Canisius College Golden Griffins‘ freshman defenseman Dominic Payne(27) enters the transfer portal and will skate Hockey East in 2025/2026, as he is set to join UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks.
The 6’2″ 190 lbs. blue liner scored 6 goals and 8 assists in 37 games with a +2 rating last season.
From North Vancouver, BC, the 20-year old play 2 years of junior hockey in Canada before coming south for school.
10th year defenseman Mathew Bodie(22) re-signs to stay on for a 4th season with ERC Ingolstadt after scoring 4 goals and 21 assists in 40 DEL games with a +30 rating.
He had 1 year stints in both the KHL and SHL after coming over from an AHL year for Syracuse Crunch, while under a Tampa Bay Lightning deal scoring a new best 31 assists, which matched his Union College Dutchmen high as a senior.
Undrafted, the 6′ 175 lbs. blue liner was originally signed to 1-year contracts by New York Rangers for 3 campaigns to start his pro career.
From East St. Paul, MB, the 33-year old has to be happy to still be playing his game.
After a 5th season, serving as assistant captain and still producing points, he decides after 208 DEL games, 287 AHL and 154 NCAA, he decides to retire, but we don’t think he will be too far from hockey.
Boston Bruins have just traded a 7th round pick to obtain the NHL rights for Providence College Friars‘ senior defenseman, 3-time captain Michael Callahan(79).
The Franklin, MA native is essentially coming home if he signs his entry level contract.
He was an Arizona Coyotes‘ 5th round pick in 2018, #142 overall after finishing up his only USHL junior season split between a couple of teams with solid playoff run with Youngstown Phantoms.
The 6’2″ 196 lbs., 22-year old blue liner is a solid prospect, grinding his game the right way in Hockey East before turning pro.
Fresh out of his 4th year at school, he picks up a 2-year entry level deal and will likely report to affiliate Providence Bruins to start, which is basically right next to where he played his college game.
After a decent rookie frame, he finds himself back at Bruins‘ rookie camp and is looking like he will compete for whatever open spot on defense may exist for him to fill is how good he was out there.
He records new league highs for himself with 4 goals and 13 assists and is offered a 1-year deal to continue in a Bruins‘ jersey.
In 35 games with the affiliate, he scores 1 goal and 5 assists with a +1 rating to earn himself a 1st look in the big league.
For his NHL debut, he skates a full slate of 22 shifts for 14:11 of ice time with 1 shot and 2 giveaways and a +1 rating in a big 6-2 win.
He picks up a 1st NHL goal in his 16th game, where he also logs a most amount of 18:11 ice time.
In 17 games, he is looking like he belongs out there, but reassigned in 45 games, he scores 1 goal and 8 assists with a +3 rating to earn a 4th season with the hometown Boston team.
Carolina Hurricanes‘ 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft (#90 overall), Boston University Terriers 4-year senior captain defenseman Domenick Fensore(2) signs a 2-year NHL entry level deal as his team is bumped from Final Four play.
It’s likely the 5’9″ 170 lbs. blue liner will report to affiliate Charlotte Checkers for some Calder Cup playoff action, but could also get signaled up, one never knows.
He skated 2 seasons USNTDP, pushing his numbers up slightly as he went.
The 21-year old from Bronxville, NY left with a college career high 9 goals and tied his 31 point mark from his junior year.
He’s ready.
Through 66 AHL games, he scores 9 goals and 23 assists with a +6 rating to earn a 1st, late season recall.
In his debut, he skated 19 shifts for 17:13 of ice time with 5 shots, 1 block, 2 hits, 1 giveaway and a 0 rating in a 4-2 loss
After 2 games in the big league and 9 goals and 23 assists in 67 games in the minors with a +7 rating, the restricted free agent is invited to return a ‘Canes for 2025/2026 on a 1-year deal.
Sheffield Steelers‘ 2nd. year defenseman Brien Diffley(65) re-signs to stay for 2024/2025 after a very decent 52 game frame, scoring 2 goals and 14 assists with a +17 rating.
He has been very good, accountable in 5 years playing overseas hockey.
The 4-year Boston University Terriers‘ blue liner did 2 ECHL seasons before looking for something a bit different.
From Burlington, MA, the 6’2″ 185 lbs., 29-year old d-man is really settling into his game.
His game is going well where he is and he signs on for a 3rd seasons in a Steelers‘ jersey.
Undrafted 7th year right wing Cole Bardreau(21) re-ups for a 3rd season with New York Islanders on a 2-year, 2-way deal.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward is somewhat inconsistent scoring but did pop a very solid 10 goals and 6 assists in just 24 AHL games in 2020/2021’s COVID-baked season.
It was a similar through 4 years at Cornell University Big Red, but in his senior year he did manage new bests 17 assists and 22 points.
Originally signed as an unrestricted free agent by Philadelphia Flyers, he spent 4 years in their system under a pair of contracts.
Over a pair of recalls from his current club, he’s appeared in 10 NHL games scoring a goal and an assist.
If the 28-year can go on a bit of a tear to start 2021/2022, he could easily earn more time up.
