Alumn-ICE Report: May 12, 2025
Brayden McNabb
Photo Credit: Julio Cortez/AP
(Next week’s Alumn-ICE report will focus on former Wild and ICE standouts who played in top-level professional leagues across the world this past season – our American pro report will return with a playoff update in two weeks.)
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 as the American pro hockey playoffs continue:
NHL
SAM REINHART, 2010-15 – Picked up points in four of the Florida Panthers’ five games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first-round series, including an assist in Florida’s Game 4 victory on April 28, and an empty-net goal and an assist two nights later in a 6-3 win that closed out the Lightning. He piled up the ice time Friday in an overtime win against Toronto, playing 25 minutes and notching a goal and an assist in a 5-4 overtime win. Florida has evened up their second-round series with the Atlantic Division champion Maple Leafs at two games apiece, with Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto.
BRAYDEN McNABB, 2006-11 – Had assists on two of the Vegas Golden Knights’ three goals May 1 in their series-ending 3-2 win against the Minnesota Wild, and tallied another Saturday in Vegas’s 5-4 win against the Edmonton Oilers. McNabb’s helper was the secondary assist on Reilly Smith’s buzzer-beater that hit the back of the net with 0.4 seconds left in regulation. That win put Vegas within a game of Edmonton in a 2-1 series, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Edmonton.
Tampa Bay goal!
Scored by Nick Paul with 07:44 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Conor Geekie.
Tampa Bay: 2
Florida: 2#FLAvsTBL #GoBolts #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/EfyWk6OSpq— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 1, 2025
CONOR GEEKIE, 2019-24 – Earned his first playoff point in the NHL with an assist April 30 in a 6-3 Tampa Bay Lightning loss to the Florida Panthers. That loss spelled the end of Tampa Bay’s season, with their elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
ICE/Wild WHL Alumni Remaining in the NHL Playoffs
Sam Reinhart (FLA); Brayden McNabb (VGK); Matthew Savoie (EDM)
AHL
CHASE WHEATCROFT, 2021-22 – Played in all three games of the Texas Stars’ three-game sweep against the Grand Rapids Griffins, but did not register a point. Texas continues on to face Milwaukee in the Central Division final, a best-of-5 series set to begin Thursday.
CALE FLEURY, 2014-18 – Made his final appearance of the season Friday in the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ 2-0 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks. Abbotsford won their Pacific Division semifinal series 3-1 against the Firebirds.
LUKE PHILP, 2011-16 – Notched an assist in each of the last three Hershey Bears games against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in their Atlantic Division series. He picked up a second-period assist in a 4-2 Game 3 loss last Sunday, followed by one in the first period of Friday’s 6-4 win to even up the series and another one late in the first Sunday in Hershey’s 4-2 elimination win. The Bears now move on to the Atlantic Division Final for a best-of-5 showdown with the Charlotte Checkers.
ICE/Wild WHL Alumni Remaining in the AHL Playoffs
Luke Philp (Hershey); Chase Wheatcroft (Texas)
ECHL
BEN ZLOTY, 2018-23 & GRAHAM SWARD, 2022-24 – Each has played all five games in the Norfolk Admirals‘ North Division Final against the Trois-Rivieres Lions, but neither has added a point to his total in the series. The Lions lead the series three games to two, with Trois-Rivieres set to host Game 6 on Tuesday. The series has been extremely defensive-minded, with three different 1-0 finishes – the Lions’ 1-0 win in Game 5 came with just 16 seconds left in overtime.
ISAAC JOHNSON, 2019-20 – Managed a first-period assist Thursday in the Tahoe Knight Monsters’ 3-1 loss to the Kansas City Mavericks, but saw his season come to an end in a four-game sweep in the Mountain Division Final.
ICE/Wild WHL Alumni Remaining in the ECHL Playoffs
Ben Zloty, Graham Sward (Norfolk); Bobby Russell, Gage Alexander (Toledo)
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 as the American pro hockey playoffs continue:
NIC DOWD, 2008-09 – Has been a regular in the postseason lineup for the Washington Capitals, but has not notched another point since his first-round assist April 27 at Montreal. Washington can even up its second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes with a win today in Raleigh.
BRYAN YOON, 2015-16 – Appeared in the last two games of the Colorado Eagles’ Pacific Division semifinal win against the San Jose Barracuda, including an assist in last Wednesday’s 3-1 win that eliminated the Barracuda. Next up is a best-of-5 division final series against the Abbotsford Canucks, starting on Friday in British Columbia.
DREW BAVARO, 2019-20 – Made his only appearance of the Calder Cup playoffs in last Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Laval Rocket, a loss that eliminated the Lake Erie Monsters from the AHL postseason.
BRETT CHORSKE, 2019-20 – Played in four of the Charlotte Checkers’ five Atlantic Division semifinal games against the Providence Bruins, but did not pick up a point in any of his appearances. Charlotte begins a best-of-5 division final series against Hershey on Friday in North Carolina.
HARRISON SCOTT, 2019-20 – Suited up for all three Texas Stars games in their division semifinal sweep of the Grand Rapids Griffins, but did not post a point in the series. Texas begins its best-of-5 division series against the Milwaukee Admirals at home on Thursday.
SETH EISELE, 2017-18 & CHARLIE COMBS, 2015-17 – Both appeared in the South Carolina Stingrays’ decisive Game 7 on April 29 in their South Division semifinal against the Orlando Solar Bears, with Eisele stopping 24 Orlando shots in a defensive duel. However, the Stingrays never scored, and were eliminated with a 2-0 defeat.
KYLE MAYHEW, 2016-17 – Had an impressive six points in the Fort Wayne Komets’ six-game playoff series loss against the Toledo Walleye, including three assists on May 3 in a 6-1 Game 2 victory. He scored a goal with just 14 seconds remaining in the first period of a 2-1 win in Game 3, and he added assists in Games 4 and 6 this past week.
Kyle Mayhew, Brett Brochu and Darren Brady lead the Komets to victory Monday night, putting them in the driver's seat in this playoff series against the Walleye.
The Komets are home again Wednesday and Thursday to try to close it out. https://t.co/luBNltkXOl
— Drew Frey (@DrewFreyFOX55) May 6, 2025
DAKOTA RAABE, 2014-17 – Picked up an assist on April 29 in the Iowa Heartlanders’ Game 7 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets, a 4-1 defeat in the decisive game of their Central Division semifinal series.
TROY LOGGINS, 2013-14 – Played in three of the four games of the Tahoe Knight Monsters’ division final sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Mavericks, and did not pick up a point in the series.
Wenatchee Junior “A” Alumni Remaining in the Playoffs
Nic Dowd (Washington, NHL); Bryan Yoon (Colorado, AHL); Brett Chorske (Charlotte, AHL); Harrison Scott (Texas, AHL); Marko Reifenberger, Gehrett Sargis (Norfolk, ECHL)
