Pro-Dawgs: Where Are Ferris State Hockey's Former Players and Coaches Now?
Big Rapids, Mich. – As the tree of professional hockey players and coaches to come from Ferris State both grows and advances, the Bulldogs have several at the highest levels of the game, and even more playing out strong careers within their leagues.
Below are updates on the professional hockey alums of Ferris State - this will be updated as Free Agents continue to sign:
National Hockey League
Gerald Mayhew - Forward, Minnesota Wild
Mayhew continued to put the hockey world on notice in his third full professional season, debuting in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Minnesota Wild, scoring twice in 13 games including a goal in his first game.
In the American Hockey League (AHL) Mayhew was the league's Most Valuable Player and Leading Goal Scorer with the Iowa Wild, bringing home both pieces of hardware after pacing the league with 39 goals in just 49 games. Mayhew, due to his service time with the Minnesota Wild, played the lowest number of games of anyone in the top seven in AHL goal scoring, and clicked at .79 goals per game. He also added 22 assists. His 61 points in 49 games were one point better in 22 less games than the previous season in the AHL. Mayhew became the 12th former Bulldog to debut in the NHL this past season, joining Dean Clark, Mike Colman, Dave Karpa, John Gruden, Jason Blake, Andy Roach, Rob Collins, Chris Kunitz, Greg Rallo, Zach Redmond and Chad Billins. Mayhew left Ferris State as the all-time leader in playoff point scoring in school history. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Derek Lalonde - Assistant Coach, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning exorcised the demons of a 2019 first round exit at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets by ousting them four games to one in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Lalonde standing behind the Lightning bench alongside Head Coach Jon Cooper.
Prior to his time in Tampa Bay, Lalonde helped the Iowa Wild (AHL) grow into a strong Western Conference program while coaching Gerald Mayhew. Under his leadership the Wild posted team records for wins, home wins, road wins, fewest losses and total points in a season. He came to Iowa following a 97-35-12 stint with the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL as the bench boss for the Walleye.
John Gruden - Assistant Coach, New York Islanders
The New York Islanders had to win a play-in round to make the 16-team field, but then promptly upended the third seeded and high-octane Washington Capitols as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, the Islanders are toe-to-toe with the top seeded and impressive Philadelphia Flyers, with game one set for tonight (Aug. 24) at 7 pm at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Gruden has had success at every level. After leading the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Hamilton Bulldogs to an OHL Playoff Championship in 2017-18, the Islanders picked up Gruden on July 18, 2018 when then defending Stanley Cup Champion Head Coach Barry Trotz tabbed Gruden to join the staff.
Jeff Blashill - Head Coach, Detroit Red Wings
Coach Blashill enters his seventh season as bench boss for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and second under the new management of legendary Detroit Red Wing captain Steve Yzerman, who returned to the Red Wings from Tampa Bay after molding one of the NHL's greatest regular seasons of all-time, as well as several playoff runs.
For the second straight year, Blashill continues to command the confidence of Detroit's biggest hockey figure in Yzerman: "I think Jeff has done a good job," the former NHL GM of the Year (2015) Yzerman said. "I think it's been a difficult position in his tenure here. The Red Wings are in a rebuild for a while and for the last two, three trade deadlines, the team has traded valuable players, good players, for future assets and Jeff has, with his head held high, diligently worked hard, done a good job in coaching this team in a difficult situation throughout that."
Phil Osaer - Head of Goaltending Scouting and Development, Detroit Red Wings
Osaer is headed into his second full season as the team's head of goaltending scouting and development for the Detroit Red Wings, reprising a similar role he filled with Tampa Bay with Steve Yzerman.
American Hockey League
Seth Appert - Head Coach, Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) have named Ferris State alum Seth Appert as their new head coach.
Appert wrapped up his tenure with the USA National Team Development Program by setting a record with 17 USA NTDP players being selected in a single National Hockey League (NHL) draft in June of 2019, including eight first round choices and the number one overall pick (Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils).
In his time with Team USA, Appert commanded the bench for the International Ice Hockey Federation's Under-18 World Junior Championship in 2018 where he guided USA to a Bronze medal. During his first season with the NTDP in 2017-18, Appert guided the Under-18 Team to a gold medal at the Five Nations Tournament.
Pat Nagle - Goaltender, Grand Rapids Griffins
Nagle picked up another year in the Detroit Red Wings system, returning for a fourth year this upcoming season as the Grand Rapids Griffins elected to keep on the steady 11th year pro.
