Ed Trefzger and Derek Schooley have an instant analysis of Quinnipiac’s championship victory
TAMPA, Fla. — It took Quinnipiac most of the NCAA championship game to equalize but only 10 seconds of overtime to find a winner.
USCHO’s Ed Trefzger and Derek Schooley deliver their instant analysis of the Bobcats’ 3-2 victory against Minnesota on Saturday at Amalie Arena.
Quinnipiac scores late to send title game against Minnesota to OT
TAMPA, Fla. — Collin Graf’s extra attacker goal with 2:47 remaining brought Quinnipiac back from a two-goal deficit and forced overtime in the NCAA Frozen Four championship game against Minnesota on Saturday.
It’s the first title game to go to overtime since 2011.
Here’s an instant analysis from USCHO’s Ed Trefzger and Derek Schooley.
Minnesota takes one-goal lead into third period of NCAA championship game
TAMPA, Fla. — Christophe Tellier got Quinnipiac on the board in the second period but the Bobcats trailed Minnesota 2-1 going into the third period of Saturday’s NCAA Men’s Frozen Four championship game at Amalie Arena.
Jaxon Nelson put the Gophers ahead 2-0 earlier in the second period after John Mittelstadt scored in the first.
USCHO’s Ed Trefzger and Derek Schooley have this instant analysis:
Minnesota leads Quinnipiac after first period of NCAA championship game
TAMPA, Fla. — John Mittelstadt scored 5:35 into the first period, and Minnesota took a 1-0 lead against Quinnipiac into the first intermission of the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four championship game on Saturday at Amalie Arena.
Here’s an instant analysis from USCHO’s Ed Trefzger and Derek Schooley.
Michigan’s Hughes signs NHL deal with Devils, gives up last two seasons on Wolverines’ blue line
The New Jersey Devils have signed Michigan sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes to a three-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2022-23 season.
In signing the NHL deal, Hughes foregoes his last two seasons with the Wolverines.
Hughes was an alternate captain for the Wolverines during the 2022-23 season. The Canton, Mich., native ranked second on Michigan in scoring this season, after tallying 48 points (10 goals, 38 assists) in 39 games.
Of his many NCAA accolades, Hughes scored his first NCAA hat trick, and added a fourth goal, vs Penn State on Jan. 28, 2023. He also earned Big Ten first-team Honors for his sophomore campaign. Hughes earned first team AHCA/CCM All-American honors yesterday, after being named to the second team last season.
The fourth-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, Hughes earned Big Ten all-freshman team honors in 2021-22 and was the Big Ten co-freshman of the year.
Hughes help lead the Wolverines win consecutive Big Ten tournament titles and clinch a spot in consecutive NCAA tournaments. On March 24, Hughes tallied a five-point night (goal, four assists) in Michigan’s first-round game against Colgate in the NCAA tournament.
USCHO Frozen Four Live! Saturday edition: Listen to a replay
USCHO podcasts are going on the road, and you can join us for live broadcasts during the 2023 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla.
USCHO Frozen Four Live! with Ed Trefzger, Jim Connelly and Derek Schooley will have live events featuring special guests and giveaways four days at Harpoon Harry’s Crab House, 225 S. Franklin St., near Amalie Arena in Tampa.
Saturday’s guests included:
Don Lucia, CCHA commissioner
Dave Fischer, senior director of communications at USA Hockey
Steve Hagwell, ECAC commissioner
Red Berenson, Big Ten special advisor for hockey
Steve Piotrowski, Big Ten supervisor of officials and form NCAA ice hockey rules secretary
And we’ll preview Saturday’s championship game.
Listen to a replay:
If you won’t be in Tampa, check out the podcast from wherever you are on our site, on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.
Check out all of USCHO’s college hockey podcasts, including USCHO Weekend Review and USCHO Edge, plus our entire podcast archive.
Minnesota’s top offense meets Quinnipiac’s top defense in Frozen Four championship game
TAMPA, Fla. — For just the second time in the history of the modern, 16-team NCAA Division I men’s hockey tournament, the top two seeds will meet in the championship game on Saturday when No. 2 Quinnipiac faces No. 1 Minnesota.
It also will be a matchup of the nation’s top offense, Minnesota averaging 4.26 goals per game, against the top defense as Quinnipiac allows just 1.55 goals per game.
