UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – 22 former Penn State hockey players competed professionally across the globe during the 2021-22 season with 2019-20 team captain Brandon Biro becoming the third Nittany Lion to reach the National Hockey League in February when he made his debut with the Buffalo Sabres.
Check out our rundown below of where your favorite past players are competing today with a list of their accomplishments from this past year.
Clayton Phillips – D (2019-2022) – Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins (AHL)
- Signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) following conclusion of the 2021-2022 season.
- Appeared in one game for the Penguins, making his professional debut on April 29 at Syracuse.
Alex Limoges – F (2017-2021) – San Diego Gulls (AHL)
- Completed his first full season as a professional tallying 23 goals, 17 assists, and 40 points in 62 regular season games with the San Diego Gulls (AHL).
- Led all American Hockey League rookies with 12 power-play goals to set the Gulls franchise record for power-play tallies in a season. Additionally, he set a new franchise record for goals by a rookie in one season with 23.
- Named AHL Player of the Week on March 28 after an 8-point week with 7 goals and 1 assist, scoring his first career AHL hat trick on March 22 against Tucson.
- Posted one goal and one assist in San Diego's opening round series loss against Ontario in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs.
- In 85 career AHL games, Limoges has amassed 34 goals and 61 points.
Limoges on his progress during the 2021-22 season: "I learned how to play the pro game and what it takes to be a valuable part of the lineup. I grew a lot playing physical and on defense. I felt that I was being hard on the forecheck and backcheck. Always being reliable."
Tim Doherty – F (2020-2021) – Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
- Finished third on Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) with 45 total points on 17 goals and 28 assists in his first full professional season.
- Helped his team advance to the Central Division Final posting four assists in 11 playoff games.
- In just 91 career games, he has accumulated 24 goals and 56 points in his ECHL career with the Allen Americans and Wheeling Nailers.
Aarne Talvitie – F (2018-2021) – Utica Comets (AHL)
- Completed his first full AHL season with 12 goals, 12 assists, and 24 points in 68 games with the Utica Comets.
- Had a season-high three points on a goal and two assists on April 20 at Cleveland.
- Played in 5 games during 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs and recorded an assist in his postseason debut in a 6-3 win vs. Rochester on May 10.
Alex Stevens – D (2017-2021) – Rapid City Rush (ECHL)
- Appeared in 25 games with three different ECHL teams during his first professional season.
- Began season with the Wheeling Nailers, collecting two goals and two assists for four points.
- Played in four games with Norfolk Admirals before concluding the season with the Rapid City Rush.
- In five games with Rapid City he tallied one assist and finished +1 with six penalty minutes.
Cole Hults – D (2017-2020) – Tucson Roadrunners (AHL)
- Appeared in 54 games with the Arizona Coyotes' AHL affiliate recording seven goals, 10 assists, and 17 points during first full professional season.
- Finished the season with an assist in each of Tucson's last two regular season games.
- Tallied four goals and four assists over a six-game stretch from March 12 through March 25 with multiple points in three of those six games.
Kris Myllari – D (2016-2020) – Allen Americans (ECHL)
- Played in 72 games with the Allen Americans during his second full professional season.
- Returned to Allen after spending his first professional season with Utah, Kansas City, and Allen in the ECHL.
- Amassed eight goals and 20 assists for 28 total points during 2021-22 regular season helping Allen to 35 wins and a berth in the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs
- Scored his only postseason goal on the power play to stake the Americans to a 2-0 lead in a 6-3 elimination game loss vs. Rapid City.
- Received PTO with Bakersfield (AHL) on May 2.
Myllari shares his perspective on his 2021-22 accomplishments: "This most recent season was a nice step in the right direction for me personally to get fully comfortable with the professional game and earn a call up to the American League at the end of it. That was a by-product of playing on a team that scratched and clawed to earn our way into the playoffs and being a team that played some great hockey down the stretch. I look forward to a great off-season of training, returning to campus for a visit, and trying to continue to improve each and every day."
Brandon Biro – F (2016-2020) – Rochester Americans (AHL)
- Made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres on February 23 vs. the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the third former Nittany Lion to reach the National Hockey League.
