Vecchione began his youth hockey career with the Valley Junior Warriors in Saugus Youth Hockey program. While a member of the 1993 team, the Valley Junior Warriors won four state championships.[1]
On August 21, 2012, while playing for the Storm, Vecchione committed to Union College for the 2013–14 season. He had previously been committed to the University of New Hampshire.[4] On November 6, 2012, Vecchione was named an alternate captain for the Storm after assistant captain Heikki Liedes was injured.[5]
In his freshman year at Union, Vecchione led the team rookies in scoring with 34 points in 38 games and ranked fourth across the ECAC. At the conclusion of the season, after having helped lead Union to their first NCAA Division 1 title, he was ranked ninth across the league in rookie scoring and was named to the All-ECAC Rookie Team.[6] He was also named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team[7] and All-Tournament Team.[6]
In his sophomore year, Vecchione was named an alternate captain in December.[8] He led ECAC in assists with 31 in 39 games.[6] Vecchione was selected for the Frozen Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team[9] and was again named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team while majoring in history.[10]
Prior to his junior year, Vecchione was named a co-captain for Union alongside Matt Wilkins, becoming the first captain pairing for Union since 2008.[11] He became the fastest player in Union Division I history to record 100 points when he recorded an assist against Princeton in his 96th career game on January 8, 2016. He became the 26th player in the program's Division 1 history to score 100 points.[12][13] He was named to the All-ECAC Hockey Third Team on March 18 for the first time in his collegiate career. He ended the season with a team leading 29 points scored in 34 games.[14]
In his last year with Union, Vecchione was again named team captain. On February 3, 2017, Vecchione became Union's all time Division I leading scorer when he recorded his 158th and 159th career point in a 5–3 loss to Cornell.[15] As a result of his breakout season, Vecchione was named a Hobey Baker Award finalist and the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year.[16] He was also named to the All-ECAC Hockey First Team and won Union's William M. Jaffe Award for most outstanding male student-athlete.[6] On June 21, Vecchione was named an AHCA East First-Team All-American.[17]
Professional
Vecchione signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on March 31, 2017.[18] He made his NHL debut on April 4, 2017, in a game against the New Jersey Devils.[19]
On July 1, 2017, Vecchione, as a restricted free agent, accepted a two-year, two-way deal to continue with the Philadelphia Flyers.[20] On September 27, 2017, he was loaned to the Flyers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to play the 2017–18 season.[21] During the season, Vecchione was named AHL October Rookie of the Month after he recorded 10 points in 10 games.[22] However, due to an injury on December 9 during a game against the Hershey Bears, he was forced to miss more than two weeks to recover.[23] Despite this, Vecchione concluded his first professional season with 40 points in 65 games.
Vecchione attended the Flyers 2018 Training Camp but was reassigned to the AHL on September 20, 2018.[24]
After parts of three seasons in the Flyers organization, Vecchione left as a free agent to sign on a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2019.[25] He attended the Blues 2019 training camp, before he was placed on waivers and assigned to the AHL to join affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage for the 2019–20 season. He led the Rampage with 21 goals and placed second with 36 points before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a free agent from the Blues after the conclusion of his contract, Vecchione agreed to a one-year, two-way contract to join the Colorado Avalanche on October 9, 2020.[26] In the shortened 2020–21 season, Vecchione was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Limited to 18 games through injury, Vecchione still contributed with 7 goals and 10 points for the Eagles.
Having concluded his contract with the Avalanche, Vecchione as a free agent signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals on August 5, 2021. He signed another one-year, two-way contract with the Capitals on March 28, 2022. Vecchione signed a two-year contract with the Hershey Bears on February 14, 2023.[27]
On June 21, 2023, Vecchione scored the series-winning goal in overtime of game seven of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.
Personal life
Vecchione was born to parents Diane and Joe and grew up in Saugus with his two older siblings, Michelle and Joe.[28]
Eric John "Rick" Bennett is an American former ice hockey left winger and former head coach of the Savannah Ghost Pirates. He is the former head coach of the Union Garnet Chargers men's ice hockey team of Union College, where he coached from 2011 until 2022. He played 15 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers over three seasons from 1990 to 1991. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1990 to 1999, was spent in the minor leagues.
Keith Patrick Kinkaid is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Troy Grosenick is an American ice hockey professional goaltender currently playing for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL), while under contract to the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Mathew Bodie is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Kelly Zajac is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Union Dutchmen in the NCAA Men's Division I ECAC Hockey conference and in the American Hockey League for the Albany Devils, Manitoba Moose and Hershey Bears.
Greg Carey is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played under contract to the HC Pustertal Wölfe of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL).
Corban Knight is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for SC Bern of the National League (NL). He was a fifth-round selection, 135th overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but was traded to the Calgary Flames after the Panthers were unable to sign him to a contract. Knight played four seasons of college hockey with the University of North Dakota and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2012–13.
Daniel Carr is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing under contract with HC Lugano of the National League (NL).
Shayne Gostisbehere is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Chandler Stephenson is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Washington Capitals organization, who had drafted him in 2012.
Spencer Foo, also known as Fu Jiang, is a Chinese Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Foo turned professional in 2017 by signing an entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL) as an undrafted college free agent.
Martin Fehérváry is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Calvin Louis Petersen is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fifth round, 129th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. On July 1, 2017, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent.
Cole Bardreau is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers and has played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Devon Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Tazer", Toews was drafted 108th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Toews won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.
Joshua Michael Brian Teves is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with SC Bern in the Swiss National League (NL). He previously played for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Nicholas Abruzzese is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Jeffrey Turner Malott is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger playing for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played college ice hockey for Cornell University.
Dylan Anhorn is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL). He played college ice hockey at Union College and St. Cloud State.
John Prokop is a college ice hockey defenseman for Union College of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
