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Minor Transactions: 11/23/20

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As the NHL off-season wears on without much activity, free agents are facing some difficult decisions as they look for employment for next season. Among other minor moves, Monday witnessed a number of payers leaving NHL contracts for minor league pacts and a stagnant market could mean that this is just the beginning.

  • Defenseman Devante Stephens will return to Syracuse next season, but on an AHL contract with the crunch rather than a two-way NHL deal. The 23-year-old, a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and for the first time in his pro career became a regular in the AHL lineup. However, this was not enough to convince the Bolts that he was worthy of a second look. At least the Crunch were willing to bring him back, announcing a one-year contract.
  • For someone who was traded three times in a nine-month span last season, one would think that forward Aaron Luchuk would be in demand. However, the 23-year-old center will not be getting a new NHL deal with his entry-level contract expiring. In fact, Luchuk was unable to even find an AHL deal. The former Senators’, Maple Leafs’, and Canadiens’ prospect has signed a one-year deal with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the team announced.
  • University of New Brunswick product Alex Dubeau upgraded to an AHL contract last season and made three appearances with the Belleville Senators. However, he still played the majority of his games in the ECHL and will return to league next season. Dubeau has signed a one-year deal with the South Carolina Stingrays, the team announced.
  • Cam Knuble, son of former NHLer Mike Knuble, will follow in his father’s footsteps to the NCAA, though not to the same school. While Mike attended the University of Michign prior to his 16-year NHL career, Cam is headed to Western Michigan University, effective immediately according to the program. Knuble had previously been commited to nearby Michigan State University, but recently decided not only to change his commitment but to move up his timeline. The undrafted forward hopes that the move puts him on the fright track for a pro future.

Snapshots: Sharks, Khudobin, Tverberg

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Barring a change in local health policy, the San Jose Sharks may have to make other arrangements for training camp. In response to the continued surge of the Coronavirus in California, Santa Clara County officials have mandated a number of health policy changes, one of which would prohibit the Sharks from having players skate in large groups. As a result, team president Jonathan Becher tells The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka that the team may need to hold training camp outside of the county. Becher calls moving training camp a “last resort” and states that the team has already sought permission to hold full training sessions and are waiting for the county’s approval. In the meantime, the Sharks have begun discussions with other facilities about the possibility of hosting training camp. San Jose is short on time compared to other NHL teams as well; as one of the seven non-playoff teams, the Sharks are expected to be permitted to have upwards of ten additional days of camp to make up for their lack of play time since the league paused the 2019-20 season in March. If the league is able to come through on their hopeful start date of January 1st, early training camp for the Sharks could open in just a few weeks.

  • When training camp opens in Dallas, playoff hero Anton Khudobin will be in attendance and ready to play. The veteran goaltender, who re-signed with the Stars this off-season, underwent surgery last month to correct nerve damage in his right arm. However, NHL.com’s Tracey Myers relays word from Dallas GM Jim Nill that Khudobin is already “back to 100 percent.” With starter Ben Bishop still rehabbing from off-season surgery of his own after missing much of the postseason, a healthy Khudobin is hugely important for the Stars to get off to a strong start.
  • The NCAA season is finally off and running (albeit not without some early issues), but one Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is already looking ahead to next year. 2020 seventh-round pick Ryan Tverberg has committed to the University of Connecticut, the Huskies have announced. Tverberg is set to join the program for the 2021-22 season and beyond after spending this year with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. The Leafs selected Tverberg, a native of nearby Richmond Hill, out of the local OJHL but will watch him develop for several years south of the border.

Snapshots: Return To Play Talks, Hertl, RIT

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The NHLPA was back to work on Return To Play negotiations today, this time taking the league’s recent proposals and discussing them internally. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the NHLPA Executive Board, which includes the player rep for each of the 31 NHL teams, met virtually this afternoon for about two-and-a-half hours. No action was taken, but those in attendance discussed the owners’ proposal that players take on an extra 13% of deferred salary in 2020-21 beyond the 10% deferral and 20% escrow already agreed upon in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. LeBrun believes that the NHL’s request was not well-received by the players, but that more discussion is needed. That includes both more internal talk, but also negotiation with the other side to see what concessions the league may make in order to achieve greater salary deferral this year. The one thing both sides have in common is wanting to get the season started as soon as it is feasible to do so, so hopefully terms of the Return to Play can be hammered out sooner rather than later.

