2025 AHL Free Agency: Overseas Exodus Shrinks AHL Free Agent Market

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Written by: Tony Androckitis@TonyAndrock on Twitter/X

Every off-season, pending free agents who finished their season in the American Hockey League (AHL) have to contemplate navigating the uncertainty of free agency in North America with opting to continue their playing career overseas.

For some, it's a chance late in their pro career to simply extend their playing days while doing so in a league overseas that is less of a grind than that of an AHL schedule with overnight bus rides and 3-in-3 weekends.

For others, the weight of the AHL's development rule limiting veteran players' opportunities in North America forces them across the pond as young as 25 and 26 years old.

Add in the fact that COVID-shortened seasons allowed some players extra seasons to fit under the 260-games played threshold that constitutes players as 'veterans' under the AHL's devlopment rule, and the result is more players reaching veteran status in the same summer - again limiting AHL opportunities for free agents.

To date, over 150 players (153, as of 12:30 p.m. ET on November 21st) who played in or were under contract in the AHL in 2024-25 have signed contracts to play overseas in 2025-26.

Here's a look around the league to see which players have left and which teams were hardest hit with departures for players heading overseas.

AHL To Overseas For 2025-26

Abbotsford (Vancouver)

Defenseman Akito Hirose to Fischtown (DEL)

Forward Ty Glover to Lowen Frankfurt (DEL)

Forward John Stevens to Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)

Bakersfield (Edmonton)

Goaltender Brett Brochu to Ingolstadt (DEL)

Goaltender Collin Delia to Brynas IF (SHL)

Goaltender Olivier Rodrigue to Barys Astana (KHL)

Defenseman Connor Carrick to HC Lugano (Swiss NL)

Defenseman Connor Corcoran to EC Salzburg (Swiss NL)

Forward Drake Caggiula to Lausanne HC (Swiss NL)

Forward Ethan De Jong to Mora IK (Allsvenskan-Swe2)

Forward Bryce Kindopp to Eisbären Regensburg (DEL-2)

Forward Alex Swetlikoff to Modo (Allsvenskan-Swe2)

Forward Cameron Wright to HPK (Liiga)

Belleville (Ottawa)

Goaltender Malcolm Subban to HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czechia)

Defenseman Filip Roos to Färjestad BK (SHL)

Forward Tristen Robins to Kladno (Czechia)

Bridgeport (NY Islanders)

Defenseman Matias Rajaniemi to HIFK (Liiga)

Forward Cole Bardreau to HC Pustertal (ICEHL)

Forward Fredrik Karlstrom to Linköping HC (SHL/Swe-1)

Forward Matt Kopperud to SønderjyskE (Denmark)

Forward Tyce Thompson to Barys Astana (KHL)

Calgary (Calgary)

Goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew to Linkoping HC (SHL)

Charlotte (Florida)

Forward Rasmus Asplund to HC Davos (Swiss NL)

Forward Jesse Puljujarvi to Geneve-Servette HC (Swiss NL)

Chicago (Carolina)

Goaltender Spencer Martin to CSKA (KHL)

Defenseman Ty Smith to Dinamo Minsk (KHL)

Forward Nick Swaney to Graz (ICEHL)

Forward Austin Wagner to Shanghai (KHL)

Cleveland (Columbus)

Goaltender Pavel Cajan to HC Litvínov (Czechia)

Defensemen Madison Bowey to Augsburger (DEL)

Defenseman Samuel Knazko to HC Vítkovice (Czechia)

Forward Jake Gaudet to Belfast Giants (EIHL)

Forward Rocco Grimaldi to SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

Coachella Valley (Seattle)

Goaltender Ales Stezka HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)

Defenseman Max Lajoie to Avangard Omsk (KHL)

Forward Cade Borchardt to Kalpa (Liiga)

Forward Brandon Biro to AK Bars Kazan (KHL)

Forward Damien Giroux to HK Spisska Nova Ves (Slovakia)

Forward Luke Henman to Ilves (Liiga)

Forward Cam Morrison to Stavanger (Norway)

