Tuesday saw a flurry of activity on the trade front in the ECHL.
In a trade involving three teams, the Worcester Railers have acquired forwards TJ Walsh and Ryan Miotto from the Iowa Heartlanders.
In a corresponding move, the Wheeling Nailers have received forwards Jordan Kaplan and Ryan Mahshie from the Railers.
Walsh, 25, comes to Worcester following a rookie season which saw him lead the Heartlanders in scoring. The Shrewsbury, MA native scored 43 points (18-25-43) in 66 contests to lead Iowa to their first ever playoff berth in franchise history.
Walsh also had two assists in four playoff games against the Fort Wayne Komets. He played in two games for the Orlando Solar Bears at the end of the 2023-24 season upon the conclusion of his collegiate career.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound forward skated in five seasons of collegiate hockey between Northeastern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institution, and Sacred Heart University from 2019-2024.
In 142 collegiate games, Walsh had 70 points (26-44-70) to go with 22 penalty minutes. He set career highs his final season of college at Sacred Heart University where he had 13 goals and 26 points.
Walsh spent three seasons in the United States Hockey League between the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Des Moines Buccaneers, where he had 73 points in 132 games.
The 26-year-old Miotto arrives in Worcester for his second season of professional hockey. The Thorold, Ont. native was third on the Heartlanders last season in points with 39 (18-21-39) to go along with 53 penalty minutes. He factored in with a goal and an assist for two points in six playoff games for Iowa last season.
Miotto played in five games for the Nailers at the end of the 2023-24 season after his five year collegiate career, where he tallied one goal with two penalty minutes.
In five seasons of collegiate hockey, the 6-foot, 190-pound forward played four years at Canisius College before transferring to the University of Vermont for his final year of eligibility. He had 82 points (40-42-82) in 158 collegiate games, along with 85 penalty minutes.
Miotto spent two seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, Penticton Vees, and Chilliwack Chiefs where he had 80 points in 111 games.
Kaplan, 28, signed with the Railers this summer after scoring 49 points (18-31-49) for the team during the 2024-25 campaign. Kaplan was acquired by the Railers via trade from the Savannah Ghost Pirates in the summer of 2024 following a prior two game stint with the team during the 2022-23 season.
Mahshie, 26, signed with the Railers earlier this off-season after being acquired by the team from the Allen Americans via trade on Dec. 16, 2024. In 43 games for the Railers last season, he had seven points (3-4-7) to go with 23 penalty minutes.