Cornell, Ohio State to Meet Tonight for Florida Classic Crown

Providence and Boston College were the No. 1 and No. 4 ranked teams, respectively, in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey through Christmas.

They won't be following Monday's results in Estero, Fla.

The Friars, last year's national champions, lost for the first time in 19 games with a 2-1 overtime setback to No. 9 Cornell in the first round of the 2015 Florida College Hockey Classic. Jeff Kubiak connected just under three minutes into sudden death for the Big Red to hand Providence its first loss since mid-March.

In the nightcap at Germain Arena, BC squandered an early 2-0 lead en route to a 3-2 loss to unranked Ohio State, which had won just three times in all this season entering the tournament. John Wiitala's goal seven-and-a-half minutes into the third period stood up as the game-winner for the Buckeyes, who were outshot, 32-19, by the Eagles. BC's Miles Wood is suspended for today's game after incurring a checking from behind penalty and game disqualification in the final five seconds of regulation.

BC and Providence will meet in today's consolation contest at 4:05 p.m. ET, followed by the title tilt between Cornell and OSU at 7:05 p.m. ET. Cornell has participated in every Classic since the event began in 2000, and has claimed the tournament title four times (2003, 2005, 2008, 2013). The Buckeyes are seeking their first-ever Classic crown after previously finishing third in 2001 and 2002, where they bested the Big Red in the consolation game both of those years.

ADDENDUM: Providence edged BC, 2-1, in the consolation, while OSU bombed Cornell, 8-0, to win the title going away.

U.S. Shut Out by Sweden

 
The U.S. National Junior Team suffered its first setback at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland with today's 1-0 loss to Sweden. The U.S. fell behind in the second period and could never get the equalizer, despite outshooting the Swedes, 46-23, overall at the Helsinki Ice Hall.

The Americans, who defeated Canada, 4-2, in their opener on Saturday, will continue the round-robin portion of the tournament against Switzerland on Wednesday (1 p.m. ET, NHL Network).

U.S. Opens World Junior Championship Today

The U.S. National Junior Team begins its quest for gold today at 1 p.m. EST against Canada in Helsinki, Finland in its opening game of the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship. The U.S. is in a bracket that also includes Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

Schools represented on the U.S. roster this year, according to USCHO.com, include Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Miami, Michigan, North Dakota, Notre Dame, St. Cloud State and Yale.

The Americans previously won gold in 2004 in Finland, 2010 in Canada, and 2013 in Russia.

ADDENDUM: Team USA scored three times in the third period to defeat Canada, 4-2, for its first preliminary-round WJC victory over its neighbor to the north since 1998. Colin White (Boston College) scored the first American goal and was named the player of the game. Louie Belpedio  (Miami) scored the game-winner from the left point, after Zach Werenski (Michigan) had tallied from the right point to put the U.S. up by a 2-1 count.

Northeastern Downs Michigan State

Michigan State closed out the first half of its 2015-16 hockey campaign with a 2-1 non-conference loss at NCAA opponent Northeastern on Saturday evening at Matthews Arena.

Thomas Ebbing tallied the only goal for the Spartans (5-11-2 overall), with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation. NU had staked itself to a 2-0 lead on a first-period goals from Mike McMurtry, followed by a second-stanza score by Zach Aston-Reese. 

Senior goaltender Jake Hildebrand had 29 saves for MSU, while freshman netminder Ryan Ruck earned his first career victory for Northeastern (3-12-3) with 26 saves.

The game marked MSU's second single-game voyage to the Boston area this fall. The Spartans fell at Boston College, 6-4, on Nov. 13, despite rallying from a three-goal third-period deficit with three consecutive tallies in less than two minutes. MSU also split a two-game series at Princeton last season.

MSU men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo, who secured his 500th career victory against BC last month, was on the Spartan hockey bench for at least part of Saturday night's game at NU. Both MSU's men's and women's basketball teams were in Boston to play Northeastern as part of the Winter Showdown, according to msuspartans.com. The Spartan women triumphed by a 77-51 count over the Huskies on Friday night at Matthews Arena, while the MSU men did likewise with a 78-58 win on Saturday afternoon in the same venue.

Spartan hockey will return to action on Dec. 29 against Michigan Tech in the first round of the 2015 Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

USA Tops Princeton, 4-1

The U.S. Under-18 Team skated into Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday evening, and skated out with a  4-1 victory over Princeton University in an exhibition contest.

Following a scoreless first period, Kieffer Bellows, who is committed to Boston University, scored two goals for Team USA, while Trent Frederic (Wisconsin) and Keenan Suthers (Western Michigan) had the others. Clayton Keller set up both of Bellows' goals, while  Jake Oettinger (BU) finished with 21 saves.

Princeton, which sat some of its regulars Saturday after a 6-3 non-conference loss at Penn State on Friday night, got its lone goal from David Hallisey to make it 3-1 at the time. The Tigers also got 13 saves from starter Ben Halford, and five stops in relief duty from Austin Shaw.

The Tigers are now off until hosting ECAC rival Quinnipiac on Dec. 29. Team USA won at NCAA Division III Neumann College, 9-1, on Sunday

Irish Edge Eagles, 4-3

Just three weeks after Notre Dame outlasted Boston College in football at Fenway Park, the Irish did so again in Beantown in men's hockey.

