Alumn-ICE Report: April 16, 2025
Luke Philp
Photo Credit: Marissa Baecker/Getty Images
A proud second-year member of the Western Hockey League, the Wenatchee Wild are continuing a celebrated WHL legacy that dates back to Edmonton, Alberta in 1996, continuing in Cranbrook, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba. These are the organization’s WHL alumni, including alumni from the Kootenay and Winnipeg ICE, making news in American pro hockey this week:
NHL
SAM REINHART, 2010-15 (79 GP, 39-42-81) – Guaranteed himself another point-per-game season by posting three points over a pair of games for the Florida Panthers – he contributed a late assist in last Thursday’s 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, before chipping in a pair of goals Monday in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers.
ZACH BENSON, 2020-23 (74 GP, 10-18-28) – Posted a first-period assist last Thursday in the Buffalo Sabres’ 3-2 loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets.
PEYTON KREBS, 2016-21 (80 GP, 9-18-27) – Set up Connor Clifton’s first goal of the season Sunday in the Buffalo Sabres’ 7-4 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
BRAYDEN McNABB, 2006-11 (81 GP, 5-15-20) – Notched assists in back-to-back Vegas Golden Knights home games last week, with one last Thursday on William Karlsson’s second-period game-winner in a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
CONOR GEEKIE, 2019-24 (51 GP, 8-6-14) – Has made the most of his return to the NHL after a two-month stretch in the American Hockey League, scoring goals in both games back with the Tampa Bay Lightning. His goal Sunday helped the Lightning surge past the Buffalo Sabres in a 7-4 finish, and his goal Tuesday was the eventual winner in a 5-1 rout of the Florida Panthers.
AHL
MATTHEW SAVOIE, 2019-24 (63 GP, 18-32-50) – Now has assists in four straight games for the Bakersfield Condors, with the primary assist last Wednesday on an empty-netter to close out a 4-2 win at the Henderson Silver Knights. That was followed by another on Friday in a 5-0 shutout of the San Diego Gulls, and an assist Saturday in a 4-2 loss against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
LUKE PHILP, 2015-17 (56 GP, 9-20-29) – Had a career night Friday at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, with a goal and three assists – all in the third period – in a 4-2 victory.
4th point of the night for Luke Philp on the empty net! It's 4-0 🚨 pic.twitter.com/BcFpYgIn5F
— x – Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) April 12, 2025
CALE FLEURY, 2014-18 (38 GP, 7-19-26) – Returned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ lineup for the first time since the opening week of March, and scored the game-winning goal and an assist just two minutes apart in a 4-2 victory Saturday against the Bakersfield Condors.
CARSON LAMBOS, 2021-22 (66 GP, 5-14-19) – Helped the Iowa Wild get on the board with an early assist Friday in a 3-1 win at the Manitoba Moose.
BRETT DAVIS, 2016-19 (22 GP, 3-2-5) – Scored two goals Saturday in the Calgary Wranglers’ 3-1 win at the Abbotsford Canucks.
ECHL
BRILEY WOOD, 2022-24 (72 GP, 20-27-47) – Closed out his first pro season with an assist Friday in the Utah Grizzlies’ 5-2 rout of the Rapid City Rush. EVAN FRIESEN, 2021-25 (8 GP, 1-1-2) scored the goal on which Wood assisted, the first goal of his pro career – Friesen also earned his first pro assist in the first period of Friday’s game.
CAM HAUSINGER, 2017-19 (61 GP, 18-17-35) – Opened a four-game, five-day week for the Indy Fuel by posting a pair of assists in last Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Bloomington Bison.
JON MARTIN, 2011-16 (53 GP, 3-11-14) – Scored his final goal of the regular season – and first in a month – in the Kalamazoo Wings’ 6-4 loss Sunday against the Iowa Heartlanders.
GRAHAM SWARD, 2022-24 (47 GP, 2-11-13) – Posted two assists in the Norfolk Admirals‘ last homestand of the regular season, with one in last Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Reading Royals – the other came Saturday as the South Carolina Stingrays scored a 5-2 win at the Scope.
Also on Wenatchee’s alumni list are the standouts from its Junior A era (2008-2023) – these players laid the foundation for the WHL’s future success in the Wenatchee Valley. These are Wenatchee’s Junior A alumni who are making news in American pro hockey this week:
NIC DOWD, 2008-09 (81 GP, 14-13-27) – Scored a go-ahead goal last Thursday to help the Washington Capitals clinch home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs in a 5-4 shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes, and assisted on an empty-netter Tuesday in a 3-1 win against the New York Islanders.
SAM MORTON, 2016-18, 2019-20 (69 GP, 20-25-45) – Picked up an assist Friday as the Calgary Wranglers held off the Abbotsford Canucks for a 5-4 shootout victory. That point pales in comparison to the news he received Wednesday morning, earning a recall to the Calgary Flames. With the Flames no longer in the playoff picture going into their 2024-25 finale, Morton is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday at the Los Angeles Kings.
BRU and MORTY!
We have have recalled defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz and forward Sam Morton from the @AHLWranglers.#Flames | @original16beer pic.twitter.com/uXJ2cD4Aou
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 16, 2025
DREW BAVARO, 2019-20 (32 GP, 1-7-8) – Has an assist in three of his last four games, with one on the power play in the third period of last Wednesday’s 4-3 Cleveland Monsters win over the Grand Rapids Griffins. Four nights later, he picked up another assist in a 6-5 shootout victory at the Toronto Marlies.
KYLE MAYHEW, 2016-17 (7 GP, 0-5-5) – Had quite the week for the Bakersfield Condors, starting with an assist last Wednesday just 3:07 into a 4-2 win over the Henderson Silver Knights. His goal two nights later was merely the first in a 5-0 shutout win against the San Diego Gulls.
BRETT CHORSKE, 2019-20 (5 GP, 2-1-3) – Has his first multi-point game in the pros, less than a week after scoring his first AHL goal – Chorske assisted on a shorthanded goal in the first period before scoring the go-ahead goal in Sunday’s 6-3 Charlotte Checkers win against the Utica Comets.
CHARLIE COMBS, 2015-17 (64 GP, 26-24-50) – Picked up goals in back-to-back South Carolina Stingrays games on their recent road trip to Norfolk – his third-period goal helped highlight Friday’s 6-3 win at the Admirals, before capping Saturday’s 5-2 win in Norfolk with the game’s final goal.
CRISTOPHE TELLIER, 2018-19 (6 GP, 3-0-3) – Has his first power play goal in the pros, thanks to a second-period marker Saturday in the Savannah Ghost Pirates’ 6-3 win against the Jacksonville IceMen.
SETH EISELE, 2017-18 (19-10-1, 2.30) – Continued to improve his goals-against average this past week, despite splitting two South Carolina Stingrays decisions in net – he needed to make only 17 saves Saturday in a 5-2 victory at the Norfolk Admirals, but came up just short the following day in a 2-1 loss at the Greenville Swamp Rabbits despite making 36 saves.
MICHAEL BULLION, 2014-15 (17-14-4, 3.32) – Put his body on the line Friday, making 42 saves but taking a 4-3 Worcester Railers shootout loss to the Reading Royals.
