According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, St. Lawrence senior forward Carson Gicewicz is heading to Massachusetts and will play for the Minutemen as a graduate transfer for the 2020-21 season.
Gicewicz also tweeted his news on Wednesday.
— CG (@CGicewicz) April 8, 2020
During the 2019-20 season, Gicewicz played in just two games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Overall, Gicewicz tallied 21 goals and 33 assists for 54 points over 101 games with the Saints.
According to Center Ice View, St. Cloud State will have two graduate transfers on its roster next season in Colgate forward Jared Cockrell and Michigan Tech defenseman Seamus Donohue.
Cockrell was tied for fourth in Colgate scoring in 2019-20 with seven goals among 17 points in 36 games, while Donohue tallied three goals and 17 points over 39 games.
“The Huskies have really solidified their lineup with veteran players who will immediately step in and be impact players in 2020-21,” reads the Center Ice View report.
In four years and over 112 games for the Raiders, Cockrell posted 23 goals and 52 points and Donohue collected seven goals and 55 points in 117 games over three seasons.
Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman Dylan Samberg has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and will give up his final season of collegiate eligibility.
Samberg, a second-round pick of the Jets (43rd overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, posted 21 points on one goal and 20 assists in 28 games during the 2019-20 season while going a plus-17.
Overall, the Hermantown, Minn., native played 109 games for the Bulldogs and recorded 53 points (nine goals and 44 assists) in addition to a plus-44 rating.
According to the Bemidji Pioneer, Bemidji State goaltender Henry Johnson will play the 2020-21 season at Mercyhurst as a graduate transfer.
Johnson played 19 games the past three seasons with the Beavers.
His most productive year was 2018-19 when he compiled a 5-5-2 mark with a 1.96 GAA and a .916 save percentage with two shutouts.
North Dakota’s Brad Berry and Cornell’s Mike Schafer have been chosen co-winners of the 2020 Spencer Penrose Award as the CCM/AHCA Coach of the Year for men’s Division I hockey.
The honor is a first for both coaches and represents just the second tie in the award’s history. In 1966, Amo Bessone of Michigan State and Len Ceglarski of Clarkson shared the honor.
This season, Berry won the NCHC’s Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award for the second time in his five years as head coach. Berry led UND to a resurgent 2019-20 campaign that saw the Fighting Hawks go 26-5-4 overall (17-4-3 NCHC), winning the NCHC’s regular-season title and earning the top spot in both the national polls and the PairWise for the bulk of the season.
Berry’s assistant coaches this season were Dane Jackson, Karl Goehring and Jason Ulmer.
Cornell finished the 2019-20 with a record of 23-2-4 (18-2-2 ECAC Hockey), and won nine straight games down the stretch. They went 9-1-2 this season against teams that finished the season ranked in the top 20 or receiving votes. His ECAC peers recognized him with his fifth Tim Taylor Coach of the Year Award, the most ever for any ECAC coach.
Assisting Schafer this year were Ben Syer, Sean Flanagan and Mitch Stephens.
The Spencer Penrose Award is named in memory of the Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first 10 NCAA championship hockey tournaments.
According to a tweet from Alaska, goaltender Anton Martinsson will play the 2020-21 season at Providence as a graduate transfer.
Graduating senior goaltender Anton Martinsson announces he will continue his collegiate career as a graduate transfer with the Providence College Friars in Providence, Rhode Island.
Good luck Marty! #RollNooks #NanookNation
— Nanooks Hockey Blog (@NanookHockey) April 5, 2020
During the 2019-20 season, his third with the Nanooks, Martinsson went 9-10-2 with a 2.51 GAA and a .919 save percentage with two shutouts.
After three seasons at Michigan Tech, goaltender Robbie Beydoun will play at Wisconsin for the 2020-21 season as a graduate transfer.
Playing in just 28 games the past three seasons with the Huskies, Beydoun should get a chance to play regularly for the Badgers.
“That’s all you can ask for as a goalie, just an opportunity to come in somewhere and show them what you’ve got,” Beydoun told the Wisconsin State Journal. “I just saw the opportunity. I feel like I can come in and contribute right away. And I believe they know I can do that as well. Regardless of what goalies are there, I’m definitely looking forward to working with those guys and making those guys better and building a good goalie relationship with them.”
Beydoun went 10-11-2 with a 2.28 GAA and a .919 save percentage with three shutouts in his time with MTU.