A career best 15 goals and 16 assists in 67 games and a single game recall earns him another look for 2023/2024, but somehow structured under an affiliate Bridgeport Islanders‘ deal.
It’s becoming a no brainer as to where he is going to sign at this point as he returns for a 6th run in Bridgeport after once again coming away with 10+ goals and assists.
He will head on a new excursion that we can only think good things will come to him from, signing with HC Falkensteiner Pustertal Wolfe for 2025/2026.
2-time, undrafted senior captain center Zachary Tsekos(17) signed a pro deal as soon as his 4-year college team Clarkson University Golden Knights were eliminated from tournament play with Colorado Eagles for 2022/2023.
Signing an ato for the remainder of the current session, he was reassigned almost immediately to start his pro career with affiliate Utah Grizzlies.
He played in 3 regular season games, grabbing an assist with a +1 rating.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward has definitely upped his game in the Kelly Cup playoffs.
Through 10 games, he has a 1st ECHL goal and 7 assists.
Little doubt, the 25-year old from Montreal, QC will look to up his game when the new season gets started.
He mostly finds him other than 6 AHL games (no points) reassigned, but strikes for 13 goals and 12 assists in 30 games.
For 2023/2024, he signs with 2-time Kelly Cup Champions, Florida Everblades.
He plays 27 games, scoring 5 goals and 6 assists with a +4 rating, but was injured for much of last frame.
For 2024/2025, he decides to leave for something different and signs in the EIHL with Dundee Stars.
He takes an impressive run, scoring 19 goals and 27 assists that he takes to DEL2 for 2025/2026, signing with Blue Devils Weiden.
Anaheim Ducks quickly sign 3rd year Boston College Eagles‘ defenseman Drew Helleson(43) to a 3-year entry level deal after picking him up on a huge trade that maybe sent their best blue liner to a rival.
He takes a junior year tying 4 goals in new bests 32 NCAA Division 1 games, 21 assists and 25 points to his new job.
The sizably solid 6’3″ 204 lbs. d-man spent a pair of seasons in the USNTDP system before arriving at school.
At just 20-years old, he is likely to have an immediate impact.
He has played his rookie season with affiliate San Diego Gulls, putting up 5 goals and 13 assists, after coming in last year on an ato, skating 17 games, including 2 in the playoffs that got him a pair of assists.
His play earns the Farmington, MN native a look in the show and in his debut is on the ice for 18 shifts, 13:30 with 2 shots on net, leaving a 5-4 overtime loss with a -1, then in his 2nd appearance scores a 1st NHL goal for himself despite skating less minutes than his first game.
After 56 games, scoring 4 goals and 9 assists with a +6 rating on a non-playoff team, he earns himself a nice 2-year extension as a 1st time restricted free agent worth $1.1M AAV to stay a Ducks.
Winnipeg Jets signed Providence College Friars‘ undrafted 4-year star center Parker Ford(25) to a 2-year NHL entry level deal, making the smart move of being the team to offer him a contract.
The 5’9″ 182 lbs. forward had almost identical junior and senior frames scoring 27 and 26 points.
He was a 4-time 10+ assist and 3-times 20+ points with one of those sessions resting at 19 player through college.
The 22-year old from Wakefield, RI native is likely to report to affiliate Manitoba Moose to start, which couldn’t be any better for him.
He gets a 1st AHL goal in his debut.
He gets another 1st goal in his NHL debut almost a couple of years later.
In 8:12 of ice time, he skated 12 shifts with 1 shot, 1 hit, 1 giveaway and 2 takeaways to cap off a debut.
With another 14 goals in his 2nd frame and 3 games up in the big league with a +1 rating, the restricted free agent is signed up to a 2-year 2-way contract to continue as a Jets.
2nd year right wing Nick Jermain(18) brings his pro game closer to home for 2021/2022, signing with Kalamazoo Wings.
He maybe a little oddly spent 2020/2021 skating for Coventry Blaze, getting a strange 1 goal and 12 assists in 13 EIHL games.
The 6′ 174 lbs. forward skated 4 years for Quinnipiac University Bobcats, scoring a college career high 12 goals and 21 points as a senior.
He was also a solid point getter at the Brunswick School, peppering the net with 30 goals and 60 assists in 80 USHS-Prep games.
The Cos Cob, CT native almost oddly agreed to play for Connecticut Oilers, but detonated the stat sheet with 36 points in 38 games, then added another 13 points in 11 contests en route to the tier 3 junior, 2015 EHL Championship.
He would smartly move onto a campaign with Merritt Centennials pocketing 29 goals and 25 assists in 54 BCHL games before heading to school.
The 25-year old will easily bring some compete to his new club.
He actually doesn’t take up with the team he signed with and instead Fort Wayne Komets have him in a jersey for 28 games until he is traded to Maine Mariners, where he stays for about a year before heading overseas again to Slovak Extraliga.
For the next frame, he would do similar, signing in the ECHL first before leaving to Ligue Magnus.
Last season, he spent an entire campaign in Maine, scoring 6 goals and 10 assists, which for 2025/2026, he will take his game to DEL2, signing with the new team Blue Devils Weiden.
