As we inch closer to the 2024-25 ECHL regular season, players continue to decide if they stay in North America or test their luck by heading overseas. The Norfolk Admirals have already lost three players, with Simon Kubicek heading back home to Czechia to play for Motor Ceske Budejovice, Keaton Jameson going over to Glasgow, Scotland, to play for the Glasgow Clan in the EIHL, and Dakota Krebs returning to his Western Hockey League team Calgary Hitmen to be video coach. Another player can be added to this list, as Austen Keating has chosen to go to Germany to play for ERC Ingolstadt in the DEL. Though he has elected to go overseas, Keating can return to the Admirals as they offered him a qualifying offer.
Related Article: ECHL: Norfolk Admirals Announce 2024 Qualifying Offers
Keating showed signs of being a very impactful player in just his one regular season game and 12 playoff games. In his only regular season game, Keating tallied two assists against the Reading Royals. During the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs, Keating started out hot having a two assists game in game one against the Trois-Rivieres Lions, and would have himself three total two-point games. In total, Keating had four goals and five assists, sitting just one point back of Carson Golder and Danny Katic for most points on the team for the postseason. Of his five assists in the playoffs, three came on the powerplay.
Keating has always been a high-level threat for teams he plays against dating back to his time in the Ontario Hockey League with the Ottawa 67’s. In his first year with the 67’s in 2015-16, Keating earned the opportunity to play in the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with Team Canada White. In six games during the tournament, Keating put up two goals and two assists, with one goal coming on the powerplay. The Guelph, Ontario native played 309 games in five seasons with the 67’s, putting up 325 points (113g-212a), including back-to-back 89-point seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and going a +113 goal differential in his junior career. Ottawa made the playoffs four out of the five seasons Keating was a member of the team. In those playoffs, Keating played 34 games tallying five goals, 17 assists, and was a +5 player. In 2019-20, Keating was named the Leo Lalonde Trophy winner for OHL Average Player of the Year.
Keating took his talents to the University of New Brunswick in USports beginning with the 2020-21 season, but due to COVID-19, what would have been his first season was canceled. Though the entire 2020-21 season was gone, it did not slow Keating down, as he would make an instant impact in the 2021-22 season. Keating tallied five goals and 19 assists in 22 games and continued to be a very solid two-way player, as he was a +20 on the season. During the playoffs, he added two more assists to his University career in four games. Just a rookie to the league, Keating would be named to the USports (AUS) All-Rookie Team and USPorts (AUS) First All-Star Team. He also helped the U. New Brunswick to a championship. In the 2022-23 season, Keating still did not slow down and put up University career highs in goals (16) and points (27) in 25 games. U. New Brunswick would make the playoffs again, and Keating would play in six games, notching two goals and four assists. They would once again be USports (AUS) Champions and add the USports University Cup Championship to their name.
Keating would participate in the 2022 Universiade, which is a multi-sport event which is organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation. Keating would go on to win a gold medal in the event. In his final season, Keating went on a rampage to continue to prove himself and earn a spot on a professional hockey team. Keating played 30 games in his final season and put up University career highs in goals (30), assists (27), points (50), and +/- (+47). For the third straight year, U. New Brunswick would win the USports (AUS) Championship, backed by Keating’s one-goal and seven-assist performances in five games. They would also be crowned USports University Cup Champions for the second straight year. Keating was named to the USports (AUS) First All-Star Team for the second time, USports (AUS) Kelly Trophy winner for MVP, named to the USports All-Canadian First Team, and be named to the USports University Cup All-Star Team. Through all three University Cup tournaments, Keating played seven games, notching three goals and six assists with a +11 rating.
With all his accomplishments, Keating was looking to be an up-and-coming player and a huge addition to the Admirals roster if he were to sign. ERC is getting a great player with a solid two-way game with goal-scoring capabilities that will be missed in Norfolk.