Boston College freshman forward Hannah Bilka has been named the 2019-20 Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association National Rookie of the Year after a 14-goal, 23-assist season with the Eagles.
Bilka, who was also named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, adds the national rookie award to a postseason awards resume that includes spots on the USCHO All-Rookie Team as well as the conference All-Rookie Team and the All-Conference Second Team.
She was also named the AHCA National Rookie of the Month for October and took home one Hockey East Player of the Week honor, one Rookie of the Week honor and was named the October Rookie of the Month.
The Coppell, Tex., native led all rookies in the country in total points per game (1.13), assists per game (0.71) and shots on goal per game (4.06) during the regular season and tied for first in shots on goal (126).
Bilka had 10 multi-point games, three multi-goal games and five multi-assist outings on the year, with her 10 total multi-point games sitting second in the nation among rookies while her four three-plus point outings tied for first overall among rookies. Bilka put together a nine-game point streak from Sept. 28 to Nov. 2 and recorded the program’s tenth-ever four-goal game in a win over Holy Cross on Oct. 3.
The Eagles went 8-0-1 this season when she scored a goal and 14-4-3 when she had at least one point.
The ballot for the award consisted of the four Division I conference’s rookie of the year selections. Each program playing Division I women’s hockey receives one ballot with assistant coaches submitting their teams’ selections ranked in order (first, second, third, etc.).
St. Scholastica men’s coach Tim Madsen announced his resignation on Thursday “to pursue other opportunities,” according to a news release.
Madsen was hired as program’s 10th coach in May 2018, and guided the Saints to a 20-30-2 record and made the NCHA Harris Cup playoffs this past season despite a plethora of injuries during the second half of the year.
“I have appreciated my experience as the head men’s hockey coach at the College of St. Scholastica,” Madsen in a statement. “The institution and the values it stands for are something I have truly appreciated in my time here. But right now, it is the time for me both professionally and personally to move on to my next challenge in hockey. It is with a heavy heart that I am stepping down as the men’s ice hockey head coach. The strides we have taken as a program in the past two years are something we should all be proud of.
“Our culture – and how our program was viewed from the outside – has made great strides. I am very thankful to our players for being open to help this process. I would like to thank vice president Steve Lyons and athletic director Franco Bari for their guidance, trust and support in leading the program. Most importantly, I would like to thank our student-athletes.”
Madsen, who played three years at Niagara from 2004 to 2007 and was an assistant there from 2009 to 2016, came to CSS after spending two years as head coach and director of hockey operations of the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness.
“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Tim for his commitment, efforts and service to the hockey program and to the College of St. Scholastica,” said Bari. “I was quite pleased with his commitment and drive to take the program to new heights. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. Saints Hockey is in a very good place and certainly primed for future success.”
A national search process will begin immediately to fill Madsen’s position.
Minnesota Duluth junior forward Justin Richards has signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers and will forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility.
Richards, an undrafted free agent out of Columbus, Ohio, concluded the 2019-20 season with a career-high 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points while recording a plus-14 rating in 34 games.
A 2018-19 All-NCHC Second Team pick and the league’s defensive forward of the year the past two seasons, Richards played 120 games, tallying 66 points on 26 goals and 40 assists with a plus-40 rating since joining the Bulldogs in 2017-18.
Penn State junior forward Evan Barratt will give up his senior season after agreeing to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
Barratt, a Bristol, Pa., native, was drafted by the Blackhawks in the third round (90th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.
“I absolutely loved watching ‘Barry’ play and practice over the past three seasons,” said Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky in a statement. “He just loves playing the game and loves to score and he figures out some pretty amazing and inventive ways to do so.
“We are very proud of Evan and can’t wait to see him spin his magic in a Blackhawks uniform.”
Barratt finished second on the Nittany Lions and 13th in the nation with a career-best 43-point season in 2019-20 on 16 goals and 27 assists in 32 games.
“From the moment I stepped foot on campus as a freshman, I knew this place was special,” said Barratt. “Hockey as well as playing at Pegula Ice Arena are one thing, but the people I came in contact with and the teammates I’ve had is what truly made this place so special.
“Everything I’ve experienced as a student-athlete has prepared me to be able to make this jump and I am forever grateful for my time at Penn State.”
The Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists for the 2020 award, honoring college hockey’s top player, are North Dakota junior forward Jordan Kawaguchi, Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman Scott Perunovich and Maine junior goaltender Jeremy Swayman.