Colorado (Colorado)

Defenseman John Ludvig to HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czechia)

Defenseman Devante Stephens to EC Salzburg (ICEHL)

Forward William Dufour to Lada Togliatti (KHL)

Forward Cole Fonstad to Södertälje SK (Allsvenskan/Swe-2)

Forward Jere Innala to Frolunda (SHL-Swe1)

Grand Rapids (Detroit)

Goaltender Jan Bednar to Ässät (Liiga)

Defenseman Brogan Rafferty to Vaxjo Lakers HC (SHL)

Defenseman Eemil Viro to Malmo (SHL-Swe1)

Forward Trenton Bliss to Stavanger (Norway)

Forward Tim Gettinger to Schwenniger (DEL)

Forward Joe Snively to Djugardens IF (SHL)

Hartford (NY Rangers)

Goaltender Louis Domingue to Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)

Defenseman Ben Harpur to Shanghai Dragons (KHL)

Forward Lucas Edmonds to Pelicans (Liiga)

Forward Blake McLaughlin to Vålerenga (Norway)

Forward Nate Sucese to Shanghai Dragons (KHL)

Henderson (Vegas)

Defenseman Jake Bischoff to Shanghai Dragons (KHL)

Defenseman Robert Hagg to Brynäs IF (SHL-Swe1)

Forward Mason Morelli to Barys Astana (KHL)

Forward Gage Quinney to Shanghai Dragons (KHL)

Hershey (Washington)

Defenseman Brad Hunt to Vaasan Sport (Liiga)

Defenseman Jake Massie to Barys Astana (KHL)

Defenseman Chase Priskie to Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)

Forward Pierrick Dube to Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)

Forward Alex Limoges to Dinamo Minsk (KHL)

Forward Luke Philp to Farjestad BK (SHL)

Forward Mike Sgarbossa to HC Lugano (Swiss-NL)

Forward Mike Vecchione to Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)

Forward Riley Sutter to Shanghai Dragons (KHL)

Iowa (Minnesota)

Goaltender Dylan Ferguson to HK Nitra (Slovakia)

Forward Connor MacEachern to Mora IK (Allsvenskan-Swe2)

Forward Tyler Madden to Straubing (DEL)

Forward Adam Raska to Sparta Praha (Czechia)

Forward Devin Shore to HC Sparta Praha (Czechia)

Laval (Montreal)

Defenseman Gustav Lindström to Djurgårdens IF (SHL-Swe1)

Defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer to HK Sochi (KHL)

Defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon to Barys Astana (KHL)

Forward Brandon Gignac to EHC Kloten (Swiss NL)

Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia)

Goaltender Eetu Makiniemi to TPS (Liiga)

Forward Alex Čiernik to Pelicans (Liiga)

Forward Rhett Gardner to CSKA Moskva (KHL)

Manitoba (Winnipeg)

Goaltender Chris Driedger to Traktor (KHL)

Forward Colson Gengenbach to Vimmerby HC (Allsvenskan-Swe2)

Forward Axel Jonsson-Fjällby to Brynäs IF (SHL-Swe1)

Forward Rasmus Kupari to HC Lugano (Swiss NL)

Forward CJ Suess to Dresdner Eislowen (DEL)

Milwaukee (Nashville)

Defenseman Mark Friedman to Rogle BK (SHL-Swe1)

Forward Keiffer Bellows to Brynas IF (SHL)

Forward Grigori Denisenko to AK Bars Kazan (KHL)

Forward Cal O'Reilly to SCL Tigers (Swiss NL)

Forward Ondrej Pavel to Tappara (Liiga)

Forward Jesse Ylonen to Djurgårdens IF (SHL-Swe1)

Ontario (Los Angeles)

Defenseman Joseph Cecconi to Avangard Omsk (KHL)

Defenseman Reilly Walsh to Barys Astana (KHL)

Forward Charles Hudon to Djugardens (SHL)

Providence (Boston)

Defenseman Daniil Misyul to Lokomotiv (KHL)

Rochester (Buffalo)