- Skated 17 total shifts, accumulating 13:30 of total ice time in his only NHL game.
- Finished the AHL regular season with 12 goals, 29 assists, and 41 points in 48 games played with Rochester, ranking sixth on the team in scoring.
- Helped Rochester advance to North Division final of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs before falling in three games to the Laval Rocket. Biro posted three points in 10 postseason games.
Biro on his 2021-22 season: "This season definitely had its ups and downs but overall was a special one for both myself and my team. It was a dream come true to make my NHL debut. It was great to be able to play a full pro season this year and I was able to grow a lot as a player."
Nikita Pavlychev – F (2016-2020) – Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL)
- Split time during his second professional season with the Ontario Reign (AHL) and Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL).
- Scored a pair of goals and assisted on another during 13 AHL games with goals coming on January 15 against Henderson and March 30 against San Jose.
- Amassed 33 points in 38 ECHL games with the Swamp Rabbits, accumulating 14 goals and 19 assists.
- Netted three goals and secured one assist in Greenville's opening round Kelly Cup Playoff series, falling in six games against the Florida Everblades.
Pavlychev reviews his 2021-22 season: "The 2021-22 season was challenging for me as it was my first season with a new organization, and it was important for me to establish my role and prove myself to the new coaching staff and my teammates. I feel good about the work I have done in Ontario and Greenville and am excited for next season."
Nate Sucese – F (2016-2020) – Iowa Wild (AHL)
- Scored four goals and recorded four assists in 43 games while playing on a one-year deal with AHL's Iowa Wild during his second full professional season.
- In two AHL seasons he has collected 10 goals and 21 total points between Tucson and Iowa.
Evan Barratt – F (2017-2020) – Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
- Registered 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 63 total games with the Chicago Blackhawks' American Hockey League affiliate.
- Scored his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal on May 12 in a series opening loss to the Chicago Wolves.
- Skated in all five postseason games for the IceHogs, helping his team advance to the Central Division Semifinals before falling to Chicago.
- Tallied nine points over the final 10 regular season games with three multi-point games to conclude his second professional regular season.
Denis Smirnov – F (2016-2020) – Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)
- Appeared in 27 games with Kalamazoo in ECHL scoring two goals and adding three assists.
- Spent his first professional season in 2020-2021 overseas back home in Russia.
Liam Folkes – F (2016-2020) – Maine Mariners (ECHL)
- Split the 2021-22 season playing in 42 games with a pair of ECHL teams.
- Opened the season with five goals, six assists, and 11 points in 25 games with the Indy Fuel before midseason reassignment to the Maine Mariners where he posted one goal, six assists, and seven points in 17 games.
- Recalled by Rockford on April 20 but did not appear in an AHL game this season.
- Signed his first pro contract with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL) in March 2020 and split the 2020-21 season between the Condors and Frederikshavn White Hawks of Metal Ligaen, the top Danish Professional League.
Peyton Jones – G (2016-2020) – Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)
- Spent the majority of each of his first two professional seasons with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) and Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) while also serving as a member of the Colorado Avalanche's taxi squad in 2020-21.
- Recorded 17 wins with a 3.26 GAA and .904 save percentage while splitting starting goaltender duties for the Grizzlies this season.
- Helped the Grizzlies advance to the Western Conference Finals in the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs, before falling to Toledo in 5 games.
Jones reflects on his 2021-22 season: "It was a great season. We had a great group of guys on the team. We were a young team. It was nice to add a banner to the rink and see the fans of Salt Lake City come out and support us in the playoffs. They were great. Personally, you always have stuff to work on, but I'm happy with some of the improvements I've made. But, there's always stuff you have to continue to work on and improve on to get to the next level."
Chase Berger – F (2015-2019) – Banska Bystrica (SVK Extraliga / Slovakia)
- Team's leading scorer, finishing tied for fifth in the league with 21 goals and tied for 18th with 39 points in his first season overseas in Slovakian Extraliga.
- Continued his success in the postseason with three goals, eight assists, and 11 points in nine games.
- Spent his first three professional seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League.
