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RPI Men’s Assistant, Cahill, Named Head Coach of Women’s Program

Bill Cahill, the assistant men’s coach at Rensselaer for the past seven seasons, has been named the new head coach of RPI’s women’s program.

Cahill replaces Ryan Stone, who left to take an assistant coaching position at Brown. Unlike the men’s program, RPI’s women play in the ECAC on the Division III level.

“RPI is a great school to coach at and I’m very thankful for this opportunity,” Cahill said. “It’s extremely exciting to me because women’s ice hockey is growing by leaps and bounds. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of keeping this program near the top of the standings year after year.”

For the past five years, Cahill has been in his second stint as an assistant men’s coach with the Engineers, working under current head coach Dan Fridgen. In his first stint with the Engineers, from 1988-90, Cahill was an assistant for former head coaches Mike Addesa and Buddy Powers, while also serving a stint as interim head coach in 1989.

Before returning to Rensselaer in 1995, Cahill spent five years at Norwich University, the last three (1992-95) as the head coach. He has also been a head men’s coach at the New Hampton School (1986-88) and Assumption (1983-86). Overall as a college head coach, Cahill, a 1973 graduate of Norwich, has a 75-55-3 (.575) record.

Cahill will begin his duties as head women’s ice hockey coach immediately. No replacement for his vacated men’s assistant position has been named.

Linstad Jumps to UConn

Heather Linstad, head coach of the Northeastern women’s program for the past eight season, has been tabbed by Connecticut to lead its fledgling program.

Linstad, who had a 161-71-27 record at Northeastern, including four Beanpot titles and a 1997 ECAC Championship, will lead UConn into its first year of varsity play, where it will compete as a Division I independent in 2000-2001.

“As we launch women’s ice hockey as our 24th intercollegiate varsity sport in 2000-2001, we are very pleased to have identified in Heather Linstad an experienced, and highly successful, collegiate head coach,” said Lew Perkins, athletic director at UConn.

“Heather was a major college ice hockey star during her undergraduate years and she has become an outstanding coach, enjoying repeated success in directing the nationally-ranked women’s ice hockey program at Northeastern.”

Linstad won a school-record 27 games in 1996-97, and led Northeastern to a berth in the first-ever women’s national tournament in 1998. In her second season as head coach in 1993-94, Linstad led Northeastern to a 19-6-3 overall record, winning her first Beanpot title, while being honored as ECAC Coach of the Year.

The 1999-2000 Northeastern women’s ice hockey team completed the season with a 22-9-3 overall record and the Huskies were ranked No. 6 in the nation in the final U.S. College Hockey Online women’s Poll.

Linstad was a three-sport performer at Providence before graduating in 1989, playing ice hockey, women’s soccer and softball. She was the captain of the hockey team for three seasons. She holds the distinction of being the only person to win both ECAC Player of the Year (1989) and Coach of the Year honors.

Taylor Leaves Lowell for Hobart Top Spot

Mark Taylor, a long-time Division I assistant at Mass.-Lowell and Cornell, has been named the new head coach at Division-III Hobart. Taylor moves to Division III Hobart after spending the last four seasons as the top assistant at Lowell.

“It is a tough time to leave UMass-Lowell,” Taylor said. “I was really looking forward to this season as a comeback season. I have a lot of heart and belief in the guys coming back. But Hobart presents a great opportunity for me.”

Taylor, who was a finalist for the opening at RIT last summer, begins his new post on August 28th.

“Mark Taylor has assisted in excellent hockey programs while working under some of college hockey’s top head coaches,” said Hobart director of athletics, Mike Hanna. “That mentoring has prepared him well to be a head coach, and I am very pleased for the college, and for the Hobart hockey players of today and the future, that he has chosen to take on the leadership of our program.”

After playing two seasons in the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, Taylor moved into the coaching ranks in 1987 with single-season stints as an assistant at Middlebury, Brown and Vermont. He moved on to Cornell, where he spent five seasons as the top assistant under current Buffalo Sabres assistant coach Brian McCutcheon. Taylor helped guide the Big Red to ECAC and Ivy League Championships, as well as an NCAA tournament appearance in 1991.

The last five seasons at Lowell, Taylor has recruited five River Hawk players who went on to be selected in the NHL draft, including, most recently, first-round pick (13th overall) Ron Hainsey. During his tenure there, Lowell made Hockey East Tournament semifinal appearances in 1997 and 1998.

“I am very happy for Mark and his family,” said Lowell head coach Tim Whitehead. “He is an excellent college coach and I know he will be successful at Hobart College.”

Taylor began his collegiate playing career at SUNY-Canton, where he earned all-America honors as a defenseman, leading the team to back-to-back NJCAA championships before transferring to Elmira College. At Elmira, he played under McCutcheon until graduating in 1985, and was the Soaring Eagles’ Most Valuable Player and an All-ECAC selection his senior year.

Taylor inherits a team in some tough times. Hobart struggled to a 6-19-1 record last season, and has had sub-.500 seasons since 1993. But the Statesmen return 26 of 30 palyers from last year’s team, and will be looking to turn things around under the new head coach.

“I am excited about what I saw in Geneva and on the campus and where they want the program to be,” Taylor said. “The administration has taken steps to advance the program. It will be a great challenge.”

Taylor replaces Bill Greer, who guided the Statesmen hockey program for 16 seasons.

After 4 1/2 Years, Gilpatrick Walks

In the fall of 1995, Boston University forward Travis Roy was paralyzed after taking a spill into the boards at BU’s Brown Arena. The case received national attention and outpourings of support.

Three months later, in relative obscurity, another player, from a small crosstown school, also suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury, playing a game on the same ice surface where Roy’s injury occured.

Today, John Gilpatrick is walking.

The former player from Suffolk, a Division III school from the ECAC Northeast Conference, had planned to keep the news a secret for a few more weeks, but when news leaked out, the school called a news conference for Friday.

When Gilpatrick walked into the room, it was not a Super Bowl commercial gimmick. It was real. He pet Ice, the dog that has been his companion since the accident. He then walked to the table and hugged coach Brian Horan, who was an assistant the night of the injury.

“Obviously, going to the hospital that night, there was fear,” said Horan, who rode with Gilpatrick in the ambulance. “I could see fear in John’s eyes and I was scared too. Now, there’s just the total elation of seeing John walk.”

Suffolk athletics director Jim Nelson was with Gilpatrick in the hospital the night of the accident. He has grown very close to Gilpatrick over the years. After family and doctors, Nelson was the first to see him walk.

“He returned from vacation a week ago, and his mom called,” said Nelson. “She said he would like to see me. I said ‘Great,’ because I hadn’t seen him in a month.

“A half hour later, I was sitting at my desk and he called my name, and walked over to me. It stunned me. I sat there what seemed like an eternity trying to fathom it. We embraced. It was very emotional.”

Gilpatrick actually suffered a serious injury once before. During a high school game during his sophomore year, an injury left him with whiplash and some paralysis for three weeks, requiring use of the so-called “halo” to stabilize his head.

He returned to play after getting clearance from doctors. Then, Gilpatrick lost use of his legs and right arm in the accident at Suffolk, which occured when his head collided with a goal post. Coming when it did, the tragedy created a kinship with Roy.

“I’m so happy for him. It’s just amazing,” Roy told the Associated Press. “I can’t imagine sitting in a wheelchair for four years and then being able to walk again. As much as I believe it will happen for me, there’s a whole other side to it actually happening.”

Roy’s injury is worse, leaving him no feeling below the neck. But Gilpatrick’s progress has, as it did when New York Jets lineman Dennis Byrd walked again, given new hope to Roy and all paralysis victims.

“He had the chance of improving after the next two years. But usually, when they get to two years from their injury, they don’t show any significant improvement over the rest of their lives,” Dr. David Apple, a spinal cord specialist, told the AP. “But every spinal cord injury is different. You never can say.”

Another awaiting such progress is Erik Drygas, a defenseman for Alaska-Fairbanks who became the third player in little over a year to be paralyzed in a college hockey game when he suffered the injury in the fall of 1996.