When you end up with such a battle of opposing forces, the question always must be asked: Which will prevail?
Both coaches on Friday offered their opinions. Minnesota’s Bob Motzko started his media availability immediately addressing the structure of Quinnipiac.
“They play a north-south game as fast as you can play it,” said Motzko. “They’re stingy defensively, and [coach Rand Pecknold] keeps doing it cycle after cycle after cycle.”
The Bobcats are known for their neutral-zone play, orchestrating what Pecknold refers to as a 1-1-3 forecheck — one aggressive forward tying to force the play, and the four players back to make carrying the puck into the zone difficult if not nearly impossible.
On Thursday, Quinnipiac consistently frustrated another top offense, Michigan, preventing the Wolverines’ high-end talent from entering the zone with numbers. It wasn’t until midway through the game that Michigan began dumping pucks into the zone and attacking with speed, something that eventually led to Adam Fantilli’s goal that tied the game at 2-2.
But that success on zone entries waned for Michigan, and Quinnipiac instead successfully counterattacked and impressively executed its forecheck, at times hemming the Michigan defense in its own zone.
That’s something that concerns Motzko.
“What I thought was most impressive last night wasn’t the 1-1-3 [neutral zone]. It was their forecheck,” said Motzko. “They dismantled Michigan in the offensive zone with aggressive play. That was what was impressive about that game last night. They were relentless on the forecheck.
“They played behind the Michigan defensemen. Two of the goals came from below the goal line. And they could have had more.
“They have structure in their neutral zone. We’ve got to play fast. We’ve got to play as fast as they play and not let them set it up.”
Quinnipiac’s Pecknold acknowledged that Minnesota plays a similar style to Michigan, thus the need to slow the Gophers down will be paramount. But even so, there won’t be many adjustments to make to the Quinnipiac system.
“We’ve done it for 40 games in a row for 13, 14 years,” Pecknold said of his team’s defensive system, which has the Bobcats in the national title game for the third time since 2013. “We have discipline with it. It causes teams a lot of frustration and problems.
“Not a lot of teams run [our system] in college hockey. That helps. But it’s something we do well, and we will have to do it well tomorrow night.”
One other area of concern for Quinnipiac will be limiting Minnesota’s power-play opportunities. Sure, the Bobcats are the nation’s least penalized team, averaging just 6.9 penalty minutes per game. But on Thursday, much of the success Minnesota had could be attributed to the success of a power play that went 3-for-7 against Boston University.
“We talk a lot about not taking penalties, not-necessary penalties,” Pecknold said. “You know it’s going to happen once in a while. You’re going for a puck, you hit a skate.
“The guys understand [discipline’s] part of how we want to win. We don’t preach a lot of over-physicality, meaning let’s go and take someone’s head off and hit ’em. But we want to compete. We preach winning battles and winning races and being physical in that nature.
“But I think it’s a big part of the game tomorrow for sure. We can’t be in the box.”
One can expect goaltending to be solid on both sides. Quinnipiac’s Yaniv Perets leads the nation in goals-against average at 1.48; Minnesota’s Justen Close ranks fourth at 1.99.
So is there a real point of differentiation between these two clubs? Certainly, stylistically they feel like polar opposites, particularly on paper. But as Motzko said best, in a single-game scenario it comes down to one thing.
“Which team doesn’t make the mistakes tomorrow in one-and-done games. That’s what we talk about,” said Motzko. “There’s going to be enough plays out there for both teams to win it. But you’ve got to leave the plays in the locker room that can cost you — discipline, turnovers.”
Cultivating selflessness a big part of Quinnipiac developing a winning culture
TAMPA, Fla. — A team’s culture can be difficult to define and explain. For Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold, in his 29th season behind the Bobcats bench, culture means something specific to his team.
“Culture is hard to explain,” he said on Friday before the Bobcats’ final practice of the season in preparation for Saturday’s national championship game against Minnesota.
“I could spend three hours up here talking about everything that goes into culture. Probably the easiest and simplest way is (that) it’s buy-in. It’s just buy-in. It’s unconditional. This is what we do to win hockey games and you need to be selfless and you’ve got to buy in.”
Implementing the right kind of culture can be an adjustment for players, according to Pecknold.
