The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Donovan Sebrango to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season, per PuckPedia. 

The contract will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level and $140,000 in the AHL. He was tendered a qualifying offer by the Senators on July. 1.

Sebrango notched eight goals and 20 points in 50 games with the Belleville Senators while serving as an assistant captain and went pointless in two games with Ottawa last season, the first NHL games of his career. 

The Ottawa, Ont., native has 13 goals and 45 points in 220 career AHL games with the Senators and Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Originally a third round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in 2020, Sebrango was dealt to Ottawa in July 2023 in the trade that sent Alex DeBrincat to Detroit. 

The 23-year-old seems set to play big minutes in Belleville and could be in line for more NHL games with Ottawa's lack of left-handed defensive depth.

198 AHL games.
27 ECHL games.

1st NHL game for Donovan Sebrango. #Senspic.twitter.com/jB8aTbaN7n

— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) January 16, 2025

Check out our AHL to KHL signing tracker and AHL Free Agency signing tracker.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed goaltender Dennis Hildeby to a three-year contract.

The deal has an $841,000 AAV and will pay him $350,000 while in the AHL in 2025-26. The contract is a two-way deal for the first two seasons and becomes a one-way in 2027-28.

Hildeby had a record of 16-9-7 with a .908 SP and 2.55 GAA with the Toronto Marlies and a 3-3 record with a .878 SP and 3.33 GAA with the Maple Leafs last season, the first NHL starts of his career. 

The 24-year-old has a 37-21-14 record with a .908 SP in 73 career AHL appearances and represented the North Division at the 2023-24 All-Star Game. 

A fourth round selection of the Maple Leafs in 2022, Hildeby has now completed two full seasons in North America and appears to be a significant part of Toronto's plans in the future. 

Hildeby will likely start the majority of games for the Marlies and seems to be first in line for a recall to the Maple Leafs. 

We’ve signed goaltender Dennis Hildeby to a three-year contract extension pic.twitter.com/cjEmwXc1Zk

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 2, 2025

Check out our AHL to KHL signing tracker and AHL Free Agency signing tracker.

Five-time AHL All-Star and two-time Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award winner Cal O'Reilly has signed a contract with the SCL Tigers of the Swiss NL until the end of October with an option to extend. 

One of the most prolific players in AHL history, O'Reilly recorded 177 goals, 606 assists, and 783 points in 1022 games over parts of 18 seasons. He has the eighth most games played in league history, sits sixth all-time in assists, and is 18th all-time in points. 

The 38-year-old recorded 11 goals and 49 points in 68 games to lead the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring last season and was an assistant captain. 

A fifth round selection of the Nashville Predators in 2005, O'Reilly has 16 goals and 49 points in 145 career NHL games with the Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild.

O'Reilly is known as a fantastic leader and won the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award as the AHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship in 2021 and 2025. He served as captain with four different AHL franchises over his career. 

An AHL All-Star in 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2019, O'Reilly led the Calder Cup Playoffs in assists in 2015. 

While he is only signed until the end of October there is a good chance we have seen O'Reilly's Hall of Fame AHL career come to an end. 

Check out our AHL to KHL signing tracker and AHL Free Agency signing tracker.

Former Rockford IceHogs forward Zach Sanford has signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano of the Swiss NL for the 2025-26 season.

Sanford recorded 19 goals and 43 points in 70 games with Rockford last season.

The 30-year-old racked up 49 goals and 104 points in 334 career NHL games with the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. 

He notched 20 points in 60 regular season games and four points in eight playoff games with the Blues in 2018-19 on the way to a Stanley Cup win. 

The Salem, Mass., native has 54 goals and 110 points in 196 career AHL games with the IceHogs, Hershey Bears, Chicago Wolves, San Antonio Rampage, Milwaukee Admirals, and Tucson Roadrunners.

✍ L’Hockey Club Lugano comunica di aver siglato un contratto valido per la stagione 2025/26 con l’attaccante statunitense Zach Sanford.