“John has locally shared the spotlight with Travis, but not nationally,” said Nelson. “Until there is a modern medical breakthrough, people like Travis and Christopher Reeve have to wait for that. But we all believe that will happen.”

Gilpatrick began getting a burning sensation in his chest a week before his first steps. He worried it could be a heart attack. After feeling uncomfortable for a week, he came out of the shower one day and told his stepfather, Allan Jones, that he might be ready to take a step.

“I was afraid because neither one of us knew what we were doing,” said Jones, who was concerned the attempt would end up like previous ones, where he could easily push over Gilpatrick with just two fingers.

“I pushed him this time and he pushed back at me,” Jones said. “That’s something I could never feel before.”

His mother, Elaine Jones, someone Gilpatrick calls his best friend and advisor, rushed home from work. Allan Jones got nervous that Elaine would be mad for doing something wrong.

“I really never thought that he would walk. But he always thought he would,” said Elaine Jones. “He just was relentless in his pursuit to stand.”

“When I took those first two steps, I was looking ahead to walking full time,” Gilpatrick said. “One shot, one make. I hit it right on the button. I didn’t know how it would turn out, but I made it.

“We’ve come a long way since that evening in the ambulance on the 25th of January. It still hasn’t really hit me. I’m still in a little bit of shock. To be here, sitting here, and walking after 4½ years, I can’t even tell you how that happened. Doctors don’t have the answers.”

Nelson said there is a lot of speculation as to why Gilpatrick can walk again. The spine never severed, so maybe the blood that collected has dissipated and started to flow again. Or, perhaps, he said, it was just sheer willpower.

“In some regards, John has become a surrogate son to me,” said Nelson. “It still stands to me as the most dramatic thing to happen to me in three decades of intercollegiate athletics.

“As a parent of five kids all around his age, this is one of those things that just gets to you as a parent.”

Gilpatrick has been acting as an assistant coach at Suffolk for the past year. He graduated in May, on the same day as Roy. The Dean of Admissions for Suffolk’s Law School, Gail Ellis, was on hand at the news conference. She said Gilpatrick was accepted into the school and will begin classes in August.

He will, however, continue to coach. Many of Suffolk’s players were in attendance at the news conference, and one day, Gilpatrick hopes to skate with them again.

“I looked at them and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could coach these guys out of a wheelchair,’ ” he said. “Obviously, my hockey career is over. But I would love to be on skates to coach these kids.”

Emery Discusses D-III’s Plans

Bob Emery, chair of the Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee, took time recently to address some of the issues coming out of the annual meetings, held this year May 5-8 in Beaver Creek, Colo.

High on the agenda in May were issues concerning site selection, officiating, and bracket size for the Division III championships. A major result of the meetings was the decision to submit a proposal asking that the size of the NCAA tournament be increased from its current eight slots to 10, beginning with the 2001-2002 season.

There’s no certainty such a proposal will be approved by the NCAA, however. The current ratio for Division III championships is one slot for every 7.5 teams. There are currently 65 programs eligible for the tournament, so an additional 10 schools would have to be added to ensure the expansion. The committee is asking for an exception.

“I have no idea what will happen,” said Emery, the Plattsburgh State head coach. “It’s a formality at this point. We’re asking.”

A proposal to increase the Division I tournament from 12 to 16 teams was shot down for the second straight year in May.

The Division III championships field has been comprised of eight teams since its inception in 1984. However, an increase in the number of programs eligible for the tournament, as well as changes made to the selection process in 1999 that increased the number of automatic qualifiers from two to six, has intensified the desire to expand the current field. The field for hockey is the smallest of any of the major Division III men’s sports.

The committee also decided on several points of emphasis for future site selection, most involving facilities and amenities for the athletes. The quality and size of locker rooms and training facilities is high on the list.

“We want to make the championships a positive experience for the student-athletes,” said Emery. “The facility is obviously a major component.”

Another recommendation of the committee is to change the current way officials are assigned for the games. In recent years, the officials have been from within the geographic region of the host school, and in some cases have primarily worked Division I games during the season.

The committee made it clear that it wants the best available officials who worked mostly Division III games during the regular season.

“We want to make sure we have the officials with the highest recommendations, regardless of region,” Emery said. “We have no problem flying them to the games from other parts of the country to make sure we have the best ones available.”

Also approved by the committee were recommendations to begin the semifinals and finals 30 minutes earlier to allow for media outlets to obtain results before their deadlines, and to make an attempt to rotate the finals from the East region to the West region “when possible.” Last year’s semifinals and finals were held in Superior, Wis., after being in the East for three consecutive years.

Boston, Columbus, Milwaukee Earn Frozen Four Bids

The NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Committee has chosen the three sites that will host the 2004-2006 Frozen Four, and the only surprise is, there’s no surprises.

Bids were awarded to Boston (2004), Columbus, Ohio (2005), and Milwaukee (2006). They were chosen after the Division I Ice Hockey Committee — chairman Bill Wilkinson (head coach at Wayne State), Quinnipiac athletic director Jack McDonald, Northeastern athletic director Ian MaCaw and Wisconsin athletic director Pat Richter and NCAA Director of Championships Tom Jacobs — listened to presentations from eight potential cities during their annual meeting last week in Couer d’Alene, Idaho.

“The sites we selected are true hockey sites,” said Wilkinson. “The student-athletes and fans participating in the Frozen Fours at these sites will have a great opportunity to be involved in what has become an incredible event.”

Boston specifically asked for, and was awarded, the 2004 Frozen Four. The city last hosted the Frozen Four in 1998 when Michigan won the title. That year, Boston sold out all three games, and according to sources, turned a huge profit for the NCAA.

Columbus was selected to host the 2005 Frozen Four. This is Columbus’ first Frozen Four and second attempt at landing the tournament after being rejected when bids were handed out for 2000-2003.

The central-Ohio city will hold the event at the new Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center. During Columbus’ first bid, the building — which is home to Ohio State — was not yet built and any chance at being selected was doomed. The 2005 Frozen Four will mark the first time since 1983 that the event will be held on a collegiate campus.

Milwaukee was selected to host the 2006 Frozen Four. The Wisconsin city last hosted the event in 1997 when North Dakota won the championship. Milwaukee is also an attendance champion, averaging 17,300 fans per session during the 1997 championship.

“This was my second go-round with the committee seleting future sites,” said Wilkinson. “We could have awarded everyone a site because of the quality of presentations and the bids themselves. But we only had an opportunity for three of the eight cities and it came down to a proven record of hosting college hockey events.”

Boston and Milwaukee were both expected by many to come away with a Frozen Four, but Columbus came as a surprise to some. Many people thought a less-conventional hockey city would be selected, such as St. Louis or San Jose.

“I went into the meetings with a thought as to who I would choose as the three sites,” said McDonald. “But everyone did an outstanding job with their presentations and it was tough to pick three. And the three weren’t necessarily the ones I was thinking of.”

“I’m a little surprised, but not really — it was a longshot,” said Bob Ducatte, athletic director at Rensselaer and co-host of the San Jose bid. “Giving it to non-college areas is very risky. But I was surprised that they gave it to two midwestern sites and one eastern site.”

San Jose was one of five sites that did make it to the promised land. East Rutherford, N.J., Kansas City, St. Louis and St. Paul were the other sites that were not chosen. (original story on finalists)

“We’re disappointed,” said Marc Schreiber, Director of Communications for the St. Louis Sports Commission. “We were delighted with the bid that we put together and this was an event that we really wanted for St. Louis.”

“It was definitely an uphill climb,” said Chris Roseman, Director of Event Operations for the St. Louis Sports Commission. “We only go after the best and the people of St. Louis will be disappointed when they hear the news.”

The Committee also awarded the East and West Regionals for 2004- 2006. The East Regionals will be held in Albany (Pepsi Arena) in 2004 and 2006, while the 2005 East Regional will be held in Worcester (Worcester Centrum). The West Regionals were awarded to Colorado Springs (World Arena) in 2004, Minneapolis (Mariucci Arena) in 2005 and Grand Forks (Englestad Arena) in 2006.

Other Developments In other news out of Idaho, the MAAC was awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and announced it will award the bid to its conference tournament winner. In addition, the selection committee also reverted back to the awarding of only one automatic bid to each of the other four established conferences.

