Almost 90 Newfoundland and Labrador hockey players are off playing pro in North America and Europe, junior and college hockey this season.
Actually, 88 is the current tally on our popular Newfoundlanders Away feature, which beginning today will appear weekly in The Telegram.
Leading the list, of course, are the five NHLers — Michael Ryder and Adam Pardy of Bonavista, Teddy Purcell of St. John’s, Ryane Clowe of Fermeuse and Dan Cleary of Riverhead, Harbour Grace.
There are fewer Newfs playing pro — that includes Europe and the North American minor pro — and major junior hockey, but we’ve got a healthy contingent in the Maritime junior A league and at the Atlantic universities level.
Of course, this is not a final list. We are always adding names throughout the year, in many cases the result of information supplied by readers.
If you know of a player not on our list, please forward the information to us, by calling 709-748-0820 or by 
e-mailing to sports@thetelegram.com
Please note our list is restricted to those playing pro, U.S. and Canadian college, major junior or junior A hockey.
Meantime, there have been a few off-season moves involving Newfoundlanders.

NHL
-    After bouncing up and down between the NHL and minors over the previous two seasons, St. John’s native Teddy Purcell looks to have found a permanent spot in the Los Angeles Kings’ lineup.

AHL
-    Conception Bay South’s Jason Morgan is property of the Los Angeles Kings once again. After one year with Södertälje of the Swedish Elite League, Morgan returned for his 12th North American pro season, this time with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.
-    After spending much of 2008-09 with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, Bonavista’s Andrew Sweetland started the season with the Florida Panthers’ AHL parent club, the Rochester Americans.

ECHL
-    Upper Island Cove’s Robert Slaney started the season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, but was sent down to the club’s ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, after 11 games.
-    Brandon Roach was traded from the Elmira Jackals to the Victoria Salmon Kings. The Bay Roberts native split his 2008-09 campaign between Elmira and its AHL parent club, the Quad City Flames.
-    Justin Pender of St. John’s wrapped up his Quebec major junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads in the spring and signed with the ECHL’s Trenton Devils. Pender had a two-game audition with the clubs’s AHL affiliate, the Lowell Devils, during the 2008-09 season.
-    St. John’s native Jon Howse joined the ECHL’s Trenton Devils after four years of Atlantic University Sport (AUS) hockey with the Saint Mary’s Huskies. Howse played four years of major junior with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes.
-    Sam Roberts of St. John’s, who played with the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL, joined the ECHL’s Gwinnet Gladiators following four years of university hockey with St. Francis Xavier.
-    Mount Pearl’s Colin Power finished his time in the AUS with the Saint Mary’s Huskies and signed with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Power is a former member of the OHL’s Guelph Storm and Toronto St. Michael’s Majors.

IHL
- St. John’s native Ryan Mior signed with the International Hockey League’s Dayton Gems. The goalie split the 2008-09 season between the Central Hockey League’s Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and the IHL’s Port Huron Ice Hawks.

Europe
- Doug O’Brien opted for the European game this season, choosing to sign with Plzen HK of the Czech Elite league. The St. John’s native split last season between the AHL’s Rochester Americans and its ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades.
- Mount Pearl’s Mark Lee signed with EFB Esbjerg of the Danish Elite League. Lee recorded 47 points in 49 games for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades last season.
- St. John’s native Steve Yetman is back in Europe, this time with Karlskrona HK of the Swedish Division 1 League, the third tier of the country’s professional game. Yetman was a 25-goal scorer for the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals last season.
- Pat Yetman joined Västerås of Sweden’s Allsvenkan league. The native of St. John’s had previously played for Modo of the Swedish Elite League over the previous two seasons.

QMJHL
-    Players new to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League are Steve Gillard of St. John’s (Halifax Mooseheads) and Scott Trask of Bonavista (Moncton Wildcats).
-    Luke Adam of St. John’s was traded from the Juniors de Montreal to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

MJAHL
-    Players new to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League are Brad Greene, Fogo Island (Woodstock Slammers); Steve O’Keefe, St. John’s (Yarmouth Mariners); Greg Taylor, Carbonear (Amherst Ramblers); Mike Snow, Botwood (Bridgewater Lumberjacks); Tyler Noseworthy, St. John’s (Weeks Crushers); Cody McNamara, Bonavista (Summerside Western Capitals); Matt Lundrigran, Corner Brook (Truro Bearcats)
-    Port Saunders’ Donnie Churchill was traded from the Dieppe Commandos to the Truro Bearcats.
-    Scott Bragg of St. John’s was traded from the Woodstock Slammers to the Amherst Ramblers.
-    Gander’s Ryan Matheson, formerly of the Restigouche/Campbellton Tigers, is playing for the Amherst Ramblers.

Collegiate hockey
-    St. John’s native Andrew White, who was in the MJAHL last season, is playing  for the Saint Mary’s Huskies in AUS
hockey.
-    Josh Day joined St. Francis Xavier of the AUS. The native of St. John’s split his final year of major junior eligibility between the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs and Brampton Battalion. St. FX is coached by St. John’s native Brad Peddle. Reidville’s Stephen Simms is also enrolled at St. Francis Xavier and dressing for the X-Men.
-    Chad Locke of St. John’s joined the U.P.E.I. Panthers. Locke was a 34-goal scorer for the MJAHL’s Summerside Western Capitals in 2008-09 following three seasons with the Q-league’s P.E.I. Rocket.
-    Chelsea King of St. John’s will suit up for the Mount Allison Mounties.
-    Jennele Hulan enrolled at UPEI, where she’ll play in net for the Panthers.
-    St. John’s native Mark Yetman joined the Brock University Badgers of the Ontario University Sport conference. Yetman played three seasons with the Q-league’s Halifax Mooseheads
-    Mount Pearl’s Roger Kennedy, who spent the 2008-09 season with the Granby Inouk of the Quebec junior A league after three seasons with Halifax of the QMJHL, will play for the Concordia University Stingers this season.

Home sweet home
Off-season Newfoundland-born player movement was not limited to those leaving the island. Several players returned to suit up for the various senior hockey teams across the province. (2008-09 clubs in parentheses)
Mount Pearl H.J. Bartlett Electric Blades — Avalon East Senior Hockey League
-    Steve Pearson, Mount Pearl (Truro Bearcats, MJAHL)
Corner Brook Royals — West Coast Senior Hockey League
-    Justin Barbour, St. John’s (Miramichi Timberwolves, MJAHL)
-    Kevin Saunders, Corner Brook (Restigouche Tigers, MJAHL)
-   Bradley Dyke, Corner Brook (Miramichi Timberwolves, MJAHL)
Deer Lake Red Wings— West Coast Senior Hockey League
-    Andrew Shears, Corner Brook (Amherst Ramblers, MJAHL)
Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts — West Coast Senior Hockey League
-    Andre Gill, Botwood (Amsterdam Tigers, Dutch Elite League)
-    Sam Hounsell, Pound Cove (Truro Bearcats, MJAHL)
-    David Philpott, Grand Falls-Windsor (Waterloo Warriors, OUS)
-    Paul Roebothan, St. John’s (Amherst Ramblers, MJAHL)