The last few seasons in the ECHL has brought a lot of intrigue. There have been new teams, plenty of new exciting players and prospects, and there’s been a three-peat champion bringing a little consistency to the mix.

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The great thing about the ECHL is that, unless we’re talking about the Florida Everblades in the Kelly Cup Finals, you never really know what you’re going to get. At its core, the league is a developmental outlet that NHL teams have become increasingly more prone to use for prospects that need a little extra time before going into the AHL grind. 

Beyond that, however, the ECHL is its own ecosystem with an incredible cast of characters. The mix of fresh prospects trying to make their name within an NHL farm system, the seasoned veterans who have put down roots in their communities and feel a responsibility to make the local team competitive, to the players whose passion for the game won’t let them walk away until they’ve squeezed every last drop from their careers, there’s a uniqueness to the league.

To showcase a little bit of the wide array of players you’ll find in the ECHL this season, here’s a look at 15 notable names that I’ll be following for a number of different reasons this season.

Keith Kinkaid, G, Savannah Ghost Pirates

Keith Kinkaid has appeared in 169 games in the NHL, most recently during the 2022-23 season. Last year, he was one of the goaltenders for the then-independent Chicago Wolves in the AHL and didn't necessarily have the best showing.

Kinkaid was so committed to finding a job this summer, however, he accepted a PTO with the New York Islanders that included him attending rookie camp with players more than a decade younger than himself. Kinkaid ultimately did not stick with the Islanders, but he’s not calling it a career just yet as he’s starting the year on the Savannah roster. Where this goes next will be fascinating to watch. Kinkaid has never played in the ECHL previously, going straight to the AHL after his collegiate career.

Ty Voit, RW, Cincinnati Cyclones (TOR)

After having season-ending surgery last January, Voit is looking to build himself back up into one of the better prospects in the Toronto Maple Leafs system. The highly-skilled forward is starting the year with Cincinnati and will likely be looking to work his way up to the Toronto Marlies.

The 5-foot-9 winger appeared in just six games all of last season, but the year before he was a 105-point forward in the OHL. In five games with the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL last season, Voit had eight points. The expectations for him to produce for the Cyclones will be high.

Daniel Amesbury, RW, Kansas City Mavericks

The man they call “Diamond Hands” is back for another go in the ECHL after getting his first taste of action in affiliated pro hockey with the Fort Wayne Komets last season. Some have termed him “The Most Dangerous Man In Hockey” and he has the video clips to potentially back that up. 

In 13 games with the Komets, Amesbury had zero points, but racked up 52 penalty minutes – the first five of which came on his first shift in the league during a memorable debut.

While the enforcer’s role has diminished, even in the ECHL, Amesbury’s antics has made him a bit of a social media sensation with millions of views on his YouTube videos. We’ll see exactly how he fits in on one of the ECHL’s best teams on paper.

Sasha Pastujov, RW, Tulsa Oilers (ANA)

A high-end playmaker throughout his junior hockey career, Pastujov has found himself potentially the victim of a deepening prospect pool for the Anaheim Ducks. Currently under NHL contract, Pastujov spent all of last season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, but will start this season in Tulsa.

This could be a good opportunity for Pastujov to regain the offensive touch that made him such a productive junior player and a third-round NHL Draft pick. The former NTDP star had 98 points in the OHL just two seasons ago. If he can get the points to come easily, he might be back in San Diego in no time.

Riese Gaber, RW, Savannah Ghost Pirates 

A popular player wherever he’s been because of his unrelenting motor and ability to make big plays, Gaber ended a four-year career at the University of North Dakota and landed an AHL deal with the Charlotte Checkers. He’ll start the year with the Ghost Pirates and my sense is he’ll be an instant-impact rookie for them.

Gaber had 129 points in 142 NCAA games and was a standout performer in the USHL before that with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He’ll endear himself to the Savannah faithful pretty quickly, I’d imagine.

Carter Savoie, LW, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

An NCAA champion with the University of Denver in 2022, Savoie signed with the Edmonton Oilers right after that campaign. He got two years in the organization, but never matched the scoring touch he showed in college and junior. Savoie started this season in Finland, but returned and got an AHL deal from the Ontario Reign. It was a low-risk add for the Reign to see if they can put the former NCAA star in a position to regain that touch.

Bryce Brodzinski, RW, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

The youngest of four professional hockey playing brothers, Bryce Brodzinski will enter the ECHL season with a lot of pedigree. He is a former Minnesota Mr. Hockey, captained the University of Minnesota last season and was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2019. Though Brodzinski did not earn an NHL contract, he did get an AHL deal with the Ontario Reign. He’ll have something to prove in Greenville to see if he can reach the heights as he follows into the big skat strides of his three older brothers, Jonny, Easton and Michael.

