The Toledo Walleye have signed another college prospect as forward Will Hillman of Minnesota State University inked a deal with the team on Monday.
Hillman recently wrapped a four-year career at Minnesota State, where he had nine points with three goals and six assists in 39 games this season.
In 115 college games, Hillman produced 24 points with 10 goals and 14 assists.
Will Hillman squares things up for No. 12 @MinnStMHockey early in the second!
— CCHA (@CCHAHockey) January 11, 2025
Watch live on @midcosports
💻: https://t.co/FwkzD2GuCc #CCHAHockey | #HornsUp pic.twitter.com/faupyOErBI
“Will is a center with good size and skating ability,” Walleye coach Pat Mikesch said. “He plays a very responsible game.”
Minnesota State qualified for the 16-team NCAA tournament and fell in the regional semifinals to Western Michigan last Thursday.
The 6-foot-2, 198-pound center also played for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL in 2020-21 when he had 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in 43 games.
The native of Blaine, Minn. will be in the lineup for Toledo's Tuesday night game at Indy.
The Walleye have signed a handful of college prospects in recent weeks. Goaltender Nick Grabko, forward Billy Moskal, forward Colby Ambrosio, forward Peyton Hoyt, and defenseman Dylan Moulton all signed with Toledo.
The Walleye have just five games left in the regular season. To be eligible for the ECHL playoffs, players must compete in at least five regular-season ECHL games for that team.
The Walleye (42-16-9), who have clinched a spot in the Kelly Cup playoffs, lead the Central Division by 10 points over second-place Fort Wayne.
Division foes Fort Wayne (83 points) and Iowa (77) also have clinched playoff spots. The fourth and final playoff spot in the Central is a four-team race between Bloomington (64), Indy (64), Kalamazoo (61), and Cincinnati (60). The Walleye will face the team that finishes fourth in the first round.
Toledo is tied with Kansas City for first place in the Western Conference. The Walleye hope to win both the division and conference titles to lock up home-ice advantage for at least the first three rounds of the postseason.
After Tuesday's road game at Indy, the Walleye play at Bloomington on Friday and at Cincinnati on Saturday. Toledo closes the regular season with home games on April 11 (Fort Wayne) and Indy (April 13).
The ECHL playoffs start on April 16.
First Published April 1, 2025, 8:46 p.m.
