Denver commit Ian Mitchell takes part in the 2017 NHL Combine earlier this month in Buffalo (photo: Hickling Images).
A year ago in Buffalo, it was a banner day for college hockey at the NHL Draft.
This year will be proof just how different draft classes can be from year to year.
One year after 11 players with college ties were selected as first-round picks, a number that tied the record high, there is a possibility when this year’s first round concludes on Friday night that as few as four players will know their NHL fate.
From there, it will become a wait-and-see game for the remainder of the 83 college players- both current and incoming freshmen – who made the final NHL Central Scouting lists (and maybe a handful not ranked who seem to be late-rounders) at the annual event being staged this year in Chicago.
After Friday’s opening round (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network), the second through seventh rounds will take place on Saturday (10 a.m. ET, NHL Network).
It does seem to be a consensus among the cognoscenti that at least a quartet of players will college ties are first-round locks. Leading that are Minnesota recruit Casey Mittlestadt and Massachusetts freshman-to-be Cale Makar. Both were among the top-ranked players in Central Scouting’s final list of North American forwards and defensemen. Also ranked high is Eeli Tolvanen, a Finnish-born player heading to Boston College.
The top-ranked current collegians are St. Cloud State’s Ryan Poehling (ranked 13th among North American skaters) and Boston University goaltender Jake Oettinger (top-ranked North American goaltender).
Goaltenders, though, often aren’t first-round selections. In the last five years, only three have been selected (Andrei Vasilevsky, 2012; Malcolm Subban, 2012; Ilya Samsonov, 2015) on Friday.
All of this isn’t to say that this still can’t be a banner year for college hockey as a draft isn’t only about the opening round. It’s quite possible given the number of players ranked by Central Scouting that more players could become NHL property than last year when 61 were taken over the seven rounds.
And as for those with high rankings, NHL scouts have plenty to say.
Mittlestadt, the future Gopher, has impressed Central Scouting despite having played much of last season in high school, as opposed to junior hockey where most players build their pedigree.
“We’ve watched him play against his peers in international tournament and have seen him play in the USHL and various camps, and he always makes a difference,” said NHL director of Central Scouting’s Dan Marr. “It doesn’t really matter where he plays because you get the same game from him no matter the environment.”
His Central Scouting report list his as “a strong, dynamic skater who has elite quickness both with and without the puck.”
Makar, who raised eyebrows when he first appeared on Central Scouting’s players to watch list last spring and then premiered on the midterm rankings ranked 10th (he ascended one spot to ninth on the final rankings), is the top-ranked defenseman in the draft and could crawl into a top-five spot if an NHL club wants a good, puck-moving defenseman.
“It’s his hands and how well he can pass and handle the puck at that speed that really catches your eye,” said NHL Central Scouting’s John Williams. “He moves it with great vision and good lateral mobility which is important in today’s game.”
Finnish-born Tolvanen, who played last year in Sioux City of the USHL, at 5-foot-10 might not have the stature, but scouts really like his hockey sense.
“He plays the game at a high pace and it very tough to contain,” said NHL Central Scouting’s David Gregory. “He understands the game very well and can be responsible in all zones.”
Gregory also touted Tolvanen’s passing skills and ability to see the open man and called his shot one that he can “release on the fly.”
Poehling, who scored eight goals and 13 points in 36 games for St. Cloud State last season, is likely to be the current collegian picked first. He earned a spot as a top-three center as a freshman and towards the end of the season was played most games on the Huskies second line.
“I think [Poehling] has great range and a nice long, strong stride,” said Gregory. “He uses good puck protection and has a long reach. There is really nice upside.”
Oettinger isn’t the only goaltender with high draft aspirations. Keith Petruzzelli, who is headed to Quinnipiac, was compared to Pittsburghs’ two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray by Central Scouting’s goalie guru Al Jensen.
“He’s good on his angles and is square to the shots,” said Jensen of Petruzzelli. “He’s tough to beat low and has good rebound control with soft pads and absorbs higher shots well into his body.”
Jensen also praised Oettinger, calling his positional play “very good,” noting he has a “phenomenal butterfly with great rebound control.”
All of these players have potential to be first-round picks and are all likely to fall no lower the early second round.
According to an NHL press release, a smattering of hockey executives will be in Chicago for a “special announcement” in support of college hockey.
The announcement is slated for 5 p.m. Friday at the United Center, home of this year’s NHL Draft.
Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, players’ association executive assistant Mathieu Schneider, USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher, University of Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman and Chicago Blackhawks CEO John McDonough will all be present.
The University of Illinois has a successful ACHA program, but has said funding is an issue when it comes to looking at making the move to NCAA Division I.
Pegula-funded Penn State is in the Big Ten, which is looking to add an eighth member at some point after Notre Dame joins the conference for the 2017-18 season.
BU goalie Jake Oettinger should be an early pick at this weekend’s NHL Draft in Chicago (photo: Melissa Wade).
Back in 2000, Boston University goaltender Rick DiPietro was the top pick of the New York Islanders in the NHL Draft.
He had put together an impressive freshman campaign that culminated in a dramatic 77-save, four-overtime loss to St. Lawrence in the NCAA regional final. His season ended with an 18-5-5 record, a 2.45 GAA and a .913 save percentage. He entered the draft ranked the top North American goaltender.
This weekend, another Terrier netminder will be drafted.
Jake Oettinger, too, is the top-ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting. His freshman numbers are similar – even a little better – than DiPietro. He posted a 21-11-3 record, a 2.11 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
That, though, may be where the similarities lie when it comes to the NHL Draft.
