GMHL Alumni Updates: ECHL
Each month for the rest of the season the GMHL will be highlighting a list of alumni
January 31st, 2022 at 10:12AM January 31st, 2022 4:25PM
Each month for the rest of the season the GMHL will be highlighting a list of alumni from the league who have advanced to higher levels of hockey following playing in the GMHL. Advancement is a key factor in the development level of the GMHL and is put at the forefront of the leagues principles. This month we will be listing those alumni from the GMHL who are playing in the ECHL.
GMHL Alumni Rostered in ECHL this Season:
Utah Grizzlies:
Quinn Ryan (Orangeville Americans): Ryan played his 16 year old rookie season of junior hockey in the GMHL for the Orangeville Americans. He scored 23 points in 25 games for the Americans who would eventually lose in the semi-finals of the GMHL Russell Cup Playoffs. He went on to play 5 years of College hockey for Liberty University finishing as the 3rd all-time leading scorer in program history with 235. This season Ryan has been impressive in Utah scoring an even 9 goals and 9 assists for 18 points in 33 games for the league leading ECHL Grizzlies.
Jordon Stone (Orangeville Americans): Another former Orangeville American, Stone played in the GMHL the year after Ryan and put up similar numbers with 21 points in 23 games in his first full season of Junior Hockey. He played 3 more seasons of junior in the states before playing four years of NCAA lll hockey split between Johnson & Wales University and Bethel University. This season he appeared in 10 games for the Grizzlies accumulating 40 PIMs along the way.
South Carolina Stingrays:
Bryce Martin (Niagara Whalers): The captain of the 2018-2019 Niagara Whalers and GMHL All-Star in the same season, Martin paced the team in scoring with 69 Points in 34 games. Martin used his year in the GMHL to develop before playing professionally after 4 years of junior hockey split between the GOJHL (where he was the captain of the Fort Erie Meteors) and the OJHL (where he wore an A for the Coburg Cougars). Martin has spent this season between the ECHL and the SPHL and appeared in 13 games (scoring a goal) for the ECHL Stingrays.
Iowa Heartlanders:
Nick Pastorious (Niagara Whalers): Another former Whaler with a letter on his chest (Assistant Captain in 2017-2018 was Nick Pastorious. Nick joined the Whalers after playing parts of 5 years of Major Junior Hockey in the OHL for the Soo Greyhounds, Barrie Colts and Niagara IceDogs playing in 139 games. In his lone season in the GMHL he scored 74 points in 34 games. He then took a 3 year leave from hockey to focus on training and development before returning this season to play in the ECHL with the Iowa Heartlanders and Newfoundland Growlers.
Fort Wayne Komets:
Ryan Devine (Toronto Blue Ice Jets): Former Toronto Blue Ice Jets Defenseman Ryan Devine scored 80 Points as a blue liner in his lone GMHL season. He was called up right out of the GMHL to play professionally in the FPHL in what would kick off a 7 year (so far) professional career in the FPHL, SPHL, Slovakia, and this season with a call up to the ECHL Komets.
Alex Zion (Orangeville Americans): Zio played alongside the previously mentioned Quinn Ryan on the Orangeville Americans in the first of his 2 GMHL seasons, both played in Orangeville. He then played on the Calvin University Men’s Hockey team and has been rostered on 8 different occasions in the ECHL over the last 6 seasons most recently with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Dillon Hill (Niagara Whalers): Hill joined the Whalers after a record setting season in the GOJHL with the Niagara Falls Canucks. That season Hill put up the second most points by a defenseman in one season in the history of the GOJHL with 78 points and was named the GOJHL MVP Defenseman. In the GMHL, he was perhaps even more impressive. Hill had 49 points in just 22 games on his way to a GMHL All-Star selection. This season he has split time between the SPHL and the ECHL where he appeared in 7 games for the Komets.
Tulsa Oilers:
Francesco Corona (Oro-Medonte 77s/Rama Aces): The longest tenured GMHL player on the list Francesco Corona played in parts of 4 seasons in the GMHL with the Oro-Medonte 77s and the Rama Aces, while also playing in the OJHL and NOJHL. Following his junior career Corona played college hockey for Indiana Tech University where he played 4 years before turning pro, first in the Suomi-Sarja and then this season in the SPHL and eventually the ECHL where he has appeared in 4 games for the Tulsa Oilers.
Wichita Thunder:
Ivan Bondarenko (Tillsonburg Hurricanes): Bondarenko only played in 19 games in the GMHL, and yet in that short time he established himself as one of the most offensively gifted players the league has ever seen with 86 points in his 19 games. From the GMHL Ivan went on to play professionally in the FPHL for two seasons and has now spent this season between the SPHL and the ECHL where he appeared in 4 games for the Thunder.
Adirondack Thunder:
Trevor Babin (Bradford Rattlers): One of the best goaltenders in the history of the Bradford Rattlers franchise, Babin spent 3 seasons in Bradford as an elite goaltender in the league playing in a pair of all-star games and being named the 2018-2019 GMHL Top Goaltender. Following the GMHL Babin spent time in the FPHL and then this season was called up to the Adirondack Thunder to serve as a goaltender on their roster.
Indy Fuel:
Sammy Bernard (Bobcaygeon Bucks): Bernard played in the GMHL for the Bobcaygeon Bucks during his rookie season of GMHL hockey. He then played 2 more seasons of junior hockey in the states before playing NCAA Division l hockey for the prestigious Sacred Heart University for two seasons and then another two seasons for the Neuman University NCAA lll program. After a season in Poland, Bernard signed in the SPHL and has been called up to the Indy Fuel roster this season.
The ECHL is the third tier professional league in North America. It is affiliated with the AHL and the NHL, and has advance players through the ranks to those levels.