Category: College Hockey Player

08Jan

Carter Berger (3)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

Western Michigan University Broncos‘ senior defenseman Carter Berger(3) was a 3-year transfer from University Of Connecticut Huskies, where he was always a plus player on ice, but didn’t exactly put up a pile of points.

In 5 games with his new college club the 6′ 201 lbs. blue liner has a goal and 3 assists with a +4, which looks to blow the lid off his previous highs.

He definitely has an offensive upside, as seen in his 2nd BCHL season with Victoria Grizzlies, scoring an absolute eye-popping 27 goals and 36 assists in 54 games, earning him top honors for goals and points by a d-man in the league.

A Florida Panthers‘ 4th round pick in the 2019 draft (#106 overall), the North Vancouver, BC native is easily eyeing an NHL entry level deal in a few months time.

He is able to take up his totals quite nicely in 2 years with an additional graduate frame and leaves his new school with a +28 rating.

Unsigned, he returns “home” agreeing to a 1-year AHL deal with Hartford Wolf Pack.

He does pretty well, scoring 8 goals and 25 assists in 67 ECHL games to earn himself a new deal 2-way for 2025/2026 with Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

In 11 games in the lower league, he scores 1 goal and 8 assists, but maybe gets a little antsy looking for another level and signs in the tough to play Tipso Extraliga with HKM Zvolen.

08Jan

Colin Tracy (27)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

Plymouth State University Panthers‘ graduate defenseman Colin Tracy(27) signs a 1st pro contract with Evansville Thunderbolts for his rookie frame, 2025/2026.

The 6’3″ 190 lbs. blue liner scored a new college best 2 goals and 9 assists last season in 21 games with a +8 rating.

From Manchester, NH, the 25-year old should score more in the FPHL.

He actually has shown up on Pee Dee Pride roster; we think on a trade, but are still looking into it.

Turns out, he was with the club for 2 games with 1 assist, but moved on to Indiana Sentinels, where he had 3 assists in 10 games to get loaned up to Knoxville Ice Bears for 3 appearances before being SPHL traded to Birmingham Bulls for the rest of 2025/2026.

08Jan

Matthew Gilbert (19)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Juniors | Leave a comment

Anna Maria College AMCATS‘ senior right wing Matthew Gilbert(19) leads the maybe surprising 5-3, with wins in their last 4 straight, scoring 5 goals and 1 assist in 7 games.

He’s now surpassed the amount of goals he’s scored through the past 3 years at school.

The 6′ 174 lbs. forward plays like a scorer out there.

After high school locally in Wyandotte, MI, he skated 2 seasons for Toledo Cherokee, being a fairly prolific scorer in the USPHL Premier.

Having surpassed goal scoring, he’s likely just looking to add on at this point.

He does a graduate session and scores a college best 15 goals and 17 assists in 21 games with a +22 rating, which he takes to a 1st pro contract with Penscola Ice Flyers.

In 6 SPHL games, he had 1 assist before they bowed out with no playoff bid.

He actually signs with a different team to start, but with no points in 3 games is picked up by Pee Dee Ice Cats, where we think his fortunes increase.

07Jan

Tanner Edwards (91)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

University Of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves‘ graduate center Tanner Edwards(91) already has a college best scoring with just 2 goals and 4 assists in 15 games to go along with a +3 rating is doing nicely.

The 6’1″ 170 lbs. returns home to play a year of eligibility and only ever appeared in 21 games through 4 years at Minnesota State University Mavericks.

He is easily being used and is excelling in all game situations.

The 24-year old does look great out there with his new club and has to have a smile on his face every game.

He plays a new high, by a mile 31 games, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists, then signs a 1st pro contract with Florida Everblades for his rookie season, 2025/2026.

Waived close to the calendar year, he is quickly scooped by Toledo Walleye.

He gets into 1 ECHL game with his new team and South Carolina Stingrays come seeking his duties in a trade for future considerations.