Unlike the days of DiPietro, goaltenders don’t seem to have the same value to NHL clubs when it comes to the draft. And DiPietro’s career may be part of the reason.
See, the Islanders took a risk in choosing DiPietro. They could have selected either Dany Heatley or Marian Gaborik, both of whom had long and relatively successful NHL careers.
Instead, they traded up to take DiPietro, whose injury-riddled career ended in 2013 and produced just four full seasons played at the NHL level.
Since DiPietro, only one goaltender has been selected first overall — Marc-Andre Fleury. His story is much different as he helped Pittsburgh win three Stanley Cups and, after Wednesday’s NHL Expansion Draft, will now try to lead the Vegas Golden Knights.
But even with his success, goaltenders have become a cautionary tale for NHL general managers when it comes spending first-round draft capital.
In the last five seasons, only three netminders have been first-round picks. Usually a goaltender is selected early in the second round which then opens the floodgates for other teams to make a similar pick.
That means that Friday night when the 31 NHL teams will make their first-round selection, could be a long night of waiting for Oettinger.
For Oettinger, though, that’s not a problem.
“Whatever happens, happens,” said Oettinger about the draft. “I’m just really going to be extremely open-minded and whatever happens, I’ll be extremely grateful.”
Listening to Oettinger, grateful is a word that often comes off his lips. He says he is grateful for every opportunity he’s had in life, particularly to play at Boston University.
That, though, doesn’t mean that he’s satisfied with how his first season ended. With a roster loaded with talent, the Terriers weren’t able to take home much in terms of hardware. BU lost to Harvard in the Beanpot final and, though the Terriers were part of a three-way co-champions situation in the Hockey East regular season, BU was eliminated by Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals.
After beating North Dakota in a not-very-neutral-ice game in Fargo to open the NCAA tournament, an overtime loss to Minnesota Duluth in the West Regional final ended the Terriers’ season.
It also left a lot of unfinished business for Oettinger and his teammates.
“My freshman year was everything I could have asked for and more,” said Oettinger. “But obviously, we fell short of our goal [of a national championship]. That’s motivated me to work harder this summer.
“I want to win a national championship at BU and I know next year we have the team to do it.”
That, probably, is music to the ears of Terriers fan and, in particular their coach David Quinn. BU already lost a trio of players in Clayton Keller, Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson to the NHL, as well another NHL first-rounder Kieffer Bellows, who departed to play major junior in the Western Hockey League.
But talking to Oettinger, his focus right now is getting through draft weekend and returning to Boston University with the chance to work further on his game.
“I need to continue to get better in almost every aspect of my game,” said Oettinger. “I’m focused a lot on the basics and positionally being really sound. There’s a lot of growth left in my game and definitely a lot of work ahead.”
Oettinger says that about 20 people – family and friends – will accompany him to Chicago. And while it’s almost a given Oettinger won’t follow DiPietro’s footsteps of being the number one selection and even quite possible that he’ll slip to the second round, that doesn’t seem to worry this glass-half-full prospect.
“Come draft day, whatever team takes me, it’s going to be the start of what hopefully is a long career,” said Oettinger. “I know it’s just a step in the process and definitely a day I’m looking forward to. I’m just excited to hear my name called and have an NHL team that I can start working towards making.”
The NCAA announced this week that video replay rules in hockey “may soon be amended regarding reviews of goals scored after infractions involving offsides or too many players on the ice.”
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee has a proposed adjustment in place that it hopes will limit lengthy reviews while maintaining the ability to correct egregious errors.
The committee, at a meeting last week in Indianapolis, recommended two changes to the replay rules, which were implemented last season. First, the committee added a clarification that the ability to review these plays ends if the defensive team gains possession and control of the puck. Second, the committee extended the ability for on-ice officials to review, without a coach’s challenge, to the last 10 minutes of the game and any overtime periods in regular-season games.
Previously, this time limit was the last two minutes of the game or any overtime period.
“We sought to put limits on the manner in which potential offsides can be reviewed while still allowing officials and coaches to get it right,” said Joe Bertagna, rules committee chair and Hockey East commissioner, in a statement.
Further, the committee clarified that in the postseason, on-ice officials can initiate a review of this type at any point in the game.
All rules changes must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss men’s and women’s hockey proposals on a conference call coming up on July 20. The committee may make these adjustments in an off-year for changes because the rules were implemented last season and required clarification.
Overtime rules were also clarified as the committee confirmed that current overtime options in the rules book will remain in effect for the 2017-18 season. Several conferences have used overtime procedures (after the required 5-on-5 overtime) that impact conference standings, but not teams’ records for NCAA selection purposes.
In the summer of 2016, the rules committee proposed a uniform 4-on-4, five-minute overtime format for all regular-season games, but it was clear that many wanted more discussion regarding the format for regular-season overtime games.
“Not only was the rules committee aware of the vocal opposition to the 4-on-4 format from some segments of the coaching community, but it also recognized the many systems that are being used and tried out,” Bertagna added. “This will be a major topic of discussion next year as we respond to the body’s stated desire to have one overtime system in the book.”
The committee also spent a considerable amount of time discussing its offsides rules and if redefining the blue line might be a positive development for future seasons. For example, the blue line could be defined as part of the offensive zone, which would make zone entry sooner (if the puck touches the neutral zone side of the blue line, it is considered in the zone).
Concepts will be discussed and surveyed during the next rules cycle.