In 1995, the selection committee began awarding two automatic bids to each conference, one for the regular season championship and the other for the tournament champion, as a way of rewarding the regular-season champion. If the same team won both championships, it was awarded a bye in the first round of the NCAA tournament. At all times, each of the four eligible conferences was guaranteed two slots in the 12-team field.

With this decision, there will now be five automatic qualifiers, each being the conference’s choice of its regular season or tournament champion, and seven at-large bids. Byes will be determined by ranking in the selection criteria without respect to region. In this scenario, conferences are only guaranteed one slot in the field.

The tournament selection criteria was also discussed, but, as of today, they have not changed, and are not expected to change before the selection for the 2001 tournament. There had been a lot of discussion at the annual coach’s convention in Naples, Fla. last April about altering the critera to better handle teams with weak, but insular, schedules that make it difficult for the established methods to handle. Apparently all of the ideas raised more problems than were solved, though the situation remains open to future review.

Also, the men’s ice hockey committee met with the recently-formed women’s committee to discuss strategies for expansion of both Division I tournaments. In particular, the decision to expand each tournament by four teams will be a priority.

Another item that has come under consideration is a revamping of the ticket policy for the Frozen Four. One idea is to give long-time fans a priority in obtaining tickets to the Frozen Four by establishing a pool for them and then making the tickets available to first-time applicants and/or local applicants.

“The committee plans to implement what it believes will be a more beneficial ticket distribution system for the many fans that have made this an annual event when St. Paul hosts the 2002 Men’s Frozen Four,” said Wilkinson.

MAAC Autobid Approved

In a move that could redefine the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Committee approved an automatic bid for the MAAC, effective for this year’s championships. The move came during the Committee’s annual meetings, which continue through Friday.

The ratification signifies the halfway point in the process of finalizing the automatic bid. The NCAA Championships Cabinet, which will meet on September 12-14 in Atlanta, still needs to give final approval to the proposal.

“It is great to hear,” said MAAC commissioner Richard Ensor. “The decision represents the culmination of a lot of hard work by many MAAC administrators, coaches and student-athletes to form the league and develop it to the point where the league was eligible for a bid. The bid should be a big boost for our fans and the level of play throughout the league, and will help coaches’ recruiting efforts.”

“This completes an incredible two year growth period for the league,” added Jack McDonald, Director of Athletics at Quinnipiac and a member of the Committee. “The NCAA automatic berth endorses the MAAC to our student-athletes, coaches, prospects, and our campuses.”

The move came on the same day Quinnipiac announced it was ramping up a number of its athletic programs, including men’s ice hockey, with the intention of becoming a more formidable candidate for entry into the ECAC or Hockey East.

Should the Cabinet give final approval, which most expect they will, then the MAAC will join the other “big four” conferences — Hockey East, ECAC, CCHA and WCHA — in having an automatic berth in the tournament. That’s something that is music to the ears to MAAC coaches.

“I’m personally very excited and our players will be very excited,” said Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin. “The MAAC conference, commissioner Ensor and Jack McDonald have worked very hard to do this. I think as legitimate as we were before, we are twice as legitimate now.”

Though the participation from the MAAC is monumental in expanding the sports of college hockey, the conference is one year short of being the pioneer. Last season, Niagara became the first team outside of the “big four” to qualify for the tournament since Alaska-Anchorage in 1991. Niagara, a member of College Hockey America, qualified based on selection criteria and then went on to defeat New Hampshire in the first round. The Purple Eagles fell to the eventual national champion, North Dakota, in the quarterfinals.

Gotkin considers Niagara’s success last season extremely beneficial in attaining the bid.

“Little Niagara has given all of us credibility,” Gotkin noted. “I think the hockey world looked at Niagara and said, ‘Gee, there’s other teams out there like them.’ I think it was terrific what they did and it’s something we all benefited from.”

The conference announced that the bid will be awarded to the MAAC tournament champion, not the regular season champion. In the first two seasons, Quinnipiac ran away with both regular-season titles, only to fall in the conference-tournament semifinals.

“I think as coaches we had voted on [awarding the tournament champion the bid],” said Gotkin. “I think it’s kind of a mixed emotion type of thing. The way the league is set up, you win three games, you’re the champion. I don’t know [if] your best team end up in the NCAA.

“That, I guess is what March Madness is all about.”

There has been discussion about eliminating an automatic bid from each of the established conferences, which currently receive two each, but no other news has yet come out of the Committee meetings.

The MAAC has struggled to gain the respect of the “big four” through its first two seasons. Only the better-known schools, such as Connecticut, Quinnipiac, Canisius, Holy Cross and Mercyhurst were able to schedule games against big four teams. To this point, MAAC teams are winless in those games.

This season, however, Sacred Heart, Iona and newcomer Army will also play non-league games against big four teams, displaying at least a partial acceptance by the established conferences. In all, the MAAC will play 23 games against schools from Hockey East, the ECAC and the WCHA. The CCHA did not schedule any games against MAAC teams.

“I think having the bid will help us in scheduling against other conferences,” Gotkin said. “All our clubs can take some pride in [attaining a bid] and keep making our product better and better.

“When I think of the automatic bid, I think of legitimacy. You cannot deny that we’re the nation’s fifth conference.”

A conference number five is one whose growth and success will only continue to improve.

19 College Players Invited to World Junior Team Camp

The roster for this year’s United States National Junior Team Evaluation Camp features 19 players who played college hockey in the 1999-2000 season, USA Hockey announced on Wednesday.

Of the 44 players invited to compete for the team that will represent the United States in the 2000 USA Hockey Summer Challenge, nine are from the WCHA, five are from Hockey East and five are from the CCHA.

The U.S. roster features 24 NHL draft picks and nine members of the 2000 U.S. National Junior Team that took fourth place at last year’s World Junior Championship. Most notable on that list is Rick DiPietro, the former Boston University goaltender who was the top pick in the June NHL draft after opting-in.

Other players from Hockey East: forward Jon DiSalvatore, Providence; forward Pat Foley, New Hampshire; defenseman Ron Hainsey, Mass.-Lowell; and forward John Sabo, Boston University.

Players from the WCHA: forward Joe Cullen, Colorado College; forward Jon Francisco, Minn.-Duluth; forward Dan Welch, Minnesota; defenseman Matt DeMarchi, Minnesota; defenseman Brian Fahey, Wisconsin; defenseman Paul Martin, Minnesota; defenseman Ben Tharpe, Minnesota; forward Jeff Taffe, Minnesota; and forward Brad Winchester, Wisconsin.

Players from the CCHA: forward John Wroblewski, Notre Dame; defenseman Evan Nielsen, Notre Dame; forward Connor Dunlop, Notre Dame; forward Andy Hilbert, Michigan; and forward Brett Nowak, Notre Dame.

The camp takes place Aug. 2-5 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Summer Challenge, which features under-20 select teams from Finland, Switzerland and the United States, is Aug. 7-12 in Lake Placid.

The camp attendees are also prospective players for the team that will compete in the World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2000-Jan. 5, 2001, in Russia.

Huglen Steps Down at Minn.-Crookston

Mark Huglen, hockey coach at Minnesota-Crookston, resigned today to pursue his academic career full-time. He will become an assistant professor of communication in the school’s Center for Learning Foundations.

Huglen joined the faculty at Minn.-Crookston in the fall of 1996. He has served as the head hockey coach and assistant professor since that time.

“It was a hard decision for me to make, but this is a great opportunity for me to pursue my academic career full-time, and while I agonized over the decision, this move will allow me to fulfill my passion for academics and spend more time with my family,” said Huglen.

Huglen was named MCHA Coach-of-the-Year this past season after guiding the Golden Eagles to a perfect 12-0 record. They sweept the MCHA regular season and MCHA Tournament titles in their inaugural season in the league. Huglen’s career record in four seasons with the Golden Eagles was 65-34-6.

Huglen was also reported to be a finalist for an assistant coaching position with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning just a few months ago. He said then that career and family concerns would keep him in Minnesota.

Minn.-Crookston is in the process of beginning a search for a replacement.