Great side story, his dad, Jeff actually played for the team in the late 90’s.

After 8 games with no points, he gets moved to Adirondack Thunder, where in his debut he scores for a very nice start.

07Jan

T.J. Walsh (13)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

RPI Engineers‘ junior portal transfer from Northeastern University, left wing T.J. Walsh(13) has easily made the best hockey decision to switch up schools and join the ECAC.

The 5’9″ 165 lbs. forward has already blown the lid off his previous scoring, tying his college career high 2 goals and new best by lots 8 assists with a +2 rating in 15 games.

He only managed to light up scoring in his final year of juniors at Des Moines Buccaneers, getting 17 goals and 32 assists in 53 USHL games before hitting school.

The Shrewsbury, MA native did have one almost earth shattering session for Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA, grabbing more than goal per game totals, 71 goals and 65 assists in 66 games.

Now that the switch is made and the season is off and running with the results he’s seeing, you got to think there’s a little smile on his face for 2021/2022.

In his senior year, he scored a new college best 7 goals, but his 15 assists as a 3rd year player stood as that category high.

For a graduate session, the undrafted 23-year old is heading to Sacred Heart University Pioneers and will compete some Atlantic Hockey for 2023/2024.

He scores a college best 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in his final frame and takes it to a 1st pro deal with Orlando Solar Bears, which should heed him good points in the ECHL.

In 2 games he has an assist.

For his rookie season, 2024/2025 he ultimately decides to sign with Iowa Heartlanders.

After a solid 43 point season in 66 games, he gets himself traded to his hometown team, Worcester Railers for 2025/2026.

In 11 games, he has only 2 assists, so Indy Fuel see what’s happening and offer up some future considerations to bring him over.

07Jan

Carter Savoie (8)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Juniors, Minor League Deal, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

Edmonton Oilers‘ 4th round pick in the 2020 draft (#100 overall), University Of Denver Pioneers‘ sophomore left wing Carter Savoie(8) is this close to knocking off first year totals in fewer games.

He already has a college best 12 assists and 22 points, with goal-scoring just one off his total from 2020/2021.

The small 5’9″ but stocky 190 lbs. forward has always been a heck of a point-producer through youth hockey, then blew up juniors with Sherwood Park Crusaders, notching a crazy 172 points (84 goals, 88 assists) in 112 AJHL games.

At just 19-years old, we’ll see what the parent club says about having him turn pro before his four years are up.

And just like that, as he finishes up a 2022 NCAA Division 1 Champion, he signs an at0 with affiliate Bakersfield Condors, which just may be the dawn of him officially signing an NHL entry level deal, turning pro.

After 2 years in the AHL, he gets a nice deal to leave and joins TPS of Liiga.

In 5 games in Finland’s top league, he records only 1 assist and decides to leave and return on a 1-year deal with Ontario Reign for 2024/2025.

Reassigned to Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he puts out a team leading 20+ goals and assists in 57 games and signs for 2025/2026 with Allen Americans.

He actually gets a trade right back to the Rabbits before the new season starts.

Through 22 ECHL games, he has 7 goals and 8 assists and maybe decides he would like a little more competition and heads off to Tipos Extraliga, signing with HK Spisska Nova Ves.

In 2 games, he has 1 assist.

07Jan

Gustavs Davis Grigals (31)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Europe, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, Minor League Deal, Transfers | Leave a comment

UMass-Lowell Riverhawks‘ Latvian-born, graduate goaltender Gustavs Davis Grigals(31) signs a 1st pro deal with Milwaukee Admirals for 2023/2024, but has joined the club for the Calder Cup playoff push, although not likely to see action.

The 6’2″ 196 lbs. net minder had a 12-9-2 record with a 2.05 GAA and .924 SV%, including 2 shutouts.

He was better than any previous season he played at University Of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, but did have 1 outstanding run through the NAHL juniors with Shreveport Mudbugs.