Finally, the committee plans to emphasize sportsmanship and respect for the game in the 2017-18 season, and Bertagna said the committee is trying to be proactive with this message.
“We are talking about respect for opponents, respect for officials and respect for the game,” he said. “We live in times where the lack of civility has the potential to reach our game, and we need to prevent that from happening in our sport.”
Boston University’s Jack Eichel was selected No. 2 overall in the 2015 NHL Draft (photo: Dan and Margaret Hickling).
If you’re a passionate hockey fan, you probably think like you can recognize talent.
This writer is included in that category.
We’re always trying to predict that “this guy will be a great pro” or “this guy will be a bust.”
Thus, there are probably a number of us who thinks that spending each and every day of our lives trying to identify the next generation of NHLers would be a dream job.
For David Gregory, a 15-year veteran scout for NHL’s Central Scouting, that’s the life he lives every day.
But listening to him describe the job doesn’t make it always sound like a dream.
“There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes, non-glamourous things that happen,” said Gregory, who one might say is continuing the family business, the son of a former NHL scout and current NHL vice president Jim Gregory. “Our scouts in North America, the nine of us, we travel all over North America. We have a region we’re based in and we have to know our region as our base.
“But I’m all over North America. You have to go to where the players are. Every year we go to Europe. So the travel part of it is the thing people might not understand.”
Trips might be as long as two weeks and include many small town rinks.
And as Gregory points out, “Hockey isn’t played in July.
“You run against weather and all kind of things that can make it challenging.”
But the work Gregory and the Central Scouting team does is critical and will be on display this weekend when the NHL hosts its annual draft in Chicago (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports; Saturday, 10 a.m. ET NHL Network). More than a year’s work will culminate as 31 players – all of whom will inevitably have been ranked by Gregory and his team – will become first-round picks, while another 180-plus prospects will become NHL property on day two during rounds two through seven.
NHL Central Scouting, Gregory says, is an “early warning system” for all 31 NHL clubs. More than a year before the draft, Central Scouting gathers lists of players to watch and twice during the season they release their rankings of both skaters and goaltenders in both North America and Europe.
Additionally, about a month before the draft, Central Scouting holds the annual combine, where each of the top prospects are put through a battery of physical tests.
Combine, technology help scouting process evolve
Just like the NHL itself, Central Scouting’s role has evolved over the years and the combine might the one of the biggest areas of improvement.
“With concentration on fitness and nutrition and things like that, [the combine has] almost become a convention for strength and conditioning coaches as well to chance to look at the top 100 players in one setting,” Gregory says.
And while only the top 100 players appear at the combine, that’s just a fraction of the entire pool of players that Central Scouting reports on each year.
Providing up to 40 reports on any one particular player in a given year, Central Scouting will view about 600 total players. In the end, this year they ranked 247 North American forwards and defensemen, 34 North American goaltenders, 149 European forwards and defensemen and 14 European goaltenders.
Joshua Norris, an incoming Michigan commit, takes part in the 2017 NHL Combine earlier this month in Buffalo (photo: Hickling Images).
And while the average fan sees only final rankings, Central Scouting provides its member teams so much more. That’s something that continues to increase as technology improves, the same technology that makes the job of a scout a continuously-evolving animal.
“I am a firm believer as a scout that in-person is not replaceable,” said Gregory. “But to have more video and better video and quick access certainly is a help. During our meetings, we’re always pulling up our own video and outside-sourced video.
“One thing that Central Scouting does is provide what we call ‘isolation videos’ for usually about 150 prospects each year. When you isolate you can get closer to a player you can see a lot of things about his balance, his skating, his edges. When you look at that you can look at how strong he is when he’s battling other players. [Video] is certainly a tool that enhances what we do and I think it’s is going to continue to grow.”
Changing game equals a shift in players who stand out
In Gregory’s 15 years as a scout and more than a decade in various roles in hockey prior to that, it’s not just technology that is changing. The game has evolved into a product that Gregory says he prefers – a faster, more open game that emphasizes skill over size.
That has greatly impacted how Central Scouting reviews the position of defenseman.
“Over the years of doing this, you see the game evolve. It’s a five-man attack, it’s a five-man defensive strategy,” said Gregory. “There were rule changes put in place years ago where the game got slowed down and a big guy could stop a skilled player. The league put rules in place — or really just enforced the existing rules — to allow skill to dominate.
“More than anything, the best way to use that is that you need skilled and puck-moving defensemen. And you don’t have to be 6-foot-6 to do this. You see 5-foot-11 or 5-foot-10 players who can dominate [as defensemen].”
And while trends often come in go in sports, the highly-skilled defenseman in the NHL isn’t one Gregory expects to change.
“This year’s Stanley Cup playoffs have proven that mobile D, puck-moving D are going to have a major impact on the result. I see that trend continuing and it’s a great one because it makes the game that much more exciting.”
Another position that has evolved is goaltending. While positioning and fundamentals for a top-tier netminders continues to improve, Central Scouting must try to identify those who can live up to the current standard. And at age 17 or 18, identifying that can be a significant challenge.
“You need a level of expertise to project [goaltending prospects],” said Gregory. “We have one of the best in the world in Al Jensen, who heads up our goalie scouting. He’s kept up with the progression of the game. It’s not only a different position but it’s changed so much in the last 20 years.
“Seeing a goalie play makes it tough, though. Coaches want to win and if a goalie doesn’t happen to be the right guy at the time, you may go to see a goalie play and he’s not playing, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Diamonds in the rough and busts: part of the process
This year’s NHL Draft, like most years, provides some excellent tests for Gregory and the Central Scouting staff.