“It’s hard to get college-aged players to (buy in),” he said. “Growing up, they’ve probably been a very selfish player, (which is) why they’re good. They’ve kept the puck at 8, 9, 10 years old. The best players at age 10 are the selfish kids. They don’t pass it to anyone. They go end to end, and they get better and better.
“You need those kids. You need high-character kids and you need to get them … to make sacrifices so we can win. And I think that’s probably the best way for us with culture.”
After his team’s 5-2 win over Michigan in the semifinals on Thursday, Pecknold said that his team’s culture was on full display.
“The battle level was great,” he said. “We won a lot of races. We won a lot of battles. When we got beat at times, we had a second wave, third wave. Good sticks on pucks.”
Graduate student forward TJ Friedmann was on the same page on Friday when asked about his team’s culture.
“Obviously that’s a big part of the success of this program, our identity and our culture,” he said.
“That just means doing all the little things right. Obviously, buying into the plan we have each game. The coaches do a good job of getting us prepared with video sessions and everything.”
And winning comes from implementing that plan and mindset.
“The bottom line is that the culture is just kind of understanding what needs to be done,” said Friedmann. “Whether it be the little things, backchecks, forechecks, moving our feet in the ‘O’ zone, making plays that can be made. And then obviously if you don’t have a play to be made, just chip it in and get on the forecheck.”
Friedmann said that the Quinnipiac way has been instilled in him and his teammates from day one.
“I’m in my fifth year here,” he said. “The culture has been instilled in me since I stepped foot on campus. Obviously, this program, from where it started to where it’s at now, is a massive difference. And that can kind of speak to Rand’s identity and the culture he’s built.”
Pecknold said that with that cultural buy-in, his team can approach every game the same, including Saturday’s title game.
“We’re going to have the same plan of attack in game 41 as we’ve had every single game this year,” he said. “Certainly you have to adapt to your opponent. (But) the same thing we did against Michigan, we need to do against Minnesota.”
Close’s rise in Minnesota’s net a story that’s ‘just special’
TAMPA, Fla. — Until Jan. 10, 2022, Justen Close had one complete collegiate game to his credit plus roughly 78 minutes of play scattered over six additional contests in his three seasons with Minnesota.
Then Minnesota’s Richter Award-winning goaltender, Jack LaFontaine, signed a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes and left the day after recording a weekend sweep of Michigan State. Close became the starter for the Golden Gophers overnight, eight days after backstopping Minnesota to a 5-2 win over St. Thomas for his first collegiate decision.
When his moment arrived, Close was ready. Now he’s ready to play in a national championship game with the Gophers on Saturday against Quinnipiac.
“It was fun,” said Close. “That’s the exciting part about sports. Teams ride together. We had a really good second half last season, and I think we’ve carried that momentum forward to this year. We’ve been fortunate to play in some pretty big games, and that’s what you look forward to as an athlete.”
A really good second half may be an understatement. The Gophers split their first two series with Close in net and then tore through the Big Ten on a nine-game streak that stopped only with a 4-3 loss to Michigan in the conference playoff championship game.
After that, Minnesota took the Worcester Regional, beating Massachusetts 4-3 in overtime and shutting out Western Michigan 3-0. The Gophers ended their season last year with a 5-1 loss to Minnesota State in the Frozen Four semifinals.
“I think he knew we all had his back,” said forward Jaxon Nelson. “He was working hard in practice for 2½ years. He comes in there and he’s like a veteran.”
Close’s teammates describe him as a steady presence in net, one that gives them the confidence to play Minnesota’s fast, offense-minded game.
“You never have to worry about him,” said forward Bryce Brodzinski. “Even if he lets in a goal, there’s no downhill from there. He’s going to play his best if he has one goal against, zero goals against, or six goals against. He’s always going to be at his best. He’s rock solid for us and we just have the most trust in him possible. It’s a lot easier for us to play when you trust that guy back there.”
Close was a semifinalist for the 2023 Mike Richter Award and was named the All-Big Ten second team goaltender. His .928 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average often get overlooked on a team that scores more than four goals a game.
Close doesn’t mind that one bit. “It’s not what it’s about,” he said. “It’s about going out there and putting your best foot forward and helping the team win.”