Berger on his transition to playing in Europe: "It was awesome. It was a culture shock at first, but I wanted to be a bigger part of a team and be put in more offensive situations. It was fantastic. It allowed me to show my offensive skills and have an impact on the game. It was a great life experience as well as hockey experience."
Alec Marsh – F (2015-2019) – Coventry Blaze (EIHL)
- Appeared in 50 games for the Coventry Blaze (EIHL) during his first professional season overseas.
- Netted three goals and registered 12 total points, while accumulating 67 penalty minutes during the 2021-22 season for the Blaze.
- Spent 2019-2021 in the SPHL and ECHL playing with Fayetteville and Pensacola in the SPHL and Worcester, South Carolina, and Florida in the ECHL.
Marsh on his final season competing professionally in the sport: "This season was a really unique experience. I got to travel around the United Kingdom playing hockey and see the different countries there. It was also a special experience because I have family over in England, so I got to meet them and see how my grandfather was brought up. The year was full of ups and downs, but we were able to have a pretty successful season. I was able to take what I learned from Penn State and use it during my last three years of pro hockey. I have now retired and am moving onto the coaching side of the game and am looking forward to the future and staying in the game."
Ludvig Larsson – F (2018-2019) – Rogle BK (SHL / Sweden)
- Completed his second full season in the Swedish professional hockey (SHL) helping Rogle BK capture the CHL title and finish atop the SHL regular season standings.
- Recorded eight goals and nine assists during 50 regular season games for 17 total points. Tallied an additional four goals, three assists, and seven points during 13 postseason games.
- Rogle BK survived an upset scare from IK Oskarshamn in the quarterfinals, advancing in seven games, but was eliminated by eventual SHL champion Farjestad BK in the league semifinals.
- Played with the Binghamton Devils (AHL) and Adirondack Thunder (ECHL) during first full professional season in 2019-20 before returning home to Sweden to continue his professional career.
Brett Murray – F (2016-2018) – Rochester Americans (AHL)
- Split time throughout the 2021-22 season between NHL's Buffalo Sabres and AHL's Rochester Americans.
- Played in 19 NHL games with Sabres, totaling two goals and four assists for six points.
- Scored his first NHL goal on November 29, 2021, vs. the Seattle Kraken. Also scored on December 10, 2021, vs. the New York Rangers.
- Posted career high AHL totals with 15 goals, 17 assists, and 32 points during his third season as professional in 52 games with Rochester.
Andrew Sturtz – F (2015-2018)
- Did not play during the 2021-22 season while rehabbing a previous injury.
- Played in 35 games from 2018-2020 with the Belleville Senators in the American Hockey League
- Last suited up for the Rapid City Rush in the ECHL during the 2020-21 season racking up 10 goals and 28 points in just 33 games played.
David Goodwin – F (2013-2017) – Belfast Giants (EIHL)
- Captained the Belfast Giants (EIHL) to a Challenge Cup and Elite Ice Hockey League Championship titles.
- Enjoyed the most successful season of his five-year professional career with 18 goals and 58 points in 48 games with Belfast.
- Has played professionally in Finland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and Poland during his professional career overseas, amassing 164 points.
Goodwin on his 21-22 season: "Really it's kind of been a perfect season this year with our team as a whole and also individually – I've played well and been able to put up some good points, so obviously I'm happy with how things have turned out this year."
Eamon McAdam – G (2013-2016) – Esbjerg Energy (Denmark)
- Spent the 2021-22 season overseas with Esbjerg Energy (Denmark) compiling a 2.88 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in 17 games.
- Has spent parts of his seven-year professional career with Bridgeport, Toronto, Binghamton, and Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.
- Additionally, has suited up for Missouri, Worcester, Newfoundland, Adirondack, and Jacksonville in the ECHL.
Casey Bailey – F (2012-2015) – Iserlohn Roosters (Germany)
- Spent his eighth professional season with Iserlohn Roosters in Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
- Scored a team-best 23 goals and finished third on the roster with 41 total points in 50 games.
- In two seasons with Iserlohn, Bailey has amassed 43 goals and 85 points in just 87 career games.
- Became the first Nittany Lion to play in an NHL game in 2015 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- During his career, he has also played in the AHL, ECHL, KHL, and SHL.