Massachusetts sends first-round defense prospect Brandt McAlister and a Year 10 third-round pick originally belonging to Halifax to the Stingrays

BOSTON — Sept. 20, 2026 — The Massachusetts Militia have made a significant move for the present, acquiring veteran right wing Derrick Pinches from the Cape Cod Stingrays in exchange for highly regarded young defenseman Brandt McAlister and a Year 10 third-round draft pick originally belonging to the Halifax Chaos.

The completed deal represents a clear exchange of timelines. Massachusetts adds an established 27-year-old LTLHL forward who can step directly into its lineup, while Cape Cod receives an 18-year-old former first-round selection with considerable defensive upside — along with a future draft asset.

For the Militia, the centerpiece is Pinches, a 6-foot-5, 201-pound right wing carrying an 82 overall rating. He brings an intriguing combination of puck skill and defensive responsibility, including ratings of 98 puck handling, 94 strength, 88 skating, 86 defense and 82 scoring. He is in the final year of a contract carrying a $2.85 million cap hit.

Pinches' Season 6 numbers have been modest by his previous standards. Through 56 games, he has recorded 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points, while posting a minus-17 rating and averaging 16:04 of ice time. His 8.1-percent shooting percentage is also well below what he produced in several previous seasons.

That history, however, may be precisely what attracted Massachusetts.

Pinches has demonstrated substantially more offense in the past. He scored 23 goals and 48 points in Season 4, followed by 22 goals and 36 points in Season 5. Over his first five LTLHL seasons, he reached the 20-goal mark four times and entered Season 6 having produced 190 points in 390 games.

In other words, Massachusetts isn't necessarily acquiring Pinches based solely on what he has done this season. The Militia are betting that there is more offense available from the veteran winger than his current numbers suggest.

And for a Massachusetts club that has been searching for additional scoring punch, that makes Pinches an intriguing addition.

The cost, however, is not insignificant.

Heading to Cape Cod is McAlister, an 18-year-old defenseman whom Massachusetts selected 21st overall in the first round of the Year 6 draft. At 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, McAlister is already rated 74 overall and possesses an impressive defensive foundation for such a young player. His profile includes an 87 defensive rating, 87 checking, 85 experience and 81 passing, although his offensive skills remain less developed.

McAlister has spent Season 6 at the farm level, where he has registered four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 49 games, along with a plus-1 rating. He has also accumulated 118 penalty minutes, illustrating the physical edge that accompanies his strong checking rating.

The young defenseman is also inexpensive and controllable. McAlister carries a $1 million cap hit with three years remaining on his contract and is waiver exempt, giving Cape Cod considerable flexibility in how quickly it wants to bring him along.

Perhaps the most interesting element from the Massachusetts perspective is just how quickly the organization was willing to move on from one of its newest prospects. McAlister was selected by the Militia in the first round only this season, but Massachusetts has elected to convert that future asset into immediate veteran help rather than wait for the defenseman to develop.

The Militia also sweetened Cape Cod's return with a Year 10 third-round selection originally belonging to the Halifax Chaos. Massachusetts had previously acquired the pick and owned it at the time of Saturday's trade; it will now move to Cape Cod as part of the package for Pinches.

That makes this more than a simple prospect-for-veteran swap. Massachusetts is surrendering both a recent first-round selection and a future draft asset to add a player it believes can help immediately.

For the Militia, the calculation appears straightforward: the future has value, but so does improving the lineup now.

Pinches gives Massachusetts another experienced offensive option at a time when the club has been looking for additional production. His size, strength and puck-handling ability offer the coaching staff several possibilities, while his 86 defensive rating suggests he doesn't necessarily need to score at a 20-goal pace to contribute.

At 6-foot-5 and more than 200 pounds, he also adds another sizable presence to the Massachusetts forward group.

Cape Cod, meanwhile, is making a markedly different bet.

Instead of holding onto a 27-year-old winger approaching the end of his contract, the Stingrays walk away with an 18-year-old first-round defenseman under contract for three seasons and another future draft selection. McAlister's current 74 overall rating means he may not replace Pinches' immediate LTLHL impact, but his age and defensive attributes give Cape Cod a player who could potentially become part of its blue line for years.

It is the classic hockey trade equation: proven production versus potential.

Massachusetts gets the proven player.

Cape Cod gets the younger asset and the draft pick.

And Pinches arrives in Massachusetts with something to prove.

His Season 6 production has fallen from the levels he established earlier in his career, but his underlying ratings remain those of a capable LTLHL player. At 27, the Militia are acquiring him at an age when a rebound remains entirely plausible. If his shooting percentage moves closer to the levels he produced during some of his better seasons, his scoring numbers could look considerably different in a Massachusetts uniform.

That is ultimately the gamble for the Militia.

Massachusetts has sacrificed a piece of its future — a defenseman it considered worthy of a first-round selection, plus a third-rounder — for a player it believes can make the club better right now.

Whether Pinches rediscovering his previous scoring touch makes that price worthwhile will be determined over the remainder of Season 6.

But one thing is clear: the Militia aren't standing pat. They're trying to improve.

TRADE — SEPT. 20, 2026

To Massachusetts Militia:
RW Derrick Pinches

To Cape Cod Stingrays:
D Brandt McAlister
Year 10 third-round pick (via Halifax Chaos)

Derrick Pinches — LTLHL Player Profile
Brandt McAlister — LTLHL Player Profile

UPDATE - So the reason behind the addition of Marco Macgregor is clearer now.  Prior to last nights game against Las Vegas,  Left Wing Nathaniel Miller was traded to Halifax along with a Season 10 4th round selection in exchange for Halifax's first round selection in Season 11.  

