The Signings Aren't Stopping

If you asked me what percentage of U SPORTS players have signed contracts this offseason, my answer would only be "not enough". After having the privilege of watching a number of highly-skilled players pass through the more-than-fifty programs across this nation, there are still talented players who have graduated in the last few years who aren't playing anywhere. The good news is that the signings in the ECHL are not stopping, and there have been a pile of players signed over the last week. Get settled in because the names on this list are plentiful!

As reported in my Monday article, the Florida Everblades added a talented offensive threat to their lineup by signing former Manitoba Bisons forward Brett Davis for the 2023-24 season. Davis notched 20 goals and added 26 helpers in just 36 games for the offensively-challenged Bisons, and was Manitoba's lone representative on the 2023 FISU Team Canada squad that brought home a gold medal where he showed his offensive touch once again. The former 163rd-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars had a five-game cup of coffee with the Manitoba Moose in 2020-21 after a successful WHL run with Lethbridge, Kootenay, and Red Deer. If he scored for Florida like he did for Manitoba, he likely won't be sticking around the ECHL for long, but we'll see how Davis does down in Estero, Florida this season!

Puck-moving defencemen are always coveted by teams, and the Florida Everblades are no exception as they added a second Canada West player on the same day they signed Brett Davis as former Regina Cougars rearguard Mike Eskra will join the defending Kelly Cup champions! Eskra was a solid offensive defenceman with the SJHL's Weyburn Red Wings before joining the Cougars in 2018. His scoring slowed somewhat, but he pushed the offence when he cold as his four seasons with the Cougars saw him score six goals and 26 assists in 85 games. The 2018-29 Academic All-Canadian only recorded 43 PIMs with 23 of those coming in his final season. Eskra's skillset should fit in nicely on the talented Florida blue line this year as they look to three-peat in the ECHL!

The Jacksonville Icemen went out and signed an ECHL veteran to bolster their defence as former Windsor Lancers defender Jack Van Boekel will skate for the Icemen this season! Van Boekel's time with the OUA program ran from 2017-20, but his three seasons saw him record one goal, six assists, and 222 PIMs in 55 games! After the pandemic stoppage, Van Boekel joined the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones for 34 games where he put together a productive three-goal, ten-assist campaign, but was traded to the Idaho Steelheads in March 2022. Idaho then sent Van Boekel to Wheeling to complete an earlier "player to be named" deal between the two clubs. Van Boekel played 30 games with the Nailers, amassing two goals and three assists, but he'd be on the move once more as his rights were dealt in June to Savannah to complete another "player to be named" deal. Savannah opted not to sign the 6'7" defender, and he'll skate for Jacksonville this season!

The Kalamazoo Wings looked north to bolster the middle of their forwards as former Guelph Gryphons centerman Ted Nichol will join the K-Wings! Nichol spent four seasons with the Gryphons from 2018-23 where he scored 16 goals and 25 assists in 76 games after spending four productive seasons with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs. Nichol landed with the Florida Everblades last season for 15 games where he notched one marker and two helpers, but the Sociology major will take his talents north to Michigan this season where he'll play a little closer to home in Kalamazoo. Nichol, it should be noted, scored the championship-winning goal in triple overtime in the Queen's Cup Final in 2020!

The Idaho Steelheads are bringing back a guy who helped them reach the Kelly Cup Final last season as they've re-signed former Saskatchewan Huskies forward Zane Franklin to a new deal! Franklin's time at the University of Saskatchewan wasn't long as he played 20 games in the 2021-22 season, scoring six goals and adding 20 assists after having played with the ECHL's Allen Americans in 2020-21 where he scored nine goals and 23 assists in 60 games at the professional level. His stint with the Huskies was enough for the Reading Royals to take an interest as they signed him to a deal for the 2022-23 season. After just four games with the Royals where he scored a goal and added four helpers, the Royals traded Franklin to the Idaho Steelheads. In 55 games with the Steelheads, Franklin scored 16 goals and added 17 assists before playing 16 more games in the playoffs where he notched two goals and added two assists to help Idaho reach the Kelly Cup Final. They'll be looking for the same production from Franklin this season as they try to return to the final!

