Unsigned veteran players can earn a contract with an NHL team by impressing enough during training camp on a professional tryout contract (PTO). Training camps opened Sept. 18 and the regular season began Oct. 4.
The following notable players (listed alphabetically) were in an NHL camp on a PTO:
Calen Addison, D, Ottawa Senators
The 24-year-old had 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in 72 games for the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild last season. Addison has 50 points (six goals, 44 assists) in 152 regular-season games for the Sharks and Wild, and one assist in three Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Addison was released from his tryout contract Oct. 5.
Tyson Barrie, D, Calgary Flames
The 33-year-old had 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 41 games for the Nashville Predators last season. Barrie has 505 points (109 goals, 396 assists) in 809 regular-season games for the Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche and 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) in 47 playoff games.
Barrie signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract Oct. 3.
Skyler Brind'Amour, F, Carolina Hurricanes
The 25-year-old, who is the son of Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, had eight points (three goals, five assists) in 54 games with Charlotte of the American Hockey League last season. Selected by Edmonton in the sixth round (No. 177) of the 2017 NHL Draft, he has yet to play in the NHL.
Brind'Amour signed a one-year, two-way contract Oct. 5. He'll earn $775,000 at the NHL level and $75,000 at the American Hockey League level.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, F, Colorado Avalanche
The 39-year-old had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 40 games for the Seattle Kraken last season. Bellemare has 138 points (64 goals, 74 assists) in 700 regular-season games for the Kraken, Tampa Bay Lightning, Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Philadelphia Flyers and 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 85 playoff games.
Bellemare was released from his tryout contract Oct. 3.
Sammy Blais, F, Vancouver Canucks
The 28-year-old had seven points (one goal, six assists) in 53 games for the St. Louis Blues last season. Blais has 71 points (27 goals, 44 assists) in 257 regular-season games for the Blues and New York Rangers and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 27 playoff games. He won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019.
Blais was released from his tryout contract Oct. 3.
Aaron Dell, G, San Jose Sharks
The 35-year-old goalie last played in the NHL for the Sharks in 2022-23, going 0-3-0 with a 2.71 GAA and .913 save percentage. Dell is 50-50-13 with a 2.92 GAA, .905 save percentage and five shutouts in 130 games (106 starts) for the Sharks, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, and 0-1 in four playoff games.
Dell was released from his tryout contract Sept. 23
Travis Dermott, D, Edmonton Oilers
The 27-year-old had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 50 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season. Dermott has 329 points (16 goals, 46 assists) in 329 regular-season games with the Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks and Maple Leafs and five points (two goals, three assists) in 22 playoff games.
Sam Gagner, F, Carolina Hurricanes
The 35-year-old had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 28 games for the Oilers last season. He has 529 points (197 goals, 332 assists) in 1,043 games with the Oilers, Jets, Red Wings, Canucks, Blue Jackets, Flyers and Coyotes. Gagner has four assists in 11 playoff games.
Jon Gillies, G, Toronto Maple Leafs
The 30-year-old last played in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23, going 1-1-0 with a 4.57 GAA and .864 save percentage. Gillies is 8-16-3 with a 3.39 GAA and .891 save percentage in 35 games (27 starts) for the Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames.
Gillies was released from his tryout contract Oct. 3.
Rocco Grimaldi, F, Carolina Hurricanes
The 31-year-old last played in the NHL in 2021-22 when he had no points in seven games with the Nashville Predators. Grimaldi had 73 points (36 goals, 37 assists) with Chicago of the AHL last season. He has 67 points (30 goals, 37 assists) in 203 regular-season games for the Predators, Avalanche and Panthers and four points (three goals, one assist) in 11 playoff games.
Mike Hoffman, F, Edmonton Oilers
The 34-year-old had 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 66 games with the Sharks last season. Hoffman has 487 points (228 goals, 259 assists) in 745 regular-season games with the Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, Blues, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators and 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 33 playoff games.
Hoffman was released from his tryout contract Sept. 30
Michael Hutchinson, G, New Jersey Devils
The 34-year-old played one NHL game for the Detroit Red Wings last season and was 14-14-3 with a 2.89 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and two shutouts in 32 games for Grand Rapids of the AHL. Hutchinson is 57-62-18 with a 2.94 GAA, .903 save percentage and six shutouts in 154 regular-season NHL games (127 starts) for the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Panthers and Winnipeg Jets, and 2-1 in four playoff games (three starts).
Hutchinson was released from his tryout contract Oct. 1
Tyler Johnson, F, Boston Bruins
The 34-year-old had 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 67 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season. Johnson has 431 points (193 goals, 238 assists) in 738 regular-season games for the Blackhawks and Lightning and 65 points (32 goals, 33 assists) in 116 playoff games. He won the Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021.
Boris Katchouk, F, Anaheim Ducks
The 26-year-old had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 59 games for the Blackhawks and Senators last season. Katchouk has 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 176 games for the Senators, Blackhawks and Lightning.
