POTSDAM, N.Y.-Former SUNY Potsdam hockey players Brad Campagna ’16 (Monroe, N.Y./New York Bobcats) and Jake Rivera ’16 (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) are both trying out with professional teams in the East Coast Hockey League this fall. 2012 graduate Sy Nutkevitch (Montreal, Quebec/Cornwall Colts) is continuing his professional career after signing with the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
Campagna has been invited to training camp with the Adirondack Thunder in Glens Falls, the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. The defenseman, who was the Bears captain last season, played in 90 games for Potsdam. He registered three goals and six assists for nine points.
Rivera is trying out with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, the Anaheim Ducks affiliate. He played in his first preseason game Monday night against the Idaho Steelheads. Rivera totaled 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points in 94 games with the Bears. Last season, he had a career year offensively with 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points.
Huntsville is just the latest stop for Nutkevitch, another former Potsdam captain. After graduating from Potsdam as the latest member of the program’s 100-point club (26g-77a-103pts), he signed with the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League. In just under two seasons with the Brahmas, Nutkevitch recorded 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 68 games. After a five-game stint with the Bloomington Thunder of the SPHL to open the 2013-14 campaign, where he netted a goal and five assists, he played in 37 contests with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL (3g-14a-17pts). Nutkevitch split the 2014-15 campaign between the Greenville Road Warriors (ECHL), the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) and the Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL), totaling three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 40 contests. Last season, the Montreal native put together a strong 40-game stretch with eight goals and 24 assists for 32 points with the Cornwall River Kings of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey. He then closed out 2015-16 with a goal and three helpers in five games with the Fayetteville FireAntz of the SPHL.
The current Bears open the 2016-17 campaign in the friendly confines of Maxcy Ice Arena against Saint Michael’s College on Friday, October 28, at 7 p.m.
