Alumn-ICE Report: May 20, 2025
Cooper Zech
Photo Credit: Nottingham Panthers
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 alumni, including alumni from the Kootenay and Winnipeg ICE, who played in top-level national leagues across the world this past season.
Our American pro report will return with a playoff update next week.
WHL – 1996 to 2025
MATT ALFARO (2013-17) – Starred for the Nottingham Panthers in the Elite Ice Hockey League, posting 41 regular-season points in 45 games in Britain’s top-level pro league. Nottingham won 30 of its 54 games to take third on the 10-team circuit, but won a pair of one-goal games in the knockout rounds to earn its first playoff championship in nine years. Alfaro signed a new contract on Wednesday, committing to return to the Panthers for the 2025-26 season.
📺😍 PANTHERS TV: He's BACK! Listen to what Matt Alfaro has to say about becoming a Panther for a second season.. pic.twitter.com/7VSwsJm1tw
— The Nottingham Panthers (@PanthersIHC) May 14, 2025
MARTIN BODAK (2017-19) – Played his fifth season in the Slovak Extraliga, and his second with HK Dukla Michalovce, picking up 16 points in 40 games. His club won 27 games in its 54-game regular season, before dropping out of the postseason in the play-in round.
TIM BOZON (2013-15) – Spent his eighth pro season in Switzerland’s National League, putting up 13 goals and 13 assists in 52 games for Lausanne HC, plus two assists over eight games in the continent’s Champions Hockey League competition. He has played extensively in international competition for Team France, with two goals and an assist in the Olympic qualifier, and has two goals and an assist in six games in the ongoing IIHF World Championship tournament. Lausanne won 34 of its 52 games during the NL season, earning the league’s regular-season championship and one of its slots in next season’s Champions Hockey League competition, but dropped a five-game league final to the ZSC Lions.
ADAM CRACKNELL (2002-06) – Finished third on the Slovak Extraliga leaderboard with 59 points for HK SKP Poprad, including a league-high 35 goals. Poprad won 28 games and reached the quarterfinal round of its league playoff.
The Tipos Extraliga regular season top scorers table was dominated by 39-year-old Poprad captain Adam Cracknell, who joined Tatry before the current season. Zvolen, Michalovce, Banská Bystrica and Trenčín are also represented in the top five. 💪🏒🇸🇰 pic.twitter.com/MUdHAlyRaL
— Ladislav Kasper (@KasperLadislav) March 9, 2025
JAEDON DESCHENEAU (2011-16) – Played 16 games in the Slovak Extraliga season for HK Nitra, shifting to Slovakia after winning a German title last season. He posted 14 points in those 16 games, but was a major part of the club’s run to the Extraliga finals, picking up six goals and four assists in 20 postseason games.
JAKE ELMER (2016-17) – Posted nearly a point per game for the Elite Ice Hockey League’s Dundee Stars in Great Britain, with 25 points in 27 appearances, plus nine more in 12 games during the league’s in-season Challenge Cup tournament. Dundee won 22 of its 54 regular-season contests, and lost both games to the Belfast Giants in their playoff quarterfinal.
HUDSON ELYNUIK (2012-14) – Made his first venture overseas after playing six years in the American minor leagues, stepping in for 52 games with Kunlun Red Star, China’s sole entry in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League. He notched two goals and seven assists, helping Kunlun Red Star to 28 wins on its 68-game schedule. Kunlun missed the Gagarin Cup playoffs by nine points, finishing ninth of 11 teams in the KHL’s Western Conference.
MATT FRASER (2007-11) – Extended his run with Austrian club Klagenfurt AC in the ICEHL to a fifth season, posting 38 points in 47 games, plus two goals and two assists in six Champions Hockey League games. EC-KAC won 32 of its 48 games to earn the league’s regular-season title, reaching the league final before being swept in a four-game series against Red Bull Salzburg, with Fraser adding eight points in 17 playoff games
MARIO GRMAN (2015-16) – Made his return to the KHL after five years in Finland and Czechia, earning seven assists in 56 regular-season games for Admiral Vladivostok. As the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed, though, the playoff run was necessarily brief, dropping out after the first round with a six-game loss to Traktor Chelyabinsk. He also scored a goal for Slovakia in the Olympic Qualifier, and has one assist through seven games in the ongoing IIHF World Championships.
STANISLAV GRON (1998-99) – Despite turning 46 this past October, he stepped onto the ice in the Slovak Extraliga for the first time since the 2011-12 season, and appeared in a top-level national-league contest for the first time since playing for Cortina in Italy’s top league in 2015, playing two games for HC Nove Zamky. However, the team won just eight of its regular-season games, and was relegated out of the Extraliga for 2025-26.
ARNAUD JACQUEMET (2006-08) – Played his 17th season in Switzerland’s top national league, and 12th with Genève-Servette HC, picking up two goals and an assist in 52 games, plus five assists in 10 Champions Hockey League appearances. Geneve-Servette won 24 of its 52 regular-season games, finishing 12th in the 14-team league and missing its playoff.