No. 18 Notre Dame tallied three goals late in the third period Thursday night at Conte Forum to hand No. 3 BC its first home loss of the year, 4-3, and its first loss overall since a 2-1 setback at Rensselaer on Oct. 11. BC had gone unbeaten in its previous 13 outings, while UND has now won four straight games.

After the host Eagles had taken a 3-1 third-period lead on a pair of scores by Florida native Austin Cangelosi, both of which were assisted by Teddy Doherty and Zach Sanford, Jordan Gross got the Irish back within a goal at 8:33 of the final frame. Andrew Oglevie tied it at 15:36, and then Gross set up Dennis Gilbert with 22 seconds remaining in regulation for the winner.

Notre Dame outshot BC, 39-26 on the evening, with Thatcher Demko making 35 saves for the Eagles and Cal Petersen stopping 23 shots for the Irish. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.

It wasn't the first time the Eagles have given up three goals in rapid-fire succession at home this year. Michigan State did the same thing on Nov. 13, tying that game at 4-4 before BC pulled out a 6-4 victory.

The Eagles (13-2-1 overall, 6-2-1 Hockey East) are now idle until facing Ohio State in the first round of the Florida College Classic on Dec. 28. UND (9-4-4, 6-1-2) will return to action on Jan. 1-2 at Denver, before hosting BC four weeks later in South Bend, Ind.

Devils to Face Leafs, Lamoriello Tonight

The New Jersey Devils will visit Toronto tonight, to face off with the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. It will also mark their first game against general manager Lou Lamoriello (Providence), the former Devils GM/CEO/President who guided New Jersey to three Stanley Cups in a 28-year span from 1987 to 2015 before he left for Toronto this summer.

Former college players scheduled to be in New Jersey's lineup tonight, according to NHL.com: Mike Cammalleri (Michigan), Lee Stempniak (Dartmouth), Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame), Brian O'Neill (Yale), Stephen Gionta (Boston College), Bobby Farnham (Brown), Andy Greene (Miami), John Merrill (Michigan), Cory Schneider (Boston College), and Keith Kinkaid (Union).

The Devils are currently 14-10-3 overall and 4-4-2 in their last 10 outings. The Leafs are 9-13-5 (4-5-1) to date.

ADDENDUM: Toronto triumphed in a shootout, 3-2.

Devils Fall Despite Palmieri Goal

Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame) scored the only goal for the New Jersey Devils in their 2-1 loss Tuesday night to the Colorado Avalanche at the Prudential Center in Newark. Cory Schneider (Boston College) made 23 saves for New Jersey, which fell to 12-10-2 overall.

Erik Johnson (Minnesota) and Jack Skille (Wisconsin) had assists for the Avalanche, who took a 2-0 lead in the second period. The two teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.

The third-period goal by Palmieri, a New Jersey native, was his ninth of the campaign, and was set up by linemate Travis Zajac (North Dakota). Schneider is now 11-7-0 on the year for the Devils, who sit in ninth place in the NHL's Eastern Conference, one point out of a playoff position. Colorado improved to 10-14-1.

Big Ten Proposal Could Change College Hockey

Interesting read at collegehockeynews.com on a proposal introduced by the Big Ten, independent of the other NCAA Division I men's ice hockey leagues.

Essentially if not exactly, it wants to make the college hockey world a bit younger by retracting a year of eligibility for players who don't enroll in school until after they are 20 years old, down from 21 years old.

Older players from junior A/B hockey have almost always been a staple of the college ranks. My roommate my sole season at Alaska Fairbanks turned 21 as a freshman because he played in both the USHL and NAHL after graduating high school, and prior to enrolling at UAF. Unless you're a Thatcher Demko, the days of 18 years old jumping directly from high/prep school to NCAA Division I are pretty much long over with.

Despite spending two years at Michigan State (1994-1996), I've never been enamored of the six-team Big Ten hockey conference. I've always felt they should have played a schedule within a schedule like the Ivy League schools in the ECAC do, while maintaining membership in the old Central and Western Collegiate Hockey Associations—but that wasn't going to happen with the Big Ten Network.

I'm also still waiting for the CCHA to come back. One of these days.

Princeton Garners Split

Princeton earned an ECAC split this past weekend at home.

The Tigers suffered their worst loss of the season on Friday night, a 5-1 defeat to No. 14 St. Lawrence at Hobey Baker Rink. Brian Ward had a goal and an assist for the visiting Saints, while Mike Marnell and Ben Masella had two assists apiece and Kyle Hayton made 41 saves. The Tigers fell behind, 3-0, by the middle of the second period before sophomore forward Max Becker got the home side on the board with his first career collegiate goal. Colton Phinney stopped 29 shots before giving way in the third period to Ben Halford, who made five saves on six shots.

The next night, Princeton recorded its first victory since Halloween with a 3-0 blanking of No. 20 Clarkson. Phinney made 31 stops as Eric Robinson, Kyle Rankin and Max Veronneau (PPG) scored for Princeton. Steve Perry had 21 stops for the visiting Golden Knights.