Sure, there are players like Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel who make it easy to project their NHL future. But there are also so many “diamonds in the rough,” as Gregory calls them. Central Scouting hopes to identify these talents, but Gregory admits that it is easy for many to slip through.
“That’s the challenge with ranking 17- and 18-year-olds,” says Gregory. “There have certainly been a number of players over the year who we rank high and that didn’t get drafted until later [rounds] who proved they are impact players and they’re doing well. But quite honestly, there’s the opposite, too, players who rank high and don’t pan out.
“Looking at stats for 30 teams, it’s right around 17 of the 30 first-round picks that really have an NHL career. That’s just barely over 50 percent. Then you go down rounds 2, 3, 4 and down to 7 and that number really drops off. You can’t always measure will, you can’t measure injuries.”
Longevity in playing careers is also having an impact. In the 1990s, the average player retired in their mid 20s with only 50 players playing past age 35 and only two into their 40s. In the decade that followed (2000-2009), the most players retired at age 27, but 169 players’ careers lasted past age 35 and 25 played into their 40s.
“Players are playing longer, so the number of jobs just don’t come up the way they used to,” Gregory says.
E.J. Maguire and his influence on Central Scouting
Dave Gregory was hired 15 years ago by a man named E.J. Maguire. The two went way back in hockey circles. Maguire recruited Gregory to play college hockey and then, when Gregory owned the New Haven AHL team in the late 90s and Maguire coached Hartford Wolfpack just an hour up I-91, the pair became friendly rivals.
But when Maguire retired from coaching and joined Central Scouting, he may have found his calling.
Timing was perfect as the information age was just arriving in earnest and Maguire was the perfect face to bring Central Scouting and the NHL Draft to the public.
“E.J. saw [the information age] coming. He was a great forward thinker,” said Gregory. “He didn’t shy away from new ideas. The previous director of Central Scouting, Frank Bonello, had come from the era prior and was following the directive that this information if private and for the teams. E.J. saw it to embrace it and be as open as possible and not have to chase things around. He was a big part of changing the information that was exposed and how it was exposed.”
Because of that, the release of Central Scouting’s rankings became an anticipated event. The combine is now a media event. And the NHL Draft itself, once impossible to find on television in the U.S., is broadcast live for more than nine hours over the two days.
“The game has grown and is exposed to more people,” said Gregory, “and E.J. was a big face of saying that the future of our game starts at that draft.”
After Maguire passed away in 2011, the E.J. Maguire Award was established. It is presented at the beginning of day two of the draft and is given to the player who not only is a top prospect on the ice, but handled the entire process – from the combine to media obligations and public appearances – the best.
“It’s something as a Central Scouting staff that we really look forward to voting on every year,” Gregory said.
* * * *
Gregory and the Central Scouting staff will head to Chicago this weekend and will answer questions from the masses about every and any topic when it comes to prospects.
The good things is, they’re ready. They’ve put in the man hours, the travel, the reports, the video review. They’ve done their job and done it well.
If there is one regret, though, it’s the fact that when this weekend is over, these same scouts need to clear their memory.
“The toughest thing is that when the year is over, you kind of get rid of it,” Gregory said. “Once the year’s over you have 600 kids on your brain and you’ve got to get rid of them because there another 600 you’ve got to get in there.”
And so the process starts again. Empty notebook and laptops will be filled with notes and videos and reports.
Jumping on an airplane to then drive all around the U.S. and Canada, sleep in strange beds, experiencing flight delays and eating on the go will soon become part of the daily grind.
And as bad as it may sound, you can tell there’s a reason Gregory keeps doing it.
Michigan announced Tuesday the hiring of Bill Muckalt as the Wolverines’ new associate head coach.
A four-year letter-winner (1994-98) and two-time national champion at U of M, Muckalt returns to his alma mater after spending the past two seasons as head coach and general manager of the Tri-City Storm of the USHL.
Prior to his stint with the Storm, Muckalt served as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech for four years under Pearson after a successful career in the NHL.
“Billy has had great success everywhere he has coached,” Pearson said in a statement. “Having won two national championships, he is familiar with the winning tradition of Michigan hockey. Billy will be a great addition to our staff, and I’m extremely excited to be bringing him back to Ann Arbor. Our players will really benefit from his experience and knowledge of the game.”
“I am humbled and privileged to be back at Michigan — it’s a special place,” added Muckalt. “I’m excited to work with Mel again and looking forward to working with Brian (Wiseman), Steve (Shields) and the rest of the staff. I can’t wait to start getting to know our student-athletes and helping them develop and help them reach their dreams and goals. I look forward to embracing the tradition and enriching the future of Michigan Hockey.”
In his two seasons with Tri-City, Muckalt compiled a 49-46-16-9 record and led the Storm to its first Clark Cup in franchise history during the 2015-16 season.
Muckalt previously held head coaching positions at the junior level with the Valencia Flyers of the WSHL (2009-10) and New Mexico Mustangs of the NAHL (2010-11). He began his coaching career at Eastern Michigan with its ACHA team in 2006-07 before moving up to head coach the following season.
Over the course of his five-year NHL career, Muckalt skated with Vancouver, New York Islanders, Ottawa and Minnesota. Muckalt tallied 97 career points (40 goals, 57 assists), with his most productive season coming as a rookie with Vancouver when he posted 16 goals and 20 assists in 73 games in 1998-99.
Jack Parker coached nearly 1,500 games over 40 seasons at Boston University (photo: Melissa Wade).