Yuki Miura, LW, Iowa Heartlanders

Miura made history earlier this week when the Iowa Heartlanders named him captain. He is the first Japanese-born player to captain a team in the league. A fan favorite in Iowa, Miura is entering his fourth season with the team.

This summer, he represented Japan during Olympic qualifying, and was named the player of the game when the Japanese squad very nearly knocked off Demark, which included a number of current NHL players and ultimately earned Olympic qualification out of the group.

The first Japanese born player to captain an ECHL team. BIG congrats to Captain Yuki Miura 👏#GoLanders🦌 #DefendTheForest pic.twitter.com/0Y1AqFvYDI

— Iowa Heartlanders (@GoHeartlanders) October 16, 2024

Artur Cholach, D, Tahoe Knight Monsters (VGK)

Just 21 years old, Cholach is entering his first full professional season after a junior career that saw him play in both the OHL and USHL. Cholach represented Ukraine this summer in Olympic qualifying. While he does not yet have a contract with the Golden Knights, they still have his draft rights and are obviously interested in giving him a chance to do something with this opportunity. 

Jérémie Biakabutuka, D, Florida Everblades (STL)

Signed by the St. Louis Blues as an undrafted free agent, Biakabutuka will be one of the players that is part of the new affiliation agreement between the Blues and Florida Everblades. The 6-foot-4, right-shot defenseman played 63 games with the Orlando Solar Bears last year and an additional 11 postseason contests. 

The Everblades have a ton of familiar faces on the roster this year, so it will be interesting to see if Biakabutuka and some of the other newcomers can help make an impact as the Blades look to go for an unprecedented fourth straight title in the ECHL.

Also, if the last name sounds familiar, Jérémie is the nephew of former NFL running back Tim Biakabutuka.

Evan Nause, D, Savannah Ghost Pirates (FLA)

Nause will be one of the highest-drafted players under NHL contract currently playing in the ECHL. The now 21-year-old was drafted 56th overall in 2021 and spent 28 games with the Florida Everblades last season. With a new affiliation with Savannah, Nause is heading over there. There’s going to be an expectation for him to take a step this year to see if he can make the jump to the AHL at some point. Nause had a strong junior career, starting in the USHL before moving to the QMJHL where he played a big role for the Quebec Remparts. This feels like a make-or-break season for him.

Brandon Hawkins, RW, Toledo Walleye

Owner of perhaps one of the best shots outside of the NHL, Hawkins is returning to the Toledo Walleye in search of the Kelly Cup that has eluded the franchise. Hawkins is coming off of his best season as a pro with 40 goals and 93 points in 70 games in 2023-24. He was the league’s MVP and has every reason to believe there’s more where that came from. Toledo will be among the ECHL’s top teams once again this season and will need Hawkins to carry them offensively once again.

On top of the skill and scoring ability, Hawkins is also one of the real personalities in the league.

BRANDON HAWKINS, no you didn’t! 🥶

Catch all the highlight-reel skills by tuning into the #ECHL All-Star Classic now!

📺: https://t.co/qJMZm4VxTY pic.twitter.com/TV0GLG6Ufv

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) January 16, 2024

Matt Register, D, Idaho Steelheads

A certain ECHL Hall of Famer when he decides to hang them up, Register is starting the season on reserve for Idaho, but is likely to come back and try to push the Steelheads over the top. The veteran defenseman enters the year 10 points shy of 500 for his ECHL career after falling just one point shy of matching his career best last season with 64 points. Idaho will be formidable once again and Register will have a huge hand in that.

Aaron Dell, G, Wichita Thunder

A sudden logjam in the San Jose Sharks organization at the goalie position has Dell starting the year with Wichita. Dell has appeared in 130 NHL games and it’s been 10 years since his last stint in the ECHL. He should have a chance to play some considerable minutes for Wichita while also mentoring Gabriel Carriere until he potentially gets the call to go to the San Jose Barracuda.

Bryce Montgomery, D, Bloomington Bison (CAR)

A 6-foot-5 defenseman, Montgomery just signed his first NHL contract with the Carolina Hurricanes right before the season began. Carolina doesn’t have an ECHL affiliate, so he’ll be loaned out to Bloomington, which is tied with the New York Rangers. Last season, Montgomery scored 12 points in 42 games with South Carolina. His career has had some stops and starts, including a lost season due to the pandemic. This could be another chance for the big guy to take a big step.

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