The Tigers (2-6-0 overall, 1-5-0 ECAC) head north for two non-conference contests this weekend at Maine (2-8-3 overall), whom Princeton defeated by a 3-1 count on Oct. 31 in Trenton. The Black Bears earned their first wins of the 2015-16 campaign on Friday and Saturday with a two-step sweep of visiting Hockey East opponent Vermont (3-2, 4-1).

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

It was announced on Wednesday  that the University of North Dakota's athletic teams will hereafter be known as the Fighting Hawks. The name emerged from a third round of recent voting, edging the second-place choice of Roughriders.

UND was formerly known as the Fighting Sioux until 2012, the last holdout as the NCAA cracked down on Native American nicknames. The university is in the process of developing a new athletics logo, although the interlocking UND will likely also remain in use.

Harvard Wins for Fourth Time in Five Games

Harvard rebounded from a 4-1 loss to Quinnipiac on Friday night with a 3-0 victory at Princeton on Saturday. The seventh-ranked Crimson  improved to 4-1-0 both overall and in the Eastern College Athletic Conference, while the host Tigers fell to 1-5-0 (1-4-0 ECAC).

Hobey Baker Award candidate Jimmy Vesey scored the first goal of the game at Hobey Baker Rink on a deflection in the opening period, and the 1-0 lead lasted until the Crimson were able to pot empty-net goals in the final minute of regulation from Clayton Anderson and Alexander Kerfoot. Merrick Madsen made 38 saves in earning the shutout. Vesey leads all ECAC players in league scoring with five goals and six assists for 11 points in six games.

Colton Phinney finished with 39 saves for Princeton, which essentially lost its fourth straight one-goal game after single-score setbacks to Cornell, Colgate and Dartmouth. He is now 1-5-0 overall on the season with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

The two Ivy League opponents will meet again on Jan. 29 in Cambridge, Mass.

Friars Still Ranked First Nationally

Two conference ties are better one non-league win, at least in this week's USCHO.com Division I men's rankings.

No. 1 Providence skated to 1-1 and 3-3 overtime ties last week in a home-and-home Hockey East series with No. 11 Boston University, and received 17 first-place votes in the Nov. 16 poll. It marks the second straight week the Friars (6-0-3 overall)  are in first place nationally.

No. 2 Boston College held off unranked Michigan State, 6-4, on Friday night and received 14 first-place votes, but still came up short against the defending national champion Friars in the rankings. BC is 9-1-0 overall.

Quinnipiac, which remains perfect at 10-0-0 this season, was in third place, and also received 12 first-place votes, while North Dakota (9-1-2) was fourth, with the final seven first-place votes. Rounding out the top 10 are Massachusetts-Lowell, Nebraska-Omaha, St. Cloud State, Harvard, Denver and BU.

Eagles Outlast Spartans, 6-4, on Friday Night

Ryan Fitzgerald and Colin White scored two goals apiece, and Myles Wood redirected home the winning score on a late-game power play to lift second-ranked Boston College to a 6-4 NCAA victory over visiting Michigan State on Friday night at Conte Forum. The Eagles improve to 9-1-0 overall, while the Spartans fall to 4-4-1 on the year.

Following a scoreless first period in which BC outshot MSU, 17-6, White put the home side up by a goal when he stuffed a close-in shot past Spartan goaltender Jake Hildebrand (30 saves) just 4:30 into the second stanza. MSU responded 11 seconds later on a goal by Mackenzie MacEachern to tie the game, and also break BC's shutout streak that dated back to a 4-3 win over Denver on Oct. 30. Wood then scored on a backhand several minutes before the end of the period to restore BC's one-goal edge, his sixth goal of the season.

Fitzgerald, who also posted two assists on the night, made it a 3-1 game 91 seconds into the final frame with a sweeping forehand move, and Alex Tuch then put BC up by three goals just under 11 minutes later with an uncontested shot over Hildebrand's glove. Two minutes later, the game was tied, as MSU top goal scorers JT Stenglein, Brennan Sanford, and Mason Appleton scored in rapid-fire succession for the Spartans in a span of just 92 seconds to make it 4-4.

BC rebounded to go back on top for good with just under two minutes remaining in regulation when Austin Cangelosi's shot from the point deflected off of Woods' skate and into the MSU net. The goal, the only one power-play score in a combined 13 man-advantage attempts by both teams, was confirmed following a video review. Fitzgerald then closed out the scoring with just over a minute left, with his team-leading seventh goal of the season, as he wristed the puck into an empty net with Hildebrand having been pulled for an extra Spartan attacker. MSU outshot BC, 37-36, on the night, including 31-19 over the final 40 minutes, but went 0-for-7 on the power play. Michael Ferrantino set up two goals for the Spartans.

Thatcher Demko finished with 33 saves for the Eagles, who will play at Hockey East rival New Hampshire on Saturday evening in another single-game weekend. The Spartans saw their three-game winning string broken, including a two-step sweep of visiting UNH last weekend, and will head home to host Michigan Tech for two non-conference contests this weekend at Munn Arena. (uscho.com photo)

Spartans Meet Eagles Tonight in Beantown

No. 2 Boston College and Michigan State will meet tonight for the 27th time in NCAA hockey competition, and for just the fourth time ever at BC’s Kelley Rink. MSU leads the all-time series, 17-8-1, according to BC’s game notes, although the Eagles won, 3-2, last year in East Lansing in the first meeting between the two schools since 2011.

