Unsigned veteran players can earn a contract with an NHL team by impressing enough in training camp on a professional tryout contract (PTO). Training camps opened Sept. 20, and the regular season begins Tuesday.
The following notable players (listed alphabetically) were in an NHL camp on a PTO:
Zach Aston-Reese, Carolina Hurricanes
The 29-year-old forward had 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 77 regular-season games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and one goal in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. Aston-Reese has 80 points (42 goals, 38 assists) in 307 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins, and five points (two goals, three assists) in 29 playoff games.
Aston-Reese was released from his tryout contract Oct. 6. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 8 and was assigned to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League the next day.
Josh Bailey, Ottawa Senators
The 33-year-old forward had 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 64 games for the New York Islanders last season. Bailey has 580 points (184 goals, 396 assists) in 1,057 regular-season games during 15 seasons, all with the Islanders, and 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 71 playoff games.
Bailey was released from his tryout contract Oct. 8.
Nathan Beaulieu, Carolina Hurricanes
The 30-year-old defenseman had four assists in 52 games for the Ducks last season. Beaulieu has 98 points (12 goals, 86 assists) in 471 regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Ducks, and five assists in 21 playoff games.
Beaulieu was released from his tryout contract Oct. 6.
Kieffer Bellows, Hurricanes
The 25-year-old forward had three goals in 28 games for the Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers last season. Bellows has 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 95 regular-season games.
Bellows was released from his tryout contract Oct. 6.
Jordie Benn, Dallas Stars
The 36-year-old defenseman had two points (one goal, one assist) in 12 games for the Maple Leafs last season. Benn has 137 points (26 goals, 111 assists) in 607 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Canadiens and Stars, and four assists in 23 playoff games.
Benn was released from his tryout contract Oct. 8.
J-F Berube, Los Angeles Kings
The 32-year-old goalie last played in the NHL in 2021-22, when he was 3-2-0 with a 4.12 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in six games for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last season he was 8-6-3 with a 3.22 GAA and .885 save percentage in 19 games with Charlotte of the American Hockey League. Berube is 12-12-4 with a 3.51 GAA and .898 save percentage in 40 games (29 starts) with the Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks and Islanders.
Berube was released from his tryout contract Oct. 1.
Alex Chiasson, Boston Bruins
Chiasson, who turned 33 on Oct. 1, had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 20 games for the Red Wings last season. The forward has 223 points (120 goals, 113 assists) in 651 regular-season games with the Stars, Senators, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, Canucks and Red Wings, and seven points (four goals, three assists) in 37 playoff games.
Chiasson was released from his tryout contract Oct. 1.
Max Comtois, Vegas Golden Knights
The 24-year-old forward had 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 64 games for the Ducks last season. Comtois has 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists) in 210 regular-season games, all with Anaheim.
Cory Conacher, Hurricanes
The 33-year-old forward last played in the NHL in 2019-20, when he had one assist in four games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Last season he had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 17 games with Charlotte and Belleville in the AHL. Conacher has 75 points (28 goals, 47 assists) in 193 regular-season games with the Lightning, Senators, Sabres and Islanders, and three goals in 10 playoff games.
Conacher was released from his tryout contract Oct. 6.
Ryan Dzingel, Arizona Coyotes
The 31-year-old forward last played in the NHL in 2021-22, when he had eight points (five goals, three assists) in 32 games with the San Jose Sharks and Coyotes. Dzingel had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 22 games with Chicago of the AHL last season. He has 188 points (87 goals, 101 assists) in 404 regular-season games for the Sharks, Coyotes, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets and Senators, and four points (three goals, one assist) in 28 playoff games.
Dzingel was released from his tryout contract Sept. 26.
Adam Erne, Edmonton Oilers
The 28-year-old forward had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 61 games for the Red Wings last season. Erne has 89 points (40 goals, 49 assists) in 355 regular-season games with Detroit and Tampa Bay, and no points in three playoff games.
Sam Gagner, Oilers
The 34-year-old forward had 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 48 games for the Jets last season. He has 519 points (192 goals, 327 assists) in 1,015 games with the Jets, Red Wings, Oilers, Canucks, Blue Jackets, Flyers and Coyotes. The No. 6 pick by Edmonton in the 2007 NHL Draft, Gagner played nine seasons with the Oilers (2007-14, 2018-20). He has four assists in 11 playoff games.
Noah Gregor, Maple Leafs
The 25-year-old forward had 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 57 games for the Sharks last season. He has 51 points (26 goals, 25 assists) in 178 regular-season games, all with San Jose.
Libor Hajek, Pittsburgh Penguins
The 25-year-old defenseman had one goal in 16 games for the New York Rangers last season. He has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 110 regular-season games, all with the Rangers.