The three finalists were selected from the initial list of top ten candidates by the 30-member selection committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner.
Criteria for the award includes displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.
This year’s Hobey Baker winner will be announced Saturday, April 11, live on ESPN’s SportsCenter during the 11 p.m. EDT show. This will replace the originally scheduled April 10 announcement time due to the dramatic changes the coronavirus has created.
The SportsCenter segment will also include the announcements of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, the East and West All-American Teams and the Mike Richter Award for the nation’s top college hockey goalie.
Concordia (Wis.) announced Tuesday that Bill Horton has been promoted to interim head coach for the Falcons’ men’s team.
Horton replaces Jasen Wise, who stepped down earlier this offseason after eight seasons.
“I am pleased to announce that we have elevated Bill Horton to the position of interim head coach of our NCAA men’s hockey program,” Concordia director of athletics Dr. Rob Barnhill said in a statement. “In talking with Coach Horton over the past few weeks, it became apparent to me, that he has earned the right to lead our team in this capacity at this time. At the conclusion of next season, I will reevaluate our program and we will name a permanent head coach. Coach Horton has done a great job of leading the recruitment efforts in this time of transition and we feel that we can put a highly competitive team on the ice next season.
“This opportunity provides our program with some continuity and allows him to compete for the permanent position while we administratively deal with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the hiring process.”
Horton completed his second season as an assistant with Concordia in 2019-20.
“I want to thank Dr. Barnhilll for the opportunity to take over the men’s hockey program,” Horton said. “I think we have a very strong incoming class for next season and things are looking upward for the 2020-21 season. My expectation is to return to the playoffs and I think teams are a direct reflection of their head coach and we’ll be playing a tough brand of hockey.
“We are trending in the right direction and I know we had a down year two years ago, but with our incoming recruits and new leadership, the upcoming season has the makings of being something special.”
Horton is the third head coach in the program’s 13 years of existence.
Massachusetts junior forward John Leonard has agreed to join the San Jose Sharks organization, forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility.
The Amherst, Mass., native was selected by the Sharks in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
“John Leonard grew tremendously as a hockey player this past season, becoming the top goal scorer in the country, and put himself in a position to sign with the San Jose Sharks,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel in a statement. “John has been a critical piece in the development of our hockey program and our culture. His growth as a player mirrored the growth of our team and we are excited to watch him play in the NHL with three other UMass players who came to campus at the same time.
“Cale Makar, Mario Ferraro, Mitchell Chaffee and John Leonard were all part of our first recruiting class and, after three years, they are all signed to NHL contracts. John is an elite goal scorer and we are excited to cheer him on and watch him score goals at the next level.”
Leonard leaves UMass ranking fourth all-time in program history for career goals (56), tied for fifth in career plus/minus (30), tied for eighth in career points (105) and tied for eighth in career power-play goals (16) over 106 career contests.
This season, Leonard led the nation with 27 goals and paced the Minutemen with 37 points. He had 10 assists to his credit and was plus-17 in 33 games with five power-play goals.
According to the Daily Collegian, Maine forward Tim Doherty is transferring to Penn State and will be a graduate transfer for the 2020-21 season.
As a graduate transfer, Doherty will be immediately eligible.
The news was also tweeted by USCHO.com columnist and longtime college hockey writer Mark Divver.
Maine's Tim Doherty headed to Penn State next season, per source
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) March 30, 2020
Last season for the Black Bears, Doherty tallied 14 goals and 37 points in 34 games.
In three seasons and 101 games at Maine, Doherty compiled 34 goals and 43 assists for 77 points.
Northeastern sophomore forward Tyler Madden has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Los Angeles Kings and will forgo his final two seasons with the Huskies.
Originally a third-round draft pick (68th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Madden put up a career-high 19 goals and 18 assists in 27 games this season.
His NHL rights were traded to the Kings in the Tyler Toffoli trade on Feb. 17, 2020.
“Ty(ler) Madden is one of the best forwards in Northeastern history,” said Huskies coach Jim Madigan in a statement. “From the minute he stepped on campus as a freshman, he conducted himself as a true professional, on and off the ice, and was a valuable teammate. He helped take our program to unprecedented heights, and his shoes will be difficult to fill, but we are excited for him to take the next step in his hockey career and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.”