ISAAC JOHNSON (2019-20) – Started the season with a seven-game stint in the Finnish Liiga with Jukurit, before returning stateside to play for the ECHL’s Tahoe Knight Monsters.
VALTTERI KAKKONEN (2018-19) – Switched to Poland’s top league after six years, posting four goals and 17 assists for GKS Tychy in 28 games and helping Tychy win 32 of its 40 regular-season games on the way to its first Polish league championship in five years.
NINO KINDER (2019-20) – Played his sixth professional season in Germany, and fourth with the Fischtown Pinguins in Bremerhaven – this year, he buried 10 goals and picked up six assists in 45 games, plus an assist over 10 Champions Hockey League affairs and four international matchups. Fischtown won 30 of its 52 regular-season games, earning third in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga standings, but was upended in six games by Kolner Haie in the DEL quarterfinals.
NOLAN ORZECK (2017-22) – Made his first venture to Europe this season, starting the season with the ECHL’s Allen Americans before finishing it in Finland with Vasaan Sport. He managed two assists in 14 regular-season games, but posted three more in eight postseason appearances. Sport upended KooKoo 3-1 in its first-round series, but fell victim to Liiga regular-season champion Lukko in a four-game quarterfinal sweep.
KARTER PROSOFSKY (2018-24) – The final remaining player from the Kootenay ICE to remain in the organization, Prosofsky made his pro debut with Italian side HC Ghardeina in the Alps Hockey League, posting three goals and nine assists in 37 games during the league’s regular season. He added an assist in a three-game play-in series against HC Bregenzerwald, following an eight-win season for his professional club.
ALESSANDRO SEGAFREDO (2021-23) – Spent this season in Switzerland, splitting between the Swiss League’s GCK Lions and the National League’s ZSC Lions. He played in 24 games with the latter team, posting a goal and two assists – ZSC finished in the middle of a tight three-team race for the regular-season title, winning 33 of its 52 games. However, the club went 12-4 in the NL playoffs, winning a league title. On top of his NL and SL appearances, he also picked up a goal and an assist in Champions Hockey League play, and three goals in six contests for the Italian national team.
PETR SENKERIK (2009-10) – Took his talents to Rytiri Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, after winning an Extraliga championship last year with Ocelari Trinec – Kladno finished 13th out of 14 teams in the Extraliga, avoiding relegation but also missing the playoffs. By playing for Kladno, Senkerik also got the rare opportunity to play alongside 53-year-old Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr, the team’s player-owner.
VLADISLAV SHILO (2022-23) – Shilo played his second season for Yunost Minsk, the Belarussian Extraleague powerhouse, notching a goal and seven assists in 26 games. Yunost Minsk won its 11th Belarussian championship this past season, winning a thrilling seven-game final over HK Vitebsk.
MAXIMILIAN STREULE (2021-23) – Played his second professional season in Switzerland, with the National League’s HC Fribourg-Gottéron, scoring nine points in 46 appearances. Fribourg-Gotteron won 26 of its 52 regular-season games and earned 83 points in the NL standings, narrowly avoiding the play-in round of the postseason and earning a seven-game upset of third-seeded SC Bern in the quarterfinals. However, their semifinal series against Lausanne HC also went the distance, with Lausanne advancing thanks to a Game 7 victory.
MICHAL TEPLY (2019-20) – After four years in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs, Teply decided to return to his native Czechia to continue his career, playing for HC Ocelari Trinec and earning 15 points in 45 contests. He made a strong impression against Europe’s top teams in Champions Hockey League action, with two goals and three assists in five games. Teply notched three points in nine Extraliga playoff games, as Trinec upset Litvinov 3-1 to move on from their first-round playoff series, but top-seeded Sparta Praha would topple Trinec 4-1 in their quarterfinal series. He recently signed a contract with Plzen in the Czech Extraliga, continuing on the circuit for 2025-26.
RINAT VALIEV (2013-15) – Picked up 17 points, including four goals, for HK Almaty in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship. Almaty won 24 of its 40 games, but was eliminated by Saryarka Karaganda in a seven-game quarterfinal loss.
BCHL (2015-23)
ZAK GALAMBOS (2017-18) – Made his pro debut this year by hopping across the pond to the Elite Ice Hockey League’s Belfast Giants, a perennial power in Britain’s top league. After battling injuries early, he stepped into 28 games with three goals and four assists. He did score a pair of goals early in the league’s annual Challenge Cup, appearing in two games. Belfast narrowly missed becoming the third straight team to win Britain’s “treble,” winning the Challenge Cup and the EIHL regular-season championship, but taking third place in the league’s year-end playoff.
🎧 TONIGHT'S COOL FM WARM-UP PLAYLIST 🔥
#22 Zak Galambos' tunes will be on the decks at tonight's home game. Listen out for Zak's top picks as we get ready to take on the Clan! 🏒
T-2 hours to go until face-off! ⏰@coolfm#WeAreGiants #Giants25 pic.twitter.com/zsm9IlXFYH
— Belfast Giants (@BelfastGiants) March 2, 2025
TYLER ROCKWELL (2014-17) – Also found himself in the British pro ranks this season, rostered with the Manchester Storm after playing in France’s top pro league last season. Rockwell managed two assists in 18 regular-season games, plus an assist in his only Challenge Cup game. Manchester won 22 of its 54 games, missing the EIHL playoffs.