Kevin Collins, Jack Parker, Ben Smith, Ron Wilson and Scott Young will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as the class of 2017.
“Each of the inductees has contributed in extraordinary fashion to the growth and development of hockey in our country,” said USA Hockey president Jim Smith in a statement. “The members of the class of 2017 have positively impacted the game, from the grassroots to the highest levels, through playing, coaching and officiating. We very much look forward to formally enshrining each of them into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame later this year.”
Parker coached 1,484 games at the NCAA Division I level with Boston University over 40 seasons and won 897 of them, amassing a .643 winning percentage, three national championships, 11 conference titles and 21 Beanpot crowns. He retired after the 2012-13 season as one of only three coaches to be named a three-time recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award as NCAA Division I Coach of the Year (1975, 1978, 2009). Upon his departure from the coaching ranks, Parker had the third most victories in NCAA history, the fourth best winning percentage among NCAA Division I coaches with more than 1,000 games behind the bench, and the most wins at one school (897).
Smith served as head coach of the U.S. Olympic Women’s team in 1998, 2002 and 2006, leading Team USA to the first-ever gold medal in women’s hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games.
The son of a U.S. Senator, Smith was a standout player at Harvard in the late 1960s. After graduation, he served as an assistant coach at UMass while also coaching high school hockey in Gloucester. He eventually became an assistant coach at Yale, where he served for five seasons before joining Parker’s coaching staff at BU.
Smith was also a head coach at Dartmouth and Northeastern.
Wilson, who is the all-time winningest American head coach in NHL history, amassed 648 regular-season coaching victories and currently ranks No. 10 among all NHL coaches in career victories, having served as head coach with Vancouver, Anaheim, Washington, San Jose and Toronto over 15 full seasons.
As a player, Wilson made his mark professionally with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Minnesota North Stars, but he’s perhaps best known in his native Rhode Island as a two-time All-America selection with Providence. As a sophomore, he was named ECAC Player of the Year after leading the nation in points (87).
Young spent 17 seasons in the NHL, winning two Stanley Cup championships (1991-Pittsburgh, 1996-Colorado) while amassing 342 goals and 415 assists in 1,181 regular-season games. The former Terrier ranks No. 15 among all American players in NHL games played, No. 12 in goals and No. 20 in points.
After the conclusion of his playing career, which included NHL stops with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Quebec, Colorado, Anaheim, St. Louis and Dallas, Young returned to his native Massachusetts, where he served as a youth and high school hockey coach and as director of hockey operations at Boston University. He is now an assistant coach with the Terriers.
Collins is just the second individual to be enshrined as an on-ice official. He worked 28 years in the NHL (1977-2005), including 12 appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals, and also played at American International, where he was a three-time letter-winner.
The date and location of the 2017 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will include the formal induction of the class of 2017 and the presentation of the Lester Patrick Trophy, will be revealed later this summer.
Teemu Kivihalme and goalie Jacob Nehama celebrate a Colorado College goal during the 2015-16 season at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center St. Cloud, Minn. (photo: Bradley K. Olson).
Kivihalme would have been CC’s lone senior for the 2017-18 season.
“It is an important thing in life to get your degree,” Tigers coach Mike Haviland told the paper. “But he, his family and his family adviser (agent) decided this was the time for him to turn pro. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Kivihalme gave his 30-day letter of notice to the NHL earlier this month, meaning he would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if Nashville does not sign him beforehand.
The Predators drafted Kivihalme in the fifth round (140th overall) back in 2013.
He recorded 36 points (10 goals, 26 assists) in 107 college games, including 10 points (two goals, eight assists) during 2016-17.
“(Kivihalme) improved defensively from year to year,” Haviland added. “He came in with offensive skills and skating but he needed to become better defensively to be trustworthy at the next level.”
Niagara announced on Friday the hiring of Matt Nicholson as the Purple Eagles’ new assistant coach.
Nicholson spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Amarillo Bulls in the NAHL.
No stranger to the college ranks, Nicholson is also familiar with Atlantic Hockey, having spent six seasons on the Robert Morris staff. After beginning his coaching career at Division III powerhouse Adrian in 2007, Nicholson was named an assistant coach at Robert Morris in 2009, spending four years in that role before being promoted to associate head coach in 2013.
“Matt is a man of outstanding character who has a passion for developing people and players,” said Niagara head coach Jason Lammers in a news release. “Matt’s head coaching experience, his deep knowledge of Atlantic Hockey, and his familiarity with the local Ontario region will all be tremendous assets to our team at Niagara.”
“The opportunity to join Niagara University and work alongside Coach Lammers and Andy Boschetto is something I’m looking forward to,” added Nicholson. “Having coached in Atlantic Hockey for six years with RMU, I’m well aware of the quality of the coaches, players and teams. Every game is a battle, and the parity within the conference is really a selling point for the student-athletes.”
“I lost my dad in 2011 and in January, my mom had a kiwi-sized brain tumor removed,” Nicholson said. “She is progressing well and on the road to recovery. However, Niagara University is 130 miles away from my hometown of London, Ont., and the close proximity was something I couldn’t pass up.”
In his six-year span with the Colonials, Nicholson directed recruiting and student-athlete evaluation as Robert Morris produced 33 players that went on to sign professional contracts, including 10 that signed AHL deals. The Colonials also excelled in the classroom during Nicholson’s tenure. The team attained a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1,000 from the NCAA in 2013, and the 2013-14 Robert Morris team compiled an overall GPA of 3.69.
