Blake McLaughlin will be hunting for goals for Milan. © Valerenga Oslo

ICE newcomer snags another attacker

After Nick Caamano, HC Milano has signed another player from Vålerenga Oslo: the American forward Blake McLaughlin.

June 24, 2026

From: florian.barth

The prolific new signing plays on the left wing, but can also fill in at center for the newly founded ICE Hockey League club. The player is distinguished by his excellent technique and vision, which allowed him to score 46 points in 45 games for his former club during the regular season.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a victorious youth. After winning the Clark Cup in the USHL junior league with the Chicago Steel, McLaughlin shone at the University of Minnesota: In 142 college games for the Gophers, he scored 105 points and led his team to victory in the Big Ten Conference in 2021.

He never made his NHL debut, instead gaining valuable professional experience in the AHL and ECHL. The move to Europe proved to be a stroke of genius: with the Norwegian club Vålerenga, he tallied 49 points in 55 games, his most prolific professional season to date. But now a new chapter begins for McLaughlin, who will wear jersey number 27 and hunt for goals for Milan.