Undrafted, Helsinki, Finland native, junior center Santeri Hartikainen(26) enters the transfer portal as his school, Robert Morris University Colonials decides to suspend hockey operations and will show up at American International College Yellowjackets.
The fairly big 6’2″ 190 lbs. forward played all of his youth hockey back home with HIFK but came over for high school hockey, ultimately ending up at Northwood School, continuing on his more than point-per-game play with 22 goals and 30 assists in 51 USHS-Prep games.
He did one year of juniors with Corpus Christi Ice Rays before committing and once again lit the lamp big.
The 22-year old stays in Atlantic Hockey, but enters an exciting new team’s system of playing hockey.
After one season on as a freshman with RPI Engineers, defenseman Cory Babichuk(32) enters the transfer portal when a 2nd frame is left on the shelf due to the virus, and comes out as a 3rd year player with University Of Vermont Catamounts.
He played most of his junior hockey on home ice in the BCHL, where he likely committed to his first school, but did have a short foray into the USHL before heading back to Surrey Eagles, then playing a year of AJHL with Spruce Grove Saints.
The 5’10” 174 lbs., 22-year old blue liner will likely do well in Hockey East, considering he was good for 4 goals and 12 assists as a first year skater.
After a couple of seasons at University Of Maine Black Bears, junior defenseman Levi Kleiboer(16) decides to head to school closer to home at Mount Royal University Cougars for 2021/2022.
As a freshman, he saw playoffs get canceled, then endured a sophomore year where teams almost didn’t know whether they were going to be playing games or not.
He skated mostly a full schedule in his first campaign, but was limited to only 7 Hockey East games in 2020/2021, which is possibly why he decided to leave.
The 5’11” 176 lbs. blue liner played three sessions for Battlefords North Stars of the SJHL, confirming to his college after a successful 2nd stint, where he got 29 assists.
He would move down to play a year of American juniors, but quickly didn’t find the fit right at Sioux City Musketeers before switching to a much better one with Minot Minotauros.
3rd year Robert Morris University Colonials‘ center Grant Hebert(3) heard what they were saying after hoisting career high 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points with a +6 rating in 24 Atlantic Hockey games, entered the transfer portal and will come out with his senior year at University Of Maine Black Bears.
The terrain in Hockey East will no doubt be tougher, but we feel the big 6’3″ 175 lbs. forward will step it up.
He caught the attention of his first school with a massive breakout season for Cumberland Grads, throttling 27 goals and 64 assists in 60 CCHL games as the team’s assistant captain.
This set him up for the one year they likely wanted him to put in to a US junior hockey program and he was drafted by and played for Fargo Force, dominating on offense with 15 goals and another helper party of 39 assists with a +19 rating, then another 10 points (3-7) in 14 playoff games to win the 2018 USHL Clark Cup Championship.
We think the 22-year old from St. Andrews West, ON will have a good run with his new college club.
Undrafted left wing Christopher Berger(10) leaves after graduating 4 years at Brown University Bears, and somehow still has two years of eligibility remaining as he’s set to join Michigan Stage University Spartans for 2021/2022.
His former college team did not play in 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions and he ended the previous campaign on a season ending injury after just 9 ECAC games, scoring two goals and two assists, which gives him his pair of additional campaigns.
The 5’9″ 175 lbs. forward did a pair of successful junior seasons, first with Buffalo Jr. Sabres (34-56-90) in 98 OJHL games, then moving more into America for a frame with Des Moines Buccaneers, where he got 10 goals and 20 assists.
He was having breakout scoring in college as a sophomore, similar to when he was able to produce 8 goals and 11 assists in 29 USHL games,
The 23-year old, Amherst, NY native may find it a bit tough, but he could adjust quickly to Big Ten play and start scoring.
Air Force Academy Falcons loses a good one through the transfer portal, as undrafted, right wing Thomas Daskas(34) takes off for Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks.
The solid 6’2″ 201 lbs. power forward had only 14 Atlantic Hockey games in a screwed up 2020/2021, but struck for 3 goals and 4 assists.
He spent three seasons in junior hockey, starting up north in the CCHL for Kemptville 73’s before coming back to a pair of NAHL campaigns, of which hooking up with Lone Star Brahmas for a 2nd frame made it work for 19 goals and 29 assists with a +28 rating to score his college commitment.
The 21-year old will bring good things to his new school and should be able to play himself into a place, where he becomes a sought after unrestricted free agent upon completing.
Cornell University Big Red goaltender Matthew Galajda(35) leaves after a year of inactivity on ice for the transfer portal and agrees to join University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their quest for a national championship.
The college hockey standout net minder posted a 60-15-9 record with a 1.64 GAA and .930 SV%, including 19 shutouts during his three-year stint.
He won a pair of high school, CISAA Championships in 2014 & 2015 at St. Andrews College before heading off to 2 seasons in the BCHL for Victoria Grizzlies.
The 6′ 192 lbs., 23-year old goalie will definitely be high on the list of unrestricted free agents to sign with an NHL team for 2022.
Undrafted right wing Eric Linell(5) leaves University Of Connecticut Huskies after a couple of seasons through the transfer portal to become a junior with Bentley University Falcons.
He spent most of his youth hockey with P.A.L. Junior Islanders and even played half a season with their junior Premiere squad before getting picked up by Cedar Rapids Roughriders, where he skated 35 USHL games.
The small 5’8″ 165 lbs. forward would next leave for the BCHL, and as it turned out was the best move he could possibly make as he connected for 28 goals and 18 assists for Coquitlam Express, where he committed to his first college.
He would split his next season with a couple of different teams but was still a strong, very close to point-per-game stats.
The 22-year old from Great Neck, NY should find Atlantic Hockey a little easier to find open spaces to score.
Undrafted 4th year defenseman Garrett Cecere(29) circles back to re-sign with Reading Royals after a year away in which they had to decide not to play hockey in 2020/2021 due to COVID restrictions, but was scheduled to re-join them, ended up taking residence for a decent enough 25 ECHL game season with Tulsa Oilers with no goals but a new high 8 assists.
He once posted 20 assists in 24 games for Sioux City Stampede during his 2nd year of juniors.
The small 5’8″ 165 lbs. d-man first attended Colorado College prior to his first year with Janesville Jets, potting a healthy 24 assists in 52 NAHL games.
He would leave college early in his 2nd season to hook back up with his USHL team from SD.
The 26-year old Wes Demoines, IA native was also super solid for helpers in Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U and 16U AAA.
We’re thinking the eventual Northeastern University Huskies blue liner should see his best pro numbers in a campaign that’s hopefully just 100% straight ahead.
Undrafted defenseman Anthony Baxter(19) completes 4 seasons with UMass-Lowell Riverhawks, enters the transfer portal in another year of eligibility and comes out as a graduate student at RPI Engineers.
Not exactly the biggest point-getter, he’s at least consistent with his +21 overall rating in 116 Hockey East games.
The 6′ 185 lbs. blue liner may not find much more room in ECAC style of play to score but should keep a sound defensive zone.
We could see the Oakville, ON native, former OJHL Burlington Cougars‘ standout sign a pro deal after completing another year.