I won’t be making this trip, although I was tempted to point the car north today and keep going until I hit Chestnut Hill. I last saw BC and MSU meet live at the 1996 Great Western Freeze-Out in Inglewood, Calif. when I was the Spartans’ publicity contact. MSU won that game, 5-2, and also won, 5-3, in the first-ever meeting at Kelley Rink in 1989, the only other BC-MSU match-up I’ve attended in person, when I was just starting my junior year on the Heights.(Maybe it's better I stay home tonight, for BC's sake.)

Michigan State is 4-3-1 so far this season, has won three straight games, and is coming off a two-step sweep at home of New Hampshire (5-0, 7-4). Boston College has shut out its last two opponents (UMass, 7-0, and Maine, 3-0 and 2-0) as part of its current seven-game winning streak, and is 8-1-0 on the year.

The Spartans last played at BC in 1996, a 4-3 win by the Eagles. All-time, BC has faced MSU in NCAA Tournament competition in no less than 10 games, more times than any other opponent except Minnesota, with MSU defeating BC for the 2007 NCAA title in St. Louis. In addition, MSU coach Tom Anastos' daughter, Andie, is a forward on BC's women's hockey team.

We’ll see how it goes tonight in a venue where the series is all even at 1-1-1.

Eagles Runners-Up in Both USCHO Polls

Boston College keeps rolling along, but not necessarily in the national rankings. The Eagles took second place in this week's NCAA Division I men's and women's poll at USCHO.com.

The BC men's team won all three games it played last week, defeating UMass and sweeping Maine while outscoring their opponents, 12-0. The Eagles (8-1-0 overall) still took second place in this week's poll to defending national champion Providence (6-0-1), which was idle last week. The BC women's team sports a nation-best 11-0-0 overall mark, but still finished runner-up this week to Wisconsin (10-0-0).

Championships aren't won in November, though—and every year, in the final poll of the season, the new national champion automatically rises from whatever previous spot it occupied to the top of the ranks.

The BC men, who are 3-0-0 in Hockey East play so far this season, return to action on Friday when they host Michigan State at Conte Forum in the sole outing for both teams this weekend. The Eagles edged the Spartans, 3-2, last season in East Lansing.

The BC women (5-0-0 Hockey East) get back to business tonight at home against Boston University, three days after pasting the Terriers, 8-1, at Walter Brown Arena. The Eagles will then host New Hampshire on Friday.

BC Does It Again

For the fourth time in five games, third-ranked Boston College did not allow the opposition to light the red lamp.  The Eagles, powered by a six-goal second stanza, overwhelmed UMass, 7-0, on Tuesday night in BC's 2015-16 Hockey East opener at Conte Forum.

Teddy Doherty scored two power-play goals for the Eagles (6-1-0 overall, 1-0-0 Hockey East), who got the game-winning score from Adam Gilmour just 1:33 into a then-scoreless second period. Chris Brown, Matthew Gaudreau and Colin White each set up two goals, while Thatcher Demko turned aside all 26 shots he faced for his fourth shutout this season and seventh of his collegiate career.

Nic Renyard took the loss for the visiting Minutemen (4-2-1, 0-1-1), stopping 21 of 26 shots before giving way to Alex Wakaluk in the middle period.

BC will now host Maine for pair of Hockey East games this weekend, on Friday and Sunday, while UMass will play a Hockey East home-and-home with UConn.

UND Still Tops Men's Hockey Polls

North Dakota remains atop the polls in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey for another week.

The former Fighting Sioux ran their record to 6-0-2 overall and tallied 17 first-place votes in the Nov. 2 USCHO.com poll, putting UND on top for a fourth consecutive week. In second place was defending national champion Providence with 18 first-place tallies and a 6-0-1 mark, followed by Hockey East rival Boston College (5-1-0), which drew four first-place ballots. Rounding out the USCHO top 10 were Massachusetts-Lowell, Quinnipiac (with the last first-place vote), Minnesota-Duluth, Harvard, Nebraska Omaha, Denver and St. Cloud State.

The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll featured North Dakota (21 first-place votes), Providence (11),  BC, Quinnipiac (2), UMass Lowell, Harvard, Minnesota-Duluth, Omaha, Yale and Boston University.

Bracco Bolts from BC After Just Five Games

Here today, gone tomorrow. Quite literally, at least in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Freshman forward Jeremy Bracco left Boston College today to join the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, according to BCEagles.com and other sources. Bracco, who was drafted in the second round (61^st overall) by the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs in June, leaves BC after playing in just five NCAA contests. His only three points came on assists, all in the Eagles’ most recent win, a 5-0 whitewash of Colorado College on Oct. 24.

A former Harvard recruit, Bracco 18, put up 69 points with the U.S. National Team Development Program the past two seasons in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was considered by many to still be a flight risk, especially after former BC recruit and fellow New York native Sonny Milano never arrived on campus last year, going off to Plymouth (OHL) instead after originally decommitting from Notre Dame.

Bracco, though, had tweeted in July that he was coming to BC, and was happy to be an Eagle. So much for Twitter promises.

