177 overall) once had 15 helpers.
He was also a 2-time 20+ assist player as a junior and senior at University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward was also a twice 30+ assist and once had 47 in an AHL season for Hershey Bears.
He continues a nice scoring rolling the start of his new contract, but gets hurt trashing last year after 16 games.
An unrestricted free agent, he moves away from his 3-year team and signs a 1-year deal with Minnesota Wild for 2024/2025.
As an assistant captain for affiliate Iowa Wild, he scores a career 22 goals and 31 assists in 63 games to sign a new 1-year 2-way deal with Toronto Maple Leafs.
St. Lawrence University Saints‘ senior defenseman Max Dorrington(43) takes on a year of eligibility and will head to play some Atlantic Hockey for 2024/2025, joining Sacred Heart University Pioneers, as a graduate.
The 6’3″ 220 lbs. forward scored less as a senior, then he did as a junior or sophomore, but he’s very big and takes up a lot of space out there, which we think will add up to scoring with his new college club.
From North Reading, MA, the 22-year old, former Cushing Academy USHS-Prep standout, we think will play himself on pro signing radar next season.
He does score a college best 12 goals and 10 assists in 38 games with a +4 rating to sign a 1st pro deal with Bridgeport Islanders, who are far off a playoff hunt.
In 7 games, he records 1 assist and signs a 1-year deal with parent club New York Islanders for 2025/2026, as an unrestricted free agent.
Hershey Bears jumped fairly quickly to sign undrafted, former University Of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs‘ 2-time NCAA Champion, captain, goaltender Hunter Shepard(30) to a deal for 2020/2021.
The fairly large 6’1″ 210 lbs. net minder was reassigned to affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, where he has played 14 ECHL games, recording a 6’5-2 record with a 2.84 GAA and .915 SV% on a club headed to the postseason, as there was little room in the crease above for the young goalie.
He has gotten his opportunity to shine though in 2 AHL appearances delivering a pair of wins, including a debut shut out for a .50 GAA and .983 SV%.
The one-time NAHL Goaltender Of The Year in 2016, right before committing to college, the 25-year old has always seemed to work hard for any credit but has to have Washington Capitals step in and offer him an NHL entry level deal, as he is firmly on their radar.
For his efforts backstopping the Bears to a 12th Calder Cup Championship, he is rewarded with a 2-year, 2-way deal that is worth some handsome money wherever he throws on those pads.
He gets to start a 1st game, as the big club is out to a bit of a wobbly start and gets the W in a 6-4 contest, stopping 18 of 22 shots to potentially get a 2nd nod in another night.
His 2-1-1 record wasn’t bad, although maybe his numbers could have improved, but for a 2nd straight season with the affiliate, he posts a 27-4-3 record with a 1.76 GAA and .929 SV% to earn himself the Baz Bastien Award as the AHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender and will once again look to push his club deep in the playoffs.
He’s all set with a 2-year contract through 2024/2025, so can continue to concentrate on winning.
Very successful in his time, as an unrestricted free agent, he signs a 1-year, 2-way deal with Ottawa Senators.