Nicholson played both defense and left wing during his four-year collegiate career with Colgate, playing 123 games from 2000 to 2004 and scoring two goals and 10 assists. After graduating from Colgate, Nicholson attended the 2004 rookie camp of the then-Phoenix Coyotes. He went on to play two seasons of professional hockey in the Central Hockey League, scoring 11 points in 31 games with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in the 2004-05 season and eight points in 20 games during the 2005-06 campaign with the Youngstown Steelhounds.
Nicholson’s father, Paul, played 62 NHL games with the Washington Capitals from 1974-77.
Rensselaer announced Friday the hiring of Dan Jewell as an assistant men’s hockey coach.
Jewell, a 2011 graduate of Cortland, where he played three years for the Red Dragons, will assist first-year head coach Dave Smith.
“We are excited to have Dan join our staff,” said Smith in a statement. “With his experience as general manager and associate coach in the USHL, as well as having worked at the college and prep school levels, his knowledge of recruits is outstanding. Being a goaltender is a position-specific skill, so he will work with our goalies. Dan is ready to make an impact with our hockey program and, along with Nolan Graham being back for a seventh season, I believe our staff is set up to make sure the student-athlete experience from recruitment to graduation and into the alumni world is outstanding.”
Jewell comes to RPI after serving as assistant coach, assistant general manager and director of player of personnel with the Bloomington Thunder of the USHL.
Prior to joining the Thunder, he was an assistant coach at Hamilton from 2012 to 2014, where he organized, planned and implemented training sessions for both the team and individuals, was the recruiting coordinator and was in charge or the team’s video breakdown and analysis.
Jewell spent a season as the goaltending coach at Plattsburgh in 2011-12. During that same campaign, he was an assistant coach at the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, N.Y., where his duties included goaltending development as well as strength and conditioning.
Also spending time at both the USA Hockey National Festival and USA Hockey New England and New York Player Development Camps, Jewell has worked numerous camps throughout his career, across the United States and Canada.
As a student-athlete, Jewell played both hockey and lacrosse at Manhattanville in 2006-07, before finishing his collegiate career at Cortland. He posted a 3-5-1 record during his senior season, compiling a 3.93 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
The five remaining Division III women’s schools that operated under the ECAC West name will be known as the Northeast Women’s Hockey League in 2017-18.
Tom Cranfield, the senior associate athletic director at Cortland and the president of the NEWHL, made the announcement on Thursday, indicating the league will begin official operations on July 1.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the growth of women’s ice hockey in our region,” Cranfield said in a statement. “We want to first thank the ECAC for its commitment to women’s hockey over the years and appreciate its efforts. The NEWHL will operate under the same bylaws, constitution and operating code that it has followed as the ECAC West. However, we are extremely excited to have Tom Di Camillo take over the administrative responsibilities for the conference.”
Di Camillo, the SUNYAC commissioner and member of the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Committee, will assume the commissioner duties of the five-team, single-sport conference.
The conference will consist of Buffalo State, Cortland, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam and will maintain the NCAA automatic qualifier for at least the next two years. The NEWHL will need to add at least two more schools to keep its auto-bid after the 2018-19 campaign.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lend my experience and expertise to the NEWHL,” Di Camillo added. “Our goal is to provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes.”
Di Camillo has been the commissioner of the SUNYAC since January 2014. Previously, he served as the assistant commissioner for the Pacific West Conference, was the executive director of marketing, public relations and fundraising at Central Arizona College, and served as the director of sports information at West Chester University of Pennsylvania for 16 years. He was the president of the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2012.
Although Di Camillo serves as the SUNYAC commissioner, and the five SUNY institutions are full members of the SUNYAC, the NEWHL is a separate entity not affiliated with the conference.
The league’s website and logo will be unveiled later this summer.
Williams coach Bill Kangas will be taking a sabbatical during the 2017-18 academic year and current assistant coach Mike Monti will serve as the Ephs’ interim head coach.
Kangas will return to coach the Ephs for the 2018-19 season. Kangas’ 28-year run as the Ephs’ head coach began in the fall of 1989.
“As faculty members, Williams College head coaches are allowed to apply for leaves much like the sabbaticals academic faculty members receive,” said Williams athletic director Lisa Melendy in a statement. “These sabbaticals provide our coaches with the opportunity to travel, research, and rejuvenate, to improve both themselves and often their chosen sport by adding to their body of knowledge.
“Many of our coaches cite these leaves as transformative. Given the time to meet with coaches and observe programs across the country and the world that are at the cutting edge of their sport allows our coaches the space to explore new approaches they can create or apply to their own coaching. I am excited that next year, Coach Kangas will have the opportunity to do just that. He will visit with national, professional, and collegiate ice hockey coaches and programs in an effort to observe their coaching strategies and practices. Beyond observation, he will have the chance to discuss both their approaches and his and return to Williams prepared to introduce the very latest to his team.”
“I am very grateful to Williams for affording me the opportunity to take a sabbatical during the 2017-18 academic year,” added Kangas. “I am looking forward to participating in a variety of professional development opportunities, observing college programs, engaging in the development their players and teams, and learning more about the variety of playing styles implemented. I look forward to observing, reflecting and considering new coaching/teaching ideas for the continued development of our program. On a personal note, I am looking forward to watching my son, Ryan, compete with his team during his senior year at SUNY-Brockport.”
“Our program is very fortunate to have Mike Monti serve as the 2017-18 Williams men’s hockey interim head coach. Coach Monti is respected by our players and department, is a great communicator, and truly understands the balance of academics and hockey at Williams. He will continue to build on our team culture and he has a great group of returning players to work with this coming season.”