Commodore Signs Deal with Devils

Mike Commodore, a stalwart defenseman on this year’s North Dakota national championship team, has signed a three-year contract with the defending NHL-champion New Jersey Devils.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound defenseman had one more year of eligibility remaining, but decided he couldn’t pass up on the Devils’ offer.

According to the Grand Forks Herald, Commodore received a $475,000 signing bonus. If he makes the New Jersey roster, he will be paid $450,000 this season, $500,000 in 2001-02 and $550,000 in 2002-03.

Commodore had five goals and 12 points in 38 games for the Fighting Sioux last season.

The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., native will have heavy competition to make the team. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello likes to work in new players, but also has former Clarkson star defenseman Willie Mitchell in the organization.

Walsh Returns Home

Maine head coach Shawn Walsh returned home Wednesday evening, five days after surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.

“It’s good to be home,” said Walsh. “I feel terrific, and as soon as I can get these darn staples out, I’ll be better. I am very grateful for the outpouring of support I have received from my family, friends and the hockey community. I am getting stronger everyday, and I am sure that being at home with my family will only speed up my recovery.”

Walsh, however, is not out of the woods. The cancer spread to the lymph nodes under his chest, and he will need aggressive treatment to fight the disease. He will take the next few weeks to decide a course of action.

Walsh’s surgeon, Dr. Gennaro Carpinito of the Boston Medical Center, said the decision on treatment is ultimately up to Walsh.

“He needs to decide which protocol he wants to subject himself to, and in what part of the country,” said Carpinito.

Walsh is considering three different treatment options, including a radical gene therapy. This type of immunotherapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer, is as opposed to chemotherapy, which can destroy healthy cells in the process of destroying cancerous ones.

Each option comes with different side effects, and would take place in a different part of the country, giving Walsh plenty to think about.

“The gene material would be transferred into the cancer cells, to see if it could manufacture (antigens) locally, and destroy the tumor,” said Carpinito. “This has the biggest potential side effects.”

Meanwhile, ex-players have rallied to support their former coach, and the word is spreading. Former defenseman Jeff Tory heard the news from former goalie Blair Allison, and plans on seeing Walsh when he travels back to Maine sometime in the next couple of weeks.

“One of the big things [Walsh] talked about when I was there was, ‘Adversity makes you stronger,’ ” Tory said. “He thrives on that. With all the support he has there, everything will work out for him.

“It’s a family attitude. The players and coaches keep in touch. When Jeff Libby had his eye surgery, everyone rallied to support, so I’m sure it’s the same thing.” Libby is a former defenseman who had his eye knocked out in an AHL game after leaving Maine.

Walsh originally went to the doctor for a chronic cough, and a chest x-ray and CAT Scan led to findings of enlargements in the lymph nodes under his breast plate. Further tests led to the discovery of renal cell carcinoma, or cancer in one of the kidneys.

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer, affecting about three out of 10,000 people, according to drkoop.com. There are about 18,000 new cases in the U.S. per year, with about 8,000 deaths per year in the U.S. from the disorder. It most commonly occurs in men over 55 years old.

According to drkoop.com, the five-year survival rate, in general, for kidney cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes is 5-15 percent. If it has spread to other organs, the survival rate drops to less than 5 percent.

At this point, Carpinito remained optimistic that the cancer did not spread further.

“The tumor was large, but it hasn’t spread to other parts of body,” said Carpinito, “so the immune system is actively involved in protecting him at this point. That’s a reason why he has good chance of beating it.

“Part of [the operation consisted of] removing some of the lymph nodes in the back where kidney resides. We removed several, and all came back negative for cancer. The key here is the masses under the breastplate. We have to proceed with future therapy.”

While Carpinito wouldn’t put a figure on Walsh’s chances, he did say, given the circumstances, that he remains optimistic.

“Given the state of the art today, his chances in my opinion … I’m taking the approach that I’m cautiously optimistic,” said Carpinito. “Enough studies have been done in the last 10-15 years that have been optimistic, that he has a significant chance of beating this disease.”

Carpinito said that attitude means a lot in these situations.

“I’m really impressed with his approach to this,” said Carpinito. “Given my experience with this disease, it’s easy for patients to call it a day. But he’s strong-willed, a fighter, and he loves his Black Bears. The interaction I’ve seen with his ex-players, the positive effect he’s had on these people says a lot.

“He has a wife and young kids. He has a lot to live for, and that’s very important.

“I expect him to be behind the bench for the Black Bears this year and in the future as well.”

Heatley: Atlanta Can Wait

The decision is in and WCHA teams will have to endure another season of Dany Heatley.

The Wisconsin phenom announced Wednesday he will return to school for his sophomore season, rather than accept what surely would be a lucrative deal with the Atlanta Thrashers, who drafted him with the No. 2 pick in the June NHL draft.

“I just don’t think that I am ready,” Heatley told the Canadian Press. “I think another year in school would help me on and off the ice and better prepare me to come back to Atlanta next year.”

Heatley, 19, was the WCHA’s rookie of the year last season, helping Wisconsin to the MacNaughton Cup as the regular-season champions. He scored 28 goals and 28 assists in 38 games.

Since the draft, Heatley, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound Calgary, Alberta, native, said he changed his mind many times.

“It’s been crazy here since the draft — some days I’m totally set on leaving and other days I want to go back,” he said. “It’s nice to get it over with and off your back.”

One of the only weaknesses scouts saw in Heatley’s play last season with the Badgers was his speed. That may have factored into his decision to return to school.

“Any time an 18- or 19-year-old guy gets thrown into the league, it’s going to be tough on him,” Heatley said. “Hopefully I can get bigger and stronger and quicker and be able to make that step a little bit better next year.”

UNH to Develop Holt Hockey Archives

The University of New Hampshire is recognizing a legendary figure and helping college hockey at the same time, announcing the development of the Charles E. Holt Archives of American Hockey.

The Holt Archives — named after UNH’s legendary, Hall of Fame coach who passed away earlier this year — will be a repository of materials covering the history of men’s and women’s hockey, including organizational records, player scrapbooks, photographs, media publications, taped interviews, and artifacts.

“It’s going to be a wonderful resource for men’s and women’s hockey,” said Holt’s daughter Brenda. “The hope is people will share their research and findings just as my father shared his knowledge and wisdom.”

Both Hockey East and the American Hockey Coaches Association have recently agreed to make the Holt Archives the home of their records.

“New England is the appropriate place to house these records and there is no other name that means so much to the game of hockey than Charlie Holt,” said Joe Bertagna, Hockey East Commissioner and AHCA Executive Director.

UNH Director of Special Collections, Bill Ross, and faculty member Steve Hardy anticipate an aggressive campaign to acquire materials from players, coaches, administrators, and officials representing the history of hockey at all levels, in all regions of the country.

“Too often, important historical records make their way to a dumpster or are stored away in damp basements,” Ross said. “The creation of the Holt Archives will help ensure that the history of American amateur and collegiate hockey is preserved for generations to come.”

The Holt Archives will be housed in Special Collections at the University of New Hampshire’s newly renovated and expanded Dimond Library.

“To our knowledge there is no archive on American hockey on any scale. We want this to be the mecca for men’s and women’s hockey research in the country,” Hardy said. “When you combine the records of the men’s and women’s programs, there are few, if any, programs that match UNH and that is why it’s perfect for it to be located here.”

Maine’s Walsh Has Kidney Removed; Seeks Further Cancer Treatment

Shawn Walsh, who has turned the Maine men’s ice hockey program into a national power and guided it to two NCAA Championships, began the battle of his life Friday when he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.

According to a report in the Portland Press Herald, the surgery, though successful, is far from putting Walsh in the clear. Reports indicate that the cancer has spread to Walsh’s lymph nodes under his breast bone in his chest.

The cancer was diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma, which, according to the Press Herald, is the most common type of kidney cancer. Early diagnosis of the disease presents a 60-75 percent five-year survival rate. But when the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, that same survival rate decreases drastically to 5-15 percent. Should the cancer spread further into other organs, that rate decreases to five percent.

Walsh is said to be considering a 20-day intensive treatment at UCLA’s cancer facility following the two- to three-week recovery period from Friday’s operation.

