7th year center Nick Huard(40) switches up 4 unreal, good years with Dresdner Eislowen, producing a fantastic 90 goals and 120 assists with a +23 rating in 198 DEL2 games.
The small-ish 5’9″ 181 lbs. forward is heading to Erste Liga, signing a 1-year deal with ASC Corona Brasov Wolves for 2021/2022.
He originally started his junior hockey in the QMJHL, but had little success as a rookie.
Almost oddly, he came out of the gate strong with 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 games in the next session for Lewistown Maineiacs, but maybe had already made the decision to move on to skating for Woodstock Slammers of the MJAHL and took scoring once again to a completely different level (97-126=223) in 139 games before deciding to attend University Of Guelph Gryphons.
Once again he would detonate the score sheet in CIS games before agreeing to terms on an ato upon graduation with Cincinnati Cyclones, where he potted his first 3 goals and 3 assists in 13 ECHL games and also was loaned up to Adirondack Flames for his only AHL game.
The 30-year will no doubt light up the Hungary/Romanian league and probably have a lot of fun in the process.
He detonates scoring in a couple leagues over there, then last season heads back to Deutschland, but signing with Tolzer Lowen of Germany3, where he had a very easy time scoring 27 goals and 48 assists with a +18 in 41 games.
The now 9th year vet must be getting some decent money to go where he goes, because his next stop is AlpsHL on a 1-year deal with EK Zeller Eisbaren for 2023/2024.
He explodes the stat sheet with 20 goals and 28 assists in just 36 games with a +28 rating to get a big invite to return.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ senior defenseman Jeremie Bucheler(98) will head north to Hockey East rival, University Of Vermont Catamounts to start a graduate year.
The impressively big, undrafted 6’4″ 200 lbs. blue liner had solid junior and senior campaigns with a goal and 10 then 9 assists, but a combined +28 rating.
With a good graduate frame, the 23-year old, Montreal, QC native could easily jump on an NHL teams radar.
He takes a fully breakout season, scoring new bests 6 goals, 12 assists and 18 points in 33 games to signing a 1st pro deal, an ato to join San Jose Barracuda.
Clarkson University Golden Knights‘ junior net minder Ethan Haider(31) takes his game into the transfer portal to come out to guard the cage for University Of Connecticut Huskies in 2023/2024.
He moves on after playing 80 NCAA Division 1 games, posting a handy 36-31-12 record on a team that always played hard for his 2.36 GAA and .910 SV%.
A St. Louis Park, MN native, he had a good high school run before agreeing to play for his 1st NAHL junior team, close to home, Minnesota Magicians.
The big 6’3″ 203 lbs. goalie next played in the USHL before heading to school.
At 21-years old, this is a great team for him to play for to have draft team Nashville Predators (5th round, 2019, #148 overall) to see him compete.
He starts 21 games with a 7-11-2 record and a 2.91 GAA and .906 SV%, mostly splitting time with another draft pick.
Finishing up Hockey East play without a tournament start, he signs an ato with Milwaukee Admirals that will turn into an AHL deal for 2024/2025, where he will be under the watchful eye of the parent club, affiliate.
RPI Engineers‘ senior defenseman Mason Klee(7) will extend his college career for a graduate season at Ohio State University Buckeyes in 2023/2024.
He had a modest new college best 6 assists and 7 points last season, but it’s his 6’2″ 192 lbs. size that brings accountability into the zone.
2 years of USHL juniors did see him raise the 2019 Clark Cup Championship with Sioux Falls Stampede.
He takes 1 goal and 4 assists in a college best 38 games to a 1st ECHL contract with Worcester Railers and in 5 games has 1 assists and is a +1 rating to get himself loaned up to old “affiliate” pal San Jose Barracuda, where he has no points in 4 AHL games, as they fight for a playoff berth.
UMass Minutemen senior left wing Cal Kiefiuk(8) will do a graduate season at Hockey East rival Providence College Friars in 2023/2024.