  • Once the NHL season is ready to begin, San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl will be ready to go as well. Hertl suffered a season-ending ACL and MCL tear in 2019-20, but tells The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz that he has resumed skating and off-ice training and his knee is “feeling good”. There was some concern that perhaps Hertl would not be ready for the start of the season, depending on when that was, but Hertl states that he has been working out since August and would be playing already if the season had already begun. This is great news for the Sharks, as the team needs as much help as they can get after an extremely disappointing season and Hertl has become one of the club’s core offensive players.
  • Rochester Institute of Technology is also ready for the new season, the NCAA season that is. After initially planning to cancel their 2020-21 season for men’s and women’s hockey, RIT announced that they had reconsidered their position and will play this season. Atlantic Hockey has submitted its own Return to Play plans and proposed schedule and the Tigers are now part of those plans. While RIT does not currently have any drafted NHL prospects, the program has produced talent in the past, highlighted by a top 2020 free agent signing in defenseman Chris Tanev. 

NCAA Notes: Peski, Blake, Anchorage

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Just like many pros, some recent college graduates are still unsigned free agents trying to find their way in a quiet market. One name who has finally found a pro home is former University of North Dakota defenseman Andrew Peski. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports that Peski has signed an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins. A heavy-hitting, stay-at-home defender, Peski actually saw a significant uptick in offense as a senior, recording 10 points after totaling just 11 points in his first three collegiate seasons combined. Still, Peski served as a four-year starter for North Dakota because of his defensive ability, exemplified by a +17 rating for the top college program last year. He will try to be a value to the junior Bruins in the same way and could find himself playing a regular role in the AHL right away. Boston has just four defensemen signed who are ineligible for waivers and certain to start the year in the minors, as well as two prominent AHL-contracted blue liners returning in Josiah Didier and Cooper Zech, but that group of six includes just two right-handed defenseman, which could leave a hole for Peski.

  • A major hockey name is in the spotlight as Jack Blake, son of Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake, is following in his father’s footsteps with his college commitment. Blake, who currently plays in the OJHL with the Oakville Blades, will head to Bowling Green State University next year, the league announced. Rob played three seasons with the Falcons in the late 80’s before jumping to the NHL, but Jack may need that extra year in the NCAA to secure an NHL contract after going undrafted. Jack also still needs to do some growing to match up with his father’s hulking frame, but the younger Blake plays the same dangerous two-way style. He will certainly bear watching as he begins his collegiate career next season.
  • Count the University of Alaska-Anchorage among those NCAA programs who will not be participating this year. The school has independently canceled all winter sports, meaning they will not compete in WCHA hockey this season. While Anchorage currently has no drafted prospects, their alumni include a number of former and current NHLers, highlighted by Jay Beagle and Curtis Glencross. The lost season will unfortunately hurt the team considerably, as many players have already stated their intent to transfer.

Ivy League Schools Cancel Hockey Season

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While other NCAA hockey conferences have been busy announcing their schedules for the 2020-21 season, delayed and shortened but a season nonetheless, the Ivy League schools have decided to go in a different direction. In a joint announcement between the eight member institutions, the Ivy League announced that they will forego all winter sports this year as a result of the continuing Coronavirus pandemic. While the conference itself does not sponsor hockey, six of its members participate in the the ECAC: Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. All will sit out the season following this decisions.

While this had been a fear of many since the conference canceled all sports in the fall semester, eliminating the possibility of hockey until late December at the earliest, there was hope that with other conferences opting to face the challenge and spare the season that the Ivy League’s would fall in line as well. After all, hockey is the most high-profile sport for those six schools who sponsor the sport at the Division I level. However, they stated that they felt that canceling all winter sports was the best decision “with the health & wellbeing of student-athletes & the greater campus community in mind.”

On an overall NCAA hockey scale, the loss of the Ivy League removes perennial contenders such as Cornell and Harvard from the mix this season. It also leaves the ECAC with just six other active teams; the conference has yet to announce a schedule for the coming season but will have very few options outside of repeated match-ups between their remaining teams.