Meanwhile, the hockey community has rallied behind the often controversial coach. Walsh told the Press Herald that, “the support has been heartwarming. The hockey community is a fraternity.

“This is something a lot of people have to undergo and you’ve got to be as strong as you can. My wife has been phenomenal and my family has been great.”

University of Maine officials said that Walsh will keep administrative and non-coaching duties to a minimum this summer, but will try to stay involved.

“I think it’s the best way for him to handle things,” said Maine junior defenseman Doug Janik to the Bangor Daily News. “Coaching comes naturally to him. It’s his normal way of life, and keeping a normal routine will keep him positive and motivated.

“As a team, we’re going to try to support him as much as we can like he has always supported us.”

Michigan State head coach Ron Mason, who gave Walsh his start in coaching while Walsh was a student at Bowling Green, said he was “completely shocked” by the news. Walsh coached under Mason at Michigan State, and his ex-wife is Mason’s daughter.

“It has stayed with me ever since I heard. We’re all sick about it,” said Mason to the Daily News.

In 16 seasons, Walsh’s Black Bears have compiled a 379-203-37 record, with seven Frozen Four appearances. He led Maine to its first NCAA Championship in 1993, then was suspended for one year, and the school barred from the NCAA tournament for two seasons, due to various NCAA violations. Walsh returned to lead the Black Bears to another championship in 1999.

This past season, Walsh led his Black Bears to the Hockey East tournament championship and another berth in the NCAA Frozen Four, where they fell to the eventual-national champion, North Dakota.

Maine’s Walsh Has Kidney Removed; Seeks Further Cancer Treatment

Shawn Walsh, who has turned the Maine men’s ice hockey program into a national power and guided it to two NCAA Championships, began the battle of his life Friday when he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.

According to a report in the Portland Press Herald, the surgery, though successful, is far from putting Walsh in the clear. Reports indicate that the cancer has spread to Walsh’s lymph nodes under his breast bone in his chest.

The cancer was diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma, which, according to the Press Herald, is the most common type of kidney cancer. Early diagnosis of the disease presents a 60-75 percent five-year survival rate. But when the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, that same survival rate decreases drastically to 5-15 percent. Should the cancer spread further into other organs, that rate decreases to five percent.

Walsh is said to be considering a 20-day intensive treatment at UCLA’s cancer facility following the two- to three-week recovery period from Friday’s operation.

Meanwhile, the hockey community has rallied behind the often controversial coach. Walsh told the Press Herald that, “the support has been heartwarming. The hockey community is a fraternity.

“This is something a lot of people have to undergo and you’ve got to be as strong as you can. My wife has been phenomenal and my family has been great.”

University of Maine officials said that Walsh will keep administrative and non-coaching duties to a minimum this summer, but will try to stay involved.

“I think it’s the best way for him to handle things,” said Maine junior defenseman Doug Janik to the Bangor Daily News. “Coaching comes naturally to him. It’s his normal way of life, and keeping a normal routine will keep him positive and motivated.

“As a team, we’re going to try to support him as much as we can like he has always supported us.”

Michigan State head coach Ron Mason, who gave Walsh his start in coaching while Walsh was a student at Bowling Green, said he was “completely shocked” by the news. Walsh coached under Mason at Michigan State, and his ex-wife is Mason’s daughter.

“It has stayed with me ever since I heard. We’re all sick about it,” said Mason to the Daily News.

In 16 seasons, Walsh’s Black Bears have compiled a 379-203-37 record, with seven Frozen Four appearances. He led Maine to its first NCAA Championship in 1993, then was suspended for one year, and the school barred from the NCAA Tournament for two seasons, due to various NCAA violations. Walsh returned to lead the Black Bears to another championship in 1999.

This past season, Walsh led his Black Bears to the Hockey East tournament championship and another berth in the NCAA Frozen Four, where they fell to the eventual-national champion, North Dakota.

St. Lawrence Loses Dietrich to NHL

St. Lawrence’s 2001 NCAA Frozen Four hopes were dealt another blow today when center Brandon Dietrich signed with the New York Rangers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Saints, the early favorite to win the ECAC and a contender to return to the Frozen Four, lost goalie Derek Gustafson two weeks ago when he signed with the expansion Minnesota Wild with three years of eligibility remaining. St. Lawrence still has a lot of returning and incoming talent, but will obviously be hurt by the loss of two star underclassmen.

“Brandon was one of top offensive forwards in college hockey, averaging over a point a game while at St. Lawrence University,” said Rangers assistant general manager Don Maloney. “He is an impressive skater with strong offensive instincts and hockey sense. We are excited about him as a prospect for our hockey club.”

Dietrich, 22, had 15 goals and 41 points in 36 games as a sophomore for the Saints last season. He led the team in assists (26), points (41), power play points (16) and game-winning goals (4), and placed tied for fifth in the ECAC with 25 points in 20 games league games.

This season, Dietrich’s performance earned him Second Team All-American and First Team All-ECAC honors. He posted ten multiple-point games, including a season-high five-point night against Clarkson.

As a freshman, Dietrich had 20 goals and 39 points in 39 games, capturing the 1999 ECAC Rookie of the Year award in the process. He led the nation with seven game-winning goals during the 1998-99 season.

Commentary: NHL Draft Analysis

With college players going an unprecedented 1-2 in this year’s NHL draft, and a record seven being selected in the first round, many fans of the game celebrated the moment.

Is it parochial? Sure. Is it justified? Absolutely.

Stand up college hockey fans, and be proud. The sport you love has just gained a measure of recognition and respect unsurpassed in recent memory.

Of course, we’re not here to be cheerleaders. Beyond the hype and the “respect” issue, what does it really mean?

Is it the sign of a larger trend? Is it part of the cyclical nature of sports? Does it mean there are better players in college hockey today? Or are NHL general managers just finally realizing that many good players have existed in college hockey for a long time?

As with any similar situation, it’s a combination of many factors.

“It’s interesting because, who were the top two draft picks? College kids,” said St. Cloud coach Craig Dahl. “The college game does a good job of developing players. The college game does two things — it allows a young man to get an education at the same time that he’s developing his skills, and, two, it allows him to play a little bit longer so he’s older and more mature, mentally and physically.”

Of course, Dahl saying that is like preaching to the converted. But NHL people are saying it too, now.

For years, there was a large contingent of NHL general managers that shied away from college players. There are still some teams, like Calgary (which again took no college players) that seem to have a natural aversion to utilizing them. Just ask Martin St. Louis.

But more and more general managers are aware of the talent in college hockey. Helping that along has been the recent success of many college players in the NHL — players like Chris Drury, Jeff Halpern, Mike York, Bill Muckalt, Mark Parrish, and so on.

At the same time, better players are coming in, thanks in part to the publicity generated by the draft and those aforementioned players. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle.

“It speaks about the job being done at the college level,” said Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni. “Kids can go to college and have a high-level experience that will prepare them. That’s been in question [in the past]. But more and more kids are being taken, and more and more are being taken high. That makes a statement from the pros.”

And, as Mazzoleni points out, there are more people in NHL management than ever before with college ties. They have become, consciously or sub-consciously, better advocates for college hockey (see sidebar). When you recognize that, perhaps it’s not hard to see why a lot has changed.

What was almost 100 percent the domain of Canadian major junior players just 16 years ago, the draft has become quite a melting pot, and all for the better of the sport as a whole.

College hockey started to gain prominence in the ’80s in the aftermath of the U.S. Olympic team’s win in Lake Placid. It tailed off in the early to mid ’90s, when Europeans started to dominate the scene. Now Americans and U.S. collegiate players have come back with a vengeance, to the further detriment of Canadian major junior players.

Perhaps NHL general managers are finally shying away from the ridiculous notion that their players are better off in a “more competitive” major junior environment. The arguments against college hockey were getting pretty tired: It’s not as physical, it’s too chippy, it’s too wide open, they don’t use the red line, they don’t play enough games … blah, blah, blah. It was repeated until it became a reflex, like reading Miranda rights.

But more than ever before, you hear just enough NHL people praise the benefits of the college game. For sure, there are still the majority who would rather see their players in the junior environment, but not so much as to completely dismiss college players.