Madden had three multi-goal games this past season, including his first career hat trick and a four-point night in a 5-2 win over Maine on Nov. 22, 2019. He also registered a goal and two assists en route to helping Northeastern win its first-ever Friendship Four at the Belpot in Belfast, Ireland.
Over two seasons with Northeastern, the native of Deerfield Beach, Fla., compiled 31 goals and 65 points in 63 games.
The five finalists for the 2020 Mike Richter Award were announced Monday.
Cornell junior Matthew Galajda, Boston College freshman Spencer Knight, Michigan junior Strauss Mann, Minnesota State sophomore goalie Dryden McKay and Maine junior Jeremy Swayman make up the five finalists for the 2019-20 season.
The award is given to the top goaltender in Division I hockey and is named after Mike Richter, the former Wisconsin goalie and 1994 Stanley Cup winner with the New York Rangers.
Candidates for the award were determined by nominations from all 60 NCAA Division I men’s coaches.
The finalists and winner are selected by a committee of coaches, scouts and members of the media.
Past winners include Cayden Primeau (Northeastern, 2019), Cale Morris (Notre Dame, 2018), Tanner Jaillet (Denver, 2017), Thatcher Demko (Boston College, 2016), Zane McIntyre (North Dakota, 2015), and Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell, 2014).
The winner will be announced April 10.
USCHO has teamed with message board member “Fighting Sioux 23” to publish simulations of the 2020 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey championship.
Allentown Regional championship game
#1 Minnesota State 4, #2 Penn State 3 (OT)
Marc Michaelis’ goal in the opening minute of overtime capped off a wild, back-and-forth victory over Penn State, sending Minnesota State to the Frozen Four.
The Mavericks trailed, 3-2, win a little more than two minutes remaining in regulation when Nicholas Rivera picked up a blocked shot and fired it past Penn State goaltender Peyton Jones to force the extra session.
And in the extra session, it took no time to end the game and send Minnesota State to Detroit. In the opening seconds, Parker Tuomie fired a low shot from the slot that Jones kicked out right onto the stick of Michaelis who netted his third goal of the weekend en route to being named the regions Most Outstanding Player.
The Mavericks had control of the game early jumping to a 2-0 lead goals by Ian Schneid and Reggie Lutz. But Penn State had a major response.
Brandon Biro cut the lead to one midway through the second. Nikita Pavlychev then tied the game with less than four minutes remaining in the middle frame. Nate Sucese than kept the rowdy crowd in Allentown going as the Nittany Lions took their first lead of the game.
Albany Regional championship game
#1 North Dakota 3, #3 Massachusetts 2
Despite taking leads of 2-0 and 3-1, North Dakota had to pithing a furious late-game push from Massachusetts, advancing to the Frozen Four with a 3-2 victory over the Minutemen in the Albany Regional final.
After a scoreless first period, Westin Michaud finished off a feed from Cole Smith to give North Dakota a 1-0 lead. Midway through the frame, Jacob Bernard-Docker extended that lead to 2-0 firing a wrist shot past UMass goaltender Matt Murray on the power play.
John Leonard scored late in the second to close the lead to one, but North Dakota had a response with 30 seconds left in the frame when Jordan Kawaguchi fired home his second goal of the weekend for the 3-1 lead.
The third period, though, brought an onslaught from UMass, particularly late. Oliver Chau pulled the Minutemen within a goal with five minutes left. But goaltender Adam Scheel was the hero from there, stopping the final seven shots from UMass sticks to preserve the victory.
Frozen Four (simulated) Semifinals – April 9
5:00 p.m. #2 Boston College vs. #1 Minnesota State
8:30 p.m. #1 North Dakota vs. #4 Ohio State
USCHO has teamed with message board member “Fighting Sioux 23” to publish simulations of the 2020 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey championship.
Results from Friday’s regional semifinals can be found here. Saturday’s regional finals as well as the other four regional semifinals can be found below.
Worcester Regional championship game
#2 Boston College 3, #1 Cornell 1
Despite falling behind, 1-0, on a second-period goal by Cornell’s Yanni Kaldis, Boston College scored the game’s final three goals to punch its ticket to the Frozen Four with a 3-1 victory over the Big Red in the Worcester Regional final.
With less than eight minutes remaining in the second, Boston College evened the game on an Alex Newhook goal and then took the lead late in the frame when Matt Boldy banged home the rebound of David Cotton’s shot.