Danton Heinen, Boston Bruins
The 28-year-old forward had 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 65 games with the Penguins last season. Heinen has 176 points (70 goals, 106 assists) in 413 regular-season games with the Penguins, Ducks and Bruins, and 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 40 playoff games.
Scott Harrington, Ducks
The 30-year-old defenseman had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 45 games with the Ducks and Sharks last season. Harrington has 49 points (11 goals, 38 assists) in 255 regular-season games with the Ducks, Sharks, Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs and Penguins, and four assists in 14 playoff games.
Harrington was released from his tryout contract Oct. 4.
Olli Juolevi, Coyotes
The 25-year-old defenseman last played in the NHL in 2021-22 when he had no points in 18 games with the Florida Panthers and Red Wings. Juolevi had 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 38 games with San Diego of the AHL last season. Selected by Vancouver with the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, he has three points (two goals, one assist) in 41 NHL games with the Red Wings, Panthers and Canucks.
Joulevi was released from his tryout contract Sept. 26.
Zack Kassian, Ducks
The 32-year-old forward scored two goals and had 50 penalty minutes in 51 games with the Coyotes last season. Kassian has 203 points (92 goals, 111 assists) and 913 penalty minutes in 661 regular-season games with the Coyotes, Oilers, Canucks and Sabres, and nine points (six goals, three assists) in 45 playoff games.
Kassian was released from his tryout contract Oct. 8.
Joel Kiviranta, Colorado Avalanche
The 27-year-old forward had nine points (eight goals, one assist) in 70 regular-season games with the Stars last season, and five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 playoff games. Kiviranta has 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 163 regular-season games, all with the Stars, and 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 36 playoff games.
Kiviranta was released from his tryout contract Oct. 5.
Brendan Perlini, Hurricanes
The 27-year-old forward last played in the NHL in 2021-22 when he had five points (four goals, one assist) in 23 games with the Oilers. Perlini had 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in 26 games for Chicago in the AHL last season. He has 81 points (50 goals, 31 assists) in 262 regular-season games with the Oilers, Red Wings, Blackhawks and Coyotes.
Perlini was released from his tryout contract Oct. 6.
Mark Pysyk, Penguins
The 31-year-old defenseman had signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings on July 14, 2022, but never played after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon during offseason workouts. He last played in the NHL in 2021-22 when he had 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 68 games with the Sabres. Pysyk has 104 points (28 goals, 76 assists) in 521 regular-season games with the Sabres, Panthers and Stars, and no points in four playoff games.
The Penguins moved Pysyk to the injured list Sept. 25.
Isaac Ratcliffe, St. Louis Blues
The 24-year-old forward played his only NHL games in 2021-22 when he had four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 games with the Flyers. Ratcliffe had 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and 68 penalty minutes in 47 AHL games for Lehigh Valley and Milwaukee last season.
Nick Ritchie, Blues
The 27-year-old forward had 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 74 games with the Coyotes and Flames last season. Ritchie has 186 points (84 goals, 102 assists) in 481 regular-season games with the Coyotes, Flames, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Ducks, and nine points (six goals, three assists) in 38 playoff games.
RItchie was released from his tryout contract Sept. 29.
Nicholas Shore, Hurricanes
The forward, who will turn 31 on Sept. 26, last played in the NHL in 2019-20 when he had six points (three goals, three assists) in 63 games for the Maple Leafs and Jets. Last season he had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 16 games with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 games with Ambri-Piotta in National League, the top professional league in Switzerland. Shore has 59 points (18 goals, 41 assists) in 299 regular-season games with the Jets, Maple Leafs, Flames, Senators and Kings, and no points in five playoff games.
Shore was released from his tryout contract Oct. 6.
Brandon Sutter, Oilers
The 34-year-old forward last played in the NHL with the Canucks in 2020-21, having missed the past two seasons because of COVID-19 complications. Sutter has 289 points (152 goals, 137 assists) in 770 regular-season games with the Canucks, Penguins and buff, and 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 50 playoff games.
Sutter was released from his tryout contract Oct. 1 and announced his retirement.
Austin Wagner, Pittsburgh Penguins
The 26-year-old forward had two points (one goal, one assist) in seven games with the Blackhawks last season. Wagner has 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in 178 regular-season games with the Kings and Blackhawks.
Colin White, Pittsburgh Penguins
The 26-year-old forward had 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 68 regular-season games with the Panthers last season, and two assists in 21 playoff games. White has 113 points (44 goals, 69 assists) in 292 regular-season games for the Panthers and Senators, and two assists in 22 playoff games.
White signed a one-year contract with the Penguins on Oct. 7.
