Alumn-ICE Report: March 31, 2025
Charlie Combs
Photo Credit: South Carolina Stingrays
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 (73 GP, 36-40-76) – Sam is now within shouting distance of the 300-goal mark for his NHL career, notching three goals over the past week for the Florida Panthers. Last Sunday, he scored two goals, including a power play tally, in a comeback 4-3 shootout victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. His backhand goal yesterday got the Panthers on the board in a 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He enters the new month with 291 career goals to his name.
ZACH BENSON, 2020-23 (66 GP, 10-15-25) – Posted a pair of assists during a Buffalo Sabres homestand this past week, with the primary assist on Tage Thompson’s winner in a 3-2 final Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. His primary assist Thursday came much earlier, tag-teaming again with Thompson only 27 seconds out of the gate in a 7-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
PEYTON KREBS, 2016-21 (72 GP, 8-15-23) – Has gotten on a hot streak in a busy week, with four games over a six-day stretch – his assist last Tuesday helped the Buffalo Sabres tie the game on the way to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, and he notched a pair of assists two days later in a 7-3 rout of the Pittsburgh Penguins. His assist Saturday helped the Sabres tie things up against the Flyers in a 7-4 loss, but his empty-netter sealed the deal the next night for an 8-5 triumph against the Washington Capitals.
BRAYDEN McNABB, 2006-11 (73 GP, 4-13-17) – Posted his first point in a three-week stretch last Saturday with an assist in the Vegas Golden Knights’ 6-3 home win against the Detroit Red Wings.
AHL
MATTHEW SAVOIE, 2019-24 (57 GP, 18-28-46) – Has points in four of his last six Bakersfield Condors appearances, including four over the past two weekends – his goal halfway through the third period was a highlight in a 6-3 loss last Sunday to the San Jose Barracuda, while his assist Friday helped the Condors rack up eight straight goals and race past the Calgary Wranglers 8-2. His power play assist the following night was part of the go-ahead tally in a 3-2 victory over the Tucson Roadrunners.
NOAH PHILP, 2015-17 (49 GP, 15-13-28) – Has rolled up points in four of his last five games, starting with the Bakersfield Condors’ 8-6 loss to the San Jose Barracuda last Saturday. He added an assist Wednesday in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Eagles, but picked up two goals in Friday’s 8-2 rout of the Calgary Wranglers and an assist in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Tucson Roadrunners.
CHASE WHEATCROFT, 2021-22 (59 GP, 10-17-27) – Earned his most recent game-winning goal last Friday night in the Texas Stars’ 3-0 victory at the Chicago Wolves. His assist Wednesday highlighted another Texas shutout victory, with a 4-0 decision at the Grand Rapids Griffins.
JACK FINLEY, 2021-22 (36 GP, 13-13-26) – Posted an assist on former Winnipeg teammate Conor Geekie’s goal last Friday as part of a 3-0 Syracuse Crunch win at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and received an assist from Geekie on his goal Sunday in a 3-2 overtime win at the Rochester Americans – he added an assist of his own on the overtime winner, 14 seconds into the extra session.
MICHAEL MILNE, 2018-22 (50 GP, 10-9-19) – Cranked out five points over a three-game stretch for the Iowa Wild, starting with an assist last Saturday in a 4-2 win over the Ontario Reign. He had two goals the following day in a 7-4 loss to the Reign, including a first-period penalty shot, and two more goals Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Wolves.
LUKE PHILP, 2015-17 (51 GP, 6-17-23) – Posted an early assist last Friday in a 4-3 Hershey Bears loss at the Hartford Wolf Pack, and picked up a goal Saturday in a 4-2 defeat at the Utica Comets.
CONOR GEEKIE, 2019-24 (20 GP, 7-8-15) – Has points in five straight Syracuse Crunch games, as well as six of seven and nine of his last 12 – his recent stretch includes two game-winning goals, starting with two of his team’s three goals in last Friday’s 3-0 win at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He earned an assist on Syracuse’s only goal the following night in a 4-1 loss to the Rochester Americans, but scored his team’s only goal Friday on the power play in a 1-0 home defeat of the Utica Comets. He posted a power play goal Saturday in a 4-2 loss to the Amerks, and earned an assist Sunday in a 3-2 comeback win in overtime at Rochester.