Cornell stormed the net in the third period and goaltender Spencer Knight stopped all 15 shots he faced. The pressure from the Big Red, though, led to a stellar chance at the other end by the Eagles as Jack McBain fed Aapeli Rasanen on a two-on-one for the insurance goal, sending BC to the Frozen Four to play for the national title.
Loveland Regional championship game
#4 Ohio State 3, #2 Denver 2
Despite being down, 2-0, Ohio State rallied for the game’s final three goals, including Grant Gabriele’s game-winner in the game’s final minutes as the Buckeyes pulled off back-to-back upsets in the Loveland Regional to advance to the Frozen Four.
Jaakko Heikkinen and Cole Guttman scored in the first period to give Denver the advantage. And despite numerous chances to expand that lead, Ohio State had a rally as Friday’s hero Carson Meyer tallied in the second to cut the lead to a goal.
After the Buckeyes killed a major penalty to keep the lead to a goal, Wyatt Ege’s shot redirected off a Denver skate to even the game.
With the game headed to overtime, Gabriele picked up a puck at the point and blasted a shot past Magnus Chrona to send Ohio State to the Frozen Four.
Allentown Regional semifinals
#1 Minnesota State 5, #4 Western Michigan 3
Minnesota State, looking for their first NCAA win, jumped out to leads of 2-0 and 3-1, only to watch fourth-seed Western Michigan rally to tie the game at three in the third period.
That was until Hobey Baker finalist Marc Michaelis found the back of the net late in the third for his second goal of the game to give the Mavericks the victory. Reggie Lute’s late goal was the necessary insurance as Minnesota State advanced to the finals of the Allentown Regional.
The Mavericks held a 3-2 lead at the end of two periods before Rhett Kingston’s shot deflected off a defender and past another Hobey Baker finalist, Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay. That goal evened the game late but also set up the heroic moment that most will remember from Michaelis’ season.
#2 Penn State 3, #3 UMass Lowell 2
Alex Limoges’ goal in the closing minutes of regulation sent the highly-partisan Penn State crowded into a state of jubilation as regional host Penn State edged UMass Lowell, 3-2, to advance to Sunday’s title game where they will face top seed Minnesota State.
The Nittany Lions rallied from a 2-1 deficit after Connor Sodergren and Matt Brown gave the River Hawks the lead after falling behind early in the first period.
Early in the third, though, Nate Sucese ripped a wrist shot off the glove of Lowell’s Tyler Wall to even the game at two.
Albany Regional semifinals
#1 North Dakota 5, #4 Sacred Heart 1
In the most lopsided quarterfinal game, Atlantic Hockey’s streak of first-round upsets came to an end as top-seed North Dakota jumped scored early and often and never looked back, capturing a 5-1 win over the Pioneers to advance to Sunday’s regional final.
Westin Michaud, Grant Mismash, Collin Adams, Shane Pinto and Matt Kiersted all scored for the Fighting Hawks. Honey Baker finalist Jason Cotton scored the only goal for Sacred Heart.
#3 Massachusetts 4, #2 Clarkson 3
UMass fell behind 2-0, but rallied for the game’s next four goals and held on late as Clarkson put forth a furious push before the Minutemen earned a 4-3 victory on Saturday earning a matchup with top overall seed North Dakota in the Albany Regional final.
Jack Jacome and Brian Hurley gave the Golden Knights a two-goal lead in the first period.
Down but not out, UMass rallied with a furious second. John Leonard scored three minutes into the period, and Mitchell Chaffee scored on the power play just after the midway point of the frame.
Jack Suter gave the Minutemen their first lead less than three minutes later, forcing Clarkson to call their timeout. That didn’t stop the bleeding, though, as Reed Lebster extended the lead to two before the end of the second.
The third was a furious rally for Clarkson and Haralds Ege closed the gap to one, but UMass netminder Matt Murray was strong down the stretch, earning the win for last year’s national runner-up.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Anaheim Ducks have signed Harvard junior forward Jack Badini to a two-year, entry-level contract.
In signing with the Ducks, Badini will give up his senior year with Harvard.
Badini, a native of Old Greenwich, Conn., was a a third-round draft choice (91st overall) of Anaheim in the 2017 NHL Draft.
During the 2019-20 season, Badini posted six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 31 games with the Crimson.
In his three years at Harvard, Badini collected 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points over 97 games.