“There are stories that come around once in a while in college sports that are just special,” said Minnesota coach Bob Motzko. “He is just a special guy. Third-string, walk-on goalie, you throw him in and it was, oh my goodness sakes. Good for you, young man, and the whole team just embraced it and he just kept getting better and better.
“Well, he got more confident. I don’t know that he got better. He’s just a really good goalie. Maybe he’s becoming a great one — and he’s only been our goalie for a year and a half. And look for him to be back with us next year.”
Hobey Baker Award winner Fantilli has two families to thank
TAMPA, Fla. — Upon hearing that he was named the 2023 Hobey Baker Award winner, Michigan freshman Adam Fantilli thanked what he described as his two families: His parents and brother, and his Michigan teammates.
“I’ve never been on a team that felt so much like a family,” he said Friday. “It’s been an incredible ride.”
The 18-year-old from Nobleton, Ontario, was a big factor in helping the Wolverines to get to the Frozen Four, where they bowed out on Thursday in a 5-2 loss to Quinnipiac.
Fantilli ended his season with 30 goals, tied for the lead in Division I with Western Michigan’s Jason Polin. He leads the nation in almost every other offensive category, including points per game (1.81), goals per game (0.833), and assists per game (0.97).
He led the Big Ten in scoring despite missing four games while away at the 2023 World Junior Championship, where he helped Team Canada to the gold medal.
Fantilli also was named a first-team All-American and was the recipient of the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year Award.
He talked about how important it was for his brother Luca, two years his senior and a freshman defenseman at Michigan, to share this season with him.
The two are roommates and were also teammates in junior hockey, playing for Chicago of the USHL.
“I can’t even put into words how happy I am that I’ve been able to play the last four years and live with him,” he said. “Not many people get to experience the feeling of looking across the locker room and seeing your brother tying his skates. (He’s) my best friend and I’m lucky to call him my teammate. None of this would be possible without him.”
Fantilli also mentioned teammate Steven Holtz, who suffered a serious health issue in November.
“We truly battled it all this year,” he said. “We’ve been to hell and back. This is the tightest team I’ve ever been on.”
He also thanked first-year Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato.
“He’s one of those people that I wouldn’t be here without,” said Fantilli. “We had a lot to prove this year. He brought us together in a lot of ways. He always talked about getting better every day and I think we accomplished that.”
Fantilli’s teammates stayed in Tampa for the ceremony.
“They’re my brothers,” he said. “I’m so happy they were able to stick around. It means the world to me.”
Fantilli beat out Minnesota’s Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies for the award. He joined 1997 winner Brendan Morrison and 2008 winner Kevin Porter as Wolverines players to win the Hobey.
Paul Kariya (Maine, 1993) and Jack Eichel (Boston University, 2015) are the only other freshmen to win the award, voted on by a 30-member selection committee after the NCAA regionals.
When asked about his plans for next season and a possible return to Michigan, Fantilli said that’s to be determined.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” he said. “I’m going to talk with the people around me and make a decision.”
Fantilli is expected to be the second player selected in the 2023 NHL draft in June. But for now, he has more pressing issues.
“I think I have an exam next week,” he said. “I have to study for that.”
Northeastern’s Levi becomes first two-time Mike Richter Award winner
TAMPA, Fla. — For the second consecutive year, Northeastern goaltender Devon Levi has won the Mike Richter Award for the top goaltender in Division I men’s ice hockey.
“It’s outstanding,” said Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe. “I know it’s something that Devon’s really proud of. I know our team is really proud of it and as a coaching staff, the same thing. We’re really proud of back-to-back Richter Awards for Devon. He’s a special player, a special kid.”
Levi had the highest save percentage (.933) and 13th-best goals-against average (2.24) among all D-I goaltenders this season. He was 17-12-5 for the Huskies, who finished third in Hockey East.
The first two-time Richter winner was unable to attend Friday’s ceremony because he’s now an NHL goaltender with a 2-1-0 record. A week after Northeastern’s season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to Providence in the Hockey East tournament March 11, 21-year-old Levi signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres.
He debuted for Buffalo March 31 in spectacular fashion, a 3-2 overtime home win against a New York Rangers team that averages more than three goals per game.
“He actually answered the phone after his first game on the way to the airport walking to the airplane,” said Keefe, “so I got a chance to talk to him and congratulate him. He played again last night. He really wanted to be here.”