On an individual basis, the loss of this season will have a major effect on a number of NHL prospect. While some opted not to wait for the Ivy League’s to make this decision – presumptive 2021 first-round pick Matthew Beniers and recent Boston Bruins draft pick Trevor Kuntar are among those who transferred to other schools this summer, while some incoming freshmen deferred, and some upperclassmen turned pro early – many others are left without a collegiate season. They will have to decide if they want to stay at school and perhaps try to find a local junior team to play with or if instead they will search for a landing spot in the USHL or elsewhere. Seniors and even some others could still opt to sign their entry-level contracts as well. The NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to all winter athletes, but that means little to those with NHL dreams who are not looking to put off turning pro for an extra year. Fortunately, many of those affected have already begun playing elsewhere or have plans to do so and hopefully all will be able to find a suitable locale for the season. Below is a list of all of the drafted NHL prospects left without a collegiate season in light of the Ivy League’s winter sports cancellation:

Cornell: D Misha Song, Jr. (NYI); F Matt Stienburg, So. (COL)*

Harvard: F Nick Abruzzese, So. (TOR); F John Farinacci, So. (ARI)**; G Mitchell Gibson, So. (WSH); F Alex Laferriere, Fr. (LAK)***; D Henry Thrun, So. (ANA)****; F Austin Wong, So. (WPG)*****

Princeton: F Liam Gorman, So. (PIT)

Yale: F Curtis Hall, Jr. (BOS); D Phil Kemp, Sr. (EDM); D Jack St. Ivany, Jr. (PHI)

*Stienberg is expected to play with the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL this season
**Farinacci will play with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL this season
***Laferriere is expected to play with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL this season
****Thrun will play with the Dubuque Fightning Saints of the USHL this season
*****Wong is expected to play with the Fargo Force of the USHL this season

College Notes: Hockey East, Newhook, UAH,

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You want more college hockey? You’ve got it. Hockey East has announced its 2020-21 schedule which will begin on November 20 with three games and continue through March 6. Not all teams will kick things off right away, with Boston University not playing until the start of December.

Men’s and women’s hockey will be, for the most part, aligned this season to keep transmission risk lower and there will be a “vigorous testing program for the teams, staff, and officials.” This is huge news for top prospects like Spencer Knight of Boston College, who had an outstanding freshman season but needs to keep getting into games to continue his development.

  • Of course, Knight’s BC teammate Alex Newhook has been invited to Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp that starts later this week, meaning he won’t be taking part in the first part of the Hockey East schedule. As Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports, Newhook will leave the BC program on Friday to take part in the month-long selection camp, chasing a dream of suiting up for Canada after he was cut from the team last year. The 19-year-old forward was selected 16th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2019 and won the Tim Taylor Award as the best rookie in the NCAA last season.
  • Speaking of good news on the college front, the University of Alabama-Huntsville announced that it has received a long-term multi-million dollar financial commitment and will continue to be a Division I hockey program. The Chargers were in danger of dissolving earlier this year thanks to financial concerns, but after a GoFundMe quickly reached a fundraising goal, more commitments have been made by alumni and the college administration to reinstate the program.

Florida Panthers Loan Alec Rauhauser To Slovakia

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Former Bowling Green State University standout Alec Rauhauser will not be making his pro debut in the NHL or AHL, but in the Slovakian Extraliga. The Florida Panthers have loaned their recent NCAA signing to DVTK Jegesmedvek, the Hungarian club announced. Like most players on loan, Rauhauser will only stay with the Polar Bears until NHL training camps open.

While Hungary may seem like an odd location, Rauhauser has connections to the club. His former junior head coach with the USHL’s De Moines Buccaneers, Dave Allison, is now the head coach at DVTK, and his former Bucs teammate, Nick Wolff of the Boston Bruins, is also on loan to the club. Rauhauser stated in the press release that it was Wolff who recruited him to the team.

While Rauhauser and Wolff are both big defensemen who found immense success in the NCAA, the two play very different styles. Rauhauser will be a nice complement to Wolff, a stay at home defender, with his offense and mobility. Rauhauser recorded 29 goals and 122 points in 159 games over four seasons at Bowling Green and was perennially one of their top scoring players. With the Polar Bears, Rauhauser will get a chance to play a major offensive role from the blue line and can prepare to battle in camp for the Panthers as a potential dark horse option to see NHL action this season.

Minor Transactions: 11/03/20

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Today is a big day for news, what with the NFL trade deadline and the MLB’s announcement of the Gold Glove winners of course, but the hockey world has managed to slip a few notable minor moves in as well. The NHL free agent market has quieted down, but other leagues continue to make roster transactions. Take a look:

  • The AHL’s Stockton Heat have added a very talented collegiate player to their 2020-21 roster in former Bemidji State University captain Adam Brady. In an interview with the Smart Sports Podcast’s Darryl Smart, Brady announced that he had signed his first pro contract. While it would not have been a surprise to see Brady draw NHL interest, he states his excitement to be joining the Calgary Flames’ affiliate. A near point-per-game player in his senior season, Brady recorded a total of 81 points in 112 games over three seasons at Bemidji State. Although he is older than the typical NCAA free agent at 25, the skilled center should bring a pro-ready game that will make him an effective player immediately.
  • Vladimir Sobotka did not last very long in the NLA. After his contract with the Buffalo Sabres expired back on October 9, Sobotka signed a temporary contract with SC Rapperswil-Jona in Switzerland. Since then, he played in four games and recorded two assists. However, he didn’t do enough to earn a full-time roster spot. The Lakers announced today that they have declined the option to extend Sobotka’s contract. The veteran NHLer, who also has experience in the KHL and in his native Czech Republic, will be back on the hunt for another landing spot.
  • In contrast, another former Boston Bruin has found employment overseas. Jordan Caron, who has bounced between Germany, Russia, and Switzerland over the past few years, has signed with Austria’s Villacher SV of the IceHL. The team announced the addition of the veteran forward, who will likely play a major role for the club. Caron has been a productive two-way forward in Europe as he was in the AHL, but could never translate that ability to the NHL in stops with Boston, Colorado, and St. Louis.

Penguins Loan Cam Lee To HC Slovan Bratislava

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Defenseman Cam Lee is preparing to make his pro debut this season, but it won’t be with the team he expected when he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins this spring. When Lee takes the ice to begin the 2020-21 campaign, it will not be in the NHL or AHL but in the Slovakian Extraliga with HC Slovan Bratislava. The club announced that they have negotiated a loan with the Penguins that will allow Lee to play in Bratislava until NHL training camp opens.

Lee, 23, embarks on his first pro season after wrapping up an impressive four-year collegiate career at Western Michigan University. Lee notched 20+ points in each of the past three seasons, including 21 points in just 26 games as a senior, and led all Broncos defensemen in scoring in each of the past two years. The nephew of former NHL star goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Lee is a high IQ player who sees the ice well and moves the puck. Lee is unlikely to be rushed to the NHL like some other Penguins’ NCAA free agents, but if he can improve in some need areas over the course of his two-year entry-level contract, he could compete for opportunities at the top level down the road.

Easing in to the pro game by starting in Bratislava rather than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton may end up helping Lee in his first season. A former KHL club that is well-regarded and finished second in the Extraliga standings last season, Bratislava is a good team and a place where a young player can learn the game without feeling too much pressure. Former NHL defenseman Andrej Meszaros may also be a great mentor to the young defenseman. With that said, the team stated in their release that they have been disappointed by a slow start to this season, so Lee may also get the opportunity to play a key role for the club in the time before he returns for training camp.

Minor Transactions: 09/28/20

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As the two surviving teams prepare for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final tonight, the other 29 teams are busy preparing for the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. Not only that, minor league affiliates, junior teams, college programs, and countless European clubs are getting ready for the 2020-21 season, as are the many players who still don’t know where they are playing next season. As a result, there are a number of minor moves being made every day:

  • AHL veteran Ryan Olsen is on his way to Germany. The 26-year-old center has signed with the EC Kassel Huskies of the second-tier DEL2, the club has announced. Although Kassel is not among the elite clubs in Germany, it has attracted a fair amount of North American pros over the years, including James Wisniewski. Olsen, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick, has spent the past two seasons with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. Olsen has been a useful player in the minors over the years, setting a career high with 34 points just two seasons ago, but has not been able to earn an NHL contract since his entry-level deal expired in 2017 and is ready for a fresh start.
  • Rod Pelley, a name not heard in NHL circles in quite some time, has decided to call it a career. Ohio State University, where Pelley starred for four years, announced that their alum has officially retired. Pelley is best remembered for being a regular for the New Jersey Devils for six years after college. Even after he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2011-12, he returned to the Devils to captain AHL Albany for several more years once his contract expired. Pelley last played in North America for the AHL’s Stockton Heat in 2017-18 and has spent the past two seasons in Denmark and Romania respectively. He retires with over 250 NHL games and over 550 AHL games to his credit.
  • Curtis Brown, who retired back in 2011, was back in the headlines recently with the news that his son, Garrett Brown, had committed to the University of Denver. This would be a major accomplishment for any young player, as the Pioneers are an elite NCAA program, but even more so for a California-grown product. In fact, it was the San Jose Jr. Sharks who initially announced the commitment for the standout. Curtis played his final season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2007-08, but returned to the area after three seasons of playing in Switzerland and Garrett has grown up in the area. Now 16, the younger Brown looks like he is developing the skill to challenge his dad, a long-time Buffalo Sabres star, and should be an interesting prospect to follow once he arrives at Denver in a few years.

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