Patrick Williamstheahl.com writer
Going out of school.
The season roster around the American Hockey League has been adjusted as NCAA talent begins signing and jumps into the Calder Cup playoffs.
March is always a busy time for the AHL roster. NHL trade deadline. AHL Trade/Loan Deadline. The prospects of the Canadian Hockey League and the season for European clubs ended.
American college hockey is one of those talent sources. The NCAA National Championships began Thursday, but the AHL is the logical next stop for those who didn’t advance in the school and chose to turn professional. Eliminating the team from the tournament may join their results, which will end April 10-12 and end in the frozen four in St. Louis.
Players who come out of the NCAA rankings have several different contract options. Some are NHL draft picks, and they sign up for the NHL trades that will start next season. In this case, they can sign an amateur trial agreement with the AHL branch of the NHL team. They can also take the path of signing an AHL contract. Some others will find opportunities that may lead to a contract.
Columbus Blue Jacket Star Defense Zach Werenski It is one of the most compelling examples of NCAA players joining the AHL team later this season. In 2016, after Columbus’ first-round draft pick completed his second season at Michigan, he chose to turn around and join the Lake Erie Monster. As the Monster advanced in the playoffs, he immediately became an influencer himself and played the number one role and won their first Calder Cup title. For Werenski, who was only 18 years old at the time, going to the AHL provided a bridge to college games that he used to help him transition to a long NHL career.
Let’s review some of the players who have jumped up this month.
Brett Chorske – Charlotte Inspector
Chorske’s name is a familiar name for hockey fans.
Brett Chorske’s father Tomplayed 596 NHL games and was the Stanley Cup champion, he also spent time in the AHL with Sherbrooke and Utica.
Brett is a 23-year-old forward at Colgate University, and has also played his first two college seasons at Colorado College. This season at Colgate, he exploded with 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 36 games. Charlotte signed an amateur selection agreement for the rest of the 2024-25 season and a two-year AHL contract that begins next season.
Chorske isn’t the only new inspector whose father has NHL and AHL time. New Hampshire Defense Colton Huard24 also joined Checkers on the ATO; his father, billplayed 223 NHL games with AHL Time for Utica, Providence and Lowell.
Noah de la Durantaye – Syracuse Tightening
Princeton Tigers defender and Captain De La Durantaye signed an ATO this week with Syracuse after completing his senior college season. Montreal people are twice as good as ECAC’s full academic team.
The tightening has also increased Cooper Flinton From Dartmouth. Flinton is Tampa Bay’s 2021 draft pick, scoring 24 points in Big Green junior this season.
Will Dineen – Laval Rockets
Like Chorske’s name, Dineen’s name has enough weight in hockey.
The son of a long-time AHL head coach Kevin DineenHe also played in the NHL for 19 seasons and will just finish his college career at Yale. The 24-year-old forward captain scored 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) in 30 games, scoring with the Rockets’ shooting. He has appeared twice with Laval so far.
Tyler Kopff – Rochester American
Kopf chose a professional player after two seasons at Brown, and the 21-year-old forward finished second in 32 games with 28 points (9 goals and 19 assists). He joined Amerks’ ATO after reaching a two-year contract with Buffalo Sabers in 2025-26.
Jackson Kunz – Abbotsford Canucks
Kunz, the Vancouver Canucks 2020 fourth-round draft pick, is a 22-year-old forward, after four seasons at North Dakota. This season, he scored 15 points (7 goals and 8 assists) in 36 games, winning the contract with Abbotsford for the next season.
Noah Laba – Hartford Wolf Pack
Raba made a new two-year entry-level deal with the New York Rangers, including an ATO with Hartford.
Laba, 21, scored just 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 29 games at Colorado College. He is the highest choice, he is also the second All-American team and is the NCHC Defensive Player of the Year for sophomore in 2023-24. He made his debut at the Wolf Pack’s pro on March 21 with a brief goal.
Raba’s University of Colorado teammates Ty Gallagher He won a two-year AHL agreement from Providence and scored on March 21 with the Bruins’ debut.