Due to injuries to Red Wings' top goaltending prospect Filip Larsson, Nagle saw extended time in Grand Rapids, helping to round out the tandem with Calvin Pickard. In 15 games in the AHL, Nagel had a solid .910 save percentage with a 2.77 goals against average. In 20 games with the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL, he had a .920 save percentage and 2.32 goals against average.
Greg Rallo - Assistant Coach, Milwaukee Admirals
After a distinguished 12-year professional playing career, Rallo made his mark in his second year as an Assistant Coach at the AHL level. The Admirals, in the always challenging Central Division, lead the AHL in wins, points, and least losses. Milwaukee was stifling defensively, as the best defensive unit in the league, and finished second in goal scoring.
Cooper Zech - Defenseman, Providence Bruins
As a 21-year old in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and just 12 professional games to his name prior to the start of the season, Zech acquitted himself nicely with 14 points in 45 games. The P-Bruins were the Eastern Conference's standard-bearer defensively, and Zech showed flashes of brilliance with them.
At Ferris State, he became the first freshman since 1987-88 to lead the Bulldogs in scoring (matched this year by the freshman that donned his number 25, Jake Willets).
DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Germany)
Zach Redmond - Defenseman, Red Bull Munich
Redmond is headed overseas to join Eishockey Club München (EHC Munich), also known as Red Bull Munich of the top German Hockey league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) after a solid 30-point showing in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rochester Americans. In 2018-19, Redmond, much like Gerald Mayhew, put up a monster American Hockey League numbers, winning the Eddie Shore AHL Best Defenseman Award, and AHL First All-Star team honors.
The DEL is on the upswing as both a professional league and developmental feeder to the NHL, having recently produced current highly-touted Detroit Red Wings prospect and first round draft choice Moritz Seider, as well as consensus top-three prospect Tim Stutzle in the upcoming NHL entry draft. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Chad Billins - Defenseman, Adler Mannheim
Billins is also headed to the DEL to play for Adler Mannheim. He carved out a great role in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), another highly competitive league for Linkopings HC and Lulea HF. He has 15 goals and 66 assists for 81 points in the SHL, and had 21 of those in 51 games last season for Linkopings.
The former US Olympian has also played in the KHL for CSKA Moskva in 2014-15, and stateside in the NHL with the Calgary Flames. He played in the AHL with the Abbotsford Heat in 2013-14 with 41 points in 65 games, and helped lead the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Calder Cup Championship in 2012-13 as a rookie where he had 14 points in 24 playoff games, among 37 in 76 regular season games under Jeff Blashill. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
ECHL
Kyle Bonis - Forward, Toledo Walleye
A prolific goal-scorer at every level, the former Ferris State walk-on-turned-captain has carved out a strong professional career as a lethal goal scorer. He is coming back to the city he razed the record books at, joining the Toledo Walleye.
Bonis has put up big-time goal totals in the ECHL (120 in 269 games) for the Florida Everblades and the Toledo Walleye, where Bonis holds the single-season goal scoring record (36 in 2014-15). He's also played in 101 AHL games with Grand Rapids, the Charlotte Checkers, the Norfolk Admirals, the San Diego Gulls, the Rochester Americans, and the Iowa Wild. Bonis has scored 25 or more goals in every ECHL season where he's played more than 33 games with an ECHL club.
The Ontario native had 25 goals in 48 games in Norway with Frisk Asker, and 17 in 27 games with HKM Zvolen in Slovakia last season before returning stateside to Toledo, where he had 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 32 games with Toledo before the pause. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Cameron Clarke - Defenseman, Wichita Thunder
Heading into his first full professional season, Clarke will join the Wichita Thunder where he played in three games last season. He dressed in 127 games with 33 points at Ferris State from 2016-2020.
Nate Kallen - Defenseman, Maine Mariners
The Bulldog Captain will head back East, a firm opposite of his hometown San Diego, to join the Maine Mariners in Portland for his first full season. Kallen played in three games last season before the shutdown. He had 64 points in 146 games at Ferris State, and lead all goal scorers from the blue line for the Bulldogs from 2010-2020 with 20 tallies, and was an all-decade team member.
Ryker Killins - Defenseman, Toledo Walleye
Another man headed for "Ferris South," Killins will join Bonis and Lowney in Toledo this season, with Pat Nagle in the organization as well. Killins had 21 points in 47 games last season for the Rapid City Rush in his first full professional season, and also dressed in three AHL games with the Tucson Roadrunners. Briefly, Killins played with Joe Rutkowski before the pause in action.
