It's been pretty awesome to see a number of former U SPORTS players getting a shot to show their stuff in the ECHL in this upcoming season with all the signings that have happened over the summer. No one is saying that all of these players will have team-changing seasons, but the fact that all of them come out of U SPORTS programs and are older and more physically mature than your normal undrafted signings makes them, in my view, more valuable. There are still roster spots that need to be filled so the chances of seeing more players signed is still good, but today we have four updates that all involve former OUA players scribbling their names on ECHL contracts!
We'll start with the Atlanta Gladiators who brought in some leadership and solid scoring by signing Ryan Cranford out of Queen's University! The former alternate captain and team captain of the Golden Gaels finished his third year with Queen's with seven goals and four assists, but posted 22 goals and 15 assists in 72 OUA games. Cranford also played four seasons in the OHL, including an overage season where was captain, with the Kingston Frontenacs where his best season came in his final season in 2018-19 where he scored 19 goals and 21 assists in 65 games. We hope to see Ryan suit up for his first professional hockey game in the ECHL on Saturday, October 21 when the Gladiators host the Savannah Ghost Pirates!
A Kelly Cup champion is on the move as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits announced on Thursday that they had signed Jake Smith to a deal. Smith played with the Iowa Heartlanders, Norfolk Admirals, and the Florida Everblades last season, capturing a Kelly Cup with the Everblades after being traded for future considerations twice. The former Carleton Ravens forward played one season in the OUA in 2018-19, notching 17 goals and 18 assists in 27 games before making the jump to the SPHL in 2019-20 with the Evansville Thunderbolts. After playing the following season with the Birmingham Bulls, Smith landed in the ECHL in 2021-22 with the Kansas City Mavericks before getting dealt to the Heartlanders. In 116 ECHL games, Smith has scored 47 goals and 44 assists, and is looking to help Greenville to a Kelly Cup championship!
The next player was re-signed by the team he finished last season with, but he has a unique OUA career. That's former Ottawa Gee Gees defender Connor Russell to the right who was re-signed by the Jacksonville Icemen on Thursday after a 2022-23 season that saw him registed one assist in 16 games after being loaned to the Icemen from the SPHL's Huntsville Havoc following a short stint with the South Carolina Stingrays who called him up from the Havoc earlier in the season. If that's not confusing enough, Russell played 37 games with the Ottawa Gee Gees before transferring to Brock University where he played in just seven games for the Badgers, registering a total of 11 assists in 44 OUA games. He's played in seven places over the last seven years, so let's hope that Jacksonville becomes a little more permanent for Russell this season after a solid showing last year!
The Fort Wayne Komets went back to the U SPORTS pool of players to sign another rookie today as they inked former Nipissing Lakers defenceman Jordan Spadafore to a deal! Spadafore spent 38 games in North Bay with the Lakers where he scored one goal and seven assists over two OUA seasons from 2021-23, but Spadafore's strengths show up in the defensive zone where he plays a tough style of defence while blocking shots and finishing checks. The 22 year-old will make his professional debut this season with the Komets, and we'll hopefully see him in uniform in the season opener when Fort Wayne visits the Indy Fire on Friday, October 20!
Those are the four players signed from U SPORTS in the last week who will presumably play in the ECHL this season. Knowing how the ECHL works, they may not finish their seasons where they signed, but that's the nature of the beast in minor professional hockey. My hope is that they all have incredible seasons that end well!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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