The 24-year old should be a standout performer as a rookie.

Parent club, Nashville Predators step in as the season is wrapping up and sign him for the current frame to an NHL contract, in a move we can only feel has implications for next season moving forward.

He is mostly sent to play in the ECHL for his rookie season and he decides to move back closer to home, signing with HK Dukla Trencin of Slovak Extraliga, where we think he re-finds his game.

After 5 games, he will switch things up and move on to Finland’s top hockey, Liiga signing with SaiPa for 2024/2025.

We do think it gels for him here.

In 15 games, he has a 8-6-1 record with a 2.96 GAA and .899 SV%, which is good enough for him to earn an invite for another season, 2026/2027 to stay at SaiPa.

06Jan

Danton Heinen (43)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Free Agent Signing, Juniors, NHL Draft Pick | Leave a comment

6th year left wing Danton Heinen(43) doesn’t find the right fit with Anaheim Ducks, who he was traded to late in 2019/2020 to by long time club Boston Bruins and signed for another year after producing 3 goals and an assist in 9 NHL games to start.

He seemed to mostly struggle on a non-winning team and wasn’t qualified to receive another deal.

Last year was easily an anomaly for the 6’1″ 188 lbs. forward, who signed a 1-year deal for $1.1 AAV a little late into free agency with Pittsburgh Penguins for 2021/2022.

The still only 26-year old, 2-year University Of Denver standout should be able to excel with the talent around him in PA.

For 2023/2024, as an unrestricted free agent looking for a new home, he accepts a training camp invite from his old haunt in Boston.

He comes into town, takes nothing for granted, works hard to gain notice and nets himself a 1-year contract worth $775 AAV.

Coming away with 36 points in 72 games with a +16 rating is all good and Vancouver Canucks swoop in, offering a 2-year deal at $2.25 AAV to move coasts.

After 51 games, he is traded back to Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the new season, he is reassigned to affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for some games in the current frame, but is recalled to trade to Columbus Blue Jackets.

06Jan

Anthony Firriolo (23)

Posted in College Hockey Player, Juniors, Minor League Deal | 1 Comment

Jacksonville Icemen signed 4 year Army West Point Black Knights‘ senior defenseman Anthony Firriolo(23) to an ato.

In 5 ECHL games, he has 1 assist.

The 5’11” 165 lbs. blue liner had a college career best 24 assists and 29 points last season.

He put up 34 helpers in his 2nd NAHL campaign for Corpus Christi Ice Rays.

We would be surprised if the 24-year old from Towaco, NJ does find more room to head man the puck for points.

He’s not sticking around to see if the team he’s moving forward with, as he signs with Atlanta Gladiators for 2023/2024.

Released during training camp, Indy Fuel step right in to offer him a deal.

9 games in with 1 goal to his credit, he gets shipped to Iowa Heartlanders.

He stays here 21 games to record 2 goals and 8 assists with a -2 rating and once again during his rookie frame gets moved to Tulsa Oilers, who seem to want to add him.

In 7 games, he scores 1 goal and 3 assists with a -3 rating and Toledo Walleye see something in his game that they sign him for 2024/2025.

After just 2 games with no scoring, he goes back to the Gladiators, who he didn’t play with after signing.

He is scoring decently with the team in a 2nd frame, but gets himself dealt back to Iowa Heartlanders for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.

06Jan

Ryan Kuzmich (23)

Posted in College Hockey Player, D3, Juniors, Minor League Deal | Leave a comment

University Of New England Nor’easters‘ senior Ryan Kuzmich(23) scored a college best 21 goals in 29 games with a +23 rating for his final season.

The 6’2″ 205 lbs. forward had 22 assists and 37 points in 29 games, as a sophomore with a +25 rating.

From Norton, MA, the 24-year old signed a 1st pro deal with Knoxville Ice Bears for 2025/2026, his rookie frame.

In 23 games, he has 9 goals and 5 assists.