Ryan Lowney - Defenseman, Toledo Walleye
Now in year five of his professional career, Lowney has established himself as a strong presence on the blue line. Now, Lowney is headed to Toledo to play with the Walleye. Toledo has been established as "Ferris South," having played host to fellow Bulldog alums Kyle Bonis, Justin Buzzeo, Mike Embach, Brandon Anselmini, Scott Czarnowczan, Simon Denis, Aaron Lewicki, Pat Nagle, Derek Nesbitt, and Zach Yoder, as well as former head coach and former Bulldog assistant coach, Derek Lalonde. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
After three years in Fort Wayne with the Komets, starring alongside fellow alums Garrett Thompson, Mike Embach, and Jason Binkley, Lowney went overseas with Thompson and Kyle Bonis to play at HKM Zvolen in Slovakia. He wrapped last season in the English Ice Hockey League with the Belfast Giants.
Derek Nesbitt - Forward, Atlanta Gladiators
The former linemate of Chris Kunitz is headed into his staggering 17th professional season, and sixth in a row with the Gladiators. He's been a Gladiator in seven prior seasons in different stints. Famously productive, Nesbitt had 46 points in 60 games last year. In 550 games in the ECHL, he has 189 goals and 298 assists for 487 points. He's 34th in ECHL history in goal scoring and 30th all time in assists.
Jared VanWormer - Forward, Allen Americans
VanWormer has been a productive member in the ECHL, scoring 20+ goals in each of his full seasons in the league. He spent 2017-2019 with the Missouri/Kansas City Mavericks, and has since moved to the Allen Americans. VanWormer is headed back to Allen this season, though he's spent stretches of time on loan in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, Colorado Eagles, Cleveland Monsters, and Stockton Heat, playing in 14 AHL contests.
VanWormer has 64 goals and 63 assists in 187 ECHL games played for 127 points. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Rod Taylor - Head Coach, Norfolk Admirals
Taylor is entering his second season at the helm of the Norfolk Admirals in the ECHL. The ECHL Hall-of-Famer and second in all-time point scoring as a player (1991-2003) and former all-time points and goal scoring leader has been tasked with turning the Admirals back into a power.
"Rocket Rod" scored a Ferris State single-season record 41 goals during the 1990-91 season.
Garrett Thompson - Forward, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Thompson returns stateside after over a year abroad. He played 47 games for Norway's Frisk Asker with 39 points, and 50 games in 2019-20 for HKM Zvolen in Slovakia with 32 points. In the ECHL, Thompson has put up 60 goals and 87 assists for 147 points in 167 games over three seasons, all formerly with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Prior to his trip abroad, Thompson had 71 points in 67 games for the Komets in 2017-18 as one of the league's top performers. He added 16 playoff points in 18 playoff games for the Komets as a teammate of Ryan Lowney and Jason Binkley. He immediately brings a top-line presence to the Swamp Rabbits. Thompson went from committed to playing club hockey to one of the pro circuit's more imposing figures.
Charles Williams - Goaltender, Indy Fuel
Williams is headed back to the Indy Fuel after a 31-game showing in which he had a .908 save percentage. Williams is now a fifth year pro, having played with Manchester, and Indy in the ECHL, with a brief Hartford stint in the AHL in 2017-18. He also had a strong showing for the Ontario Reign in 2018-19 with a .930 save percentage in four outings.
Zach Yoder - Defenseman, Atlanta Gladiators
Yoder us headed for the ECHL, and closer to his own home. The Woodstock, Georgia native will play for the hometown Atlanta Gladiators. Yoder had two assists in four games with Toledo last season and was a +4. He'll join the veteran letter-wearer and former Bulldog Derek Nesbitt in Atlanta.
English Ice Hockey League
Brendan Connolly - Forward, Sheffield Steelers
Brendan Connolly graduated from Ferris State in 2009 and has adventured pretty much everywhere. He seems to have zeroed in on England, as he's set for his fourth full season. He'll re-join the Sheffield Steelers where he had 55 points in 48 games last season before representing Great Britain for three games.
Connolly has played in England, Denmark, Germany, and Austria as well as 330 ECHL games where he had 331 points on 142 goals and 189 assists in seven seasons.
CJ Motte - Goaltender, Coventry Blaze
Motte, who holds almost every major Ferris State goaltending record, is headed back overseason for the second straight year where he'll play for the Coventry Blaze in the English Ice Hockey League. He had a .927 save percentage in 24 games there last season. He started the year in HC Innsbruck in Austria. Motte has had several trips to the AHL, on-loan six times, all with solid numbers. He has a career .921 save percentage in the ECHL in 19 outings. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
In the ECHL, Motte played heavy-duty minutes for the Allen Americans where he face more shots on goal on average than any goaltender in the league in 2018-19, but turned in a fine .910 save percentage.