LUCAS SOWDER (2016-19) – Headed for Austria and the ICEHL’s Pioneers Vorarlberg, posting seven goals and 13 assists over 31 games. Vorarlberg won 17 of its 48 games, missing the league’s 10-team postseason field by just four points.
KELE STEFFLER (2017-18) – Played in both the ICEHL and the Alps Hockey League in his seventh professional season, starting the season with HC Innsbruck and playing eight games, with four assists. He saw plenty of ice time with EK Zell am See in the Alps League, with 35 games, but added just four more assists. Zell am See won 26 of its 36 games in the Alps Hockey League regular season, earning its first title on the circuit, and cruised through the playoffs to the tune of 12 wins in 13 games.
LUKAS SVEJKOVSKY (2017-18) – Started the season in the American Hockey League with the Syracuse Crunch, but finished it in Tampere, Finland with Ilves in SM-Liiga. Svejkovsky piled up six goals and five assists in just 14 games, helping Ilves take second place in the regular-season standings with wins in 36 of their 60 games. They would drop out of the Liiga playoffs with a six-game semifinal loss to KalPa, but finished third with a 5-4 victory over top-seeded Lukko in the league’s bronze-medal game.
JASPER WEATHERBY (2016-18) – Played for a pair of teams in the Czech Extraliga this past season, splitting the year between HC Dynamo Pardubice and Bílí Tygři Liberec – he started the year with four goals and five assists in 16 games with Liberec, and wrapped it up with two points in 16 outings for Pardubice. He made five appearances in the Czech playoffs for Pardubice and picked up two goals and an assist – the switch paid big dividends, with Pardubice taking third in the standings with 30 wins in 52 games, and making a run to the Extraliga final before being defeated by Kometa Brno in a seven-game series.
After nine years, the @PanthersIHC are Playoff Champions once again 😼 pic.twitter.com/HoIMGcrhgM
— Elite Ice Hockey League | #EIHL (@officialEIHL) April 20, 2025
COOPER ZECH (2017-18) – Made his British debut in his sixth professional season, joining the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League, posting 25 points over 32 regular-season appearances and four points in five Challenge Cup games. He racked up seven assists in four Nottingham playoff games, with the last of those setting up Mitch Fossier’s championship-clinching double-overtime win against the Cardiff Devils, with a 5-4 win in the final. Zech re-signed with the Panthers on May 1, committing to return to the club for 2025-26.
NAHL (2008-15)
EVAN MOSEY (2008-09) – Has spent nine of his 12 professional seasons in Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League, and four of those years with the Cardiff Devils – Mosey played in 50 of Cardiff’s 54 regular-season games this year, with six goals and 26 assists, plus five more points in 12 Challenge Cup games. He led Cardiff to its first-ever IIHF Continental Cup championship, with a goal and an assist in five games in the tournament, and posted an assist over three appearances in Britain’s turn at the Olympic Qualifier tournament. Mosey also had one assist in four EIHL playoff games, as the Devils took a double-overtime 5-4 loss to the Nottingham Panthers in the EIHL final.
🇬🇧🙌 Thank you Evan…
🏒📖 Great Britain's Evan Mosey has announced his retirement from international ice hockey ➡️ https://t.co/OjG8nAbSev pic.twitter.com/tQ8vf1ZQJn
— Team GB Ice Hockey (@TeamGBicehockey) March 25, 2025
ALEX RAUTER (2013-14) – Spent his third season in the Asia League with the Yokohama Grits, picking up 15 goals and 13 assists in 30 appearances. His 28 points tied for second on the team, and was one behind Brandon McNally for the most points in the league by an American-born player. Yokohama finished fifth among the league’s five teams, with 10 wins in 32 games.
PARKER TUOMIE (2013-14) – Moved to Cologne, Germany for his fifth professional season, all spent in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He rolled up 25 points in 51 games for Kolner Haie, and made 17 playoff appearances for Kolner, who won 28 games during its 52-game regular-season schedule, and posted four points in the postseason. Despite being seeded sixth, though, Kolner enjoyed a deep postseason run, going to the DEL final before being defeated by Eisbaren Berlin in five games.
MAC CARRUTH (2008-10) – Made his return to the Elite Ice Hockey League in Great Britain, and the Cardiff Devils, where he previously played in 2021-22. He won 10 games in his return to the EIHL, plus a 4-3 record in seven decisions in the EIHL Challenge Cup. He anchored the net for the Devils’ IIHF Continental Cup championship, their first, winning all three of his decisions in the tournament. His 18-save showing on January 19 helped the Devils charge past France’s Bruleurs De Loups club for a 6-1 win in the title game.
From injured back-up to back in action—Mac Carruth is enjoying the #ContinentalCup challenge. 💪
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/694BTpQqy4@cardiffdevils #IIHF pic.twitter.com/aUTa5ziucO
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 17, 2025