Levi followed up that win with a 2-1 road loss to the Florida Panthers on April 4 before securing a 7-6 shootout victory for Buffalo in Detroit against the Red Wings the night before the Richter Award ceremony.
After being picked by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL draft, Levi was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in July 2021. After winning the 2022 Richter Award, Levi told the Sabres that he’d return to Northeastern for his junior season.
“He wanted to come back and give it another run,” said Keefe. “He had a great year this year. We had a great group of guys and I know he’s proud of the team.”
Quinnipiac sophomore Yaniv Perets and Michigan Tech senior Blake Pietila were the other finalists from a vote conducted in the week leading up to the conference championship games.
Keefe said that the recognition helps elevate the Northeastern program. “Any time you can win awards on the national stage, to be the best goaltender in the country and be rewarded for that, that’s big for the program,” said Keefe. “It’s always nice to get the accolades.”
Army West Point’s Wilson named winner of 2023 Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award
TAMPA, Fla. — Army West Point senior forward Noah Wilson has been named the winner of the 2022-23 Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, the Hockey Commissioners Association announced Friday night.
The award was established by the HCA in honor of former Army player Derek Hines, who was a “consummate team player and team builder.” Hines played at Army from 1999 to 2003 and was a four-year letter-winner as well as a co-captain his senior season. He was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 1, 2005 in Afghanistan.
Wilson, a native of Fond du Lac, Wis., has been a leader on and off the ice since arriving at West Point in 2019. He served as an alternate captain for the Black Knights this past season, as Hines had. Similar to Hines, Noah was a fan favorite for his ability to interact with and go out of his way to make fans feel special, especially the children who would attend games.
Wilson has served as the team’s head Cadet liaison with Team Impact, as local kid Seff Villanueva was welcomed into the Army hockey family. He has hosted Seff and his family at West Point hockey games and practices, along with Army football and other events around post.
A standout defenseman for Army, Wilson set a program record with 84 blocks in a single season during his junior campaign of 2021-22. After Army’s 1-7-1 start to his senior season, Wilson selflessly made the switch to forward, which allowed a freshman defenseman to play and earn a role. It marked the turning point of the season for Army, who went 5-2-1 in its next eight games to close the first half of the season, eventually earning the fifth seed in Atlantic Hockey.
“In all of my years coaching at West Point, I’m not sure if anybody has had more similar qualities to Derek than Noah Wilson,” said Army West Point coach Brian Riley. “These qualities are what made ‘Hinesy’ so special. I know that just like Derek did, Noah will always represent this program and the Academy in a way that makes us all proud.”
“I feel incredibly proud to be the 2023 Recipient of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award,” added Wilson. “Thank you to the Hockey Commissioners Association and the award selection committee for seeing me as fit to receive this award. To have my name mentioned in the same sentence as 1LT Derek Hines is an incredible honor and one that I do not take lightly. While every college hockey team is rooted in the traditions of their institution, Army Hockey is different in that our traditions are rooted in the history of our country and the great American heroes that have come before us. 1LT Hines is one of those heroes and someone who remains a special part of the Army Hockey Family and the greater West Point community. Being a cadet and hockey player who walks in the footsteps of 1LT Hines makes receiving this award all that more meaningful. I want to especially thank Coach Riley, the entire Army Hockey staff, and all my brothers who I went to battle with over the past four years.
“Any individual reward is the result of the collective effort of a team and that could not be any truer in this case. Hinesy was and always will be an Army hockey player, and I am so proud to be able to bring his award back home to West Point.”
Wilson will stay with the Army hockey program as its “athletics intern” for six months upon graduating. Every program at West Point will keep one exceptional senior to stay with the team as its “AI” to continue representing the program and to mentor incoming freshmen on the team. Hines also served as an AI to the hockey program upon graduation.
During his time as a Cadet, Wilson has consistently helped plan and execute the annual Mid-Hudson Valley Regional Special Olympics, held at Shea Stadium on West Point. The event includes more than 900 Special Olympians, 4,000 family members and friends, and 20-plus agencies on and off the military installation. Cadet-athletes have little free time at West Point, and Wilson has always used his free time to give back to the community and hockey program.
