The NHL offseason has come to a standstill with no unrestricted free agents signed to one-way contracts in a month. Still, the ECHL (which kicked off its season earlier today) and many European leagues continue to play or prepare, meaning there are still hockey players signing deals all over the world. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions here.
- Forward Mark McNeill has signed with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden, the Allsvenskan team announced. The 2011 first-round pick last saw NHL action in 2016-17 with Dallas (getting into one game) and spent last season with EHC Linz in Austria where he had four goals and 13 assists in 27 games. He is one of three first rounders from that draft class who haven’t played at least ten career NHL contests.
- Defenseman Doyle Somerby has inked a deal with South Carolina of the ECHL, per the ECHL’s transactions page. The 26-year-old signed as an undrafted college free agent with Columbus back in 2017 but didn’t progress beyond the AHL level in three professional seasons. He had a goal and six assists in 61 games with Cleveland last season.
- Former Canucks winger Michael Zalewski is off to Germany as Kolner Haie of the DEL announced that they’ve inked him to a contract. It will be his second go-round with the team after he spent the 2018-19 campaign with them. Last season, he recorded 15 goals and 18 assists in 46 games with Vienna in Austria.