It’s just impossible to overlook the success that many four-year college players have had anymore.

“I think it’s changed some,” said Flyers assistant general manager Paul Holmgren, a former player at Minnesota and an assistant coach for Team USA during the 1996 World Cup.

“Good players are good players. Do they play 80 games? No. But they play 35-40 and they get to practice more. It doesn’t bother me one way or another. Certain players are better off in junior, certain players are better off in college. In college, you’re practicing for three hours a day, you’re fine-tuning your skating, your puck-handling skills….”

No one questions whether basketball players have a problem adjusting to the NBA from a 35-game to an 82-game schedule. Or baseball players from 70-game college and 40-game high school schedules to the 140-plus-game grind of the minor and major leagues.

“When I look back … I played only one year [in college], but my skating improved … a lot,” says Holmgren. “When you’re playing 80 games, you might be on the third or fourth line, and you’re only playing 8-12 minutes per game.”

Dahl agreed that less is sometimes more, pointing to players like Steve Reinprecht of Wisconsin and Lee Goren of North Dakota as recent examples of guys who blossomed in the college environment, but may not have elsewhere.

“Look at the success of college players stepping into the NHL,” he said. “[Playing fewer games is] easier for the player, physically. Plus, they’re getting a more mature player out of college that is more able to step in and help.

“A lot of parents are viewing college hockey as a way to accomplish two goals — getting an education as well as playing a high level of competition.”

On the eve of the draft, the Mike Van Ryn arbitration decision threatened to bring all of this to a halt. Van Ryn, a former No. 1 draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, left Michigan after two seasons, went to play major junior, and then was declared a free agent by an arbitrator. If players could get away from their drafted team with that method, then NHL teams may be reluctant to draft college players.

“It sure becomes a viable possibility,” said Mazzoleni. “Education should be why you’re going, but for those of us who’ve been in this, it’s kind of crazy what kids do sometimes. It throws another viable option out there. You have to continue to recruit your own kids.

“If you’re going to draft a player in the first 1-4 rounds, it’s a major commitment. And now those kids have found a loophole.”

Why should we care? Maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe we should be happy that players have found an avenue that gives them more financial freedom and independence. However, as a devotee of the sport, you can’t help but be frustrated if such a precedent sets back college hockey’s gains. And you’d like to think those players really aren’t gaining much by leaving school to escape their drafted team.

“It’s good for the kids, individually,” said Dahl. “If they want to increase their value, they can take that route. We always hope that loyalty is a two-way street. On the other hand, we understand the financial situation is so great that it’s going to create some hardships.”

As it turns out, NHL teams obviously didn’t shy away from drafting college players. In fact, the person most impacted by the Van Ryn decision, the Devils’ Lou Lamoriello, took college players with his first three picks.

And really, how much will change? The Van Ryn decision didn’t so much overturn an old policy than affirm rights that already existed. And why would most players bother leaving school for the CHL just to get away from their drafted team if they weren’t planning on leaving school anyway? How many players would have that much of a beef with the team that drafted them? Sure, becoming a free agent might be a nice way to start a bidding war, sort of what happens to many non-drafted college free agents who blossom while in school. But players are still restricted by the NHL’s rookie salary cap.

So, the panic that set in right after the decision announced seems unnecessary at this point.

“It could cause problems,” said Holmgren. “If you draft a player and he sees a depth problem within the organization, or doesn’t like the team, he can get out. But I don’t think you can worry about that.

“If he stays in school four years, you don’t have to make a decision on him. He’s developing for you for nothing.”

So the renewed recognition for the college game doesn’t seem to be going away.

All this isn’t lost on the Canadian fans, either. It bothers Canadians much more than it pleases Americans.

Picks No. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 in this year’s draft were all from major junior teams, but then came a run of 13 picks where there was only one. So when Vancouver stepped up to announce the selection of Nathan Smith at No. 23, the crowd in Calgary roared its approval before Brian Burke could get the words “from the Western Hockey League” out of his mouth. Burke knew it, too, sensing their bewilderment and exasperation, and playing up to the crowd by emphasizing the words.

The cheer in the crowd was a lot larger for goalie Brent Krahn, who played in the WHL for the Calgary Hitmen, than it was for No. 2 pick Dany Heatley and No. 19 Krys Kolanos of Boston College, two guys who played Tier II hockey in Calgary.

All of which is a shame.

Canadians have every right to be just as parochial and proud of their local products as Americans are, but why the need to do so while bashing the U.S. and Europe? Must they boo the U.S., as Canadian fans did during a World Cup game in 1996 when the Americans played Russia?

It’s time for Canada to face fact: Its dominance is slipping. Yes, it still produces 60 percent of NHL players, but the top skill players are evenly spread out between Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Just look at the NHL Rookie of the Year finalists for the past few seasons.

And this is not a bad thing. Canada’s ability to produce top players isn’t slipping so much as the others are improving.

I have nothing against Canada and the major junior system. I think it’s a great system, and I think what makes hockey great is the amount of options available to players. No other sport has that many, and that varied, options available to a player — from Europe, to major juniors, to the United States Hockey League, to college, to independent minor league teams.

Instead of denigrating or condescending to the U.S. and European systems, all parties should realize there is something to be learned from all the different systems, and that all can co-exist.

“I don’t think the major junior guys can say that’s the only way to go and I don’t think college can say that’s the only way to go,” said Dahl.

College hockey has arrived for good. That’s something to be proud of.

Heatley Picked Second, Mulls Future

Now the nail-biting begins.

Wisconsin’s Dany Heatley has been drafted – at No. 2 by the Atlanta Thrashers in Saturday’s NHL entry draft – and now faces his decision.

Should he stay or should he go?

The decision rests a bit with him and a bit with the Thrashers, who could tell the 19-year-old they would either like to see him in training camp next season or to return to the Badgers to work on his game.

“I think that’s still up in the air,” Heatley said on an Internet chat session after being selected. “We’ll talk to the team over the next month or so. We will see what’s best for the team and take it from there.”

One NHL general manager, however, said it might be a waste for Heatley to return to Wisconsin for his sophomore season.

“Heatley is not going to have a better year or he might not be challenged to have a better year,” Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. “It’s kind of in his court, but I think he’s got to look past what more he can do at that level.”

Heatley, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound left wing, admitted he might need to get in the weight room before he can step on the ice in the NHL. There is also some question if he is quick enough for the top level.

But NHL coaches and general managers have lauded his ability to move the puck, which may overshadow his flaws.

The top-ranked North American skater, Heatley was projected in some reports to go to the New York Islanders with the top pick in the draft. But the Islanders traded away their top two goaltenders and picked Boston University’s Rick DiPietro at No. 1.

Just as well, Heatley said.

“I came into the draft with an open mind and I wasn’t expecting anything,” he said. “I’m happy to go No. 2.”

Heatley scored 28 goals and added 28 assists in 38 games as a freshman at Wisconsin. He was named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s first team and was the conference’s rookie of the year.

Wisconsin had a player selected in the first round of the draft for the second straight year. In 1999, the Carolina Hurricanes selected freshman defenseman Dave Tanabe with the 16th pick.

Tanabe left Wisconsin last summer and played 31 games for the Hurricanes in the 1999-2000 season.