It’s not known at present if Bracco made this decision wholly of his own accord, or if someone was whispering in his ear to make the jump to major junior. If it was his advisors, well, it wouldn’t be the first time that Toronto was associated with a move like this. Take Jerry D’Amigo back in 2010.

D’Amigo played one season at Rensselaer and then signed with the Leafs, who had drafted him the year before in 2009. He went to Kitchener, where he averaged a little more than a point per game, before being promoted to the Leafs’ AHL club. Five years later he’s spent the majority of his pro career in the AHL, where he is saddled again now, and has skated in just 31 NHL games altogether, per HockeyDB.com. Granted, he was a sixth-round selection, unlike Bracco—but he was also a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program like Bracco, and is roughly the same size as Bracco, whose father and uncle both played collegiately.

At least D’Amigo left school after his freshman season at RPI had ended, not after it had just barely begun. It would have been more palatable if Bracco had waited until at least the Christmas break to bolt from BC, if not March/April when the college season ended.

It could be Bracco was less than enamored with academia, or that he wanted to fast-track his way to the NHL. So did goaltender Jack Campbell, who decommitted from the University of Michigan to join Windsor (OHL) after he was drafted 11^th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2010. So far he’s played a single game in “The Show”, in 2013-14.

It would be somewhat surprising if the new Toronto regime didn't want Bracco to develop at the college level. That’s especially since new general manager Lou Lamoriello, a former Providence College player, coach and administrator, is such a strong proponent of the college game, as evidenced by the rosters of his three Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils teams.

Bracco’s not the first Jeremy to do this at the Heights. Jeremy Roenick turned pro in the fall of 1988 with the Chicago Blackhawks but never suited up for the Eagles after spending a few weeks on campus. BC also lost rising freshman defenseman Noah Hanifin this past summer, after he was drafted fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in June. Hanifin had two assists in his first eight games this fall with the big club.

The days of having the Brian Giontas for four seasons, or the Nathan Gerbes and Johnny Gaudreaus for three years, seem to be over at Conte Forum. Hopefully Bracco will be the last of these one-and-dones at BC. Or lately, one-and-nones.

Former UAA Skater Glencross Retires From NHL

Former University of Alaska Anchorage forward Curtis Glencross has called it a career.

Glencross, 32, who did not receive a new NHL contract this fall despite try-outs with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche, calls it quits after playing in 507 NHL regular season games with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Bluejackets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals. In that span, he recorded 134 goals and 141 assists for 275 points, to go along with 351 penalty minutes.

A native of Kindersley, Sask., Glencross joined the professional ranks as a free agent in 2003-04 with Cincinnati (AHL) in Anaheim's organization, after finishing his second and final season at UAA. He also apprenticed with Portland and Syracuse in the American League and made his NHL debut with the Ducks in 2006-07, scoring one goal in two games,

He made it to the NHL for good in 2007-08 with Columbus before joining Edmonton for a short stint. He then spent the bulk of his pro career in Calgary, where he put up career-best numbers of 26-22—48 points and 62 PIM in 67 outings with the Flames in 2011-12.

Prior to turning pro, Glencross played two years of junior hockey with Brooks (AJHL), where he tallied 113 points in 113 games, before skating two seasons with UAA. He posted 32-25—57 points in 72 total NCAA outings with the Seawolves, including a 21-13—34 ledger as a sophomore.

He finished his career playing 10 games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Washington, which also featured former UAA skater Jay Beagle on its roster. Glencross scored his last pro goal in the second round of the postseason, as the Capitals fell to the New York Rangers in seven games.

BC Blanks CC for Third Straight Shutout

Boston College is on a roll. Really.

The fourth-ranked Eagles have shut out three straight opponents, including this weekend's two-step sweep at Colorado College, and have allowed just two goals the entire regular season in getting off to a 4-1-0 start.

Freshman forward Jeremy Bracco set up three goals, two of them by Ryan Fitzgerald, in Friday's 3-0 win at CC. The Eagles followed up the next night with a 5-0 triumph in Colorado Springs as Adam Gilmour scored twice and Scott Savage and Zach Sanford posted two assists apiece.

Junior goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped all 45 shots he faced on the weekend against the host Tigers. He has also registered all four BC wins on the year, all by shutout, including earlier whitewashings of Army and Wisconsin. BC and Demko have now not allowed a goal in 196:58, or since the three-minute mark of the third period in a 2-1 loss at Rensselaer on Oct. 11.

The Eagles get back to work on Friday night at home at Kelley Rink against No. 6 Denver to begin a five-game homestand. BC will then open the 2015-16 Hockey East campaign at home on Nov. 3 against UMass.

Richards Out, Tortorella in for Columbus

Former University of Minnesota defenseman Todd Richards was relieved of his coaching duties today by the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. He was replaced by John Tortorella, who last coached in the league in 2013-14 with the Vancouver Canucks, and who was serving as a studio commentator with the NHL Network.

Richards, 49, compiled a 127-112-21 record in 260 games with the Bluejackets, according to the team’s website. His 127 wins rank first in club annals, and he also guided Columbus to a pair of 40-win campaigns and two Stanley Cup Playoff berths, including the first two playoff victories in team history, after taking over as head coach during the 2011-12 season. The Bluejackets began the 2015-16 season with seven consecutive losses after missing the postseason last year.