He had a college career best 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points last season.
The 5’10” 185 lbs. forward did 2 decently productive USHL seasons with Central Illinois Flying Aces.
From Macomb, MI, he comes out of the Honeybaked hockey system.
We think the 23-year old will have fun competing for the enemy.
He maybe scored a little better for his former club, but still did decently enough to score a 1st contract with Wheeling Nailers.
UMass-Lowell Riverhawks‘ senior left wing Blake Wells(54) heads into the transfer portal for a graduate season roughly 90 minutes west at American International College Yellowjackets.
The 6’2″ 201 lbs. forward should find more room in Atlantic Hockey to score.
His best season was as a junior, getting 3 goals and 5 assists in 29 games.
The 23-year old Blackie, AB native played 2 seasons in the nearby AJHL for Okotoks Oilers before committing to school.
He comes away with a college best 4 goals and 6 assists in his extra frame and signs a pro deal with Utah Grizzlies, where we suspect he will find more room in the ECHL to score using his power forward size.
Northeastern University Huskies‘ graduate defenseman, Pito Walton(28) is off to a hot start with his new team, getting the 1st goal of the 2023/2024 season and adding another tally the next night.
The 6’2″ 200 lbs. blue liner has come over from Princeton University Tigers and is making an impact, setting up a next move post college for the big man on d.
He had 7 goals and 14 assist in his final ECAC season and scores a darn close 6 goals and 12 assists in the slightly more difficult Hockey East play, but is really a pivotal +8 rating player on this team.
Upon finishing up a 5th year of college, he signs with Florida Everblades that should have him see some good action from the get-go, but unfortunately only played 1 ECHL game before being released, quickly picked up by Savannah Ghost Pirates for a look and has 1 assist in 4 games.
Sacred Heart University Pioneers‘ graduate center Austin Magera(5) leaves his long-standing program with a college career best 20 assists and 28 points before signing a 1st pro deal with South Carolina Stingrays.
The 6’1″ 190 lbs. forward is off to a nice start, in 7 ECHL games he has 2 goals and 3 assists with one multi-point outing.
He appeared in only 1 USHL session previous to heading to college, coming off a successful high school run at Lawrence Academy for the Suwanee, GA native.
The 24-year old appears to impress at the next level.
He is voted “rookie of the year” for his efforts scoring 29 goals and 45 assist for 74 in 70 games with a +21 rating.
Boston University Terriers‘ 2022 Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round pick (#62 overall), freshman defenseman Lane Hutson(48) is off to a monster start, scoring 6 goals and 11 assists in 14 NCAA Division 1 games with a +6 rating.
The fairly small 5’9″ 155 lbs. blue liner ran up some hefty scoring totals in his 2nd session with USNTDP, pocketing just 10 goals, but 53 assists in 60 USHL games with an overwhelming +59 rating.
An only 18-year older from Holland, MI, he looks like he won’t be sticking around in school for too long before accepting his NHL entry level deal, now doesn’t he?
He runs up almost identical freshman/sophomore stats (49 points) and an overall +39 rating through 77 games and taking it all the way to the Frozen Four twice, but that’s enough for the now 20-year old, who signs a 3-year entry level deal with his draft club and steps right into action.
Early in his debut, he sets up the opening goal by his team for a 1st NHL assist and point for himself.
He skates 23 shifts for 21:54 ice time with 1 shot on net and left the game a -1 rating, as his team squandered the lead to a desperate for a win club.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ Swedish-born senior Oscar Geschwind(17) did all of his youth hockey back home and even figured in 2 HockeyEttan games for a couple different teams, scoring some points.
The 6′ 190 lbs. forward didn’t have a junior year he maybe wanted for goals and points, but was a very accountable +9 rating and we have to think that changes in the upcoming frame.
He played his freshman year at Northern Michigan University Wildcats.
It’s very likely he will head back home to start his pro career after school is complete.