2000 NHL Draft

The following college players or recruits were chosen in the National Hockey League’s entry draft on June 24-25, 2000 in Calgary:

(I) = Incoming Recruit

Round One
---------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

1 New York Islanders Rick DiPietro, G Boston University (HEA)
2 Atlanta Thrashers Dany Heatley, LW Wisconsin (WCHA)
13 Montreal Canadiens Ron Hainsey, D Mass.-Lowell (HEA)
18 Pittsburgh Penguins Brooks Orpik, D Boston College (HEA)
19 Phoenix Coyotes Krys Kolanos, C Boston College (HEA)
22 New Jersey Devils David Hale, D (I) North Dakota (WCHA)
30 St. Louis Blues Jeff Taffe, C Minnesota (WCHA)

Round Two
---------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

35 New York Islanders Brad Winchester, C/LW Wisconsin (WCHA)
37 Boston Bruins Andy Hilbert, LW/C Michigan (CCHA)
57 New Jersey Devils Matt Demarchi, D Minnesota (WCHA)
60 Dallas Stars Dan Ellis, G (I) Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)
62 New Jersey Devils Paul Martin, D (I) Minnesota (WCHA)

Round Three
-----------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

77 Florida Panthers Rob Fried, RW (I) Harvard (ECAC)
80 Carolina Hurricanes Ryan Bayda, LW North Dakota (WCHA)
95 New York Rangers Dominic Moore, C Harvard (ECAC)

Round Four
----------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

99 Minnesota Wild Marc Cavosie, F Rensselaer (ECAC)
103 Boston Bruins Brett Nowak, F Harvard (ECAC)
104 San Jose Sharks Jon DiSalvatore, F Providence (HEA)
119 Colorado Avalanche Brian Fahey, D Wisconsin (WCHA)
122 Ottawa Senators Derrick Byfuglien,D(I) North Dakota (WCHA)
129 St. Louis Blues Troy Riddle, F (I) Minnesota (WCHA)

Round Five
----------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

131 Nashville Predators Matt Hendricks, C (I) St. Cloud (WCHA)
137 Nashville Predators Mike Stuart, D Colorado College (WCHA)
140 New York Rangers Nathan Martz, C (I) New Hampshire (HEA)
143 New York Rangers Brandon Snee, G Union (ECAC)
145 Montreal Canadiens Ryan Glynn, D (I) St. Lawrence (ECAC)
147 Atlanta Thrashers Matthew McRae, F Cornell (ECAC)
150 Columbus Blue Jackets Tyler Kolarik, C (I) Harvard (ECAC)
153 Anaheim Mighty Ducks Bill Cass, D Boston College (HEA)
154 Nashville Predators Matt Koalska, C (I) Minnesota (WCHA)
156 Ottawa Senators Greg Zanon, D Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)
157 Ottawa Senators Grant Potulny, C (I) Minnesota (WCHA)
158 Ottawa Senators Sean Connolly, D Northern Michigan (CCHA)
159 Colorado Avalanche John-Michael Liles, D Michigan State (CCHA)
165 Los Angeles Kings Nathan Marsters, G (I) Rensselaer (ECAC)
166 San Jose Sharks Nolan Schaefer, G Providence (HEA)
167 St. Louis Blues Craig Weller, D (I) Minnesota (WCHA)

Round Six
---------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

172 Montreal Canadiens Scott Selig, C/RW (I) Northeastern (HEA)
177 Chicago Blackhawks Michael Ayers, G (I) New Hampshire (HEA)
178 Atlanta Thrashers Jeff Dwyer, D (I) Yale (ECAC)
181 Carolina Hurricanes Justin Forrest, D (I) Boston College (HEA)
185 Pittsburgh Penguins Patrick Foley, LW New Hampshire (HEA)
189 Colorado Avalanche Chris Bahen, D Clarkson (ECAC)
190 Florida Panthers Josh Olson, LW (I) North Dakota (WCHA)
193 Chicago Blackhawks Joey Martin, D (I) Minnesota (WCHA)
195 Philadelphia Flyers Colin Shields, RW (I) Maine (HEA)

Round Seven
-----------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

198 New Jersey Devils Ken Magowan, LW (I) Boston University (HEA)
202 New York Islanders Ryan Cladwell, D (I) Denver (WCHA)
207 Chicago Blackhawks Cliff Loya, D Maine (HEA)
210 Philadelphia Flyers John Eichelberger,C(I) Wisconsin (WCHA)
211 Edmonton Oilers Joe Cullen, C/LW Colorado College (WCHA)
216 Pittsburgh Penguins Jim Abbott, LW New Hampshire (HEA)
226 Tampa Bay Lightning Brian Eklund, G Brown (ECAC)
Round Eight
----------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

231 Columbus Blue Jackets Peter Zingoni, C (I) Providence (HEA)
235 Carolina Hurricanes Craig Kowalski, G (I) Northern Michigan (CCHA)
238 New York Rangers Danny Eberly, D Rensselaer (ECAC)
240 Chicago Blackhawks Adam Berkhoel, G (I) Denver (WCHA)
242 Atlanta Thrashers Evan Nielsen, D Notre Dame (CCHA)
245 Los Angeles Kings Dan Welch, RW Minnesota (WCHA)
247 Edmonton Oilers Jason Platt, D (I) Providence (HEA)
251 Detroit Red Wings Todd Jackson, RW (I) Maine (HEA)
259 Philadelphia Flyers Regan Kelly, D (I) Providence (HEA)

Round Nine
----------
Pick NHL Team Name, Pos School (Conference)

266 Colorado Avalanche Sean Kotary, C (I) Bowling Green (CCHA)
276 Carolina Hurricanes Troy Ferguson, F Michigan State (CCHA)
280 Pittsburgh Penguins Nick Boucher, G Dartmouth (ECAC)
288 Atlanta Thrashers Mark McRae, D Cornell (ECAC)

The following list shows U.S. college players who made the Central Scouting Bureau’s end of season rankings. Use this list as a guide for which of your favorite college hockey players may be selected in this year’s NHL Draft.

(I) = Incoming Recruit

Forwards/Defensemen

                                                  *NHL Draft Selection*
Rank Name Team Pos. Rd. Overall By

1 Dany Heatley Wisconsin LW 1 2 Atlanta Thrashers
4 Brooks Orpik Boston College D 1 18 Pittsburgh Penguins
9 Ron Hainsey Mass.-Lowell D 1 13 Montreal Canadiens
10 Jeff Taffe Minnesota C 1 30 St. Louis Blues
18 Paul Martin Minnesota (I) D 2 62 New Jersey Devils
22 Brett Nowak Harvard C/LW 4 103 Boston Bruins
25 David Hale North Dakota (I) D 1 22 New Jersey Devils
27 Krystofer Kolanos Boston College C 1 19 Phoenix Coyotes
28 Matt Demarchi Minnesota D 2 57 New Jersey Devils
29 Andy Hilbert Michigan LW/C 2 37 Boston Bruins

36 Brad Winchester Wisconsin C/LW 2 35 New York Islanders
46 John Eichelberger Wisconsin (I) C 7 210 Philadelphia Flyers
47 Jon Disalvatore Providence RW 4 104 San Jose Sharks
48 Dominic Moore Harvard C 3 95 New York Rangers
50 Marc Cavosie Rensselaer C/LW 4 99 Minnesota Wild
52 Chris Bahen Clarkson D 6 189 Colorado Avalanche
54 Matt Hendricks St. Cloud (I) C 5 131 Nashville Predators
58 Ryan Bayda North Dakota LW 3 80 Carolina Hurricanes

61 Rob Fried Harvard (I) RW 3 77 Florida Panthers
62 Cliff Loya Maine D 7 207 Chicago Blackhawks
63 Brian Fahey Wisconsin D 4 119 Colorado Avalanche
64 Evan Nielsen Notre Dame D 8 242 Atlanta Thrashers
66 Tyler Kolarik Harvard (I) C 5 150 Columbus Blue Jackets
67 Krzystof Wieckowski Cornell C
73 Dan Welch Minnesota RW 8 245 Los Angeles Kings
76 Josh Olson North Dakota (I) LW 6 190 Florida Panthers
78 Mark McRae Cornell D 9 288 Atlanta Thrashers
79 Joe Cullen Colorado College C/LW 7 211 Edmonton Oilers
81 Bill Cass Boston College D 5 153 Anaheim Mighty Ducks
82 Jason Platt Providence (I) D 8 247 Edmonton Oilers
86 Matt McRae Cornell C 5 147 Atlanta Thrashers

92 Sean Connolly Northern Michigan D 5 158 Ottawa Senators
96 Sean Kotary Bowling Green (I) C 9 266 Colorado Avalanche
97 Patrick Foley New Hampshire LW 6 185 Pittsburgh Penguins
98 Scott Selig Northeastern (I) C/RW 6 172 Montreal Canadiens
102 Joey Martin Minnesota (I) D 6 193 Chicago Blackhawks
103 John-Michael Liles Michigan State D 5 159 Colorado Avalanche
104 Michael Chin Notre Dame RW
105 Andy Schneider North Dakota ('01) D
106 Ryan Caldwell Denver (I) D 7 202 New York Islanders
110 Troy Riddle Minnesota (I) C/RW 4 129 St. Louis Blues
111 Jeff Dwyer Yale (I) D 6 178 Atlanta Thrashers
120 Connor Dunlop Notre Dame C