Wilson has also played a key role in mentoring kids on and off the ice through Army’s Junior Black Knights hockey program. The JBK’s is a youth hockey team under the Army hockey umbrella, in which Wilson has constantly been involved in increasing interaction between the youth team and the Army hockey team. Wilson has been heavily involved in Team IMPACT during his time at Army. Team IMPACT matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience and bond for both parties involved.
Wilson is the second Army West Point player and fifth player from the Atlantic Hockey to win the award since its inception. The other Cadet was Chase Podsiad in 2008. The other finalists for this year’s award were junior defenseman Steven Holtz from Michigan, junior forward Louis Jamernik, from North Dakota. senior defenseman Luke Krys from Brown, and junior defenseman Tony Malinowski from Minnesota State.
The HCA coordinates the award, with nominations from each of the six Division I men’s hockey conferences. The selection committee, made up of the six conference media contacts, Lt. Steve Hines, Derek’s father, and Riley, vote on the winner “who displays exemplary sportsmanship, is supremely competitive, intelligent and extraordinarily conditioned with an unmatched work ethic.”
Michigan’s Fantilli wins the 2023 Hobey Baker Award
TAMPA, Fla. — Adam Fantilli has become the third Michigan player and the third freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award.
Fantilli, who led the nation in scoring in helping the Wolverines to the Frozen Four, was named the 2023 winner on Friday.
He joined 1997 winner Brendan Morrison and 2008 winner Kevin Porter as Wolverines players to win the award as the top player in Division I men’s hockey.
Paul Kariya (Maine, 1993) and Jack Eichel (Boston University, 2015) were the first two freshmen to win the honors, voted on by a 30-member selection committee after the NCAA regionals.
Fantilli had 65 points and tied Western Michigan’s Jason Polin for the lead at 30 goals with a second-period score in Michigan’s 5-2 loss to Quinnipiac on Thursday.
He beat out Minnesota’s Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies for the award.
More to come from USCHO on this story.
Michigan freshman Fantilli chosen winner of 2023 Tim Taylor Award as nation’s top rookie
TAMPA, Fla. — Michigan freshman forward Adam Fantilli has been named the recipient of the 2023 Tim Taylor Award, given annually upon the best first-year player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey, the Hockey Commissioners’ Association announced Friday night.
He is the third Michigan player to win this award, the others being Thomas Bordeleau in 2021 and Kyle Connor in 2016. The award is voted on by the nation’s assistant coaches and is named for the former Yale and U.S. Olympic Team head coach.
A native of Nobleton, Ont., Fantilli had 29 goals and 35 assists for 64 points in 35 games entering the Frozen Four, leading the nation in almost every offensive category, including points per game, goals per game and assists per game. His 29th goal came in the NCAA Regionals, knotting Penn State at 1-1 in the third period. The Wolverines went on to win the game, 2-1 in overtime, to advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa.
He scored his 30th goal Thursday night as Michigan lost 5-2 to Quinnipizc in the Frozen Four semifinals.
Tim Taylor, for whom the award is named, spent 28 seasons at Yale and became the school’s winningest head coach as he collected 337 victories. His tenure spanned from 1976 to 2006, while taking two years on leave to coach the U.S. Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team as an assistant coach in 1984 and as the head coach in 1994. Taylor was captain of the Harvard men’s hockey team before he graduated in 1963. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as an assistant coach on the Crimson staff under Ralph “Cooney” Weiland and Bill Cleary before beginning his time with the Bulldogs.
The Hockey Commissioners Association sponsors this award which results from a ballot containing each NCAA Division I hockey conference’s rookie of the year.
The runner-up for this year’s Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year Award was Boston University freshman defenseman Lane Hutson.
Two Northeastern players repeat as first-team All-Americans
TAMPA, Fla. — Northeastern’s Devon Levi and Aidan McDonagh repeated as first-team All-Americans in selections announced Friday by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
Levi, a goalie, and forward McDonagh joined Harvard defenseman Henry Thrun (East first team), Michigan defenseman Luke Hughes (West first team), Quinnipiac defenseman Zach Metsa (East second team) and Quinnipiac goalie Yaniv Perets (East second team) in returning to the All-American lists. Metsa was a first-team pick in 2022 and a second-team selection this season.
ECAC Hockey led the way with seven selections. The Big Ten had six.