Asia League
Simon Denis - Defenseman, Tohoku Free Blades
Denis is headed back overseas to play in the Asia League for a third straight year. One of the top members of the Japanese National Team, Denis spent 2018-19 with Daemyung Killer Whales in South Korea, and 2019-20 with Tohoku Free Blades, where he'll star again this year. He had 18 points in 36 games with Tohoku last season.
Denis formerly set Toledo Walleye records for points as a defenseman in 2016-17 in a single season. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Sweden
Zac Tierney - Defenseman, Tegs SK
Tierney played in the French second division last year with Neuilly-sur-Marne and Mont-Blanc with six points in 26 games. Now, he's headed to Tegs SK to play in Sweden for his second full professional hockey season.
Active Free Agents
Brandon Anselmini
The former strength and conditioning All-American has carved out a solid ECHL career with several AHL stops along the way. He spent last season with the Toledo Walleye where he had 19 points in 35 games, and spent time on-loan to both the Grand Rapids Griffins and Cleveland Monsters in the AHL.
Jason Binkley
Binkley has spent most of his professional hockey career in the Midwest, with four full seasons playing for the Fort Wayne Komets. Binkley has 127 points in 275 ECHL games over six seasons, and played in four AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters last season.
The Ohio native has also dressed for the Utah Grizzlies and Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL. He finished last season with the Nottingham Panthers, playing six games with an assist in the English League.
Justin Buzzeo
Buzzeo came as well to play at Ferris-South with the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL last season where he had 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points in 38 games. Buzzeo has played in Germany, England, Austria, and Slovakia over the last two seasons before returning stateside. Buzzeo played for the Atlanta/Gwinnet Gladiator franchise from 2014-2017 before a brief stint with the Orlando Solar Bears. Buzzeo has 116 points in 177 ECHL games over four seasons. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Cory Kane
Kane went on a historic tear at Ferris State in his final two months with the Bulldogs, and has turned that into a strong overseas professional career. The shifty centerman has been a member of the Kontinental Hockey League's Kunlun Red Star in China for the last three seasons. He hasn't played in North America since 2015-16 with the Texas Stars in the AHL, but spent all but six of his 107 games in North American Professional Hockey in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and Stars. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State.
Blair Riley
Riley has played his last four seasons in England with Belfast and Cardiff, where he has 93 goals and 120 assists for 213 points in 205 EIHL gmaes. He also has 40 points in 41 EIHL Playoff games.
Riley has spent most of his professional career in the American Hockey League with 330 games played over seven years with 78 points.
Corey Mackin
Mackin will be in his second full season and third professional year when hockey returns after spending his first full professional campaign with his near-hometown Reading Royals in the ECHL. Mackin had 46 points on 20 goals and 26 assists in 58 games with the Royals. He was an all-decade team member for Ferris State. His signing is awaiting finalization.
Troy Milam
Milam spent his second straight year and third overall in the Asia League, with 20 points in 35 games for Anyang Halla. He's played at the top levels in Finland, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, and Slovakia.
In North America, he played in 254 AHL games with 125 points for the Norfolk Admirals, Manchester Monarchs, Hershey Bears, Chivago Wolves, and San Antonio Rampage. He's also dressed in 127 ECHL games with 91 points. Milam has played strictly overseas since 2008 except for a one-year return to the US to play for Norfolk in 2010-11. He's played 17 seasons and is the oldest active professional former Bulldog at 40.
Joe Rutkowski
Rutkowski dressed in just two games for the Rapid City Rush in the ECHL before the shutdown, and is an active free agent.
Rutkowski, a pre-medical major in his undergraduate days at Ferris State, has goals of becoming a doctor. His signing is awaiting finalization.
Austin Shaw
Shaw joined both the Cincinnati Cyclones and Norfolk Admirals briefly last season following his 15 games as a graduate transfer at Ferris State.
Jason Tackett
Now active after missing the end of the ECHL season, Tackett's signing is awaiting finalization. Tackett wrapped up his collegiate career with 16 points in 29 games as a senior. Tackett improved on his point-totals in his final two seasons at Ferris State.
Retired: Kyle Schempp, Mitch Maloney, Craig Pefley, Adam Miller, Chad McDonald (Official, after dressing on loan in 9 games last season)