121 Matt Koalska Minnesota (I) C 5 154 Nashville Predators
125 Jordan Bianchin Denver C
126 Derrick Byfuglien North Dakota (I) D 4 122 Ottawa Senators
136 Nathan Martz New Hampshire (I) C 5 140 New York Rangers
145 Ken Magowan Boston Univ. (I) LW 7 198 New Jersey Devils
147 Jeff Miles Vermont (I) RW
148 Mark Jackson Wisconsin D
150 Phillip Martin Dartmouth D

154 Regan Kelly Providence (I) D 8 259 Philadelphia Flyers
156 Kevin Truelson New Hampshire D
158 Lou Eyster Merrimack (I) C
160 Andy Wozniewski Mass.-Lowell D
161 J.J. Hartmann Denver C/LW
162 Ryan Glenn St. Lawrence (I) D 5 145 Montreal Canadiens
164 Peter Zingoni Providence (I) C 8 231 Columbus Blue Jackets
167 Chris Purslow St. Cloud State RW
172 Keith Kirley Brown RW
173 Jim Abbott New Hampshire LW 7 216 Pittsburgh Penguins
175 Brad Thompson MSU-Mankato ('01) C

181 Ryan Carrigan Northern Mich (I) D
183 Andy Berg Air Force C
185 Craig Weller Minnesota (I) D 5 167 St. Louis Blues
186 Grant Potulny Minnesota (I) C/LW 5 157 Ottawa Senators
188 Paul Kelly Boston College LW
192 Mick Mounsey New Hampshire (I) D
194 Aaron Mackenzie Denver D
195 Oriel McHugh Vermont (I) D
200 Greg Zanon Nebraska-Omaha D 5 156 Ottawa Senators
204 Dan Calzada Neb.-Omaha (I) D
207 Jon Francisco Minn.-Duluth C
208 Doug Wright Providence C
209 Mike Stuart Colorado College D 5 137 Nashville Predators

NR Colin Shields Maine (I) C 6 195 Philadelphia Flyers
NR Danny Eberly Rensselaer D 8 238 New York Rangers
NR Todd Jackson Maine (I) RW 8 251 Detroit Red Wings
NR Troy Ferguson Michigan State F 9 276 Carolina Hurricanes

Goaltenders

                                                  *NHL Draft Selection*
Rank Name Team Rd. Overall By

* 3 Dan Ellis Nebraska-Omaha (I) 2 60 Dallas Stars
15 Nolan Schaefer Providence 5 166 San Jose Sharks
20 Nathan Marsters Rensselaer (I) 5 165 Los Angeles Kings
22 David Burleigh Miami-Ohio
23 Brian Eklund Brown 7 226 Tampa Bay Lightning
24 Rob Anderson Minn.-Duluth
25 Nick Boucher Dartmouth 9 280 Pittsburgh Penguins
26 Michael Ayers New Hampshire (I) 6 177 Chicago Blackhawks
27 Will Crothers Harvard (I)
28 Craig Kowalski Northern Mich. (I) 8 235 Carolina Hurricanes
29 Adam Berkhoel Denver (I) 8 240 Chicago Blackhawks
30 Brandon Snee Union 5 143 New York Rangers

* – Boston University goalie Rick DiPietro was ranked No. 2 in the mid-season CSB rankings, but not listed in the final rankings because he hadn’t yet made his decision to “opt-in” to the NHL Draft. Because DiPietro turns 19 after Sept. 15, 2000, he had to “opt-in” and thus lose future collegiate eligibility.

Draft: Another Golden Era?

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College hockey will get some additional notoriety in this year’s draft, thanks to the likely early selection of Wisconsin’s Dany Heatley and Boston University’s Rick DiPietro.

Since its inception in 1969, Michigan State’s Joe Murphy (1986) is the only college player to be selected No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft. That fell near the beginning of college hockey’s last golden age, 1985-92, when the effects of the U.S. win in the 1980 Olympics first started to be felt.

There has also only been one other occasion where two college players were taken in the first five picks. That came in 1991, when Boston University’s Scott Lachance went No. 4 and Michigan’s Aaron Ward was taken No. 5.

While Joe Murphy was not American — and neither is Heatley — the college game was gaining recognition, and a number of Americans were taking advantage too. In that eight-year span, 24 college players were drafted in the first round, including some who would go on to help the U.S. capture the 1996 World Cup: Bill Guerin, Bryan Smolinski, Keith Tkachuk and Brian Rolston.

Remarkably, it was not until 1979 that any U.S. college player was taken in the first round. That was the realm of Canadian Major Junior players to near 100 percent exclusivity until Minnesota’s Mike Ramsey was taken No. 11 by Buffalo. Before 1979, college players started to sprinkle into the second round, starting with Denver’s Bruce Affleck in 1974, who was taken one pick ahead of future Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier.

There were no No. 1 college picks in 1980, then came a four-year stretch of just one each: North Dakota’s James Patrick (9), Wisconsin’s Pat Flatley (21), New Hampshire’s Norm Lacombe (10) and BU’s David Quinn (13).

Two years later, however, the college game busted out with five first-round picks, a record that still stands. In addition to Murphy there were four Hockey East products in that conference’s first year of existence. Included were Boston College’s Brian Leetch (9) and Craig Janney (13), BU’s Scott Young, and Providence’s Tom Fitzgerald (17).

Three was a fairly typical number of first-round picks for the next half-decade, though in 1989, all three were taken in the Top 10, the only time that has happened. They were BC’s Bill Guerin (5), Minnesota’s Doug Zmolek (7) and North Dakota’s Jason Herter (9).

Had the draft been at today’s size, the 1989 draft would have equaled 1986 in the selection of college players. Cornell’s Kent Manderville and Dan Ratushny were early-second-round selections at No. 24 and 25, respectively. The same could be said for the next season, too, when Michigan State’s Michael Stewart (13), Tkachuk (19) and Smolinski (21) went in the first round, while Cornell’s Ryan Hughes (22) and Michigan’s David Harlock (24) went early in the second.

1991 equaled 1989 for productivity with three players going in the Top 11, including the aforementioned Lachance and Ward, plus Lake Superior’s Brian Rolston (11). In 1992, three more players were taken in the first round, Michigan’s Ryan Sittler (7), Providence’s Joe Hulbig (13) and Maine’s Peter Ferraro (24).

Then the well ran dry.

Whether it be cyclical, or a variety of other factors, college hockey produced just seven first-round picks in a six-year span from 1993-1998. In 1997 and 1995, there was a complete shutout.

But, again, for a variety of factors, college hockey seems to be reaching another golden era. In recent years, a number of free agents have made a significant impact in the NHL, and not since the mid-’80s have those free agents demanded such a high price tag. It has started to show up in the draft now as well.

Last year, college hockey earned three first-round picks for just the second time since 1992 when Michigan’s Jeff Jillson (14), Wisconsin’s David Tanabe (16) and Maine’s Barrett Heisten (20) were chosen. This year, Heatley and DiPietro are locks to go high, while Minnesota’s Jeff Taffe is likely to go in the first round too. (See Jim Connelly’s full draft preview)

DiPietro will most certainly make history in another way, too. While college hockey has produced a tremendous amount of high-quality free agent goalies, only one has been taken in the first round of the NHL draft: Michigan State’s Jason Muzzatti (21) in 1988. DiPietro will most certainly be taken well before then.

In the rare chance DiPietro is chosen No. 1, he would make a whole lot of history. He’d be the highest goalie ever selected (Roberto Luongo was taken No. 4 by the Islanders in 1997), only the second college player taken No. 1, just the fourth American taken No. 1 overall, and first American-born college player taken No. 1.

Other Americans taken with the first pick in the draft have been Bryan Berard (1995), Mike Modano (1988) and Brian Lawton (1983), none of whom went to college.

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