Here are the 2022-23 Division I men’s All-Americans:
West first team
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech senior goalie
Brock Faber, Minnesota junior defenseman
Luke Hughes, Michigan sophomore defenseman
Logan Cooley, Minnesota freshman forward
Adam Fantilli, Michigan freshman forward
Matthew Knies, Minnesota sophomore forward
East first team
Devon Levi, Northeastern junior goalie
Lane Hutson, Boston University freshman defenseman
Henry Thrun, Harvard senior defenseman
Sean Farrell, Harvard junior forward
Collin Graf, Quinnipiac sophomore forward
Aidan McDonagh, Northeastern senior forward
West second team
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame senior goalie
Mike Benning, Denver junior defenseman
Jake Livingstone, Minnesota State junior defenseman
Carter Mazur, Denver sophomore forward
Jason Polin, Western Michigan senior forward
Massimo Rizzo, Denver sophomore forward
East second team
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac sophomore goalie
Sam Malinski, Cornell senior defenseman
Zach Metsa, Quinnipiac graduate defenseman
Matt Brown, Boston University senior forward
Matthew Coronato, Harvard sophomore forward
Alex Jefferies, Merrimack junior forward
Minnesota Duluth’s Hughes is the 2023 recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award
TAMPA, Fla. — Minnesota Duluth’s Gabbie Hughes was named the 2023 recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award during the Friday night NCAA Men’s Frozen Four awards ceremonies.
Hughes is the 28th honoree of the award and was one of three repeat finalists for this season. The award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team, but also to the community through leadership in volunteerism.
Hughes’ impact has been felt statewide in Minnesota through Sophie’s Squad, a non-profit that she co-founded. Sophie’s Squad has raised more than $286,000 for mental health resources and advocacy.
Hughes was unable to attend because she is with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Brampton, Ontario, but she spoke via video.
“Our mission at Sophie’s Squad is to improve mental health of athletes from youth to college and remove that stigma that’s associated with seeking help,” Hughes said. “I stand here personally as an example of an athlete that has struggled and continues to struggle. I want everyone to know that it is OK to not be OK. I want everyone to know that there is always hope and there is always help.
The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation virtually presented Hughes with a check for $3,000 for Sophie’s Squad.
“This award is such an honor to win,” said Hughes, who scored her first U.S. Women’s National Team point Friday with an assist in a 9-1 victory against Switzerland. “But more importantly, it’s a great platform for mental health. The importance of this award is more than just the recognition of my personal contributions to Sophie’s Squad. It’s the awareness of mental health. It’s about getting that awareness out there. And that’s exactly what this opportunity has done. It’s allowed us to bring mental health awareness to the platform for more people, to a different range of individuals. And for that, I am extremely grateful.”
The other four finalists — Jacob Adkins and Andrew Walker from UMass Boston; two-time finalist Hannah Price from Rensselaer; Ryan Herpy of Albertus Magnus; and Will Rosen of Saint Anselm — each received $500 for their designated charities.
Read more about Hughes’ volunteer activities in this in-depth profile published by USCHO in March.
Minnesota vs. Quinnipiac is a historical rarity for the NCAA championship game
TAMPA, Fla. — It’s rare that the highest seed from the West plays the highest seed from the East in the Men’s Frozen Four championship game.
That’s what we’ll get Saturday when No. 1 overall seed Minnesota plays No. 2 Quinnipiac for the NCAA championship at Amalie Arena.
It’ll be the first time since Maine’s 1993 victory against Lake Superior State in Milwaukee that the highest seeds from each region square off with the title on the line.
Seeds are listed in NCAA records for the last 53 tournaments, going back to 1970. Back then, it was a four-team event — two teams from the East, two from the West.
The field expanded to five teams in 1977, six for one year in 1978, eight in 1981, 12 in 1988 and 16 in 2003.
But this is only the third time in those 53 events that the highest seed from the East has played the highest seed from the West. Maine’s 5-4 victory was the most recent, and Wisconsin defeated Harvard 6-2 in 1983 in Grand Forks, N.D.
This season’s championship game also is a rarity in seeing the top two overall seeds reach the last game of the tournament. Only No. 1 Denver’s 3-2 victory against No. 2 Minnesota Duluth in 2017 in Chicago also qualifies in the 20 tournaments played in the 16-team format.