Benvenuto a Lvgano, Zach! ⚪🟡⚫https://t.co/T20j16bzQv

— Hockey Club Lugano (@OfficialHCL) August 25, 2025

Sanford, Mike Sgarbossa, and Connor Carrick all spent last year in the AHL and will suit up for Lugano in 2025-26. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.        

With the NHL training camps and the KHL regular season set to begin in just under one month we wanted to take a look at the massive group of players who have departed the AHL for the KHL during the 2025 free agency period.

As of Aug. 23 30 players who played a significant portion of the 2024-25 season in the AHL have signed in the KHL for the 2025-26 season.

The AHL veteran rule and higher salaries are likely the two main reasons for the exodus of players to the KHL.

The AHL veteran rule concerns players who have played 321 or more professional games in the AHL, NHL, or Europe. Veteran Exempt players are players who have played between 260-320 games.

Teams are allowed a combined six veteran and veteran exempt players per game, at least one must be a veteran exempt player. 

Additionally, the new NHL CBA rules will allow teams to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the AHL beginning in the 2026-27 season. This will continue to make the AHL a young mans league. 

Every player who played in the AHL last season, the team they left, and their current KHL team are listed below. 

Mason Morelli (F) - Henderson Silver Knights - Barys Astana 

Mike Vecchione (F) - Hershey Bears - Traktor Chelyabink - Barys Astana

Tyce Thompson (F) - Bridgeport Islander - Barys Astana

Nate Sucese (F) - Hartford Wolf Pack - Shanghai Dragons

Riley Sutter (F) - Hershey Bears - Shanghai Dragons

Reilly Walsh (D) - Ontario Reign - Barys Astana 

Jake Massie (D) - Hershey Bears -  Barys Astana 

Gage Quinney (F) - Henderson Silver Knights - Shanghai Dragons

Jake Bischoff (D) - Henderson Silver Knights - Shanghai Dragons

Olivier Rodrigue (G) - Bakersfield Condors - Barys Astana

Rocco Grimaldi (F) - Cleveland Monsters - SKA St. petersburg

Joseph Blandisi (F) - Toronto Marlies - SKA St. Petersburg

Alex Limoges (F) - Hershey Bears - Dinamo Minsk

Andrew Poturalski (F) - San Jose Barracuda - Avangard Omsk

Daniel Sprong (F) - Coachella Valley Firebirds - CSKA Moskva

Joseph Cecconi (D)  - Ontario Reign - Avangard Omsk

Maxime Lajoie (D)  - Coachella Valley Firebirds - Avangard Omsk

Chase Priskie (D) - Hershey Bears - Sibir Novosibirsk

Pierrick Dube (F) - Hershey Bears - Traktor Chelyabink

Ty Smith (D) - Chicago Wolves - Dinamo Minsk 

Louis Domingue (G) - Hartford Wolf Pack - Sibir Novosibirsk

Joseph Keane (D) - San Jose Barracuda - Spartak Moskva

Noel Hoefenmayer (D)  - Laval Rocket - HK Sochi

William Dufour (F) - Colorado Eagles - Lada Togliatti 

Rhett Gardner (F) - Lehigh Valley Phantoms - CSKA Moskva

Spencer Martin (G) - Chicago Wolves - CSKA Moskva

Brandon Biro (F) - Coachella Valley Firebirds - Ak Bars Kazan 

Chris Driedger (G) - Manitoba Moose - Traktor Chelyabinsk

Mac Hollowell (D)  - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

Vasili Ponomarev (F) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - Avangard Omsk

Reigning AHL MVP Andrew Poturalski, All-Star Rocco Grimaldi, and Calder Cup champions Chase Priskie and Mike Vecchione are among the biggest names on this list. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.         

Former Henderson Silver Knights forward and 2023 Calder Cup champion Mason Morelli has signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana of the KHL, the team announced Thursday. 

Morelli recorded 13 goals and 19 points in 48 games with the Silver Knights and went pointless in one game with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. 