CARSON LAMBOS, 2021-22 (59 GP, 4-11-15) – Assisted on former Winnipeg teammate Mikey Milne’s game-tying goal Wednesday to complete an Iowa Wild comeback, but suffered a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Chicago Wolves in Des Moines.
ECHL
BRILEY WOOD, 2022-24 (67 GP, 20-26-46) – Continues to lead the Utah Grizzlies in scoring, starting the scoring last Friday in a 4-2 loss at the Kansas City Mavericks. He earned assists in two of Utah’s three home games against the Allen Americans this past week, lending a hand on the game-tying goal in a 6-5 win early in the third on Wednesday, and posting the primary assist on a go-ahead goal in a 7-6 shootout win Saturday.
BEN ZLOTY, 2018-23 (41 GP, 6-28-34) – Racked up assists in a pair of Norfolk Admirals games at the Reading Royals last week, before posting a pair of goals Friday in a home game against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. His assist in last Saturday’s 4-1 win at Reading came on former Winnipeg pairing mate Graham Sward’s goal, and both earned assists the next day in a 2-1 loss. He scored the insurance goal and one more Friday to defeat the Ghost Pirates, 5-0.
CAM HAUSINGER, 2017-19 (54 GP, 17-13-30) – Posted his team’s final goal last Sunday in a 3-1 Indy Fuel win against the Wheeling Nailers.
ISAAC JOHNSON, 2019-20 (32 GP, 8-10-18) – Has made four appearances in five days for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, potting a pair of goals Friday in a 3-2 home win against the Idaho Steelheads – his game-winner came with less than five minutes remaining in the game. His first-period goal briefly tied the game in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Steelheads. Also scoring points in that series was REECE HARSCH, 2019-20 (47 GP, 5-10-15), who notched an assist Wednesday in a 5-1 Idaho loss, and two assists Saturday in a 5-0 Steelheads victory.
GRAHAM SWARD, 2022-24 (40 GP, 2-9-11) – Had points in three Norfolk Admirals games, starting last Saturday with a goal in a 4-1 win at the Reading Royals and an assist the next day in a 2-1 loss. His assist on Ben Zloty’s goal Friday helped the Admirals cruise past the Savannah Ghost Pirates, 5-0.
BOBBY RUSSELL, 2016-18 (55 GP, 4-12-16) – Scored the eventual game-winner last Saturday in a 6-2 Toledo Walleye win against the Wheeling Nailers.
ELI LIEFFERS, 2015-18 (19 GP, 1-2-3) – Notched an assist Friday in the Wheeling Nailers’ 2-0 win against the Cincinnati Cyclones.
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 (73 GP, 12-12-24) – Had the primary assist on Brandon Duhaime’s go-ahead goal midway through the first period of the Washington Capitals’ 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, and was recognized this past week for his off-ice contributions with the team’s Caps Care Community Award.
SAM MORTON, 2016-18, 2019-20 (63 GP, 18-22-40) – Vaulted back into the scoring column in March with points in six games for the Calgary Wranglers, including four straight early in the month. He picked up an assist last Friday on the game-winner in a 3-1 victory against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and scored a goal with six seconds left in the first period of Friday’s 8-2 loss to the Bakersfield Condors.
KYLE MAYHEW, 2016-17 (7 GP, 0-5-5) – Has made the most of his recent call-up to the Bakersfield Condors, with assists in four straight games. His assist seven minutes into last Saturday’s game against the San Jose Barracuda, an 8-6 win, was his first AHL point. He quickly tacked on an assist on a Matthew Savoie goal Sunday in a 6-3 loss at San Jose, another in a 3-2 loss against the Colorado Eagles Wednesday, and two Friday in an 8-2 victory against the Calgary Wranglers.
DREW BAVARO, 2019-20 (28 GP, 1-4-5) – Is settling in nicely with his new AHL team, posting an assist Wednesday in a 5-1 Cleveland Monsters win at the Belleville Senators.
BRYAN YOON, 2015-16 (17 GP, 0-2-2) – Notched a first-period assist in last Sunday’s 5-3 Colorado Eagles win against the Tucson Roadrunners.