Richards, who spent the bulk of his professional playing career in the International Hockey League, played four seasons at Minnesota from 1985 to 1989, excluding a stint with the U.S. National Team in 1987-88, according to hockeydb.com. His best scoring season came as a sophomore when he tallied eight goals and 43 assists for 51 points in 49 outings with the Golden Gophers, and he finished his college career with 30-120—150 points and 194 penalty minutes in 173 appearances. He also recorded four assists in eight NHL regular-season games with the Hartford Whalers.

Beginning in 2002-03, Richards went on to serve as an assistant coach with Milwaukee (AHL), head coach with Wilkes-Barre Scranton (AHL), assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks, and then head coach with the Minnesota Wild for two years. He was an assistant with Columbus the year before he took the reins there as head coach.

A former three-year skater at the University of Maine, Tortorella, 57, coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for six years and the New York Rangers for five seasons prior to his time in Vancouver. He also led Tampa Bay to its first Stanley Cup title in 2004, and is slated to serve as head coach of the U.S. entry in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Dartmouth's Stempniak Boosts Devils to Win

Former ECAC and Ivy League standout Lee Stempniak (Dartmouth) boosted the New Jersey Devils to their first victory of the 2015-16 campaign at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

Stempniak finished off a 2-on-1 break in overtime to give the Devils a 2-1 win over the local rival New York Rangers, one of his seven former NHL clubs, and also gave New Jersey head coach John Hynes (Boston University) his first career NHL victory. Devils captain Andy Greene (Miami) assisted on Stempniak’s game-winner, while Mike Cammalleri (Michigan) set up New Jersey’s game-tying goal early in the second period. Cory Schneider (Boston College) finished with 26 saves for the Devils, while Derek Stepan (Wisconsin) recorded New York’s only goal on the night.

Stempniak, 32, who tallied 63 goals and 151 points for the Big Green from 2001-2005, is now in his 11th NHL season. Originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft after scoring a career-high 21 goals as sophomore at Dartmouth, he has also skated with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets. In 713 career NHL regular-season contests to date, he has tallied 166 goals and 206 assists for 372 points.

Stempniak was Dartmouth's first-team selection for the ECAC All-Decade Team that was named back in 2010. A two-time NCAA All-America choice, he was also named Dartmouth's Most Valuable Player three seasons in a row, and tied for the ECAC scoring lead as a senior with 8-19—27 points in 22 conference contests.

Eagles Blank Badgers in Home Opener

No. 4 Boston College rebounded from a 2-1 loss at Rensselaer on Sunday with a 6-0 win over Wisconsin in Friday’s NCAA home opener at Conte Forum.

Austin Cangelosi (game-winning goal) and Colin White each scored two goals for the Eagles, while brothers Ryan Fitzgerald and Casey Fitzgerald each had two assists, with Ryan also notching a goal. Teddy Doherty had BC’s other score, shorthanded, and Thatcher Demko finished with 20 saves.

The Eagles travel to Colorado College for a two-game set next weekend.

A Tale of Two NCAA Netminders

A pair of former NCAA netminders made their NHL debuts against one another on Sunday night in Canada's capital city.

Mike Condon (Princeton) made 20 saves in earning his first NHL victory, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-1 win over Matthew O'Connor (Boston University) and the host Ottawa Senators.

“A lot of energy going into the game, but after that first shot comes, all the interior monologue just quiets down and all your training takes over,” said Condon to NHL.com afterwards. “After the first shot, I was just having some fun.”

A 6-foot-2 native of Needham, Mass., Condon went 23-19-0 with Hamilton (AHL) last season, after playing the previous season with Wheeling (ECHL). He recorded 18 victories at Princeton from 2009 to 2013, and also saw time with the former Houston Aeros AHL franchise after originally turning pro.

O' Connor, who made 31 stops for the Senators on Sunday, also made his professional debut that evening. He went 25-5-4 at BU last season, backstopping the Terriers to the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles, along with a national runner-up finish. A 6-foot-6 native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., he notched 40 wins from 2012 to 2015 at BU.

Sun Devils Earn First NCAA Win over Nanooks

Arizona State made Alaska (Fairbanks) its first victim in NCAA play as the Sun Devils defeated the Nanooks, 2-1, on Saturday in the Kendall Classic in Anchorage. Ryan Belonger, who set up ASU’s tying goal early in the third period at Sullivan Arena, connected for the game-winner with 34 seconds remaining in regulation. Ryland Pashovitz made 37 saves for the Sun Devils (1-1-0), while Tyler Morley scored the lone goal for Alaska (0-2-0), which won last year's Classic.

In one of the bigger shockers of the day , Union won, 5-3, over No. 3 Boston University as Matt Wilkins scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on an insurance marker, both in the final three minutes of regulation. Also out east, No. 19 St. Lawrence topped RIT, 5-1, with Gavin Bayreuther scoring the game-winner and adding an assist.

