BC's Gerbe Retires as Pro Player

Nathan Gerbe (Boston College) retired from professional hockey as an active player last week.

The 5-foot-4 forward from Oxford, Mich., believed to be shortest skater in NHL history, led BC to the 2008 NCAA title. He later appeared in 435 career NHL regular-season games with Buffalo, Carolina and Columbus, and tallied a total of 63 goals and 88 assists for 151 points to go with 196 penalty minutes as an NHL player.

Drafted 142nd overall by Buffalo in 2005 from the U.S. National Team Development Program in his native Michigan, Gerbe went on to play three seasons at BC, where he registered 71-62—133 points in 123 appearances as an Eagle, culminating in the 2008 national championship. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Frozen Four in Denver that season, after recording a total of five goals and three assists in wins over North Dakota and Notre Dame to secure BC's first national title in seven years. He also won the Jim Johannson Award as USA Hockey College Player of the Year that season, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award after recording 35 goals and 68 points overall to lead the nation in scoring.

Internationally, Gerbe helped the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2004 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, followed by a gold medal in the same event the next year. He also helped the Americans to a bronze medal at the 2007 World Junior Championship.

Gerbe, 35, who missed all of the 2021-22 season following hip surgery a year ago, was also a veteran of 209 AHL regular-season contests with Portland and Cleveland, with whom he posted 67-112-179 points and 223 PIM in 209 outings overall. He also played two seasons in Switzerland (2017, 2018) before retiring, and recently joined Nashville as a development coach.

Ryan Miller Headed to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) is headed to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as a member, as was announced last week.

The East Lansing, Mich. native, who retired as an active player at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, also guided the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, before winning the Vezina Trophy later that year as the NHL's best goaltender. He posted a 391-289-88 career record with a 2.64 goals-against average and 44 shutouts in 796 NHL regular-season appearances with Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim from 2002 to 2021. 

Miller, 42, also went 28-27 with a 2.52 GAA and three shutouts in 57 career Stanley Cup playoff outings.

The induction ceremony for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's 50th class will be held Nov. 30, 2022, at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minn. Joining Miller will be U.S. Paralympic goaltender and gold medalist Steve Cash, late USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson (Wisconsin), and Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (North Dakota) and Monique Lamoureux-Morando (North Dakota).

Drafted 138th overall by Buffalo in 1999 after starring in juniors for the Soo Indians (NAHL), with whom he won 52 games over two seasons, the 6-foot-2 Miller went on to play three seasons at Michigan State University (1999-2002). A two-time First Team All-America selection, he went 73-19-12 with a 1.54 GAA in 106 career appearances with the Spartans, and set a then-NCAA record with 26 career shutouts. He also won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player in 2001, when he helped MSU to the NCAA Frozen Four that season.

Mark Bavis and Sept. 11 at 21

 Remembering my old friend Mark Bavis (Boston University) on the 21st anniversary of Sept. 11 (9-11) #United175

 

Canada Wins 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship

Brianne Jenner (Cornell) scored two goals less than two minutes apart in the second period, and Ann-Renee Desbiens (Wisconsin) made 20 saves in all, including several in-close in the final minute of play, to lift Canada to a 2-1 victory over the United States on Sunday in the gold medal game of the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship in Denmark.

Abby Roque (Wisconsin) tallied the only goal on the afternoon for Team USA in the final period to cut the deficit to one, which was as close as the the U.S. would get. Nicole Hensley (Lindenwood) stopped 17 shots in net for the Americans, who lost for the first time in the tournament. The U.S. had defeated Canada, 5-2, in round-robin play back on Aug. 30.

It is the first time in 18 years that Canada has won back-to-back Women's World Championships. The win also marked the third gold medal won by the Canadians in just over a year's time, with two World Championships and one Olympic title, all backstopped by Desbiens.