Katchouk was released from his tryout contract Sept. 30
Keith Kinkaid, G, New York Islanders
The 35-year-old last played in the NHL in 2022-23 when he appeared in two games with the Avalanche and Boston Bruins. Kinkaid was 8-14-2 with a 3.54 GAA and .880 save percentage in 24 games with Chicago of the AHL last season. He is 70-58-21 with a 2.91 GAA, .905 save percentage and eight shutouts in 169 regular-season NHL games (146 starts) for the Avalanche, Bruins, Rangers, Canadiens and New Jersey Devils and 0-2 in two playoff games.
Nikolai Knyzhov, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
The 26-year-old had one assist in 10 games with the Sharks last season. Knyzhov has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 81 NHL games.
Knyzhov was released from his tryout contract Sept. 27.
Nikolay Kulemin, F, Ottawa Senators
The 38-year-old last played in the NHL in 2017-18, when he had three points (one goal, two assists) in 13 games with the New York Islanders; he's spent the past six seasons playing in the Kontinental Hockey League. Kulemin has 274 points (121 goals, 153 assists) in 669 regular-season NHL games for the Islanders and Maple Leafs and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 25 playoff games.
Kulemin was released from his tryout contract Sept. 30.
Kevin Labanc, F, New Jersey Devils
The 28-year-old had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 46 games with the Sharks last season. Labanc has 225 points (82 goals, 143 assists) in 478 regular-season games with San Jose and 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 30 playoff games.
Labane signed a 1-year contract with the Blue Jackets on Oct. 5.
Gustav Lindstrom, D, Anaheim Ducks
The 25-year-old had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 46 games for the Ducks and Canadiens last season. Lindstrom has 35 points (five goals, 30 assists) in 174 games with the Ducks, Canadiens and Red Wings.
Lindstrom was released from his tryout contract Oct. 4.
Steven Lorentz, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
The 28-year-old had three points (one goal, two assists) in 38 regular-season games for the Panthers last season and three points (two goals, one assist) in 16 playoff games to help them win the Cup. Lorentz has 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) in 230 regular-season games for the Panthers, Sharks and Carolina Hurricanes and six points (two goals, four assists) in 32 playoff games.
Matt Martin, F, New York Islanders
The 35-year-old had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 57 games for the Islanders last season. Martin has 176 points (81 goals, 95 assists) in 955 regular-season games for the Islanders and Maple Leafs and 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 88 playoff games.
Max Pacioretty, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
The 35-year-old had 23 points (four goals, 19 assists) in 47 regular-season games for the Washington Capitals last season and one assist in four playoff games. Pacioretty made his season debut Jan. 3 last season after having not played since Jan. 19, 2023, because of a torn Achilles tendon. He has 668 points (330 goals, 338 assists) in 902 regular-season games for the Capitals, Hurricanes, Golden Knights and Canadiens and 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 78 playoff games.
Tanner Pearson, F, Vegas Golden Knights
The 32-year-old had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 54 games for the Canadiens last season. Pearson has 285 points (138 goals, 147 assists) in 644 regular-season games for the Canadiens, Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings and 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 51 playoff games. He won the Cup with the Kings in 2014.
Pearson signed a 1-year contract with the Golden Knights on Oct. 4.
Mark Pysyk, D, Anaheim Ducks
The 32-year-old last played in the NHL in 2021-22 when he had 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 68 games with the Buffalo Sabres. He had four assists in 37 games with Calgary and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL last season. Pysyk has 104 points (28 goals, 76 assists) in 521 regular-season NHL games for the Sabres, Dallas Stars and Panthers and no points in four playoff games.
Pysyk was released from his tryout contract Oct. 4.
Dustin Tokarski, G, Ottawa Senators
The 35-year-old goalie last played in the NHL in 2022-23 when he appeared in four games (two starts) for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tokarski is 23-24-12 with a 3.15 GAA, .902 save percentage and two shutouts in 80 regular-season games (67 starts) for the Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning and 2-3 with a 2.60 GAA and .916 save percentage in five playoff games.
Jakub Vrana, F, Washington Capitals
The 28-year-old had six points (two goals, four assists) in 21 games for the Blues last season. Vrana has 209 points (110 goals, 99 assists) in 367 regular-season games for the Blues, Red Wings and Capitals and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 38 playoff games. He won the Cup with the Capitals in 2018.
Austin Watson, F, Detroit Red Wings
The 32-year-old had four points (two goals, two assists) and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games for the Lightning last season. Watson has 118 points (60 goals, 58 assists) in 515 regular-season games for the Lightning, Senators and Predators and 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 45 playoff games.
Andy Welinski, D, New Jersey Devils
The 31-year-old last played in the NHL in 2020-21 when he had no points in 13 games with the Anaheim Ducks. Last season he had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 35 AHL games with Charlotte and Iowa. Welinski has six points (one goal, five assists) in 46 NHL games, all with the Ducks.
Kailer Yamamoto, Utah Hockey Club
The 26-year-old had 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 59 games for the Kraken last season. Yamamoto has 134 points (58 goals, 76 assists) in 303 regular-season games for the Kraken and Oilers and 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 34 playoff games.
Yamamoto signed a one-year, two-way contract with Utah on Oct. 6.
Jakub Zboril, D, New Jersey Devils
The 27-year-old last played in the NHL with Bruins in 2022-23, when he had four points (one goal, three assists) in 22 games. He had nine assists in 31 games with Providence of the AHL last season. Zboril has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) in 76 NHL games with Boston.