No. 18 Quinnipiac downed Holy Cross, 4-2, after Thomas Aldworth notched one goal and set up two more for the Bobcats. New Hampshire ran roughshod over American International, 7-3, as Tyler Kelleher had a four-point night, while Alabama-Huntsville scored a 5-2 victory over UConn for a series split, thanks to 29 saves by Carmine Guerriero.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Michigan State defeated Lake Superior State, 4-1 at the Icebreaker Tournament in Portland, Me. thanks to 29 saves from Jake Hildebrand. Mackenzie MacEachern notched the game-winning goal for the Spartans, Mason Appleton had two assists, and JT Stenglien posted a goal and an assist. Also, No. 10 Omaha completed a two-step sweep at No. 6 Minnesota State with a 2-0 victory, powered by two goals from Jake Randolph and 40 saves by Evan Weninger.

 

 

No. 1 BC Leads Friday Night NCAA Victory Parade

 

No. 1 Boston College started its 2015-16 regular season on a winning note with a 5-1 victory at Army on Friday evening. Freshman forward Miles Wood tallied his first career goal and set up two others for the Eagles, who played at West Point for the first time since 1994, while junior netminder Thatcher Demko finished with 23 saves.

Michigan State got two goals from Zach Osbourn, including the game-tying tally with just over a minute remaining in regulation, in a 3-3 tie with Maine at the Icebreaker Tournament in Portland, while North Dakota overpowered Lake Superior State, 5-2, thanks to two third-period goals from Bryn Chyzyk. Defending national champion Providence got a goal and three assists from Mark Jankowski in opening its campaign with a 7-3 win at Miami.

Air Force edged instate rival and fifth-ranked Denver by a 5-4 count in overtime as Johnny Hrabovsky connected unassisted in the extra session in Colorado Springs, while No. 10 Omaha won, 3-2, at No. 6 Minnesota State in a match-up of former WCHA rivals in Mankato as Kirk Thompson finished with 24 saves for the victorious Mavericks. Bemidji State’s contest at No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth was postponed due to a power outage.

At the Kendall Classic in Anchorage, St. Cloud blanked Alaska (Fairbanks) by a 3-0 count as Charlie Lindgren made 14 stops for the Huskies, while host Alaska Anchorage edged NCAA Division I newcomer Arizona State, 3-2, in overtime on Brad Duwe’s goal.

Michigan Tri-Connection Powers Red Wings

Michigan State and Michigan combined with Western Michigan to make it the Detroit Red Wings’ night in Friday’s 4-0 home-opening victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Louis Arena.

Justin Abdelkader (Michigan State) tallied a hat trick, while Larkin (Michigan) scored his first NHL goal and new head coach Jeff Blashill (Western Michigan) picked up his first NHL victory. Jimmy Howard (Maine) made 22 saves for the home team in helping spoil the homecoming of former Detroit head coach Mike Babcock, who led the Red Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2008-09, including a championship the first year.

Detroit plays at Carolina tonight, while Toronto will host Ottawa.

Greene Named 11th Devils' Captain

Veteran defenseman Andy Greene (Miami) was named the 11th captain in New Jersey Devils history prior to tonight's season opener against the Winnipeg Jets at the Prudential Center. A former Devils’ alternate captain, Greene succeeds former teammate Bryce Salvador, who retired in the off-season.

A native of Trenton, Mich., Greene, 32, has played his entire NHL career with New Jersey after signing with the Devils as a free agent in 2006. In 559 career NHL regular-season appearances through the 2014-15 campaign, he had tallied 31 goals and 140 assists for 171 points. He has also played in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, collecting three goals and seven points, and was a member of New Jersey's 2012 Eastern Conference championship club.

Greene, who prepped with Compuware (NAHL) before enrolling in college, played for Miami from 2002 to 2006, notching 27-97—124 points while helping the Red Hawks to a CCHA regular-season title as a senior, along with a pair of NCAA Tournament berths in his collegiate career.

NYHJ Profile of Yale's O'Gara Now Online

  

A new college hockey season is here, and with it is my first ECAC article for the 2015-16 campaign, a profile of Yale University senior defenseman Rob O'Gara. The issue can be accessed online here.

A Nesconset, NY native and a member of Yale's 2013 NCAA championship team, the 6-foot-4 O'Gara earned All-America accolades as a junior. He also led Yale with 15 assists last season, and has 10 goals and 43 points in his career to date.

The Bulldogs, who advanced to the NCAAs again last season, won't get the new season underway until Oct. 30 against ECAC rival Princeton at the Capital City Classic in Trenton, NJ.

New NHL Campaign Underway

A number of former NCAA players graced National Hockey League rosters this Wednesday for the opening of the 2015-16 NHL regular season.

Following captain Jonathan Toews (North Dakota) of the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawk, are high-end rookies like Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Jack Eichel (Boston University), who will be making his league debut with the Buffalo Sabres, to journeyman netminder Mike Condon (Princeton), who is now a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

Full opening-day rosters are available at NHL.com.

2015-16 NCAA Season Starts Tonight

The 2015-16 NCAA hockey season officially faces off tonight when Penn State hosts Minnesota in a women's contest in University Park, PA.

Tomorrow night, it's the men's Division I side getting into the equation when Alaska Anchorage entertains Mt. Royal College in Soldotna, Alaska.

Drop the puck!