If there are U SPORTS players that are looking for a way into the ECHL, the Fort Wayne Komets seem to be the best opportunity for most with the number of players they've signed. They were at it again this past week when the inked former MacEwan Griffins defender Neithan Salame to a deal! Salame spent a single season at the Edmonton campus where his 2022-23 season saw him appear in 23 games, scoring five goals and adding ten assists. Salame came to MacEwan after a successful WHL career that saw the majority spent with Brandon before he was dealt to the Regina Pats in 2021-22. The native of Edmonton had a big season for MacEwan as he led all their defenders in scoring while finishing in third-place on the team in scoring. The 22 year-old might be the kind of offensive defender that Fort Wayne needs if they hope to make a run in the Kelly Cup Playoffs next season!

I don't know if Jacksonville has a pipeline to Windsor, but the Jacksonville Icemen signed their second former Windsor Lancers player when they inked defender Chays Ruddy to a deal. Ruddy spent a couple of seasons at the University of Windsor where he played 47 games, scoring two goals and seven assists while sitting for 92 minutes in the sin bin. Ruddy played in the OJHL with the Trenton Golden Hawks before spending his 2017-18 with the Prince George Spruce Kings in the BCHL. Following his two seasons with Windsor, Ruddy played 32 games with Fort Wayne (surprise, surprise!) and 17 games with the Kansas City Mavericks in 2021-22. He jumped to the EIHL's Manchester Storm in 2022-23 before returning to the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones. After seven games, the Cyclones waived Ruddy where the Toledo Walleye claimed him. He'll begin this season as one of seven defenders signed by Jacksonville!

The Reading Royals dipped back into the U SPORTS player pool as they signed former Acadia Axemen forward Mason McCarty to a contract for next season! McCarty broke into the professional ranks when he signed a deal with the Rapid City Rush in 2018-19 after playing five seasons in the WHL with Red Deer and Saskatoon. 15 games with the Rush was all he'd play in his first ECHL appearance, but he did score six goals and four assists. McCarty enrolled at Acadia University in 2019 where he joined the Axemen for a couple of seasons, scoring 16 goals and 16 assists in 42 AUS games. That prompted Kalamazoo to sign McCarty last season, and he played 43 games with the Wings where he notched 13 goals and 12 assists. He'll head to Pennsylvania this season where he'll look to score goals for the Royals!

Idaho re-signed another former Canada West guy as they're bringing back former UBC Thunderbirds forward Colton Kehler for another season! Aftetr three seasons in the BCHL, Kehler began to find his scoring touch with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. After three seasons skating with Edmonton, Kehler jumped into university life at UBC where he made an impact with the Thunderbirds. In two seasons and 42 Canada West games, Kehler had eight goals and seven assists while being a thorn in the sides of his opponents. Upon leaving UBC, Kehler played 2020-21 in the German Oberliga - the ECHL of German hockey - with Herne EV where he scored at a point-per-game pace. That caught the attention of the Steelheads who signed him in 2021-22 where he's been playing ever since! In 113 games with Idaho, Kehler has 31 goals and 30 assists, and he'll build on those totals in this upcoming season!

Kalamazoo must like the OUA because they re-signed another OUA player as former Brock Badgers forward Ayden MacDonald re-signed with the Wings for this upcoming season! MacDonald had a solid four-year run in the BCHL before landing at Brock University in 2017. In four seasons with the Badgers, MacDonald skated in 89 games while posting 24 goals and 35 assists before leaving midway through the 2021-22 season to sign with the ECHL's Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The K-Wings would acquire MacDonald in a trade at the trade deadline this past season, and they've made sure he sticks around the Michigan city for next season! In 102 ECHL games to date, McDonald has 27 goals and 30 assists, including two goals and seven assist in 12 games with the K-Wings thuis far. He'll look to continue that scoring this season!

The final update today is another re-signing as the Wichita Thunder welcomed former Dalhousie Tigers forward Dillon Boucher back to the squad! Boucher played four seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL before hopping into the Maritime Hockey League with the Miramichi Timberwolves in 2017-18 where he scored at a point-per-game pace. He enrolled at Dalhousie in 2018, playing four seasons for the Tigers where he scored 16 goals and 27 assists in 99 AUS games. Boucher signed with the Thunder last season upon the completion of the Tigers' season, getting into eleven games, but registered no points. He'll be looking for that first professional goal and point this year as he'll back with the Thunder once again!

We're heading into September where teams will look to tweak rosters by bringing in talent, and there are still lots of great U SPORTS players who could be signed. As seen above, there were some great signings this week as teams add talent and skill, and the guys who returned to the teams they played with last season provide some stability and familiarity to those teams. The ECHL season opens on October 19, so HBIC will keep an eye on who is signing where!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!