There may still be a few contracts for the upcoming season that have yet to be announced, but as of today, 31 former Merrimack men’s hockey players are set to play professionally in 2026-27.
That group includes four players who will enter the season under NHL contracts.
Max Lundgren (Boston Bruins) is the newest addition to that list after signing with Boston last spring following Merrimack’s season. He joins Alex Jefferies (New York Islanders), Declan Carlile (Pittsburgh Penguins), and Johnathan Kovacevic (New Jersey Devils).
Jefferies re-signed with the New York Islanders this offseason after becoming a restricted free agent.
Carlile, who spent the previous four seasons in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an unrestricted free agent last month. Carlile established himself as an NHL defenseman with Tampa Bay last season.
Kovacevic is entering the second season of the five-year, $20 million contract he signed with the New Jersey Devils last summer. He missed a significant portion of last season following knee surgery but returned shortly after the midpoint of the year and appeared in 34 games.
Kovacevic is Merrimack’s all-time leader in NHL points and ranks second in NHL games played by a former Warrior with 258, trailing only Steve McKenna (373).
In addition to the four players under NHL contracts, 27 former Warriors are currently under contract to play professionally in the AHL or ECHL in North America, or in several of Europe’s top leagues, including the SHL and Liiga, the highest divisions in Sweden and Finland, respectively.