Adding U SPORTS Talent

It's no secret that U SPORTS players often find places to play in the ECHL. We just saw former UPEI Panthers defender Owen Headrick earn Defenseman of the Year honours for his incredible season with the Idaho Steelheads, and it seems that a few more ECHL teams may be looking north when it comes to find the next breakout player. Some teams already did that, having U SPORTS players on their rosters, so summer is a time where they can be re-signed or added depending on need. Having said all that above, today will update you on who is playing where next season in the ECHL as there were a few signings with that U SPORTS theme!

The first player who will have an ECHL home to start next season is former Manitoba Bisons forward Keaton Jameson. Seen to the right in a Utah Grizzlies uniform, Jameson was traded to the Norfolk Admirals on June 20 as the "future considerations" after Utah acquired Aaron Thow on November 26, 2022 from Norfolk. I'm not sure that was a wise deal for Utah considering Jameson scored 15 goals and 37 points in 71 games last season along with four more points in the playoffs, but the Admirals knew better as they signed Jameson to a deal for the 2023-24 season after posting great numbers in his first full professional hockey season!

Jameson, it should be noted, played at the University of Manitoba from 2018-22 where he won the Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service Award and was nominated for the Dr. Randy Gregg Award nationally for outstanding achievement in ice hockey, academics, and community involvement. I suspect that the Admirals wanted a player who could score, but getting an exceptional person who goes out into the community for the team never hurts either. Congratulations to Keaton on finding a home for next season!

The next former U SPORTS player to land an ECHL deal knows all about winning as he did it often with the UNB Reds. Defender Joe Gatenby played last season with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits where he scored seven goals and 26 points, but he's heading to Indiana to join the Fort Wayne Komets for the 2023-24 ECHL season! Gatenby is a solid defender who played with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers before landing with the UNB Reds where he was part of three U SPORTS National Championship teams from 2018-2022. He also logged six games with the ECHL's Atlanta Gladiators in 2017-18 where he recorded a goal and four assists in six games.

Gatenby is also an award winner with UNB as he earned the Don Wells Trophy in 2021-22 as the team's most sportsmanlike player after recording just six minor penalties in 23 games. That was capped off with U SPORTS naming Gatenby as the RW Pugh Award winner as the Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year in 2022. Congratulations to Joe on getting himself a place to play next season!

The third signing that came out of the ECHL this week that had some U SPORTS influence was also from the AUS as UPEI Panthers winger Darian Pilon put his autograph on a contract with the Fort Wayne Komets as well! Pilon played at UPEI for the last three seasons where he appeared in 66 games, scoring 17 goals and 25 assists over three seasons from 2019-23. Pilon arrived at UPEI after three seasons in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves where he posted 30 goals and 48 assists in 194 OHL games. What might be most notable about Pilon's game is that he doesn't shy away from physical play, averaging 106 PIMs in the OHL and 74 PIMs in the AUS! He'll get his first taste of professional hockey in his career in October when the Komets open the season in Indianapolis against the Fuel on October 20.

I was a little surprised that Fort Wayne only signed Darian because his twin brother, Drake, also played with UPEI and logged seven games with the Kalamazoo Wings last season. In 63 games with the Panthers, Drake recorded 19 goals, 14 assists, and an incredible 147 PIMs over three seasons in Charlottetown. Perhaps there's still room for Fort Wayne to add a second Pilon brother to the roster?

In any case, I wouldn't expect these to be the only U SPORTS signings that ECHL teams make this summer. There are a ton of good players who suited up across Canada at the U SPORTS universities, and it would really benefit ECHL teams to take a good look at U SPORTS rosters to see if they can get a gem off those teams. I suspect that we'll hear more names of players who suited up at a university near you heading to the ECHL as the summer turns to fall.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!