The morning skate today saw a couple new faces in Port City.  With Center Ola Karlsrud serving the first game of a 3 game suspension it seems Elvis Marco will be joining the big club for a few days.  Marco wasnt the only member of the Rampage who joined the skate.  The other Marco, Marco Macgregor was also skating with the big club.  No one from the wingers  were missing from the skate so it's not clear why Macgregor was out there but perhaps his performance down in Raleigh has earned him a look as well.   Macgregor has been leading the Rampage in scoring with 47 points in 47 games.  Marco is close behind with 43 points this season.   Should be interesting to see how this works with the lines tonight.  

HALIFAX — The Halifax Chaos made it clear this week that they weren’t afraid to make significant changes to a roster they believe can still take another step forward.

In a busy stretch of transactions, Halifax moved on from two prominent forwards, added a new top-six centre, strengthened its depth on both the wing and blue line, and created additional salary-cap flexibility for the moves still to come.

The biggest deal saw the Chaos send superstar left winger Fox Ocallahan and goaltender Thatcher Goodyear to the New York Knights in exchange for centre Cameron Lodewyks, goaltender Pierre-Anthony Back, and the Twisters first-round pick next year.

For Ocallahan, the trade brings an end to a Halifax tenure that simply never developed the way either side envisioned.

There was plenty of excitement when Ocallahan originally arrived in Halifax in a trade with the Mighty Moose, but for whatever reason, the fit never quite materialized. The production, role and overall chemistry never consistently matched the expectations that came with acquiring a player of his calibre.

Rather than continuing to try to force the fit, the Chaos elected to turn the page.

New York now gives Ocallahan something that may ultimately benefit everyone involved: a fresh start.

For Halifax, the key piece coming back is Lodewyks who is having a terrific season with 37 points in 44 games.

The talented centre is expected to step immediately into the Chaos top six, giving Halifax another legitimate option down the middle and changing the makeup of the forward group almost overnight.

The trade also provided Halifax with an opportunity to address its goaltending and salary structure.

Moving Goodyear's contract gives the Chaos additional cap flexibility. Although Back came to Halifax as part of the return, the expectation is that the Chaos will buy out Back’s contract, opening the door for either Visa-Antti Reimavuo or Rylee Hak to claim the backup role.

It would be a considerably less expensive solution behind the Chaos starter and would free additional money for management to use elsewhere on the roster.

And Halifax wasn’t finished.

With Lodewyks immediately occupying a top-six centre position, the Chaos quickly found themselves with a surplus down the middle.

That led to a second deal.

Halifax sent centre Willem Halward to the Bandits in exchange for left winger Ivan Rutgersson and defenceman Jonatan Klingvall.

The move accomplishes several things for the Chaos.

Most importantly, it removes Halward’s salary from the books at a time when his role was likely to shrink considerably following the acquisition of Lodewyks.

Rather than keeping an expensive centre further down the lineup, Halifax turned him into two pieces that potentially address greater organizational needs.

Rutgersson gives the Chaos another option on the left side following Ocallahan’s departure, while Klingvall adds another defenceman to the organization and provides additional flexibility on the back end.

It is the type of move that makes considerably more sense when viewed as part of the larger picture.

Halifax essentially replaced Halward's top-six opportunity with Lodewyks, redistributed Halward's salary, and added two players in return.

The departure of Halward did leave Halifax with another hole further down the depth chart, but management wasted little time addressing it.

The Chaos signed free-agent centre Colman Crabb, who is expected to step into the fourth-line centre role vacated by Halward.

Crabb won't be asked to replace Halward's offensive contribution.

He doesn't need to.

With Lodewyks now taking those important top-six minutes, Halifax can use Crabb in a more traditional depth role while allocating significantly less cap space to the position.

That appears to be the theme connecting virtually every move Halifax made this week.

Put money where it matters.

Taken individually, each move carries some risk.

Ocallahan remains a superstar-calibre talent capable of thriving in New York. Halward was an established member of the Chaos lineup. Goodyear provided experience in goal.

But Halifax appears to be looking beyond individual names and toward the overall construction of the roster.

When the dust settles, Halifax has potentially upgraded its top-six centre position, added a future first-round pick, strengthened its organizational depth at wing and defence, opened a competition for a cheaper backup goaltender, and created considerably more flexibility under the salary cap.

That's a substantial amount of roster surgery in a very short period of time.

The headline will understandably be Ocallahan.

Star players don't leave Halifax quietly, and there will always be questions about what might have been had the relationship worked differently.

But sometimes the best move for both the player and the organization is acknowledging when something hasn't worked.

Ocallahan gets his new beginning in New York.

Halifax gets a chance to reshape the roster around a different core.

And after one of the busiest weeks in recent Chaos history, Cameron Lodewyks now finds himself right in the middle of what comes next.

Congratulations to the Western Conference for defeating the East 10 - 8 in the 6th Annual All Star Game.  This years game was hosted by Halifax.   Your ASG MVP is Sergey Krivulya of the St Louis Voodoo.    You can see the full results right here. 

In a matinee game today the American Conference defeated the Canadian Conference 15 - 10 in the annual All Star Game.  You can see the full box score here.   

Congratulations to Carmine Sommervill for winning the game MVP.