Goaltender Michael Houser to HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas (Slovakia)

Goaltender Felix Sandstrom to Karpat (Liiga)

Defenseman Erik Brannstrom to Lausanne HC (Swiss NL)

Defenseman Ethan Prow to Grizzlys Wolfsburg (DEL)

Forward Brendan Harris to Nottingham (EIHL)

Forward Aleksandr Kisakov to HC Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

Forward Brett Murray to Nurmberg (DEL)

Forward Lukas Rousek to HV71 (SHL-Swe1)

Rockford (Chicago)

Defenseman Adam McCormick to Eispiraten Crimmitschau (DEL2)

Forward Kyle Maksimovich to Herning (Denmark)

Forward Aku Räty to Kärpät (Liiga)

Forward Zach Sanford to HC Lugano (Swiss NL)

Forward Matus Spodniak to HK Dukla Michalovce (Slovakia)

San Diego (Anaheim)

Goaltender Oscar Dansk to Rytiri Kladno (Czechia)

Defenseman Rodwin Dionicio to EHC Biel-Bienne (Swiss-NL)

Defensemen Dillon Heatherington to EHC Red Bull (DEL)

Defenseman Andrew Lucas to HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia)

Forward Ruslan Gazizov to Torpedo-Gorky NN (VHL)

Forward Carsen Twarynski to HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czechia)

San Jose (San Jose)

Defenseman Axel Landén to TPS (Liiga)

Defenseman Joey Keane to Spartak Moskva (KHL)

Forward Carl Berglund to BK Mladá Boleslav (Czechia)

Forward Brandon Coe to EC Salzburg (ICEHL)

Forward Andrew Poturalski to Avangard Omsk (KHL)

Springfield (St. Louis)

Defenseman Anton Malmstrom to Bjorkloven (Allsvenskan-Swe2)

Forward Tanner Dickinson to HC Presov (Slovakia)

Syracuse (Tampa Bay)

Defenseman Scott Walford to Kalmar HC (Allsvenskan-Swe2)

Forward Gabriel Fortier to Leksands (SHL)

Forward Ryder Korczak to Vlci Zilina (Slovakia)

Forward Joel Teasdale to HK Spisska Nova Ves

Texas (Dallas)

Goaltender Magnus Hellberg to Djugardens IF (SHL)

Forward Mathias Emilio Pettersen to Djugardens IF (SHL)

Toronto (Toronto)

Defenseman Mikko Kokkonen to Linkoping (SHL)

Defenseman Nicolas Mattinen to Adler Mannheim (DEL)

Defenseman Topi Niemelä to Malmo (SHL)

Forward Joseph Blandisi to SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

Forward Roni Hirvonen to Kärpät (Liiga)

Forward Mathieu Gosselin to Guildford (EIHL)

Forward Zach Solow to Adler Mannheim (DEL)

Tucson (Utah)

Defenseman Peter DiLiberatore to Kalmar HC (Allsvenskan/Swe-2)

Defenseman Patrik Koch to HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia)

Forward Travis Barron to Black Wings Linz (ICEHL)

Forward Egor Sokolov to CSKA Moskva (KHL)

Utica (New Jersey)

Defenseman Tory Dello to HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia)

Defenseman Santeri Hatakka to HV71 (SHL/SWE-1)

Forward Filip Engaras to Södertälje SK (Allsvenskan/SWE-2)

Forward Kevin O'Neil to HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia)

Forward Max Willman to Barys Astana (KHL)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh)

Goaltender Christian Stoever to Cardiff (EIHL)

Defenseman Mac Hollowell to Lokomotiv (KHL)

Defenseman Filip Kral to HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)

Defenseman Justin Lee to HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia)

Defenseman Colton Poolman to Glasgow Clan (EIHL)

Defenseman Dan Renouf to Adler Mannheim (DEL)

Forward Emil Bemstrom to SC Bern (Swiss NL)

Forward Mathias Laferriere to HK Spisska Nova Ves (Slovakia)

Forward Vasily Ponomarev to Avangard Omsk (KHL)

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