The 29-year-old has 57 goals and 139 points in 299 career AHL games with the Silver Knights, Hershey Bears, and Stockton Heat. 

The Minot, ND., native won the 2023 Calder Cup with the Bears and had a great playoff showing, putting up five goals and 13 points in 20 games. 

Morelli turned pro in 2019 after four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he had 77 points in 120 career games. He served as team captain his senior season and was named to the NCHC Second All-Star Team in 2018-19. 

«Барыс» заключил односторонний контракт с Мэйсоном Морелли, соглашение рассчитано на один сезон до 31 мая 2026 года. pic.twitter.com/bDfULw31Mt

— ХК «Барыс» (@AstanaBarys) August 21, 2025

He joins former Bears teammates Mike Vecchione and Jake Massie on Barys Astana and joins the legion of AHL veterans who have departed North America for the KHL this off-season. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.        

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have signed forward Hudson Fasching to a one-year, two-way contract. 

Fasching recorded two goals and four points in 42 games with the New York Islanders and two points in seven games with the Bridgeport Islanders last season. 

The 30-year-old has 17 goals and 40 points in 175 career NHL games with the Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, and Buffalo Sabres.

Originally a fourth round selection of the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, Fasching has 78 goals and 162 points in 308 career AHL games with the Islanders, Tucson Roadrunners, and Rochester Americans, he served as captain with the Roadrunners in 2021-22. 

Fasching will fit in to the Blue Jackets' bottom-six or could play in the top six for the Cleveland Monsters. He is a great locker room presence and will be able to contribute in the NHL and AHL. 

Welcome to Columbus, Hudson!💥

We've signed forward Hudson Fasching to a 1-year, 2-way contract! pic.twitter.com/IIjhzqD4RL

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) August 18, 2025

After three successful seasons at the University of Minnesota and two appearances at the World Junior Hockey Championship Fasching was a member of Team USA at the 2016 World Championship.

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.        

Former Henderson Silver Knights players Jake Bischoff and Gage Quinney have signed one-year contracts with the KHL's Shanghai Dragons for the 2025-26 season, the team announced Friday. 

Bischoff recorded three goals and 21 points in 59 games while captaining the Knights last season. 

The 31-year-old defenseman has racked up 27 goals and 110 points in 367 career AHL games with the Silver Knights, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and Chicago Wolves.  

A seventh round pick of the New York Islanders in 2012, Bischoff is pointless in four career NHL games with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Quinney had nine goals and 36 points in 50 games with the Silver Knights last season.

The 30-year-old is Henderson's all-time franchise leader in goals (64) and points (168) in 212 games. 

The Las Vegas, NV., native has 114 goals and 280 points in 383 career AHL games with Henderson, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and Chicago Wolves. He has one assists in three career NHL games with Vegas. 

Patrik Rybar, Jake Bischoff, Alexander Bryntsev, Pavel Akolzin, and Gage Quinney Join Shanghai Dragonshttps://t.co/eYSwEckyP5

— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 15, 2025

The Dragons recently hired former NHL coach Gerard Gallant to lead the team behind the bench.

With these signings more than 30 players who played in the AHL last season have now signed in the KHL.

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.      

Former Toronto Marlies assistant captain Joseph Blandisi has signed a two-year contract with the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg, the team announced Tuesday.

Blandisi recorded 15 goals and 35 points in 58 games with the Marlies last season. 

The 31-year-old has been a full-time AHL player over the past five seasons and has 126 goals and 321 points in 448 career AHL games with the Marlies, Albany/Binghamton Devils, San Diego Gulls, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and Laval Rocket. He was an AHL All-Star in 2016-17 with the Devils. 

Originally a sixth round selection of the Colorado Avalanche in 2012, Blandisi notched 10 goals and 31 points in 101 career NHL contests with the New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Blender 💙

For everything you’ve done for our team and community, thank you! pic.twitter.com/YKC7EVpClB

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) August 12, 2025

Blandisi joins a long list of AHL veterans who have departed the league for Europe. Marlies teammate Mikko Kokkonen recently signed in the SHL. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.