Ayrton Martino – Texas Star
The Dallas Stars received one of their most attractive prospects this week, with Martino signing a two-year contract that will be activated next season. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old striker has joined Texas ATO.
Dallas won Martino in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, and his breakthrough season at Clarkson University is approaching. Martino recorded 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) in 37 games to lead the ECAC score. He is also a first-team winner, finalist of the year and a Hobby Baker Award nominee.
Martino will take a familiar path for the young Dallas prospect. Texas forward Justin HryckowianHe finished second among the AHL rookies this season with 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) and joined Texas later last season in the Northeast season.
Martino isn’t the only new face in the Texas roster. Clarkson teammate Trey Taylordefensive players and Dartmouth forwards Sean Chisholm It also signed an ATO with Texas. The 23-year-old Taylor captain Clarkson has scored 29 points (9 goals, 29 assists) in 39 games. He didn’t choose, but signed a two-year entry-level contract with Dallas the same day in Martino. Chisholm, 24, scored 27 points (15 goals and 12 assists) in 33 points, and also served as captain.
Ian Moore – San Diego Seagull
Captain Harvard. It’s an impressive championship, senior defender Moore is taking place this season.
The Anaheim Ducks took Moore, who scored 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft with 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in 32 games this season. He ended up spending his entire season at Harvard before signing the ATO with San Diego on March 19.
Will FrancisMinnesota – Duluth’s defender is another addition to San Diego. For 24-year-old Francis, it was a straight road to the Seagulls, who also signed an ATO with the team. He faced multiple rounds in leukemia and played six games with Minnesota-Duluth in his junior and senior seasons.
forward Owen Lindmark It’s another new member on the San Diego roster. He was only 23 years old and played for Wisconsin for six seasons, with the last two being graduate students. He was appointed captain this season, scoring nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 37 games. He is with Ato’s seagull.
Ryland Mosely – Cleveland Monster
Wisconsin has offered many new AHL faces earlier. One of them is Mosely, a 25-year-old forward who just scored 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists) in 37 games against Wisconsin. This was his first season at school after transferring from Michigan Tech. He won the ATO with the Monsters and a contract to start next season.
John Prokop – Marlies
Prokop, a 23-year-old defensive from United Academy, signed a one-year contract with Toronto Maple Leafs that will begin next season. However, for the moment, Ye Zi has him join the ATO. In his junior year, he scored 27 points (8 goals and 19 assists) in 36 games. Last season, he was the ECAC’s No. 1 All-Star team member and a Hobby Baker Award nominee, and he scored 35 points (8 goals, 27 assists) in 36 games.
Joining Prokop with Marlies will be Dartmouth’s forward Luke Haymeshe signed a two-year contract with LEAFS next season with this season’s ATO. Haymes, 21, was injured in 22 games this season but scored 18 points (12 goals, 6 assists). He is a member of the All-Volunteer League first team and the 2023-24 ECAC No. 1 All-Star team for his sophomore campaign.
Jake Schmaltz – Providence Brown Bear
Schmaltz signed a new year-on-year AHL contract with Providence after completing his senior year at the University of North Dakota. Schmaltz is Boston’s 2019 draft Nick Schmaltz And former NHL and AHL defenders Jordan Schmaltz.
Gleb Veremyev – Bridgeport Islander
With the prospects of New York Islanders ranking, Veremyev joined the game after three seasons at Colorado Academy, where he scored 17 points (9 goals and eight assists) in 37 games this season. He signed a two-year contract with New York next season and signed an ATO with Bridgeport.
Bridgeport also adds defensemen Max Dorlington From nearby Sacred Heart University. Dorrington, 23, scored 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 38 games. His younger brother, 20 years old Jacksonis also a newbie in AHL. After three seasons in the Northeast, the defender joined the Hartford Wolves after signing a three-year entry-level deal with the Rangers. Max and Jackson are distant cousins Art Dorlingtonhe became the first black player to sign an NHL deal when he joined the Rangers in 1950.
During the fifty years in the American Hockey League, Theahl.com writer Patrick Williams currently covers the NHL.com and Flosports leagues and is a regular contributor to Siriusxm NHL New Network Radio. He won the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding league coverage in 2016.