Boston College Picked First in Hockey East Preseason Polls

Boston College has been chosen to finish in first place in Hockey East in the regular season in both the men’s and women’s divisions, as voted on by the league’s coaches.

According to the Hockey East web site(s), the BC men were selected to finish first in their preseason poll by a total of 115 points, including seven of the 12 first-place votes. The BC women were tabbed to finish first with 64 points, including eight of the nine first-place votes.

The BC men were also picked to finish first in the annual poll of the league's media, according to USCHO.com.

The Eagle men's squad, which went 21-14-3 overall last season and made the NCAA Tournament, opens its 2015-16 season with an exhibition contest against visiting New Brunswick on Oct. 3 at Conte Forum. The Eagle women's team, which opens with an exhibition tomorrow night against visiting Guelph, went 34-3-2 overall a year ago and made the NCAA Frozen Four for the third time in six seasons.

ADDENDUM: It was just announced at USCHO.com and other outlets that the BC men's team will face North Dakota at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Dec. 3, 2016, in the "College Hockey Showdown."

Former BU Blueliner Whitney Retires

Former Boston University defenseman Ryan Whitney has called it a career at age 32.

According to NHL.com, Whitney hangs up his skates after 10 NHL seasons and 481 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Edmonton and Florida. In all he tallied 50 goals and 209 assists to go with 383 penalty minutes, according to HockeyDB.com. He announced on Twitter that part of the reason he was retiring was ankle injuries.

A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, the Boston native skated for BU from 2001 to 2004. He notched 16-43—59 points and 150 PIM in 107 career outings with the Terriers, and also helped them to two Beanpot Tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament berths.

Whitney skated with Sochi HC (KHL) in Russia last season, recording 6-13—19 points in 42 appearances. He played his final two professional games this season with MODO Hockey Ornskoldsvik in Sweden, and was a member of the silver-medal U.S. squad at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

ISS Ranks Top 30 NCAA Freshmen

The list of this year's top NCAA Division I men's hockey freshmen has been released by ISS Hockey, according to College Hockey Inc. ISS is considered to be the top independent scouting source and information provider of amateur hockey prospects.

The full list can be found here.

A total of 16 schools are represented on the 2015-16 list, with North Dakota leading the way with five selections and Michigan with four, followed by Boston College, Boston University, Connecticut and Minnesota with three choices each. Also having at least one player on the list were Denver, Harvard, Massachusetts, Miami, New Hampshire, Notre Dame, Omaha, Providence and Wisconsin.

All but three of the 30 players named have already been drafted by NHL teams. Topping the list is Boston College forward Colin White, who was drafted by the Ottawa Senators and is one of eight players who skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USHL) last season. Four of the top six selections have USNTDP ties, including Kyle Connor (2nd overall/Michigan), Jeremy Bracco (4th/Boston College), Jack Roslovic (5th/Miami) and Jordan Greenway (6th/Boston University), while 25 of the 30 players last played in the USHL.

No less than 22 players on the list were forwards, including the top eight selections and nine of the top 10. They were followed by seven defensemen in all, plus one goaltender in North Dakota’s Matej Tomek, who was tabbed ninth overall. Ottawa and the Winnipeg Jets featured three selections apiece overall to lead all NHL clubs, while six NHL teams had two choices each.

Remembering Mark Bavis: Sept. 11, 2001

Just going to re-post this one again—Mark would have been 45 this year. Rest in peace, bud.

Ice Back in at BC's Kelley Rink

The ice surface appears to be up and running at Kelley Rink at Boston College, according to Twitter.

This is probably the earliest I've heard of the ice being put down in Chestnut Hill—usually the wait was until at least mid-September, but guess BC couldn't wait to get those new boards and glass installed, replacing the original ones that had been in place since Conte Forum opened in 1988.

Just 34 days until the Eagles' 2015-16 NCAA opener at Army.

York To Enter Michigan State Hall of Fame

Former Michigan State University forward Mike York will be inducted into the MSU Athletic Hall of Fame this fall, the eighth former Spartan hockey player ever to be so honored, according to msuspartans.com.

A native of Waterford, Mich. and a four-year letter-winner in East Lansing from 1995 to 1999, York made his NCAA debut at age 17 after playing junior “A” hockey with Thornhill (Ont.) He tallied 79 goals and 122 assists for 201 points in 158 total outings as a Spartan, and finished his career by leading MSU to the 1999 NCAA Frozen Four in Anaheim after three previous appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

His best college campaign came in 1997-98 when he collected a career-high 27-34—61 points in 40 games and guided the Green and White to both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season and tournament titles. A two-time First Team All-America selection, he was also honored as CCHA Player of the Year, CCHA Best Defensive Forward, and MSU Team MVP as a senior.

York, who has spent the last five seasons playing professionally in Germany, was drafted in the sixth round (136th overall) by the New York Rangers following his sophomore season at MSU. He later registered 127-195—322 points in 579 career NHL regular-season contests with the Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Bluejackets from 1999 to 2009.

York has skated with Iserlohn in Germany the last four seasons, and also played with the club during the 2004-05 NHL lockout when he notched a professional career-high 62 points in 52 games. He also put up 103 points in 123 career AHL games with Hartford, Syracuse and Rochester, and earned a silver medal with the U.S. squad at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Congrats, Yorkie!