BRETT CHORSKE, 2019-20 (1 GP, 0-0-0) – Made his professional debut last Saturday in the Charlotte Checkers’ 3-2 overtime win at the Utica Comets. Chorske was signed last week to a two-year American Hockey League contract, and will play the remainder of the season for the Checkers on an Amateur Try-Out contract.
DEVIN COOLEY, 2016-17 (19-15-4, 2.91) – Was tagged for a pair of Calgary Wranglers losses this past week, starting with a 31-save performance in a 4-2 loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds last Sunday. He returned to the ice Friday and made 28 saves in an 8-2 loss to the Bakersfield Condors.
CHARLIE COMBS, 2015-17 (59 GP, 24-24-48) – Has 12 points over an eight-game point streak for the South Carolina Stingrays – his first period last Friday included a goal and an assist on the eventual game-winner in a 5-1 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. His third-period goal was the decisive one in a 3-2 win last Saturday in a victory at the Jacksonville IceMen. He tacked on another assist Sunday in a 5-4 overtime win against Jacksonville. This past weekend, he posted two goals and an assist in a 4-1 Friday night victory at the Kalamazoo Wings, and a goal and assist in the first period of Saturday’s 7-1 win in Kalamazoo.
BRENDAN HARRIS, 2013-17 (42 GP, 13-29-42) – Has assists in his last four games, and five of six – he posted an assist Saturday in a 3-2 Jacksonville IceMen loss to the South Carolina Stingrays, and finished the weekend home-and-home with two more assists in a 5-4 overtime loss. He picked up his most recent assist Wednesday in a 3-2 overtime loss at the Florida Everblades.
TROY LOGGINS, 2013-14 (56 GP, 18-13-31) – Posted a pair of assists over the last two weeks for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, with an assist on Logan Nelson’s game-winner at the halfway mark of the third period of a 5-2 win at the Tulsa Oilers last Friday. He assisted on another Nelson goal Wednesday as the Knight Monsters hammered the Idaho Steelheads, 5-1.
DAKOTA RAABE, 2014-17 (44 GP, 9-15-24) – Returned to the score sheet Sunday after a six-week absence, earning an assist in the Iowa Heartlanders’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Wichita Thunder.
MARKO REIFENBERGER, 2018-19 (58 GP, 5-10-15) – Had two assists in the month of March, with the more recent coming Saturday in the Norfolk Admirals’ 6-1 home victory against the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
STANISLAV DEMIN, 2016-18 (44 GP, 2-9-11) – Had assists in back-to-back games of a Tahoe Knight Monsters road trip against the Tulsa Oilers, helping to finish the scoring with a helper in last Friday’s 5-2 Tahoe win before adding another with 15 seconds left in the first period of a 2-1 Knight Monsters victory the next evening.
CHRISTOPHE FILLION, 2016-18 (6 GP, 0-1-1) – Has landed his first spot on a pro score sheet, tapping out an assist Saturday in the Idaho Steelheads’ 5-0 win at the Tahoe Knight Monsters. Fillion was signed to his first professional contract by the Steelheads earlier this month after a five-year NCAA Division I career highlighted by Quinnipiac University’s 2023 national championship.
GEHRETT SARGIS, 2009-10 (22 GP, 4-1-5) – Scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner, in the Norfolk Admirals’ 4-1 win last Saturday at the Reading Royals.
SETH EISELE, 2017-18 (17-9-1, 2.33) – Picked up back-to-back victories over the last two weeks for the South Carolina Stingrays, stopping 30 Greenville Swamp Rabbits shots last Friday in a 5-1 win. He stepped back onto the ice last Saturday for 23 saves and another win, a 7-1 cruise past the Kalamazoo Wings.
MICHAEL BULLION, 2014-15 (16-14-2, 3.40) – Allowed a total of 15 goals over his last four Worcester Railers appearances, but earned wins in three of the four decisions, and has captured victories in six of seven. He made 14 saves last Saturday in a 5-4 overtime win against the Trois-Rivieres Lions, and made 27 saves the next day for a 5-4 regulation victory against the Lions. His 23 saves Friday helped push the Railers past Trois-Rivieres 3-2 in overtime, but the Lions got the better of Worcester Sunday for a 5-2 win despite Bullion’s 18 saves.