During the 2016-17 season, Williams finished 14-9-3 overall and 10-5-3 in NESCAC play.
Wisconsin associate head coach Don Granato has accepted an offer to become an NHL assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Granato was hired prior to the 2016-17 season.
“We came here with three head coaches and there’s only one head coach on each bench,” UW head coach Tony Granato said in a news release. “The situation that Donny’s going to be in is a great opportunity. What Donny can add to a team is why he was pursued by them as aggressively as he was.”
Granato worked with Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville when the two worked for the St. Louis Blues in 2005-06.
Quenneville also has close ties with Tony Granato, the two having worked together when they were on staff with the Colorado Avalanche in the mid-2000s.
“My plan was not to leave after one year and I wouldn’t have left after one year if I didn’t think we’re in the position we’re in,” Don Granato added.
“There could potentially be other opportunities, whether it be it the NHL or a position in another league,” Tony Granato said of his assistants. “We have to understand those guys are going to be attractive to other organizations.
“That’s a great compliment to them. It’s a great compliment to our program.”
New England College has named Maria Lewis the new head coach of the women’s hockey team.
Lewis comes to NEC with nearly 20 years of coaching experience in both Division I and Division III. Most recently, she was the head coach at Johnson and Wales, where she started the program from scratch and led the team to a 9-16-1 record in just its second season of varsity play.
“We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Maria as our next women’s ice hockey coach,” said NEC director of athletics Lou Izzi in a statement. “Maria brings a wealth of Division I and Division III coaching and recruiting experience to our program. We are looking forward to her rebuilding our women’s ice hockey program and making us highly competitive in the New England Hockey Conference.”
Prior to coaching at JWU, Lewis was the head coach at Maine where she earned Hockey East Coach of the Year honors in 2012 and led the team to its most Hockey East wins in program history.
“I am excited for the opportunity to take over the women’s hockey program at NEC,” added Lewis. “There is a solid foundation on which this program can build on, along with a great rink and family-oriented campus community.
“Lou Izzi has made great strides in the department the last two years and I am inspired by the recent success of several of the other programs such as men’s ice hockey, baseball, lacrosse, and women’s basketball. I believe women’s ice hockey will soon follow suit and I am thrilled to be a part of the journey. Lou was a great mentor to me during my first year at Johnson and Wales and I am very grateful for the chance to work with him again at NEC. We share a vision of a championship program here and I am eager to get started.”
“Also, many thanks to Renee Hellert, Erica Ledy, Tom Carroll, Charlie Mason, Julie Gendron, and Ashley Sullivan for making NEC a very welcoming place during this process.”
Lewis was a Division I assistant for 11 years before taking the head job at Maine. Over those 11 years, she made stops at Mercyhurst, Ohio State and North Dakota. She was a two-time College Hockey America assistant coach of the year during her time at Mercyhurst.
A 1999 graduate of RIT, Lewis was a four-year member of the women’s team and was named the 1996 ECAC Rookie of the Year.
Lewis becomes the seventh coach in New England College history. She will take over a team that finished the 2016-17 season with a 5-19-1 record.
Scott Bell has returned to Minnesota as an assistant coach for the Gophers.
A former Gophers captain, Bell has spent the last five seasons as an amateur scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping the organization claim back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.
“I am pleased to announce Scott Bell as our next assistant coach,” said Minnesota head coach Don Lucia in a statement. “Every person I spoke with about Scott said the same thing – that he would be a terrific hire for Gopher hockey. As a former two-time Gopher captain, Scott checked all the boxes for what I was looking for. He has tremendous support from our alumni, has strong NHL connections, he’s a relentless recruiter, a successful coach, and he is well respected in the hockey community of Minnesota.”
Prior to joining the Penguins staff, Bell served as the head coach at Hamline for six years, where he led the Pipers to four conference championship games and two MIAC titles (2008, 2011). He was named conference coach of the year and nominated for national coach of the year in 2007-08 after leading Hamline to its first MIAC title in 60 years.
Bell previously served as head coach and general manager of the Rockford Ice Hogs in the United Hockey League along with UHL assistant stints with the New Haven Knights and the Missouri River Otters. Additionally, Bell has served as an assistant at the collegiate level at St. Thomas and Augsburg while he has also coached in the USHL and the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. Bell got his start in coaching as an assistant at his alma mater – Simley High School.
“I’m thrilled to be coming home to the University of Minnesota,” added Bell. “This has always been a dream of mine, and people who know me know that I bleed Maroon and Gold. I’ve been involved in hockey at pretty much every level, but this place has always had a special place in my heart, and I couldn’t be more excited to once again be a part of Gopher hockey.”
As a player, Bell skated in 146 career games at forward for Minnesota with 81 points (41 goals, 40 assists) from 1990 to 1995. He went on to play professionally in the AHL, IHL, ECHL and UHL.
Andrew Taverner played three years at Quinnipiac and will skate his senior season at Arizona State (photo: John Crouch/J. Alexander Imaging).
Arizona State announced Thursday the addition of transfer forward Andrew Taverner from Quinnipiac.
Taverner joins the Sun Devils after spending the last three seasons with Quinnipiac, which included a NCAA tournament championship game appearance.
During his three years, he totaled 15 goals and 17 assists in 93 games for the Bobcats, including three goals and eight points in 21 games during the 2016-17 season.
Taverner will be eligible to play for ASU starting with the 2018-19 season.
The NCHC’s leadership bodies are transitioning to the 2017-18 season.
Having completed the conference’s annual meetings in Florida and Board of Directors meeting in Colorado Springs over the past month and a half, the 2017-18 leadership for the NCHC board and NCHC athletic council has been approved.
Colorado College president Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler is the new chair of the Board of Directors, which she will serve in for the next two seasons. She replaces Omaha chancellor emeritus Dr. John Christensen, who served as chair of the board the past two years and retired as chancellor at Omaha in May.
In addition, North Dakota president Mark Kennedy is now the vice-chair of the board, while Minnesota Duluth chancellor Dr. Lendley “Lynn” Black is now the treasurer and Miami president Dr. Greg Crawford is the new secretary.
Miami director of athletics David Sayler is the chair of the athletic council for the 2017-18 season. He replaces Denver deputy director of athletics Ron Grahame, who will now serve as the past chair.
Sayler, Grahame, Minnesota Duluth AD Josh Berlo and Omaha AD Trev Alberts will compose the NCHC advisory committee during the upcoming season.
Dr. Stephen Castleberry, the faculty athletics representative at Duluth, will remain the chair of the faculty athletics representatives in 2017-18 finishing the second year of his two-year term.
Michigan Tech has announced the hiring of Dallas Steward as an assistant coach.
Steward comes to Tech from the Chicago Steel where he was an associate head coach with the team that won the Clark Cup as USHL champions in 2016-17.
“We’re very excited to have an individual the caliber of Dallas join our program,” MTU head coach Joe Shawhan said in a news release. “He’s had success follow him being part of two of the last three USHL championships. He has a strong recruiting network and his character and ethics will be a great addition to our hockey program.”
“I’m really looking forward to joining the rich tradition of Michigan Tech,” Steward added. “Our goal is to continue the current trend of Husky hockey and build on the recent successes of the program.”
Steward was with the Steel for two seasons. The 2016-17 team went 38-17-2 in the regular season, defeated Youngstown and Dubuque in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and won the championship with an overtime win over Sioux City in Game 5 of the Clark Cup.
He started his coaching career with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede as an assistant coach and scouting director from 2011 to 2015. He helped lead the team to three consecutive playoff berths and a Clark Cup title in 2014-15.
Steward played 138 games over four years at Alaska Anchorage from 2000 to 2004. He scored 27 goals and added 32 assists as a forward, was an assistant captain as a senior, and a three-time WCHA All-Academic selection. Steward went on to play six years of professional hockey in both the CHL and ECHL from 2004 to 2010.
Chris Baudo has been named head women’s coach at Nazareth.
Baudo is currently the director and head coach at Selects Academy in Rochester, N.Y.
“We are pleased to have attracted a coach with Chris’ credentials for our first-year women’s hockey program,” said Nazareth athletic director Pete Bothner in a statement. “He comes equipped with strong organizational skills and a proven record of program building.”
The Golden Flyers, members of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference, will begin their first season of intercollegiate play in 2018.
Baudo’s start date at Nazareth is July 1.
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Baudo has been with the Selects Academy, housed at Bishop Kearney High School, since the program’s inception in 2015. He was responsible for building the hockey program from scratch by recruiting elite-level female hockey players from across the United States. For the first year, he recruited 20 players that competed at the 16U level and he guided the team to a record of 49-10-7 while competing in tournaments across the country. A second team is expected to be added in September.
Before joining Selects Academy, Baudo spent 15 years at The Gunnery prep school in Washington, Conn. He was director of the hockey program and boys head coach from 2003 through 2016 and compiled an overall record of 239-120-26 with eight 20-win seasons.
Other roles at The Gunnery included assistant head of school, dean of students and senior associate director of admissions. Baudo also spent one year coaching boys hockey and baseball at The Culvers Academy in Indiana.
Baudo is a 2000 graduate of Hamilton, where he played four seasons of hockey and was twice named team MVP. He has a Master of Arts degree from George Washington University.
His coaching experience includes serving on the player development committee for the New York State Amateur Ice Hockey Association and coaching at the USA Hockey National Festival in 2002, 2006 and 2008.
Former Alaska goaltender Doug Descorie is the first inductee of the Nanook Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017.
Descorie was member of the Nanooks from 1982 to 1984.
In only the program’s third year of existence in the NCAA, Desorcie transferred to the Nanooks as a junior in the fall of 1982 after a two-year stint with the North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
In his first season with the Nanooks, Descorie appeared in 21 games, posting a record of 16-5-0, while helping Alaska to an overall record of 19-7-0 and backstopping the team to the program’s first trip to the NCAA Division II national tournament before being named the program’s first-ever All-American.
The following year, Descorie appeared in 17 games for the Nanooks, compiling a record of 15-3-0 in net as Alaska posted an overall record of 19-7-0. Descorie led Alaska to its second trip to the NCAA D-II national tournament, where the team reached the semifinal game before being knocked out by Bemidji State in back-to-back nights.
After the 1983-84 season, Descorie stayed on with the program, acting as the team’s volunteer assistant and goaltender coach through the 1984-85 season before acting as UAF’s director of student activities from 1987 to 1992.
Since Desorcie’s major impact in his first year as starting goaltender for the Nanooks in ’82-83, the team has dedicated the Doug Desorcie Top Newcomer of the Year award in his honor, which is given out at the conclusion of every season at the season-ending banquet.
The Nanook Hall of Fame induction ceremony and brunch will take place in the Patty Center Lobby on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10:30 a.m. AKT. Tickets will be available online and at the door closer to the event.
